The Free Radicals

A long time ago (eeesh, I shouldn’t have read all those fairytales!), a lot of people told me that I should stick to what I was doing and not waste time and money going to NICMAR! Arguments and counter arguments were thrown around and eventually,I did what I always do, just went ahead with what I wanted to do!!! Almost two years down the line, I must say that the experience has been quite “enriching”! There was so much that was not right and defied common sense that at one point in time, i was almost pulling out my hair! However, i must not sound like Shilpa (the Crib Queen) here. The truth is, it would have been quite impossible to go through the last twenty months had it not been for certain people. These are the ones who saw through the “facade” and in turn, taught me a thing or two about life. Most importantly, they treated me like an equal (well, most of the time atleast) and never gave up on trying to assert peer pressure on me when it came to (as Shilpa puts it) non family stuff. Here they are, in alphabetical order.



Yo / Bitch / Abhishek

Every meeting with him started off with “what’s up braaaa?” and “What’s up bitch?”...! Needless to say, this lamp post was a pain-in-the-wrong-place! Never the one to give up on the “ball” he is one dude who always portrayed a smiling exterior no matter what was going on inside his mind. Cheers Braaaa!



Panditji / Sahayadri Conqueror /Aniket

The guy whose sole purpose in college was to make me realise that I was an “uncle” was also keen on ensuring that I got married before college got over so that he could have a great time at my expense! Always smiling while his eyes almost disappeared, he “grew up” real fast in college, in absolutely unenviable company and said goodbye in such a hurry that it didn’t even seem like one!



Baaazzko / Numero Uno Victim / Bosco

The intellectual KoKoNut man who is the first to “fall”! Always ready with a quick reply, one of my partners-in-crime, i remember his expression on that fateful morning, oscillating from disgust to mockery to disbelief. Never the one to give up an opportunity to kick people, he “gracefully” limped for three days when his turn came; all in the name of friendship! Dry, sarcastic and quick witted, I hope his “Karim Bidi”days are now finally over!



Manga / Networker / Girish

The gentle Lion, he walks like he owns the place or as if something is stuck (I haven’t figured out which). He loves to yap and as flag bearer of the Child Labour Association of NICMAR, he’s the man who knows everything except how to talk to his “wow”! He consumes project mgmt books like he consumes Raj Kumar movies and that too without burping! Resourceful, energetic (sometimes too much) and totally not scared of SaMBA!



ReddySquare / Ledu Mama / GogiReddy

He came as a quiet, disciplined boy and left as a violent, not-so-disciplined man (thanks to the Brothers V). Eating away our ridiculously low bandwidth with his fetish for live, streaming Telugu news, he rarely wandered out of the security of his own room except to hang out with the other Reddy.



Mummy / Bawarchi / Jasim

If you saw something big, spherical and moving at a leisurely pace, it had to be our very own Mummy. Never the one to say no to a request for food, it was always a herculean task to move his fat a** out of the chair or bench or any other object which had the misfortune of being subjected to the immense compressive force of his “light” physical being. Seen more in SinCity than in class, it was amusing to see him crib outside D-DTP’s office every 3 months!



Pinku / NaiMa / Mahima

The quite girl who could not think negative about anyone due to the “goodness” of her heart can create a waterfall at the drop of a hat. Always ready for a trip to the “tapri”, she was my only competition when it came to drinking tea (most of which was stolen from my cup). Her favourite colour is pink, in all its shades. A victim of endless “plans” (by the Brothers V, of course) and responsibilities of being the unofficial warden, she smiled through it all!



Jal Jeera / Aahat / Meera

The girl who wants to explore the world albeit found mostly in her room, can write with both hands and upside down too! No wonder she’s slightly conked in the head. The flowing hair coupled with the dimly lit campus has scared many a weak hearted “inmates” of the hostel. Her phone is her sustenance more than the caller himself!



My way or Highway / Captain / SaMBA

His fetish for conversing through his hands and refusal to use any other language except Telugu has given many a people nightmares. Whenever you see people running frantically for their lives coupled with a heavy bass sound, seemingly from a human, you can safely assume that you should run too. I can only wish that the Omanis are made of stronger stuff!



Edi / Bhukkad / Shilpa

Vegetarians of the world beware! You better lock up anything remotely edible or get ready to lose a month’s supply in one meal. This (now) slightly plump object loves only three things, sleep, food and Haathi (I think in that order). The people of Mysore are considering giving her an award for leaving their food supply alone for the last twenty months!



Anna / Boda / Shiva Reddy

The man who loves himself as much as he loves every other Reddy on this planet (those on other planets need to register first) is aiming to get to Paris purely on his carrom playing (read as passing time) skills! He can cook up Hyderabadi Biryani with the same ease as combing his hair. Quiet, short tempered and yet, gentle, he is a complicated character with unheard of Telugu words always ready to shoot out of his mouth!



Haathi / Dozer / Shreemanth

The “smallest” of the lot, he is a true foodie! He can eat anything and everything - warm or cold, mild or spicy, cooked or semi-cooked, food or one’s brain. He can sleep in any posture, lying down, sitting, standing or if you’re unlucky, leaning on you! Loves to dance when he’s in a “heightened” state of mind, he puts every single motorcycle in this country to shame. To ensure one’s well being in his presence, it is imperative to give him the responsibility of work which is socially beneficial e.g. placements.



Mowgli / Old Monk / Vinay

The glorious closing lines, “Why fear when Vinay and Vinayak are here?” that still haunt me came from this great person who just needs five more minutes of sleep; even if you have been trying to wake him up for hours. Always game for anything other than what he should be doing, he spent all his waking hours in the “pursuit of happiness”. It is difficult to stay serious around him unless he’s grumbling himself (a rare event) and his restlessness can even give you a guilt trip, if you’re not careful.



Prabhu Saaar / Comfortable Room Mate / Vinayak

He loves to dance and he loves to use the most flowery of Telugu words. A conversation with this “ticking time bomb” cannot proceed unless you are ready to “take light” anything and everything you that you should not. Rides the bike in any city like he was riding in Hyderabad and believes that helmets were made to insult all of mankind.



Saaar / Vada Pao / Vinoth

He always believed that he lived in a “palace” although we know better. Always in “fullllll” mood to do anything as long as he did not actually need to do it, he is the man who can talk money even to the finance minister. His status updates on facebook are probably your best test for comprehension and you will see his updates even if you cannot trace him.



Waz / Kitchen Cleaner / Waheez

Every visit to class by him was greeted with claps from those of us poor souls who were trapped in the “cycle”. Presentations were more of an opportunity for him to exercise with rapid pacing up and down the classroom. Always chilled, he is a freezer personified. Cannot survive without his music, internet and this one other thing, he made SinCity an awesome place to be in.



Thanks people, for making it worth every minute @ NICMAR!