Bharath Srinivasa & Others!!! Part 1

At first glance, you would wonder, why the dickens would anyone include the tag "others" when he is yet to introduce himself. I have always believed that in order to understand a person, you need to know something about the people around him.

I have, as any individual would, come across hundreds of people in a span of say 20 years. While nobody would dig deeper into the kind of people they have come across, it is needless to say that a journey in those roads would be an interesting study. People around me have, in certain cases; given me jitters and goose bumps, made me laugh, think, talk and behave in various manners. I would discuss a few people who have influenced me in a big way, and, quite obviously are still in touch.

My understanding of this world began around 22 years back, when I was a 3 year old. Though not that mischievous, I was quite a handful to my mother, through my acts and physical structure as well, and mom decided that it was time I had some schooling.

Circa 1986, I stepped into CFTRI School, Mysore. On the third day, while I was hovering around the corridor, I heard the unmistakable voices of a frecklish kid, not wanting to come to school but his mother was forcing him to. He was being quite a handful to his mom. I had acted in the same way, with less intensity, a couple of days back on my first day in school. But by the third day I had got used to it.

I was then introduced to him by our class teacher, Aunty (Yes, you heard it right, Aunty!!) Gloria. Now why aunty and why not Miss? You need to be a CFTRIan to understand that. His name was U P Vikram, a close bud even to this day.

Roll the time machine 22 Years; he is probably one of the most emotional people I have ever met. He thinks everything from his heart. Ask for help and he is the first person to raise his hand up and be counted. Once he sets his focus on something, needless to say he has it. He is his mom’s only kid, just like me. But it’s the sheer number of sisters [J] he has had in his life that make him stand out from the rest. Right from our class girls and senior girls at school, through PU & Graduation, I can count up to a hundred!!! That includes a sister whom he never perceived as one & saw her in a different angle [;-)]!!! Brother of all sisters could be an apt title.

The Year was 1995, when we had just started high school, when a new kid joined. Sanjay B was his name. His face being so incredibly funny we actually wanted to see it again and again. 3 years went like a breeze, what with his share of sisters and crushes as well. He has an incredible ability to come out of infatuations and even relationships so well that you would wonder whether anything happened or not. If I have seen it once, I have seen it happen a hundred times!!! We graduated from high school in 1998 and somehow lost touch for a good 5 years. I value him for the sheer grittiness that he possesses. In those five years he has risen against the storm with absolutely no support whatsoever. He had tough days during PU & Graduation, both academically and financially. He has stuck through it all with sheer grit and I am very happy for the way he is today. He still carries with him the same smile that he had the first day I saw him.

The Year was 2001, got into BBM at TTL First grade college, Mysore. I met a certain Mr. Ranjit Chandran. A layman noticing him from a distance would pass him off as one of those serious chappies and would hardly enter into a conversation and if he does, would not last for more than five minutes. But boy!!! If he weren't there though my three years of Grad and two years of Post Grad, I would have been bored enough to chuck it all and have a dive at the nearest lake. I should have killed him a long time ago for the sheer amount of times he has pulled my leg irrespective of the audience around, but he is the one who has been right there for me through my tough times at college. I owe my maths and accounts papers to him, and hey, not to forget economics and business environment, and also Finance (The most vital of 'em all, no MBA if he wouldn't have helped me out). The most trustworthy guy who brought out the best in me and helped me perform

In the year 2004, after literally scraping through graduation, I landed at Pooja Bhagvat Memorial Mahajana PG Center. Here I met two unique people, quite the first of their kind. Raghav Prasad and Shruthi. While one was thoughtful, the other one tried to be creative. While one’s mood swung more heavily than Wasim Akram’s reverse swing, the other one was had a temper shorter than Dennis Lillie’s bouncers. Quite an amazing combination, both of them. Our meetings, starting with loads of laughter, invariably had a fight midway, and ended in laughter again. While one would choose his food completely on mood and place, the other one wanted everything in the streets. But together we went through some of the best phases of our lives and saw the transition happening, a tough one at that, from being students to becoming professionals.

In the same year I met another bud of mine, Ruben Duke. I have been with him on tours, bike rides, walks and we have been high on the highway as well. He has been a splendid companion. We spent some of our best moments last May – June. Those days, if put on paper, would make for another interesting reading with an apt title – Rajajinagar Nights J. All these days he has been a great mate, and he himself has seen numerous ups and downs in his career, and laughed his way through it.

I shall give a detailed account of some of the interesting incidents with the people discussed and you understand as to why exactly are these people so interesting…….till then….take a break.