Chronicles 2/3

Meeting Murali was like old times. We lose touch ever so often, but the times we meet, it is like we were never apart. No wonder he’s my bro. And he’s probably the only guy my parents enjoy talking to, and the only person I’d be allowed to be with after 7p.m. Even Ma reminisces about the first times she had met him “Oh, how shy he was then to even come from his birthday party… And now look at him acting in the movie and pursuing his dreams!” Dad of course has other thoughts. The moment Murali said that he’s graduate in Finance and marketing, Dad’s eyes lit up. Sometimes I believe that he thinks the best things to be in are IT companies and banks, but oh well I try not to get involved in such discussions with him. We are too alike in our temperament and the situation would easily become combustible. Sometimes I think, oh dear I really must be more ummm.. well maybe ask more advice from him. But then I know deep inside that he loves me so much he’d never let something come up where there is a want of advice from him. Sometimes it is easy to be a rebel when it happens (when does one really stop being an insecure and cocksure teenager in front of one’s parents? I don’t know), but then most times I know it is just love. Ah the wisdom that comes with age! :)

Mrl and I had been to Creamy Inn in front of our school. It used to be the only cool hangout place when we were studying, and the years seem to have treated it well. Hordes of school children and kids with their parents were at the place. I stood outside looking at the school and went back to the happy memories ages ago… Perhaps someday I’ll elaborate on that. As of now, SBOA is completely built up. Loads of new buildings. Classrooms with A/C and lockers! Of course fees have doubled, but that doesn’t seem to surprise me anymore. Mom and I love the concept of cool classrooms, but Dad and Mrl agree that it was better without the a/c. Dad ‘cause children have better immunity when they grow up in rougher environments and Mrl ‘cause he’d have happily slept through the classes and never passed. Though I doubt that.

We went to Coffee Day, but the new one at Anna Nagar West. Seems so different from the days when CCD usually meant the one near Round Tana. A boisterous group at the next table reminded us of how we used to act during our teens. Talk revolved around many of our old classmates. Sweet ol’ Mangal and how he was mistaken for a fresher in his new company. Now I realise why guys place as much importance on facial hair as girls place on the lack of it. Why I ‘must’ come for the trip to Mumbai so that there’d be one more to bear one among us. How I always used to coerce a classmate into buying ice-creams for the whole gang. Which, frankly speaking, wasn’t that difficult since I was probably the only female who was really nice to him. PK, the other Murali and me, and our constant struggle for the top 3 spots. Hmmm… maybe I should correct that. No one ever did beat Murali!