Chronicles 3/3

It is funny how most of my closest friends are also the ones I have known the longest. Navin’s been my buddy since 6th when I used to sit next to him and jabber away non-stop. And finish all his water too. Some say I used up everything I wanted to talk about when I was young itself, and that’s how I turned out to be a quiet one in the years later. Lol! PK, who has been my friend and rival over the years; Kiran who knows my deepest darkest secrets; mad, mad Madhu; Murali, who will always have a special place; dearest H, my only constant from a place that hurt me the most and made me tougher too; Elz dear; Stabby a.k.a. Sapota my alternative for a wisdom tooth; Butter, the exasperating cheer-me-up factor; Chimpf and Kaka, the ones who give me splits every lunch hour; and all the others I haven’t mentioned here, oh I love you all! Muah! Consider this a warning to anyone who tries to come between us… That includes all prospective life-time cooks my mom is going to set me up with 2 years down the line, ‘cause I’m definitely going to make you read all of this. Why ‘cook’? Cause I sure can’t, so you better know how to. :P

Most of all I think I realised why I love home. Even though I love staying away from it. Having someone who cares for you like no other, it is awesome. Ya it always was like that, but when I was a kid I took it for granted, and as a teenager I found it stifling. At least now, I have learnt to appreciate it. Especially at moments like this, when the scary thoughts of not having this forever creep in. Now that so many of my college classmates and cousins are either getting married or engaged, it is becoming tougher to keep Mom and Dad from the topic. I can’t believe I’m admitting this, but yes I am becoming open to the idea of an arranged marriage. (!!!) I know I want it someday, but even 28 seems too early! And the idea to have to cope with someone new, and his family to boot, whoa it seems too huge! Add to this, the constraints that society put in w.r.t. religion and region, it seems too huge. And then comes the question, would I go with someone I love more, or someone who loves me more, or rather adjust with someone I know I can live with, regardless of the ‘love’ factor. Tough decisions.

Beyond this, other pressing things demand my attention. Let me start at the beginning. Working at Ditzingen made me hope that one day I could have that work culture for longer. The absolute demarcation of professional and personal time, and how somehow more work just seemed to get done in the same time, it was incredible. And the sheer absence of politics was like a breath of fresh air. But of course, now I realise it was just beneath the surface. So when the dual-degree course came along, I yearned for it. What made my expectations grow was when I thought I’d make it. But the waiting list number disheartened me. It took me till I met my future classmates of the other offer I’d accepted for me to accept reality. This is where I am going and it seems like a nice place. With people I know. And today’s loan discussions just confirmed what I’d known deep down, but had just refused to acknowledge: We wouldn’t have been able to afford the other one. The One above truly makes things work out for the best, though then I did not know so.

There will be times over the next few months that I will celebrate, or curse, the occasion. And through them, I hope I never lose hope, and that I remain steadfast in the belief that it will all work out for the best. Peace!