Soupy noodles!

This is the second time i’m updating my blog in last 48 hours. I didn’t expect to find something to pen down so soon. Anyway this is nothing much, but just a funny(horrible, u ll notice if u read) incident that happened to me today.

It was 4 pm. And I was hungry again already just after 2 and half hours of delicious lunch. Having eaten the hostel food for so long, anything mom makes these days tastes heaven! But I was hungry. I thought of making Maggie. To my surprise there was a packet of Knor soupy noodles in the kitchen. Ah! Brilliant I thought. I was eating soupy noodles first time after 8^th sem study holidays.

My mind was fast rewound to 8^th sem study holidays. Four of my friends were at my home to study. Rashmi, preeti, anup and shrivatsa. We had finally seriously decided to study, at least for 8^th semester’s sake. We had tried out studying at college reading room, which hadn’t worked out. Then we said to each other we shall study by ourselves. Which was a flop again. So it was I who called them all to my home on a Sunday. We finally started studying somehow. Had almost studied for 2 hours, and we were suddenly hungry. Mom and dad weren’t at home. They had gone to attend dad’s friend’s son’s marriage. So I thought I would prepare Maggie for us. Just then anup came out with as always different idea-lets make soupy noodles. It was first time soupy noodles had come into the market and anup was proud enough to say he had already tasted it and he said it is brilliant as though he was a great connoisseur. :P

So it was decided! Anup brought soupy noodle packets from a nearby shop. Now the question was who would prepare it! All four of my friends wanted me to sit nicely and quietly. Anup was telling he would do, it was his idea after all! But preeti wasn’t sure if he could light up the stove. Vatsa said he was ready to help. N rashmi wanted girls to do it because she thought boys can’t handle the kitchen! Finally anup and vatsa were the winners and they got the chance to do it. I got scared for a while. I remembered the day when anup had called all of us n few more friends to his home for lunch and had not prepared anything. Actually that day his parents were out of town n he had invited all friends hoping one of us would cook. I just recollected anup’s kitchen’s state after we all had finished with cooking. He was lucky that day. His mom was out of station. But in my case I knew marriage ceremony wouldn’t take long n mom would be back in couple of hours. I just prayed for mom’s kitchen and decided to sit in some corner n started shooting whatever was going on. At least I would have the proof of my innocence should something happen.

Anup and vatsa with the help of rashmi and preeti had prepared wonderful soupy noodles!!! I on the other side had finished recording their adventure. The video brings smile on my face even today. In mean time we had wasted one hour, but what we had gained was a memory for life... J

I, back in my kitchen was recollecting all those moments as I started preparing my soupy noodles. I knew I would always remember those moments whenever I prepared soupy noodles in future.

Mom had brought a new induction stove. N I had never used it before. It had an LED display which showed some numbers. I kept it at 5, thinking that it was medium. I heard the door bell ring. Mom had opened the door. I didn’t know who was at the door. I guessed it was a sales man, because I heard mom saying- no we do not need it. I had poured all noodles and masala into water. I had started stirring the mixture.

I was hearing distant voices of sales man; he was selling some books, I thought. I wanted to see. I lowered the number from 5 to 3 on stove. I thought I would be back in 2 minutes.

Sales man: hello ma’am!

Me: hello

Sales man: I am from Ramaiyya College for management studies, on an mba project. We have something that would really be helpful to u.

Me: wat is it.

He pulled out a huge encyclopaedia and gave it to me. What was he doing I didn’t know. I just took it.

I immediately realised it was kids book.

Me: oh... sorry I don’t want them... Thanks... bye. I tried to return the book...

He went on and said, wait a minute ma’am... u know what? u r getting this free.

I knew there was something coming up, but I didn’t want that book even for free. I tried to open my mouth in vain. He was not letting me speak.

He pulled out another black book now and placed it on top of big book in my arms. I noticed it was thesaurus.

Sales man: you know wat?

I asked- what?

Sales man: you are getting this also free.

Then he kept another big book on the other two. Totally I was getting three books free.

Sales man: do u know what was the first animal in space?

Me: er.. dog?

I just recollected from a kids science magazine I had read ages ago. Its name was laika... I had liked the name n that is why I had remembered it. But he didn’t realise I had answered the question. He was just going on, so u see.. All such things are in this book, as though he had all his speech by heart. I didn’t like him, now that he had started forcing. I had answered the quiz and I wasn’t appreciated either! Bad...

I said ok. But i’m sorry i don’t want.

Sales man: Do u know the antonym of sorry?

Me: sorry?

Sales man: u can find it in second book. U know. We have prepared this combination of books just for students. and you are getting it for free!!

Me: cool! m getting it for free? Thanks. I smiled because I knew I had to buy something else to get them free. I was just waiting for him to come there so that i can finally say bye to him.

Sales man: ya for that you should buy this... (He pulled out an even bigger book this time. It was some dark purple coloured book!! I didn’t like it just by its looks.) And this will cost u only 2500 rupees.

I looked at the book. It was a book on improving communication skills. He started turning out the pages. There were nice pictures of beautiful foreigners in formals. He said this will help u improve ur communication skills.

Then he suddenly asked me what was I studying? Thank god he finally remembered to ask the first question he should have asked. Engineeri... i just hadn’t completed the word yet. He was happy already. Brilliant he said. This is just the kind of books u would want to prepare for your placements in your final year.

Me: listen I don’t want these... They are nice. I have done with my engineering. Thank you.

Sales man: ohh then may be u r searching for a job. Trust me this is what u need.

Why was he assuming things...? Who told him to imagine I was trying to search for job? I was getting angry now. But he was just not ready to leave.

Me: no I’m not searching for a job. If u really want to know I was placed in two mncs but I never joined them. Please don’t waste your time. I’m sorry.

He wasn’t listening to me. But now I could see the sadness,frustration on his face as well. He was trying hard to get it sold. It was his project. I felt sorry for him. But then I had no use of those books nor did I want to spend 2500 rupees of mine on something I didn’t want. I wanted him to go. But he was just not listening. I could have shut the door, but I didn’t feel like doing that. Mom came back, and firmly told him we are not interested in buying. We are sorry.

He had got his cue, he left. I was sorry for him. It was a tough job. I started wondering if he had sold any since morning... hoped he.. damn!!! My noodles...

I rushed to kitchen. slowly peeped into the container...

It was all gone. All soup had dried up. It was some new color I had never seen before... definitely not the one which anup and vatsa had made.

I don’t know, I’m not sure if I’ll remember my final year study holidays when I next eat soupy noodles, but I’ll surely remember this guy from ramaiyya institute of management studies!

Nice story! But i still hope he made his target. Life is tough. Gear up!

My best friend’s name is...!?

I was home after 7 long months.

Hydrabad was a nightmare. No! its not the city but the life as a GATE aspirant there. The hostellife was something i confronted for the first time. It wasn’t a happy engineering college hostel, but one where everyone was running a race. There was no time for friendship or any other relations there. Every morning race started at 4 am for bathroom, and then next one was at breakfast counter, followed by the race to catch a decent place for the whole day lectures in the class of 250 students’ n so on...

Spicy andhra meals every day, lonely hours in library, tensed nights.. All these brought tearsinto my eyes. Each time I remembered my old friends, my classroom at sdm, that comfortable atmosphere. but nothing of it was there. I remembered my home. Taking care of ourselves all alone was tougher than I had thought. But it was my own choice i had to live through it.. 7 months..

I was back home finally. To a new home in Bangalore. The feeling of being home was so nice that I felt those 7 months were never real. It was like I was never gone. I at once wanted to meet my friends. I had realised what was life without them. I never expected anything from my friends in college but I always wanted them to be there around me. It was so comfortable when they were around. I was recollecting all good times I had in college life with them, standing on the gallery with my mug of tea. I was watching kids play. They were playing a game I hadn’t known.

I tried to trace out the game.

A small girl in pink frock was made to stand in an imaginary circle, her other friends surrounded her. The girl who was in circle was to shout this with her eyes closed- “my best friend’s name is... “n then she shouted a name, “kiran”... By that time other girls ran to their capacity in different directions. The girl who was in imaginary circle was to reach one of them in three hops, eyes open.

The girl in pink frock was so small that her long jump hardly covered some 30 inches for her. She wasn’t able to reach anyone. Poor girl! she was made to do it again. All other kids clapped happily for they all had survived the game, but the disappointment on small girl’s face made even me sad for a while. kiddo feet of hers were failing her every time.

She was den for one more time... she shouted out again from her circle, “my best friend’s nameis... kiran”. It was now 5^th time she had lost, and suddenly another girl who was little older to her shouted!! Cheating cheating cheating!!! She was wearing a nice greenish dress. I suddenly felt more concentrated towards the game. What was it? Did that small girl cheat? I wanted to know. Other girls approached the girl in green skirt; one of them asked-what happened?

Girl in green skirt said as though she had spotted world’s biggest crime happening, “What is this?” She said.. “she is telling the same name again and again. This is cheating! From very first game she is telling my best friend’s name is kiran!! cheating. You have to take different name every time”.

I was caught by what I had just heard. Ha ha... what was it.?? The den was expected to change her best friends name every new game. n more to that all other girls completely agreed to what girl in green skirt had said. Yes yes was the unanimous answer!! And the girl in pink skirt now shouted “my best friend’s name is sachin!!!”

Ha ha.. They continued with their game. I suddenly realised all motto behind her telling to change best friends name was, to stop game from being repetitive. Earlier, she shouted same thing every time; every one ran to same places each time. N the game was just getting repetitive. With her best friend now being sachin, there was some change, apparently some psychological change, atleast some thing was different with every trial.

Innocent kids!! They carried on, girl in pink skirt never argued. She didn’t argue saying “but he is my best friend why am I supposed to say some other name?” the need came and she just did whatever a senior in team told her to do. May be she was scared that she wouldn’t be taken for the next game if she argued, or maybe she just didn’t realise that she was changing her “best friend” just because a girl in green skirt told her to. In her innocence she called out divya as her best friend next time.

We too do that na.. i.e. changing our best friends... don’t we? But out of innocence? I’m not sure.

People are best friends to us, or we are friends to others for not so long time, atleast not for life. People are friends until they no longer have any need of one another. Do we really see friendship of rancho raju and farhan around us? Would we bunk our exam for friend’s dad? Can we jump from principal’s office for the sake of a friend who saved your dad!? It sounds foolish to do all that, right? That is extreme! I mean giving life and all crap. But can we at least be there for a friend when in need? Or respect a friend who is no longer in a good state as much as we did in his/her good times? I don’t see these examples much around. Friendship rots in no time. And somebody new becomes our best friend again in no time. We don’t even have time to feel sorry for just ended friendship! It hurts to see this. Have come across many such examples in these 21 years of my life. And that really hurts sometimes. I still wonder what friendship is though many claim to me that they are my best friends. I will only know when bad times come. I don’t want bad times to come though, just to know who my real friends are.

But I want to tell them all.. I’ll always be there.. Without any expectations or demands.. for I have realised in these 7 months what is life without friends... whatever u people are, or wherever u ppl r.. My best friends’ names... will not be changed in trails of life... and I shall always be there^*

^*and the applied condition is- as long as u deserve it!