Where art thou?

The beginning of 2004 was difficult in many aspects for me personally...but it also had a lot of hidden successes amidst visible failures which helped me revive from the abyss of emotions. In many ways, it was the sign of the best things to come...with a touch of drama, spoonful of comedy, tonnes of action and tearful tragedies with 'of course' an element of song and dance. In all these elements, there was one person among many who connected all the dots and sailed with me to help complete an intimidating journey. I firmly believe that he existed for a defined purpose and fate was what brought us all together...the same fate on seeing him accomplish what he came for, took him away from us, to let us sail on our new chapters in life.

When we joined IBA Bangalore (for my MBA) a bunch of us had delayed the hostel fees payment for which our accommodation was fixed in a place which was 5 - 6 kms away from our college. A rented apartment building where the construction was in its last stages, with zero security and a mud road leading to it. Eight flats and 32 of us holed out for a year before we had a chance to get into the campus hostel (the opportunities we saw and converted from these challenging times at that place is another story altogether which I might narrate soon in another write up)...but this is where I met the dude first and that was where it all began.

His introduction was a strange incident...we usually had a party post our MIS classes and our first was the rowdiest of all and my new found pal walks in invited and places himself on the floor in front of his glass of vodka mixed with sprite and a green chilli floating on it...he picks up the glass, gulps it in one go and thwarts the glass down and stares at us all...and then smiles because by now he was high and said "Hi, Im Sandeep from Kanjirapally, Kerala". It took us a while to gather what he said because all of them were high and stunned! I echoed out from the non-alcoholic section (with the snacks at our disposal!) "Doesn't matter...from now you will be called 'Cheta' from RPG" (Cheta meaning Brother in Malayalam and Raghunalli Paying Guest...which had other acronyms as well!!!). Thus began the saga of Cheta...(people almost forgot his real name in college from there on).

Cheta was a humble and a religious person actually...besides the mayhem of a bachelor life, he was certainly god fearing and godly at times whenever we were in trouble! He had an amazingly positive attitude and an awesome sense of humour and this kept us in peals of laughter even in our worst of moods or situations where we would be on the verge of breaking down. His sheer presence and his entry would bring the place alive and all he would do is just smile and say...'waaaaaat re!!!' He would be so sportive that it was hard to believe how he would share a laugh at a joke with him in it...he would also reply in the same humourous manner that the other person would have a better laugh.

We both were fans of rock and metal music but what got us on the same page was Pink Floyd...he and I would go completely high after listening to their songs (without smoke or booze) and he would decorate his room just to get that effect right for a Pink Floyd number. Ironically, his favourite song remains to be 'Coming back to life...'. We would sing, yell and scream the songs it at 2am or even in the afternoon...didn't matter, we were sheeps over another brick in the wall, comfortably numb in their sorrow with high hopes. He once fooled me when he narrated a malayalam song saying it was an unheard psychadelic pink floyd number...such was his humour!

He was a master in Photoshop and loved anything animated - movies, songs or cartoons. As one can see, he was indeed the most animated persons Ive ever met in my life. I wonder where the inspiration came from! A sucker for malayalam comedy movies that he would recall dialogues from each of his favourite comedy movies and mimic it to perfection! His passion for war and fantasy movies was also admirable...he would get lost in this world of his where he would critique and analyse the characters role and the plot like Roger Ebert...such was his insight! For our COSMOS quiz club, he was the creative mind behind all that took form and shape. He wasn't a part of the council but was such an integral part of our team that it didn't matter to him at all...he even worked with us for the grand event with a dislocated shoulder...such was his dedication to a friend's purpose and dream.

So much so for his lighter side, he also had a philosophical and brotherly side to his persona! He would be a saviour in tough times and lend his shoulder (even if it was a touch too high) to those who needed it. His conversations and understanding would be so amazing, that he would make you laugh or smile at the end of it all...making us feel miserable that we had to be upset about the whole situation at all! He would shoot philosophical lines out of the blue and he would take a minute to recall what he actually meant to say...his short-term-memory-loss-esque behaviour would catch people in roaring laughter. He was also a big fan of my writing and he would refuse to reply to mails because he wouldn't know how to write back! The only reply I would ever get was a big WOW...and that is something that I terribly miss these days.

Cheta and Academics were bitter enemies and best friends. He saw them as mountains to climb and also a walk in the park. The best moments would be when he would check the results and he would end up first confirming is his name wasnt in the 'failed' list...such was his selective optimism! At class, he would be in rapt attention until a question was fired to him then realization would dawn on him about the reality around. A true entertainer in and out of class and a class apart for sure. One must have been there when he would prepare for examinations...most of his books would have marks of his sweaty forehead because he must have slept over the same page he must have started on! Such a daredevil...he would have the guts to give a paper in such a preparation and still manage to scrape through in all glee and buy us all a cup of tea. Cheta's birthday celebration was probably one of the most rowdiest of all celebrations we have ever witnessed and to be honest, his sportive spirit was tested and he came out the happiest after his birthday by each and everyone in college...even those who did not know him...thats how he became even more famous!

There have been some awesome moments with the gang where we would all look at the same gal crossing the street or walking by and all of us on that moment would look at cheta and he would just say "You thinking what Im thinking?" He certainly enjoyed travelling and liked exploring new places, learning new languages in a funny way and also miss bus stops while going in buses! He couldnt run for nuts...it was tough to get him to catch a bus and not that he couldnt...just that his huge frame would only allow him to walk and that walk was one of the most distinct style I have ever seen. We termed that walking style "the manufacturing defect" (which actually wasn't). It was that trademark walk that could get us laughing even if walked say froma distance...we knew he was coming! His dancing was also a few moves but he certainly enjoyed dancing or even headbanging! I still remember every scene of our trips to the concerts in Bangalore where we witnessed legendary bands like Iron Maiden and Scorpions...certainly one of the most memorable outings in our life. Cheta was literally a rockstar in my books and will always remain to be...

I can go on and on with this and I would be glad to do so....and so would he. I know he is reading this from somewhere...but it is one of the toughest articles I have ever written...emotionally. We still e-mail him and scrap him once in a while on Orkut...and still celebrate his birthday the way he always wanted it to be...an occasion! I certainly think that the group has got stronger and the bonding has just got better...sad that his soul was the only adhesive and ultimate sacrifice to keep things alive. He would always want it to be the way it was and the way it is...He has been everyone's pillar of strength...a grand smile with a big heart for a giant!

Sometimes we tend to question God as to why do the good die young...I got my reply from a good friend of mine when my world turned upside down..."probably someone else needed him somewhere else like you guys needed him once before...don't worry...he is where he has to be." When I heard these words, I felt everything falling in place and there was another belief that he was still around somewhere. The purpose of a persons existence in our lives is actually known only when that person ceases to exist. Such was the effect when in August 2008 (on the night of friendship's day) we all spoke to him on a conference call and that was ironically his last.

Its been a year my friend...where art thou?