My stream of roomies. Part l

While counting sheep last night, I plunged in to my pool of thoughts and wondered over the places I have been. The times I didn't have a permanent nest and I kept leaping from one place to another. And then I thought,

“What the heck! It’s a hell lot of girls I have stayed with!”

Now that I have an exquisite and permanent roommate I love to stay with, I can easily ponder over my memories of staying with all forms of roommates I had over all these year. Some were so blissful; I couldn't stop to be in touch with. They’ll be friends forever and some…

…. You’ll know!

It all started after high school, when I left my town.

My first and one of the best roommates:

SWETA:

Well, if I have to compare her to a movie character, she could easily fit in the role of Kajol from Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham!! Yeah right, Tussi bade mazaki ho (hitting you hard on arms)* kind.

She kept chattering nonstop until I dozed off. She just LOVED talking and that was one of the many reasons I always felt lively with her. We had a beautiful small house we shared with other girls and we loved it there, well sometimes! It was the first away-from-home experience for both of us and we both gave up at some point or the other. We had our own differences at times but, that didn't leave us to think any different about each other!! We were like a team creating troubles and sometimes landing in some. We ate nonstop at any time of the day. We would eat tons of food at 2.00 am and would puke the second morning but, we continued the vicious cycle. Life was so random with her that we used to have the morning coffee at petrol pumps from the wending machines and sometimes drank flavored milk from the cunning store wala next to our house. I know weird but, fun.

I could write without pausing on all the things I am remembering right now but, that wouldn't be fair. She was my roommate I had for the longest period of time and we ended staying roommates for all the years we were in the town. When we got our degrees at convocation, we were awarded together!! I told ya, we were a team.

She is now married to her love and moved to Canada from the US for good. I miss her.

AVANI:

I wish I could just say, “The name is enough!”

Tall, pretty, funny and well, in demand! She was the elder figure for me and Sweta, teaching us the ways of life. We sometimes got it, sometimes we pretended we got it and sometimes we didn't care. I would confess in having a lot of trouble with her but, soon after we finished our college, we couldn't get apart. Though it was hard to match up to her thoughts as we were complete different characters, I would say I did have a lot of fun in her company.

She was the Leah to my Juno.

If our college had a football team, she sure would be the cheerleader!

We separated as roommates in sometime however I used to visit her a lot and we had our share of fun.

She is married too, to her boyfriend in Australia.

P.S: Still a hottie!

PRAKRUTI/PAKU:

It was sheer destiny how we met and in no time she packed her luggage and moved to our house. She was the person I could relate to a lot more than others, an artist, intellectual, music lover and a very chirpy person to be with. I loved her company. I was very brutal in teasing her and I knew she liked it too. The moment spent with her and other two girls were one of those moments for which I would be thankful all my life. We had unbelieving funny times like cats entering through windows and pawing on us while we were asleep, witnessing robbery which turned out to be a security check, a light bulb on street that always used to lit up when we walked through it (creepy) and so on. I loved her. Good times!!

She calls herself “Hinata Uzumaki” now, sells her art on Deviant Art  & married her longtime lover, whom she called her John Abraham.

HETAL:

The good girl among monsters!

It surprised me how every evening, without forgetting a single day; she would worship her god before she ate. She was very religious, calm and fun-loving daddy’s girl. She came with Paku and in no time became the closest friends to me and Sweta. She was a very lovely lady who had the faith in humanity and though we separated on our differences, we still talk endlessly and laugh on our good old days.

Again, happily married!

URVASHI:

I am just waiting for her name to erupt because for hell sure she was a volcano. An independent, dominating weirdo, a Physiotherapist who used to get bones and skulls home every day and scared the hell out of us! We always used to wonder if she allowed her boyfriend to breathe some free air but, I was happy to know she married him and they are now the proud parents of a baby girl.

We lost contact when she left but, I just found her on Facebook few days back and am waiting for the lava!

SHITAL:

Well, not exactly a roommate but, she shared our house for few weeks and ended being one of us. She was from my native town and thus we had a lot to share. She was and is very close to my sister, some call them twins and hence they created havoc when my sister visited us. I would rather not mention their acts here!!!

Right now…..earning big bucks in Bombay!! :D

NIMISHA:

The coolest roommate EVER!!

Yes! The one I was the most flexible with. She was a happy-go-lucky, enjoy-life-to-the-fullest kind of girl and that is what I loved about her. I liked how it was really easy to be with her not pretending to be something else. We shared the same interest in college, Food Production.

We wore our chef caps, tied our aprons, held the spatulas & ran to our college kitchen every time we got chance, while other girls re-did their make-up as hostesses. The best memory I remember was to cook delicacies the whole night before our college’s jungle theme event. I wish I had more time with her.

Happily Married and is now in the states.

Bee tee double-yew, when all your friends are married, you are probably old!

VAITALI:

The roommate I was least connected to hence not much to share about. We didn't have anything in common except we shared the same home town. She was a beautiful dancer though.

Married

YANA:

It was when I moved to Jodhpur for my Industrial Training, I dived in to more diversity. Yana was a pretty roommate from Nagaland. My closest from all the three roommates I had, while I was there. Unfortunately, it was the worst & horrible period of my life, too rough to mention right now. Anyway, she was very helpful & supportive & I wish I could find any contact details on her.

BENI:

Also, from Nagaland. Strange, little unfriendly but, I loved the way she pronounced my name.

Not much news of her either.

NIKITA (I guess):

She was my 3rd roommate in Jodhpur. She was from Tibet & she always kept asking me about how life is, in Mumbai. I really don’t know why. All I remember of her is that she was a Gutka pan addict!!!

RASHMI:

My first roommate who was younger than me, I've always been the youngest.

My first amchi-mumbai roommate with a strong Marathi flavor!

I simply LOVE her.

I could stay with her again if I get to. She was so alive, so smart & so stupid. I had some of the best times of my life with her. She helped me explore Bombay more than I could have. We did some shit crazy pranks while we stayed together, creating troubles for our landlord. She was always ready to hear my boring & whiny stories while I came back from my internship at the hotel. (Sometimes good ones about how I met Bollywood stars!)

She loved shopping & had a good touch of materialism. She was my Rachel Green.

A dentist now

Well, a long list. I know! But, we are halfway there.

………to be continued