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
