And I now present before you....

Well, the moment I mentioned one in some post, I knew I was dead :P

So, this is a post about my 'bestest' friends - people I have known from school and college. Probably not of interest to those who don't know them, move on to the other posts :)

Alphabetical order (I try to be politically correct)

Maansi - Partner in crime, fellow movie lover, and we believe that we are the best dumb charades team around. Hah.

She (often with Namrata) comes up with half of the crazy plans that we put into action. Is extremely aware (political, economic stuff, AND gossip, so important), appreciates my sarcasm :) Most of the stupid plays and excellent films I have seen are thanks to her, and I firmly believe that I have introduced her to some of the better music around (definitely better than Metallica :P , and no Namrata, nothing can beat the Beatles)

AND - Elephants are NOT purple. This is wrong!!!

Manjusha - We were in the same school for 15 years, but I think we spoke for the first time in college. Unusually patient.
Can make Mona behave. Is excellent with small animals; my father thinks she is sensible (He is the only one to think so) :P I've spent half of my college years covering for her, while she was stirring up trouble somewhere. Is my constant shopping, bird-watching companion.

Mansi B - She's perhaps the only person in our 'clan' who can actually understand what the guy on CNBC is droning on about. Has real

work experience. Hates kids, is currently teaching brats at a school she says should be shut down. Watch out for her, she'll be one of those people you see on tv, commenting on financial...stuff or running a big financial consultancy or or, doing something big at Bombay Stock Exchange :) Does not like posing for pictures.

Monisha - Mona Darling! If there is one person who she is scared of, it is M ;) Mona, to a great extent, taught me to be

objective and non judgemental.
She is the one with whom I discuss everything - tv stars, sitcoms (we watch all the dumb ones), other people, food - everything! Is my ex-class companion, gaddar :P


Namrata - I could write a complete post about Namrata Patel (to be pronounced Pa'tell'). My first memory of her is of a hyperactive 11th std student with her hair braided into 2 pigtails. This alone would have made me do a double-take, as, for the rest of us, one of the high points of starting college was kissing pigtails/plaits goodbye. But let it never be said that Namrata did not do a job thoroughly....the braids were topped with a bandanna. A red bandanna.


You cannot help liking Namrata. She is utterly unique, high on life and a Beatles fan (This is the part where I confess I have never heard a Beatles song. I can almost see her jaw drop) Another thing about Namrata is that she is kind and exceedingly generous - with her time as well as her dabba :)
Dancing Phalanges!!

Sasneha - 'Rabbit' is what I call her. On the 'sensible thinking' scale, she's right up there with Bhambhani. She was the

financial secretary and/or the hospitality head of almost every club and event in
college. Very adept at organizing, calm and very, very good with dates and events, especially Indian History.
And in addition to all this, she is probably the only person who can actually handle Namrata :)


Snehal - Moonface, school buddy, we meet up

once in a while, but always know whats going on in each others boring lives :) Very
perceptive. Usually the mediator, and tries to keep me honest :) Named me 'Soup'! (Unfortunately, no individual picture of her. Send me one Sne.)


Vishal - Ah. Shouldn't even write about him, he hasn't read my blog yet :P Best bud since the last 5 years, he's always

around to calm me down when I am panicking, is amazingly sensible, level headed
and very, very focussed. Of course, my contribution to his mental well being is monumental - he wouldn't have lasted college if it hadn't been for my wise inputs and commentaries on so many, many issues in his life :P


Well, I will conclude my testimonial about these lovely people who, after my parents, have perhaps had the greatest influence on my behaviour - those who know me today think I am slightly er.. quirky/eccentric/crazy/talkative/childish (you must have seen me skipping, nodding my head to imaginary music or sticking out my tongue when I am bored) - now you know why.

It's all about Love

I’d written this one some time ago, but in light of the current debate over Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, I guess its the right time to post it.

The first time I was told what ‘Gay’ meant, I was 12. What I did not understand was the hushed tone, the eye rolling, the shrug....I still don’t. So really, what is the big deal? You love someone, how does it matter who it is? Hey, if you do, then you do. So few are lucky to find true love, and love comes in many forms.

I was discussing the topic with someone once, who said ‘homosexuality is a perversion’. Pray, tell how? They justified it with this – “If homosexuality was ‘natural’, then why would there be two sexes-male and female, and not just one?” In that case I can ask, why all these varieties of flowers, so many animals and plants? Why don’t we just have roses and donkeys? Why bother with lotuses, marigolds, jasmine, tigers, lions, rabbits?

And WHAT is with the term natural?! Who are we to decide what is natural and what isn’t? Devdutt Pattanaik hits the nail on the head in The Pregnant King (That’s right, KING) –

"Careful of the word unnatural, it reeks of arrogance. You are assuming you know the boundaries of nature. You don't. There is more to life than your eyes can see. More than you can ever imagine. Nature comes from the mind of God. It is infinite. The finite human mind can never fathom it in totality."

Another thing I heard in a movie – ‘Nothing is unnatural really, whatever happens, in the end is happening within nature, and hence, natural and more importantly, possible.”

As we progress, our minds seem to regress. Religious scriptures are quoted by conservatives to justify their stand. But what everyone seems to firmly turn their eyes away from is the fact that every religious scripture is open to interpretation. Nothing is written in stone. Let’s be realistic. God did not beam down any of the books to earth – it was man who claimed to hear God and translated His teachings for the rest of us less enlightened mortals.

Over time, many such men decided they were entitled to interpret these scriptures, and the fools that we were, we allowed them to. Today, they decide what is right and wrong, sin and blasphemy. Which actions will take us to heaven or hell. Key here is the term decide. They don’t know for sure - no one does. Do heaven and hell even exist? Really, do you think we are going to float around sitting on clouds with harps, or stew in cauldrons, with little demons poking us with pitchforks?

Chew on this - None of us have seen God, spoken to Him. Perhaps in those who raise us, who teach us, in the kindness of strangers and, if we look hard enough, in ourselves, we may find Him.

My conclusion – I like to think there is someone out there who has got my back. I am going to assume this is someone who is understanding - if He really created us, he knows we are all goofy (FYI, I’m firmly with Darwin on evolution). More importantly, if there is a judgement day (which would reinforce the concept of heaven and hell, which I really, really don’t believe in) He really isn’t going to ask us who we loved. I think it will be our other actions on earth – kindness, honesty, courage - that are going to count.

P.S: For those concerned Indian citizens who have been greatly traumatized about the legalization of homosexuality and who claim that it will ‘corrupt’ the great Indian culture – wake up and smell the garbage : dowry, child marriage, cruelty towards women and senior citizens, child labour, illiteracy, eve teasing (ugh!), demolition of religious buildings by politicians, corruption, defacing of monuments, lack of general civic sense - spitting on streets, littering – Really? What are your priorities? Do you truly love your country? Deal with these then.