Vasanth

This post is my emotional outburst as my dearmost friend,Vasanth is leaving to the US.He is going to pursue his MS in Telecommunications at the famous Illinois Institute of Technology. The saddest part is that I will be the most unluckiest friend for not being able to give a personal send-off when he departs from Chennai on 8th August.

I wud like to tell u all abt our relationship... which is definitely more than juz being friends..

Our paths crossed when I joined Saraswati Vidyalaya,Nanganallur for my 5th standard.He was studying in the same school from his KG classes. We both, with some more guyz (Ashok, in particular.He is working with CTS after finishing his B.C.A) used to take our bicycles and roam about in Nanganallur.

There are numerous incidents to be told.. But that wil make this post endless. I will put out a few incidents, that wud be quite intersting.

Then, from the 6th standard to the 10th, we were in Sri Chakravarthy Matriculation. They were golden days in our lives. Never will we forget the hide and seek game played around Vasanth's home. There was a Gauva tree in Vasanth's home. Vasanth wud climb this gauva tree and go to the upstairs when we start the game. And when the catcher is still trying to catch the other people, he would come down thru' the same gauva tree and shout- "All Safe"....Oh God.. Again the same catcher- again the same cycle..

We have played cricket at all the grounds in Nanganallur, in front of and in the terrace of all our friend's homes.

Then.. we joined Prince Matric. for our higher secondary. Again both were in the same class-Computer Science Dept, sitting next to each other. It was always my dream to beat Vasanth in the marks, till my 11th standard. And finally, I succeeded to score more than him during the 12th-quarterly exam. Great effort by me - huh..

I would never forget our English madam (Ms.Shuba) referring us as the twins of our class. Anyone who comes to Prince wud refer it as a hell- but it was really a gr8 school for us both and our gang, who enjoyed to the core.

After our 12th std, we both joined CSC for C & C++ classes. Me with my family had went for a trip to the Andamans and so I was unable to go to class for 10 days. Vasanth, as was deprived of a company, did not go to class for those 10 days. When we went to class after my return, we were questioned for our absence for which I told the exact reason. When Vasanth was asked,... think of a possible reply he could hav given...

"Mam,Vijay went to the Andamans.So I did not come!".

This reply was so spontaneous that the faculty was spellbound and started laughing.

We were so lucky that we joined the same college-Sri Sai Ram Engg. College. But we were in different departments-myself CSE and Vasanth-ECE. But he still remained my closest friend. No one could ever become such a friend to me as Vasanth is. We would share all the department secrets with each other. And the secrets with us wil remain secrets. None of us have ever opened up any of the secrets, till date.

We did not hide anything from each other. Whatever happened, I used to tell him and vice versa.

Many of u mite not be knowing of the great singer-Vasanth. He used to sing in the Sai Bhajans. But he was soooo shy that he did not sing in any of the college events. After many debates between me, my friends (Anitha in particular, my another closest friend) and him, finally he sang in college in the 3rd year. I was sooooo happy when he sang during our college culturals in the troop.

Not only these 4 institutions, we were in the same tution centres during our 10th to 12th stds. We were in the same computer centres during our 12th and post-12th period. We were in the same driving school to get our car-driving licence during our post-college period.

Our record "12years-in-same-institutions" came to end last June-17th when I joined Mahindra-British Telecom without him. And he will join IIT without me.

I feel very sad to leave this guy, who is not only a friend, but also a philosopher, guide, care-taker etc. etc. etc.. I dont know when I will meet him again. Thank God that the present communication facilities makes us atleast virtually bonded.

This post mite look a bit-big.. But to me, itz only the size of a single-cell taken from the body of a big dinosaur.

Iam going to miss Vasanth a lot.

Vasanth, I miss u very much da..With ur patience and talent, you will shine bright in your life.

Friends never say Good-Bye..