Friends - Pride and Hunger!

Friends - have always been a part of my existence. Infact they are the next thing I can recollect having right from my childhood. The first one would be burnt bums ofcourse ;)

I would like to thank my friends - each one of them! I have loads of memories - humorous, annoying, sentimental, happy and crazy ones - thanks to my friends. Sharing a few snippets, which will stay with me till the day I go...

Seetha & Chubi - My soulmates from MBA. Chubi was cute and Seetha was mad. And I was Gorgeous, Energetic, Enthusiastic, T... T for....??? (That's another joke, will share it sometime soon) As a whole, our hostel days were crazy.

We never studied. We slept when all others read. Gossiped while others slept. We were lazy, laid back and rebellious. We were liked and hated equally. We were on the receiving end often - be it in the form of anonymous stinker mails for hosting the college fest, warnings of being 'failed' for late project submissions, threats for the 'traffic' accidents caused, mockery for 'ignorance' of Malayalam and what not!

We were never part of the hostel 'mess' committee.(Those who were would be put in charge of the kitchen for a month and were to manage everything from ordering veggies, to fixing the daily menu, to overlooking the cooking). And we were allergic to Food - only to the cooking bit. And there was a stupid rule that those not part of the committee were to eat from outside. We dint care. We loved the hotels.

But that night was different. It was the hostel fest. And the aroma: chilly chicken, fried rice, mutton biriyani, salads, icecreams - was INVITING.

And we were not invited.

Some f**k up in our dinner plans left us starving. And the worst part was - I was a vegetarian. (I had made a new year resolution that I would turn a veggie and that was my successful 3rd year). Girls with heaps of biriyani kept passing by and we ogled - no no no... we were not lesbos! I meant at the food.

We gulped down litres of water to stop our stomachs from grumbling 'food please, food please'. It was past 1 am when the party was over and the hostel went to sleep. We were still awake - from hunger. Each one wanted to suggest that we go and 'borrow' something to eat - any leftovers would do. But our pride walked in and blocked the way.

It was past 3 am when 'pride' was tired and gave way to the pangs of 'hunger'. I really dont remember whose plan it was, but as soon as it was voiced, the 3 of us were holing up at the hostel's kitchen door. Chubi was carrying a bottle to fake it as if we had come for water. Seetha was cautious eyeing the inside of the kitchen for any 'sleeping maid'. And I was testing my skills at mimicry trying to imitate a cat (just in case).

The coast seemed clear. Chubi was to guard the door while I and Seetha went for the catch. It took us less than a minute to dig out chunks of chicken legs, thighs, breasts and what not! (Seetha was an absolute expert at serving!) We were back in our rooms in a flash.

None of us spoke. We just dug in. I saw my resolution of not hurting animals and my long term goal of joining the PETA go down my throat (literally). It hurt. But that was a night when we realised that hunger can make the most educated and civilised do things they wouldn't do otherwise! (And you are right, it was 'us 3' I had in mind when I said educated and civilised).

Amongst our years together, that night when we 'borrowed' some chicken biriyani at 3am in the morning, still remains the most fresh memory till today.

Miss you gurls badly!