Few years back when I was doing my engineering, Rohit was my very close pal. He was also doing engineering but in some other college located in the same city. We used to meet regularly in the cricket ground. Cribbing about our respective college and imitating our lecturers were our usual time pass activity. The other most talked about topic was about this gal Priti, his classmate. Gossips, rumors were basic ingredients of our chitchat. It was crazy at times but never the less lots of fun. Rohit was a big time stingy guy and so was I. Our weekend plans of going to dinner at some local restaurant were mostly a flop for the same reason. Here goes our typical conversation over telephone in the week end.
Tring… tring… tring… tring
“Hello… Can I speak to Rohit?”
“Dude... this is him... tell me, what shall we do tomorrow?”
“Are you kidding me? Don’t you remember that cricket match against those VSS nagar boys?”
“Of course dude, I am aware about that match, how can I forget that? I am asking after that match”
“I am suppose to complete that Electromagnetics assignment… if I don’t, I will get properly belted by that nasty lecturer”
“Don’t tell me all these stories, you had promised that you are going to treat me in that new restaurant”
“No way, that’s never going to happen… I am not treating; I can manage to come for the dinner only if you are treating”
“I can’t believe this… you are stingier than what I thought”
“Look who is talking… when have you treated by the way?”
“Dude, I told you right I am saving money to take Priti for lunch in that restaurant in MG road on Feb 14th … and I am also thinking of gifting that teddy bear”
“Ah… Rohit, you taking Priti to lunch is nothing to do with me… By the way if my dad sees me talking over the telephone for long, he will throw me out of the house, tell me fast, are you going to treat me or not?”
“Okay dude I will treat you, if that’s what you want, but not in that new restaurant, will take you to that pani puri stall near our school”
“Don’t put all these senti and all… Okay, all right, we shall have pani puri near our school, it’s going to save my time for my assignment as well, but don’t forget to bring money, I have absolutely no money”
“Don’t worry dude, will get the cash… I will catch you at 4O’clock in the ground”
“Fine, bye”
“Bye”
In fact having pani puri near school was easily the best thing to do then going to that new restaurant. We talked about our school days during that time. We remembered all the stories that proved us as the stingiest creatures on this earth. The other stories that never missed out in our conversation were about Priti. Rohit could recollect each and every conversation with her; I had to listen to all of those from him as if it was like a TV re- telecast. I gave him tips that never worked out, but he still came back to me for more tips. I can say for sure that my advice was never valued more than ‘then’ by anyone ever.
After completing engineering we lost contact. Both of us went on with our own life, career and stuff. But thanks to the strides in information technology that he found me through Orkut. He called me the moment he got my number; the conversation went this way
Buzz…buzz… buzz
“Hello, who is this?”
“Dude, guess... from my voice... come on, dude”
“Rohit?”
“ Yes dude, this is him… its almost 3 years now since we spoke to each other… the moment I saw you in orkut, I could recollect all the fun we had “
“Oh my god, what has happened to your accent, you sound like an American”
“Oh yeh, I work for an American company and I go to the US now and then, that’s how I picked up the accent… forget all that stuff, tell me when are we meeting?”
“When ever, where ever… any restaurant in the city, You always complained that I don’t treat right? This time, have what ever you want …any where … I mean where ever you say”
“No dude, I am the one who has to treat… first let’s meet and then decide on the rest... how about MG road? No, I meant St Marks road? "
“Sure… hey what about that gal Priti?”
“Dude, we shall not talk about her… I just want to say it’s over long time back”
“Oh okay… “
“Let me tell you one good news, I am getting married”
“Wow Rohit… who is it, when? Where? “
“I will answer all your questions, first let’s meet…how about Sunday, 4O’clock near our ground where we used to play cricket”
“Okay, but you were saying Some St Marks road… any way our ground is a better place to meet, from there we shall go which ever hotel you decide”
“Okay then… bye”
“Bye”
“Hello, who is this?”
“Dude, guess... from my voice... come on, dude”
“Rohit?”
“ Yes dude, this is him… its almost 3 years now since we spoke to each other… the moment I saw you in orkut, I could recollect all the fun we had “
“Oh my god, what has happened to your accent, you sound like an American”
“Oh yeh, I work for an American company and I go to the US now and then, that’s how I picked up the accent… forget all that stuff, tell me when are we meeting?”
“When ever, where ever… any restaurant in the city, You always complained that I don’t treat right? This time, have what ever you want …any where … I mean where ever you say”
“No dude, I am the one who has to treat… first let’s meet and then decide on the rest... how about MG road? No, I meant St Marks road? "
“Sure… hey what about that gal Priti?”
“Dude, we shall not talk about her… I just want to say it’s over long time back”
“Oh okay… “
“Let me tell you one good news, I am getting married”
“Wow Rohit… who is it, when? Where? “
“I will answer all your questions, first let’s meet…how about Sunday, 4O’clock near our ground where we used to play cricket”
“Okay, but you were saying Some St Marks road… any way our ground is a better place to meet, from there we shall go which ever hotel you decide”
“Okay then… bye”
“Bye”
We did meet that Sunday near the ground. We joined with some people who were already playing cricket there. After playing, we recollected our entire ‘then’ team members with whom we had lost contact. We talked almost for four hours. Rohit told me all about his marriage, about the girl, family, how it was arranged, his plans after marriage. I shared my thoughts, about my life. We ate pani puri, bajji, kulfi ice cream, samosa etc in all the places near that location. We did fight again on who is going to pay, only this time it was for the opposite reason.
