I’ve been thinking a lot about some regrets and things from the past. Things that I wish had gone differently, things I wish I could go back and fix. I know that I can’t but having some free time due to being off from work for the past few days have given me a lot of time to do some thinking. And a couple of nights ago I was chatting with a relative from Bangalore and that made me think about my year spent in the Garden City back in 1995-96. I had joined a polytechnic in Bangalore, PES Polytechnic in the PES Campus, and I was hence staying in their boys’ hostel located in Hanumanthnagar, quite near to the campus. I would drop out after a year as my exam results were terrible and I felt that I was wasting my time there and hate that institute & the administration. I regret my decision now and also regret the fact that I didn’t work harder.
But that’s not what this post is about. This post is about roommates as that is the blogging prompt I got from this site that I sometimes use (Imagination Prompt Generator) when I am stuck for a topic. So roommates; the only ones I have ever had and I hope that I never have to have anymore – unless she happens to be a busty brunette who is scared of the dark and wants me to keep her safe at night! Ahem, I digress. So coming back, I had two roommates during my one year stay there in the hostel. We shared a room, just big enough for two built in clothes cupboard, three single beds (the metal cots provided by the hostel, we had to buy the mattress) and a small table each for keeping our books and for writing on I took the bed in the middle, opposite the door and with two large windows while the other two had beds against either wall. Saji was on the side near the head of my bed and Tharun was on the other side.
Ah what can I say about them? Considering the fact that I haven’t seen either of them in 15 years, I still remember them well. Saji was a bit younger than me although we were both in the first year. He came from Mavelikkara, but was mostly raised in Pune. His father had passed away less than a year before – I know this because I remember that he was at his home on January 2nd for his dad’s 1st death anniversary. I knew he had a maternal uncle who also lived in Bangalore but Saji didn’t want to stay at his uncle’s place as it was quite far off from the college. His uncle was a very kind hearted man and I remember that he had married a blind lady. Saji also had a problem with his heart, due to which his uncle was very concerned and he had asked me to call him at any time of the day if Saji was showing any health issues.
What else do I remember about Saji? I know he was a bit religious, quite mischievous and generally a very good person. The only time we argued was when Tharun, him and I had a big disagreement and we didn’t speak to each other for about a day. That was it. Last I heard that he was working for a construction company and had married his high school sweetheart, infact they got married quite young, when they were both just past 21. I have no idea what he went on to do since then but I hope he is doing well and is raising a family of his own.
And that brings us to the other guy – Tharun. He hails from Aluva and was older to me by about 4 years! He had joined the institute late because he had spent the last few years in a seminary, studying Christian Theology and preparing to become a priest in the church. Due to some issues at home and his father’s illness, he left the seminary in his final year and came to help his father out with their family business. Once that was sorted out he didn’t know what to do next and someone suggested him to do a diploma in Electronics & Telecommunication in a polytechnic and that’s how we met. He had a slight complex because of the age difference between us – he was 23, I was 19 and Saji was 18 – but in no way did he try to boss us around. But he did have some issues. He didn’t like other people being happy!
I guess you would call him a sadist; he never did it in front of you but he would talk behind your back. If he saw two people talking & laughing and being friendly, he would want to come between them and split that friendship apart. He did this very cleverly and most of the stuff I only found out many months after I had left. He would then say some cruel things about people and want to hurt you to get his kicks. I am glad that he was only part of my life for a brief time and would never want to see the fucker again. I have always had bad luck with too religious people, especially people who have very close associations with the church! It’s a fact; he was the first of atleast 6 that I can remember.
Those were my only two roommates and only for a year and I’m happy to say that I have remained roommate free since then. And that’ also why I never have felt comfortable living with other people who are not family (cause in that case I am forced to anyways) and hope to never have to share living quarters with anyone outside family again. Exceptions for busty babes who like to prance around in their underwear and engage in pillow fights!