An ode to the men in my life--Part 3!!

"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born." This post is about 2 amazing men who along with Sakti and Nandini were the cornerstones of my special world during COLLEGE!

College is an experience where one expands one’s horizons on both personal aspects and academic aspects. Much like the neem flower pachadi- a south indian delicacy, my college experience was a bittersweet one. As I stood anxiously,at the gates of my campus, all I could see was the glimpse of my very bright future. At that particular instant, I was nescient as to how everything about me was about to change in just a period of 3 months. 

The first semester started with full vigor and it was a mixture of me making friends,trying to suss out people in the new city and learning a lot of new things. I was an extrovert and I managed to make quite a few friends during a short span. But,all this joy vanished when the 1st semester results came in.Facing failure for the first time in life, I stood there, petrified in front of the result board.All I could experience was my joyous world crashing. From a happy and bold persona I slid right into a despondent person. 2nd semester started, while I was still hung up on the 1st one. Getting up and attending college was becoming more and more dreadful with every passing day. Every single waking moment became a struggle with suicidal thoughts and the guilt that I was disappointing my parents weighing me down. Soon,my friendships started dwindling like the air thinning out as we climb higher on the mountains. Suddenly, I became the invisible one.

At this point in time, I became friends with Ashwin and Ajay. While the majority of my classmates chose to disdain my presence, Ashwin and Ajay chose to be my friends for reasons still unknown;) I had become a very timid person who was feeling humiliated all the time but still these people had in their hearts to see me as their friend. As the days started rolling by, my friends started lending out a hand with my academics. Ashwin, as I particularly remember took time out of his study schedule and would go to the trouble of explaining the difficult topics to me .With his mighty help, topics that once seemed herculean were now a breeze. He was such a perfectionist and I admired his penmanship. From the 2nd semester till the 8th, our rapport grew over late night study groups and discussion on all the latest software, technos and gizmos. 

Ajay was a friend to whom I could talk about anything and everything under the sun. He was my best friend, for I could confide in him without the fear of being judged.  While I hit my rock bottom and I hardly saw anything good in me, he insisted that I was good enough. He was like the sibling, who always brought out the best in me. He treated me with respect and made me feel like a deserving individual. Typically, when we are young adults, the peer group’s support and opinion tends to have greater impact on us and am so glad that my friends chose to have such a positive opinion of me. So, even when some of my classmates were perplexed as to what the toppers of the department where doing by being friends with me ,my friends simply kept calm and continued providing their support and trusting me as someone with potential. This gesture of theirs is what kept me afloat and aided in me reaching the destined shore. 

Everyday, as I count my blessings, my heart is filled with gratitude that I had these amazing men as my friends to help me through the most horrendous phase of my life. Along with my parents, their belief is what has brought me so far in my life. My first call after securing a job after my parents was of course to Ajay and Ashwin, for without their help that would have been a distant dream. Till date, when I am at a crossroads situation they are my first call. They are and will always be my COMRADES!

As I finish penning down this post, it's Thanksgiving in this part of the world and what more can I ask for to be grateful eh?