Convocation series - Vijay, Snehal & Vivek

I had written the next series of posts a long time back (way back before convocation happened, sometime around October 2008), but somehow never ever published. I can't even remember why. Anyway its due and am posting these old posts now.

p.s. I am not editing anything at all here.

Vijay

If there is one person from our class that I actually thought I should become friends with, then its Vijay. The fact that I knew close to nothing about him, bugged me a lot. He was almost like a Phantom. Whatever little I knew was from Snehal, who was his junior from Architecture College. And for two years he remained almost like that, a great person to talk to and unburden yourself but very little of the ‘conventional’ friendship developed between us. We hardly worked on any project together while we were in NID (something which did upset Pavan also) and I guess that was unfortunate. However, I always look forward to meeting this super guy! I have tremendous belief that he would do something extraordinary in life and it would be smart to be close to him, so that when limelight comes his way, I can also bask in it!

Snehal

Snehal was a perfect classmate. I remember she actually gave me a gift for my birthday – a chocolate smelling candle which I initially thought was a cake, and was quite surprised when it wasn’t (unfortunately I didn’t give her anything on her birthday and she discontinued this rather nice tradition). Apart from that I was always welcome in her room (when they were in A hostel) and it was rather necessary also as we did so many projects together. She along with her daughter (Muzayun, of course) always kept a close eye on any of my physical contacts with the opposite sex (even an innocent hug would not be spared) and would then pull my leg over it for months! I always wanted to visit her home in “Nashik’ as I somehow think that the food there would be really amazing, but could never manage it during NID days. I know that she disapproved of a lot of things, but ignored most of them most of the time. Oh and yes, she always frowned upon my flirting with her daughter!

Vivek

He would be by far the smartest in our class if only he would lose those extra kilos. He was in the class but always away from it as well. His outlook to friendship was extremely cosmopolitan and he had friends everywhere. He was one of the few from our class who was equally great friends with the GDPD junta from our batch as well. I saw little of him, especially in the trips we planned as a class. I guess rather than being indifferent, he was more detached to our idea of ‘dosti’! But he was always helpful in all possible ways. I remember actually asking to be a part of the only project we did together in NID – Space Ergonomics, though it didn’t turn out the way I thought it would. I guess I know little about him, but enough to like him a lot.

Read about Abhishek, Divya & Bhavin, Sanjeev, Shweta & Devesh, and Kiran, Pavan, Mousumi & Mahesh.

Read more posts on Convocation Series here.

Convocation series (an old post) - My first birthday again!

This one has a lot of Hulla Gulla especially with Divya in it :)

It was one of my best birthdays, all because of the people around me. The actual celebrations were even more grand...about 5 birthdays together! There was Kiwi cake for me...and most of it ended up on my face and hair!

It all seems to be so far away...however this daily journey to the studio through the Pigeon path can never be forgotten. Everyone will have good, bad and ugly memories (ya, I have them all) associated. Things have changed so much...for all of us in the video. We have all come so far away, something that will go on for the rest of our lives.

Its such an irrelevant video for most of us, except for those who feature in it.

P.S. this was an old post, saved last year even before convocation. Found it today...

Convocation series - Almost there!

Its a new dawn, and everyone at the home is sleeping. I just got back from the NID and now am wondering what to do next. It was quite a day...amma dna papa came from home in the morning as well as almost all the classmates (except Muzayun and Devesh who are currently in Milan). We had our shoot, dress rehearsal for the big day followed by Convocation dinner with everyone and then a long night ahead which included sitting in the back fields for a long time, taking rounds on the design street, cups of chai in the mess, super-duper adult talks, some funny pics, some maska bun at 4 am in the main lawns on the convocation chairs, and finally Kiran singing some exceptionally demented songs at 5:30 am! We were a big part with Snehal, Mousumi, Bhavin, Vivek, Sanjeev, Vijay, Kiran, Pavan (nano) and me and by the time we dispersed it was only Snehal, Sanjeev, Bhavin, Vijay, Kiran and me.

Of course we all missed Muzayun and she has always been such an important part of all such class gatherings...her loud laughter and her even louder (and wilder) comments. Devesh was also duly missed. There was Vivek with us after a long time and I enjoyed his extremely corny jokes...

Convocation series - PD Babes

PD babes have traditionally been a rather dry category of students, strictly for the post-graduate course, though. The UG batches are a different story though, well quite different. However, our batch actually had some amazing PD 'females' (well there are many more names which should be held secret) and often they dominated with males with ease.

This is an attempt to cover them in some of their colors. One is married, and two are about to take the plunge. What has this world come to! The mother-daughter combination still flaunts their single status. Anyway their worlds would also come crashing down soon. But everyone is doing well in their careers – designing cars, furniture for hospitals, products for India and abroad and product interface (and more). One has even gone further and attending classes (as the oldest student in her class and possibly in her college as well) in videsh. Such is fate...

Convocation series - Singing Kiran

Kiran has never been a singer, which makes this a must-watch. But he is singing from his heart and that makes a lot of difference, especially with Muzayun giving me all the help he needs. And later even Snehal joins in (and by the way Shenal is a great singer).

Kiran looks happy but is actually depressed to the core, Muzayun seems to be eating food but is actually starving, Snehal seems to be helping Kiran but is actually solidifying her position as the best singer in the class and Rani seems to be upset but is extremely touched with so much love being showered from us all!

As usual the video quality is bad and it was recorded towards the end of January 2007.

Convocation series - Muzayun laughing!

I guess we all know how good Muzayun is with bringing the house down with her notorious laughter! Well, this video isn't exactly the best but somehow captures the essesnse of madam's famous laugh...hahahahahahaha...

Convocation series - Famous dostis!

Well our class had many dostanas which all of us will remember for a long time to come…some of these started and ended with NID, other are still there. But they were all unique in many ways. Here is an attempt to cover a few of those; it would be great if anyone can remind me of one that I may have missed. I shall update it immediately. The order is random.

Kiran - Muzayun

They became famous as Hanthi-Cheenti! Well apparently the names are based purely based on size. Poor Kiran despite doing everything and more for his Cheenti, is always on the receiving end. But their friendship is one of the most fun-filled, especially for people around them!

Mousumi - Muzayun

They already had many things in common when they came to NID, so becoming friends was easy and natural. And they also looked good together. But there was something about them that still remains elusive, was it jealousy, mistrust or something else. I am quite likely to be murdered for this.

Sanjeev - Siddhartha

We became friends easily, because I realized that he could make folders really nicely, even for me! He was perhaps the only one in the class with whom I could share things from outside the class as well.

Devesh - Snehal

I guess Snehal was one person who could really understand Dhutappi well. While we all cribbed about his unavailability, these two could bond well. It was also a friendship which developed with slowly and strongly.

Sanjeev - Snehal

These two also became friends pretty fast. It was always interesting to overhear them have arguments over architecture. Both had actually promised to design my house way back in Semester one, though their views hardly match (except, of course, about Hafeez Contractor).

Muzayun - Siddhartha

We didn’t become friends immediately but I was very easily drawn to her laughing sessions. But once we became friends, there was no looking back. We spent most of our time in NID fighting over everything and worked on almost all the projects together, rubbing some people the wrong way in this process.

Kiran - Shweta

To me they always appeared to be fighting over the pettiest of things and I could never understand why! They were very close but hardly ever showed. Doing ‘Systems’ together was a phenomenal task; but we had the best of fun during those days.

Divya - Sanjeev

As friends they were perfect for each other. Both used to get up early in the morning, eat breakfast even before it was made in the mess and go to the studio to work. Their work was extremely symbiotic, both complimented each other well.

Bhavin - Mousumi

They have been superb friends for as long as I can remember. I was never a part of it, so I also know little. I have seen them fighting also, but I guess was affection strong enough to bring them back together always.

Devesh - Divya

The first so called ‘couple’ of the class. So much so that they were actually married and behaved like one, it was all done in a very funny way and added to our entertainment in the class! This almost disappeared with Sanjeev coming in later.

Muzayun - Snehal

These roomies actually behaved like ma-beti, with Muzayun as ma and snehal as her beti ( though father remains largely unknown, the fact that beti's surname is 'Joshi' must mean something)! But they always made a nice twosome. Fighting and cribbing but superb friends nevertheless.

Pavan - Vivek

Well the one of the most famous 'dosti' in the whole of NID is reserved for the end. They became friends quite early on. And they looked good together as friends, their stature matched. Also it was nice to seem them together hanging out with their girl friends. Of late there appears to be some storm brewing up, but they continue to remain friends.

Read more on convocation series here.