Hum Panch

Hum Panch

This post is dedicated to four of my long-standing very-good friends (and yes, they are girls, for a change;) )

This is a story about five friends and we used to call ourselves Hum Panch (there was a serial at that time by that name). Who are the Panch (five)? Me (Divya), Shruti, Vamshi, Rathi, and Teju!:) We were classmates in Francis' during intermediate (that is 11 and 12 standard in AP) this was during 1995-1997, 10 years back:)

I will try to recollect how I met each one of them and how we came together in this post, my 10 year friendship day contribution:)

I think the first one I met was Shruti. I met her in my French class. I saw her walk in and the way she droops and walks, she looked so, yeah, brace for it, pitiable;)!!!!! I took instant afsos to her and thought, ohh this girl looks so friendless, I must befriend her. BTW, at that time, I used to carry around hard boiled sugar candies and chocolates with me, so I called her and gave her a candy and said hi and so started out friendship:)

Teju was next. This one is really cntroversial, as much as the first one is funny. We had a Math class and I was sitting in front of Teju. She could not see the board and nor could I. I was straining my neck to get a view and Teju madam calls me from behind and says can you move a bit, I can't see the board. As it is I was annoyed that I wasn't able to so then I said, I can't help it any better than you can, I can't see it either;) Just to annoy her:P And so it started. I know for a fact that Teju did not vote for me in the classrep election and also decided to keep away from me, but then when she got to know the ""real"" me I suppose my charm captivated her (right Teju;)??) and we are still real good friends:)

I don't exactly remember when I first met Rathi and Vamshi, but I know some stuff about our initial days of acquaintance. I took a liking to Rathi when I saw her sincerity in whatever she did. Very meticulous student, and very very sincere:) So we got talking, mainly in the French classes (and later our talking was Francis-famous as Usha ma'am would vouch for;) ) and so started the long-term friendship. Rathi also lives in Sunnyvale, about 7-8 blocks away and still is as sincere and as worrying about the quality of her work as she used to be:) no amount of assurance from any of us would convince her that its good enough;) What say Rathi?:))

Vamshi, now Vamshi and I used to live in the same colony for 3 years or more, I think, but I did not know her before Francis. And I think I met her through one of these other girls:) If I remember right, Teju. Vamshi's Dad (Hi! Uncle) worked for RTC and his jeep was our primary means of transportation on both trips to movies and to exams!!!! God save that driver!! And also the scores of other auto and bus drivers on whose vehicles we got on board;):) Vamshi and I did not connect that much initially but we did a whole lot of stuff later on, and she, till date remains I think the one girl among these that I have met more often and spent more time with, no one understands Vamshi better than I do, and I think you will endorse that girl!!;) Basketball, cards, Shuttle and your landlady in Tarnaka:)) Even though Teju spent loads of time with us, since Vamshi and I were in the same colony, we met more often and shared a lot more:):)

So we still remain, five girls good friends:) And we still manage to create a huge ruckus when we meet and scare people who are within a radius of 20 feet away;) We have not all five met for many years now (I think 1999 when Shruti moved to Riverside, CA). Four of us are here in the US, and Teju ma'am is as always the bossy manager at VSNL (or is it BSNL Teju?). Shruti (aka Shetty), Vamshi, Rathi and I met in Ann Arbor in 2003, we had an amazing time:) I had a blast with Teju when I met her last, and guaging from our performance in scaring people away, I am damn sure that when the five of us next meet, we will create the worst ruckus mankind is yet to witness!!! Amen!!!:)