Sindhuu....

The meaning of the word Sindhu being water (or ocean).It is said that the word Hindu has been derived from it and hence Hindustan and India. None of this means anything to me. Sindhu simply means "Sindhuja Madapusi". A girl I met as a fresher in my first Job. I am glad that she was named sindhu though,knowing she represents India in some way..(Now thats what we call as STRECHING it a little bit)

You guys must be wondering why I chose her as the topic of my post today.I just had a chat with her. Having a chat with her is so refreshing.She is one breath of fresh air for me at least(I am STRAIGHT if thats what you are wondering).I don't think she would like the idea of me writing something about her though!This will have to remain my little secret :-) Hopefully I do justice to the person she is...

I met Sindhu in Hyderabad during my ELTP(Entry level Training program) days.I get Nostalgic whenever I think of the city "Hyderabad ". It is a great historical city.I simply love that city!!So much romance is in the air ...the lake view in the night..awesome!!! I am talking of the "VIEW" not its "STINK".For your own SAFETY you are ADVISED to be further away from the lake while enjoying the 'View' (or Tightly clip your nose if you are near the lake:))

Ok getting back to the topic..Let me give some background on who Sindhu is...

She is no different from any other lady on the street.Hmmmm... fair,short, slightly plump and somebody who is unkempt.She doesn't have time to deck up like a lady, but she is pretty decent to look at. But the minute you talk to her.You will know how different and unique she is.She is truly one of kind.She represents peace and calm to me. By peace I don't mean peace in the usual sense.She has peace within herselves which seems to emanate to others who talk to her..
OOhhh My GOd!! Even I can write such philosophical stuffs!! I didn't know if I was capable of that. Amazing!!!

Sindhu is a south Indian(Tamil Brahmin) coming from a very influential family .She tore down all my prejudices regarding Brahmins (like being selfish, self centered, ruthless people who would stoop to anything to get their things done even at the cost of hurting people:)) and also about being Rich. Being born in a middle class family and having seen the way rich kids get treated at school, I just never mingled with them.Rich people were certainly off my limits. Inspite of Sindhu being everything I abhorred, I could never stay away from her.

We were staying in two different apartments but within walking distance(one street away). I was staying with a Sindhi family along with another fresher.We had a small room for ourselves. Sindhu was staying with two other nice girls(Ms.X and Ms.Y) who were also fresher's . Thankfully they had a separate apartment (I could go and stay over whenever I felt like). We being lazy girls we never thought of cooking and eating..What were restaurants built for? Cooking was a grand affair.Once in a while we would make something as grand as Thaiyir sadam(curd rice) , upma or tea. Believe me it is ' TRULY ' difficult to make them :-) You need to have "exceptional " culinary skills to make that.Kidding:-) Actually we had better things to do than 'COOK'.We used to chat endlessly,Come to think of it over nothing. But it was fun:-)

Sindhu is an ardent admirer of Swami Vivekananda..I really don't know who he was ..I haven't read any of his books either.Inspite of she being his fan, she has never bored me with his puranams(history) either. But whoever he was he must have been good.I am telling this only because I know Sindhu and she is really good.

She is a pretty easy going kid.We had a great time in Hyderabad together.She is lazy like me ..one of the reasons why we are still friends.She loves Ice cream.She is little stupid and adamant too..she feels the urge to eat Ice-cream when she has wheezing.I mean when she is really sick!! How stupid can one be ??? Then what else.She wants to remain a spinster all her life.We could never get around to talking some sense to her.She still holds on to the same theory.Ironically she gets proposed left and right.( I wonder why men always end up proposing the "Forbidden Ones".Guess it is more exciting to play Devdas for a while :)). Jokes apart she is the most lovely lady I have met so far.

I came to know who she was when the training period was getting over(two months) .We were told that some of us would be posted to Bangalore and the rest had to stay back in Hyderabad. Since we all got recruited from Chennai , everybody had their eyes on Bangalore inlcuding me. Since it was much closer to our hometown.Some people were trying to butter up (maska marofy) the trainers to get posted in Bangalore.Some girls were lying that they were getting married and their "Would be's "were in Chennai.Some guys were making up stories of their parents being sick...total disgusting lot or you can see them as funny cartoon characters.Everybody has different take on it. I found them funny as well as disgusting :-)

One Sindhus roommate (Ms.X) wanted to go to Bangalore too.Her mom was sick and she needed to be near her hometown.She kept worrying over where she would be posted and would be often seen only talking and worrying about it.Sindhu had a wheezing problem because of Hyderabad's extreme climates.So we all felt that she needs to go Bangalore. I also wanted to go.It took more than 16 hrs to Bangalore and 10 hrs to my hometown.Don't know if there is much closer route,but it would anyway take about 20 hrs at least and man I have no pleasure in traveling for so many hours in a train alone:-)Ms.X's father kept reminding her to go tell the tutors about her ailing mother and hence try to get her posting to Bangalore.But Ms.X being forgetful did not do it.

The D'day came when we would be told where we would be posted.We kept all our fingers crossed.Funnily though we were asked to pick up LOT's :-) So none of the recommendation and buttering up was useful. I wanted to give a "High five" but nobody was in a mood :-) I got posted to Bangalore.Sindhu got Bangalore. I was happy .Unluckily Ms.X got Hyderabad. I was sad for her.Then Ms.X started crying.I had a shock of my life!! I have never seen anybody cry like that in all my life even in a death ceremony. I just couldn't take it.I wanted to laugh..I know 'Bad timing'. I am supposed to empathize with her ill fate.But I just couldn't do that...When one decides to get a job and you are told you might get posted anywhere and you agree on it.Then why all this DRAMA??? I was pissed off with her!! I hate people who try to get sympathy in this way.I believe in one philosophy" You got to do it if you have to do it" Anyway nobody was asking for my opinion and I got Bangalore what does it matter if Ms.X has a problem.So I kept quite.I tried telling her in my own way to stop making a fool of her selves before others.Most of them were laughing at her openly which I don't think was NICE either.Grrrr!!! By the way Ms.Y also got Hyderabad too , so Ms.X would at least have company. Ms.Y was pretty decent in my eyes. she took this in very calmly.

After all this 'hungama' the next day our tutors made another twist in this story by telling if anybody wants to exchange places they can do that. Among 30 of us,24 got Bangalore and 6 got Hyderabad which includes Ms.X and Ms.Y. Only two people wanted to stay in Hyderabad and unluckily they were BOYSss.And as the man to man bonding goes,they exchanged with their friends.Can't blame them. Some were trying to brain wash all the people from Andhra to stay back.Since we are not a very mingling gang(meant we kept to ourselves) , nobody offered to help us.Then madam Sindhu just decides to stay.I was amazed!! Which Idiot would do that knowing you are sick and who needs to get out of this place as soon as you can, but Sindhu would!!! Actually there was no need for that, Ms.X had got used to the idea that she had to stay back..and above all we hardly knew each other(2 months).Why this sacrifice? Well that is Sindhu...
She was not trying to impress anybody.It is just the way she is.Ms.X initially refused to take it and made all the necessary fuss but took it at the end.I was disgusted!!Sindhu never even let Ms.X thank her.And the Irony was that I had to be with Ms.X in Bangalore :-(

The day we left from Hyderabad ,Sindhu and Ms.Y had come to send us off. Ms.X was crying again.I couldn't stand it!! So refused to even go and console her( For those who dont know me I can be really mean when I choose to be).When she felt better, I talked to her but I made sure that she knew that I was not totally pleased with her. I am sure she would have got my message. I can be totally blunt if I want to :-)

Ironically today Ms.X is my 'Real' good friend.I know, Soundssss.. funny right??? Ms.X is a Kid who refuses to grow up.She had her own (stupid) reasons for the behaviour,which I am not ready to delve in NOW.I tease her even today over that episode.This is my way of getting back at her and making her face the Real world :-) I may be wrong in trying to play GOD or trying to play Moral police .I am not PerFeccttttt... either. But I Love her and I think that justifies it.May be not...GOd knows???

One thing I long for is that I wish I could have had more time to spend with Sindhu. She came to Bangalore to see us(me and Ms.X) after 2 long years. We had a good time. She seems to have become thin,that lazy dog cant even eat!! Ms.X had been to Chennai to see Sindhu off when she was flying to Canada.

Sindhu today is doing her M.S there. She tells me she has got friends from different races(White,Black, Chinese) and they are all nice people.NO sign of Shilpa Shetty's "Chicken curry" Racism there:-) I am happy for her.I wish her the Very best!!!