For the first time I tasted the feeling of friendship and it stayed with me forever. We were eight and I was the leader…we experienced all the ups and downs of adolescence. We were inseparable. As if we could do anything for each other. Somehow, they always pampered me like there’s no tomorrow and till date I wonder why I was given this “royal” treatment by some complete strangers of my age. They gave me the opportunity to lead a team. And later when I started leading Prayasam, it helped immensely. I was always chosen as their “guardian angel” – their first date, first crush, everything... until and unless they confided in me it was not “sanctified”. What I said was always the gospel truth and nothing but the truth. It was dizzy and a bit unsettling at times. As they never showed any resistance towards my actions or behavior, I could have become a narcissist. Thank God, better sense prevailed, it gave me an opportunity to review my actions every time I thought I was pushing the envelope a bit too far…being a leader I thought I have to conduct myself in such a way that I don’t give them a scope for complaints. I never did. And this leadership trait stayed with me forever…Fevicol Ka Jor….and thus in Prayasam I could not become an Office BOSS ever…

 

in Behala we started RAZZMATAZZ, a socio-cultural club, and did many out of the box things, like publishing a paper in French, L'Ami du people (the friend of the people. Obviously it didn’t have any takers apart from some members. But that didn’t deter us from something new whenever we got an opportunity. That’s why I never felt the urge to go anywhere, leaving them behind and the feeling was reciprocal.

 

I stayed there from my adolescence to my youth and when my mind was just trying to spread its wings a little wide, my family decided to move from Behala. It was like cutting my heart into two halves. At first I thought it would be impossible to live a life without them and vice- versa. It was a mixed feeling altogether. I won’t lie that I was feeling enthusiastic to start a new adventure with a new place but at the same time having the pangs of separation.

 

Is there a definite definition of Love…I don’t know…but till today if anyone asks me about my love I revert back to Behala and only Behala…