The Bristol Chapters
Chapter 2— The Accidental Meetings
It is said that some of the best memories in life are forged in the tiny microseconds associated with those fleeting moments that are often overlooked by people but carry intricate details about some of the most important things in one’s life.
As I try to write this second chapter, I can’t help but think about the fleeting moments of my first encounters with the four most important people that I’ve had the solemn pleasure of meeting while I was in Bristol. These four people are the reason that Bristol felt like a home away from home and through their friendship, I’ve learnt a great many things, that have helped me become the man that I am today. So today, I dedicate this chapter to these four individuals who through their friendship have managed to left a mark in my life.
I’ve never been able to understand the true reason why me and Varun became friends. Perhaps, it was that we were both fresh off the boat in a new city trying to find our place, or perhaps we were both from the same hometown and had similar upbringing or perhaps the real reason that me and Varun got along so well since the beginning of this friendship was the ability of Varun to have no boundaries and limitations on what could or couldn’t be shared amongst us. For me sharing with strangers has always been a difficult task, however, ever since I first met him at an event, sharing things with Varun came naturally to me. It was like I was talking to a brother instead of a friend and that analogy is apt for what I think of him today. I distinctly remember meeting Varun for the first time, where he asked me to keep in touch after getting to Bristol. Till that point I’ve had people make such claims and then not turn up, however, the day I landed in Bristol, he was there for me, ready to share a pint or two while both of us tried to find our place in this new city. Like I said before, my relationship with Varun evolved to that of a brother and even though I know that now both of us are living on different continents and talk in silences, he will still be there for me if I ever need him. For me our bond transcends the limitations of distance and time and meeting him after a long time feels like we left off things just yesterday.
While some friends were given to me as a gift, some were forged in the flames of old hindi songs and all nighters in the Merchant Ventures Building completing our assignments. Sandy, the person I spent the most amount of time with in Bristol, has been one of my closest friends since the day I met him and I was lucky enough to be a part of the most important day of his life (congrats brother). Varun played an important part in introducing me to Sandy at a soiree held for new incoming students after which the three of us decided to grab a pint and come up with plans to create a organization for incoming Indian students of which Sandy was suppose to be the president( you know normal things that three strangers who just met talk about). But the beauty of that moment was the ease with which the three of us could just talk about anything and everything. The thing about Sandy is that getting to like him isn’t that much of a task. Just ask anyone in our group and it will be unanimous decision that amongst us all, Sandy was the most likable. But the thing that drove me towards his friendship was his simplicity. I don’t remember a moment that I’ve spent with Sandy where either of us weren’t joking or laughing. The best thing that I can say about Sandy is that, even after all these years, he is still that guy I first met and he hasn’t changed anything about him. He is still the guy that would do anything for his friends and I am lucky to count myself amongst them.
Before Sandy officially introduced Anisha to the group, we (me and Varun) had heard whispers and stories of this mystery Indian girl that Sandy was hanging out with and who was considered by many to be extraordinarily beautiful. I can vouch for that last statement myself, as the first time I met Anisha, I (in my stupidity) thought to myself that this girl is too pretty and she wouldn’t even bat an eyelid in my direction if I tried to talk to her. So eventually when Sandy introduced me to her, out of fear I acted like a complete doofus. However, the one thing I can admit after getting to know her over the years, is that the best quality about Anisha isn’t her physical beauty, but her heart. Over the course of the time I’ve spent with her, I’ve seen the best that she has to offer to her friends and even strangers alike. She is one of most down to earth people I’ve had the pleasure of knowing and her innate ability to let her hair down and become one of the guys make her equally fun to hangout with. And of course, any mention of our friendship would be incomplete without mentioning our joint love for White Zinfandel. Sharing that glass of wine, are some of the most cherished memories I have of her and here’s hoping that we get to share another glass or two soon enough.
Lastly, this post would not be complete if I didn’t mention my dearest Aslesha, the girl from Bristol who would eventually show me what true friendship looks like. As either one of us will mention, my first impression of her was that of a snob and I honestly don’t know why I thought that, but she (as she always does) proved me wrong and nobody was more happy than me that she did. Any mention of my stay in Bristol is incomplete without mentioning her, as the girl who ran into me purely by coincidence is the reason that I survived some of the dark days of my life. She is the confidant to all my secrets, privy to every thought that I have and as she like to put it “my person”. Because of her for the first time in a long time I had a “best” friend who knew me inside out, better than any other person in my life. Here was a girl who through her love and compassion was making me tear down walls that I had created and let her know everything I felt, the good, bad and the ugly. Like Varun, my conversations with her had no limits or boundaries and everything was fair game. The thing that drove me towards here was the ability of her heart to show me true love and compassion . I’ve seen her go through the some of the darkest moments in her life and her tenacity to be good and kind in the face of overwhelming odds is inspiring to say the least. I know that you are reading this with a blush on your face or a tears in your eyes and I would like to say that thanks for turning around that day in the courtyard and talking to me, because if you hadn’t I don’t know if my life would have been the same or not but it surely wouldn’t have been this much fun.
To all the people mentioned in this post, I humbly and sincerely thank you for all the love and memories you have given me and I sure do hope that there are many more to come in the future.
