Those Days of Life

Sunday is PN's birthday. He was my self-appointed, doting younger brother in college(he's annulled that relationship since). He was a very soft-spoken(is even now) and shy guy, friends with some noisy girls(L, SN and I). On one of SN's birthdays he'd gifted her a soft toy and when I met him the next day, he seemed like he wanted to say something. He hesitated for a while and then said he had a much bigger teddy bear in his room and he loved it. He looked embarrassed and said I'd better keep the thing a secret. This whole aspect was new to me; I was just waking up to the fact that soft toys were supposed to be a girl's best friend. They weren't mine, I was least interested in them and kept them at arm's length. And here was PN, acting as if he was committing a crime for cuddling them! He must have congratulated himself about binding me to secrecy because it took me some time to understand the stereotype.

I think it was also around this time that I learnt the word lesbian. L and I were walking in the campus one day, pally as usual. Another girl walking past us laughed and said it was good we were in India; in US we would be thought lesbians. I had to ask L to enlighten me on the meaning.

First year of Engineering was full of learning. It was also the time I thought boys were really nice people. Insecure, sensitive, friendly and helpful, just like any of us.