Ashank Mittal aka Asky aka CoolAsky

There probably isn't anything left on the Campus which he had not tried. He has tried to learn singing, playing guitar. He joined the French and German class. He has also been a senator. At one point of time he was doing 7 courses. All these things tell a lot about this person. He is someone who believes in trying new things. Sometimes he try things just for the sake of trying. What more to say? He is an awful sportsman, a more awful dancer(and someone seriously need to explain that to him). He has deep interest in religion and history. People who went to Khajuraho trip with him are evidence to this fact. He is also the "Debate Master". But sometimes he can test your limits with his debate. He loves leisure walk at night time. He also care a lot about his motapa. Some people call him "Safedi ki Chamkahat". But as his ex-roomie, I know that this safedi is capable of attracting myriad of girls. But inspite of that, he remains the only "Khantal putra" who is single as of now :). The testimonial would be incomplete if I dont mention his penchant for TV serials. God knows how many serials he must have watched. In fact, all the serials that I have watched are the ones that I had seen him watching. In all, this guy is daring and straightforward. A friend that one must have.

Rajiv Choudhary aka Commando

He got this nickname during our NCC days for some reason which I dont remember. But his build, his accent, his coolness just justifies this nickname. He is one of the most coolest and carefree guys and just dont worry about anything - a Jat's way of thinking. He has changed a lot since the time we came here. He has become lot more aware and confident. In fact, he has started talking to girls too(this transition came after the internship in US). He is also a great cricket enthusiast. He is one of the fastest bowlers that I have faced. There are so many things which are unique to him. The way he speaks, the way he runs, the way he laughs. He is the most hardworking of the four CSE guys of our wing. I hope he remains the way he is. Wishing you a very good luck for your future.

Sumit Agarwal aka Ha***

I will start with a very funny thing about him. The login idea that he chose for himself during our orientation period was 'sumita'. He is the eldest among all our Bhais, not only in age but also in his behaviour. Here is a guy with whom one just cant resist to be friends with. Someone who thinks about everyone, who takes care of everyone, someone with very high belief in spirituality, someone who always ponders about the purpose and meaning of life. He is an excellent cricketer, probably the best in our wing. He is someone with immense power(I know this because I have been at the receiving end at some of our friendly fights). And the best thing that I like about him is that he really understands you. He knows what you are thinking and would try his best to make you comfortable. On surface, he has a very carefree attitude but I do believe that behind it, there is a person who thinks alot about all his actions. Of late, he has earned the reputation of being the most efficient bargainer of our wing - Bargain Sumit. To sum it up, he is a friend who one cant afford to lose, someone who will always be there in the hour of need.

Rajesh Kumar Sharma aka ... aka Champs

... has a story behind it which has its origin in our first year. Before coming here, he had read Champak. And he committed the unforgetful error of telling that to our seniors just to find out that a children book became his namesake. Here is a guy whose mere existence can make someone believe in the God. Frankly speaking, the first time when I saw him, I was really surprised or rather shocked. I didn't know god made people like him. His skin was really doing a good job of keeping his body intact. I saw a person who was as thin as a human being can ever be, his eyes buried deep inside his thick specs. And with time, I knew him better and better. I came to know about a person from a small kasba of Madhya Pradesh who is always so simple and so modest. A person without any vanity, a person who is mostly introvert but who very rarely do come out of his shell. Most of the times, you can find him playing some flash games on the internet, or watchig some TV serial or a movie or otherwise sleeping. He is someone who never goes to class and can probably find million reasons for not going but inspite of that you could find people coming to his room for studying. He is someone who never looks outside his plate while eating, someone who is allergic to bath, someone who can make you smile at most unexected times with some most unexpected comments, someone whom you can always trust, someone who is truly Champs.

Amit Chandra aka Chandra aka Bihari

"He who could not be heard". An apt phrase to describe this Bihari who for most part of his life has remain incomprehensible to most of us because of our inability to speak and understand Bihari Hindi. But human beings make up for their deficiency in one field by excelling in other and so has Chandra. Here is a guy who is friendly, experimenting(literally speaking) and at times disgusting (this quality comes from his tendency to experiment). A guy who will be there to ensure you that you get into a difficulty out of nowhere. And if you get into a difficulty, he will be there to ensure that you come out of it. If you are looking for some fun, then you can count on him to join you. And if you are looking for some peace, then you can expect him to bring some unrest. Many succesful pranks which were played by us on some not-so-fortunate beings have been his brainchild. A cheerful, practical and a hard working guy. Truly a Bihari :) .

My wingmates, my IITK family

I clearly remember my first few days at IITK. I remember reaching the Kanpur station, reporting at the counselling service desk, opening the lock of my room, meeting my student guide. I remember meeting my wing mates, some of them were round, some of them were tall, some of them were dark and some were almost white. We were told by our seniors that these IITK hostels would be our home away from home. And after having lived here for the last 4 years, I can see how true the statement is. And if these hostels are my home, then my wing mates are truly my family. They are some of the best friends that I have had till now and I guess would ever have in my lifetime. These are the people with whom I have shared some of the most cherishable moments of my life, people from whom no secret of my life is hidden, people who I can trust with my eyes closed, people with whom I have had little fights, with whom I have had so much fun. I wish like Albus Dumbeldore, even I could put my thoughts in a pensive and could go back to the past whenever I feel nostalgic. But this sadly isn't some Harry Potter story. All good things do come to an end. At this juncture when some of them will move on to start a new life outside IITK, I would like to share my thoughts about them. I would like to share some of the most joyous occasions which I would like to preserve. I would like to make this blog my pensive.

In the coming posts, I would write testimonials for each of my friends, something which I really feel like doing, something that they really deserve.

Ignorance is bliss

It was 10th of March, 2009. We were on our way from Gangtok to Lachung. It was late in the evening and the sun had already set in. The road was passing through the hills with rocks on one side and valley on other. There were six of us in that Tata Sumo and i was there at the back with all 4 seats to myself. Other 7 friends were in the other Sumo. Things outside could only be viewed with the help of the headlight. Otherwise the visibility was very poor. Normally when I am travelling through such a terrain, I am very apprehensive, the valley being the cause of my apprehension. What if the driver take a turn at very high speed and the car gets uncontrolled and we all fall down? Why is the driver using only one hand to steer the car? Why is he talking on his cellphone? But at that time, there was no such trepidation just because I could not see anything outside from my back seat. All I could see was the road and some plantations on its border. The fact that we were travelling through a valley was there in my mind but it didn't surface as if I was subconsciously trying to ignore it. When we were returning back, it was afternoon and I could see the deep valley which I could not that evening. All my apprehensions surrounded me again.

Ignorance can really be bliss especially when one doesn't have control over the situation. I observe the same thing after the exams also. I am one among those who really hate discussion after the exams. I mean, once you have given the paper there isn't much that you can do. So why to spoil the fun by knowing your mistakes. In any case, one gets to know about it sooner or later when the answer sheets are shown.

I don't say that I always prefer to remain ignorant. Sometimes, some things may go out of control if suitable actions are not taken at suitable time. But sometimes, I do like to defer or delay things, face them only when it becomes inevitable to avoid them. And till that time comes, I prefer to be ignorant.

Sometimes, ignorance is a veil which corners you from the sufferings of the world outside. With so much of grief in the world - wailing of a child on a street, helplessness of an elderly beggar, powerlessness of a patient in a hospital, sorrow of an indebted farmer, pain of a mutilated person- the fact that we manage a good night sleep is possible only because we prefer to remain ignorant to these worldly things which prevail in abundance. At some point of time one must have seen people shivering on roads on countless winter nights, one must have seen people who are in want of treatment but cant afford it, people who are so much consumed in their present that they cant afford to contemplate their future, people who vanish the very next moment you see them. In these times when one feels completely helpless, ignorance is everything that you have to maintain peace of your mind.