Aravind's Personal Blog

[Third of three write ups from three who have been friends for almost two-thirds of their life.]   Our story began on a cool November day in the mid-seventies. A one-day trip for me on a family errand to the small university town of Warangal turned out to be a five year stay and a life-long friendship. Our friendship has spanned over four decades and two continents, a friendship that has stood the test of time, distance and Facebook status changes. This was a real-life friendship that could have scripted and inspired Bollywood movies like “Amar, Akbar, Anthony” or “Three Idiots”. I met Najam a few years before that cool November day. But it was a mere acquaintance between two students both pursuing graduate studies in the same subject in our home town of Hyderabad. The real friendship with Najam started when I made an unplanned visit to the new university in Warangal. There was an opening on the teaching faculty of the new university and Najam who was already on the faculty persuad...

[Second of three write ups from three who have been friends for almost two-thirds of their life.] I recall meeting John for the first time while we both were in Masters at Osmania University. Little did I know at that time that we would meet again and would form a lifelong friendship. Later, while working at Warangal, I met John when he visited the campus and through him, Aravind. We shared an apartment for three years. Our backgrounds could not be more different. John and I graduated with a degree in Economics and Aravind in Biophysics. We also come from different religions and with very different childhood experiences and family backgrounds. John and Aravind came from educated families whereas I was the first-generation college graduate in my family.  My life experiences were not of a typical child due to my Dad’s sudden demise in my childhood. I did not have an opportunity to cultivate lasting friendships in high school or college because of the pressing issue of survival. All t...