Humans Of UPG: Raju Bhai

I count myself lucky to live each day like it is new, surrounded by such youthful people. Each one of you is always on the run, mostly to make it to class on time. It’s been 3 long years since I’ve worked in this college. You’ll find me mostly on the third floor, telling someone or the other to get permission for using college equipment. Working in UPG has always given me a sense of belongingness. Someday someone shares a joke and, on most days, people exchange smiles that fill my heart.

In life, you’re always taught to make a name for yourself. When I was in college, proxies weren’t criminal, so I skipped most of it. I never got a chance to do something explicit. In UPG, one random day, some professor must’ve said “Go find Raju Bhai and he’ll get it done”, and that was it. I bet that no one knows that my real name is Raghav, but honestly, if someone called me so, I’m sure I’d forget to respond. I consider the love that comes with ‘Raju Bhai’, a timeless gift.

It’s a treat to watch students in the media room always be on a creative spin. I know every department’s schedule by heart. I’m also aware of the feeling that comes with calling someone by their name, so I try to remember most of it. I’ve seen the tension before your projects. The enthusiasm of meeting friends on foyer. Your sleepy faces in the morning. And the way everyone unites to make a college fest worthy. But most importantly, Saturdays are solely reserved for conversations that start with “aaj chutti hona chahiye tha”. Well, I don’t disagree.

Just like everyone has that one friend they share lunches with, I have Shekhar bhai. We started vibing on his misal pav and my ‘bhindi ki sabzi’ once, and we’ve been sharing food since. And yes, we both look forward to the pot lucks you guys have once in a while. Someday I will cook something too, just give your old guy a heads up. Like I said, each day in college has been a celebration.

I’m not very fond of movies, neither do I have too much to narrate. But in this lockdown, I have been able to engage in the most wonderful conversations with my eight-year-old. I steal jokes that I hear from college and that cracks her up. On most days, I narrate her stories of how grown-ups make rookie mistakes and the only solution is to laugh at it. Maybe that’s the reason she laughs at me when I draw lions that look like monkeys. Hmmmm… This time has been really special and I owe it all to the life that UPG created for me in these three years. My set of jokes are getting old now though. Your Raju Bhai wants to meet you all soon. We need new memories. Till then, take care.