~~~COLLEGE DAYS~~~(Part 4)... Enter an Angel in disguise :)

When I first saw him, he seemed to be too involved in himself and a bit worked up as well. It was on the admission day. He stood two places ahead of me in the long queue, wearing a checked orange shirt and blue jeans. He hardly looked at the people around him and seemed to be in some hurry. He was sweating so profusely in the scorching June heat that I almost fought back an urge to go and ask him "Is something wrong? What's making you sweat so much???" Anyways, he got done with the admission and disappeared somewhere into the thin air.

I didn't see him anywhere on the orientation day and didn't even notice him on the first day of college. I remember that I asked him a question of discrete mathematics on the 3rd or 4th day of college and I also remember how he just shrugged and got back to what he was doing. Next I met him at the xerox shop and when I was leaving the shop, he put his hand out and did a firm handhshake with me,such confidence reflecting from his eyes! Then one fine day, after a lecture, he walked up to me and with that same confidence shot out- "Number de apna". I couldn't believe the easiness with which he said it. I mean, personally I had never met a guy ever who would say that so frankly and easily. Maybe it was beacuse of the kind of place I'd come from, where people don't mix up very easily and it takes years to come to the level of doing a handshake with them. So, here I was, being welcomed to "DILWAALO KI DILLI" by the biggest dilwala ever, none other than - "Mr. ANKIT MINGLANI"!!

Those kind eyes with a hint of unprecedented love for one and all, that soothing smile which made you forget all your worries, those hands which were ever willing to help others, that extreme happiness in the echo of his innocent laughter.... words, I fall short of!!

God could not send my family to Delhi, so he sent Mr. Ankit Minglani, AN ANGEL IN DISGUISE, a person without whom I could not have imagined survival, especially in the initial years of college, in Delhi.

Now that he has made an entry, let me tell you about the very first instance when he caught me while I was in the process of idle roaming around the college. He came to me and again with that same easiness asked me - "poore din aise hi akele ghoomti hai kya??" I just looked at him and gave back a smile. He then forced me to come with him and sit with a group of our classmates in the canteen. It was, perhaps, the beginning of a bond that knew no bounds, it was the beginning of a relationship that would, at some point of time, go ahead and establish itself as an epitome of true and selfless friendship.... Touchwood :) :) :)