I met Yadhu a few months into my first year at college. During my initial college days, the fun element was minimal. College life was centered around academics. It all changed after I met him. In fact my life changed a lot. Fun and academics became hand-in-hand. He gave an altogether different dimension to friendship, fun and much more.

He was one of the funniest guy I had ever met. He always carried around a smile and a prank up his sleeve. Though I was at the receiving end of a lot of them, I enjoyed them all at the same time. I don’t remember how exactly I met him. But more importantly I met him. Govind one of our close college senior, fondly remembers him. “Usually juniors are either completely submissive or completely arrogant. We generally tend to not like either of the two groups. However Yadhu was one of the few who had no issues telling us what he felt while still being respectful. Along with that he was resourceful and always looking forward to being the life of any team he was a part of. It was no wonder that I personally looked forward to working with Yadhu in a variety of committees.”

Our friendship grew into a gang quite fast. Actually I was invited into the gang by Yadhu. To call the gang friendship would be an injustice. Family would be more accurate. In fact our friendship grew around him. The “Yo!” as we called our self, had everything: pranks, fights, late night talks, movies, outings, gpl (birthday bumps) and even a den behind DB. I still remember the mad dash for food whenever someone returned from home. The food barely lasted more than five minutes.

Birthdays were fun (painful for the birthday boy). Each birthday was celebrated like the last. I remember Yadhu’s midnight birthday bumps. I was the only one left to give gpl to him. Since we were about to start the “watering process”, we were all at hostel bathroom. I was photographing the gpl program. I called out to everyone saying its my turn for the bump. I took the run-up for a nice bump, lifted my right leg as if taking a goal kick. The next thing I remember was landing hard on my buttock. We all had a real laugh at my fall (including me). Somehow I managed to balance the camera in my hands though. I still remember the smell of raw eggs smashed on each other on another birthday celebration. Though we did clean up the bathroom, it smelled of eggs for more than a week.

It was through Yadhu that I came in touch with Club Mathematica during Tathva, our technical fest. Like all the first years we worked to help make charts, models etc for the club stall. If it wasn’t for Yadhu and the gang I certainly would have missed the club life. Little I knew then, that the club would take a center point in the rest of my college life. The whole credit goes to him.

One of the best moments that we all shared would probably be Ragam’09, our college’s cultural festival. We we were part of the Marketing Committee. It was during this tenure that we interacted with the best lot of seniors like Govind. Though we did not do much actual “marketing work”, we did our part; putting up flexes, banners, all the ladder climbs etc. The pro-shows, and especially the so called “security work” at the college gate. I remember those days like they happened yesterday.

He was never tired when it comes to doing something. He kept going till he felt it was complete. I think I picked up that attitude from him; to do something until I feel its perfect. In Govinds words, “He had a zest and dedication for perfection which I found lacking in even the senior executives, including me. One of the lasting memories of Yadu in my mind is of him in his characteristic over enthusiasm trying to lift a heavy table alone and when I rushed to help him wittingly isn’t lifting tables a disgrace for you seniors?”

I can’t put the fun and friendship we shared with him in words. Never in my dreams I thought I would be part of such a friendship. Everything I did in first year was with him be it Sangam, Tathva, Mathematica, or Ragam. There was no event which I went without him. But no matter where we were or what we were involved in, as Govind mentioned, he was the life of it.

He was never the “exclusive for the gang” kind of a guy. He was open to everyone. The sheer large number of his acquaintances speak for the friend he was. Yadhu was the only one to make us really understand and accept a man who was stamped a rebel by all. Yadhu never asked us to accept him. It just happened gradually. Or he slowly made it happen. The so called rebel later became my roommate in third year and apartment mate during my Bangalore stint. I guess Yadhu was the only one who could change our understanding despite our deep rooted opinion on someone.

But fate had something else for us. The fun, the moments we shared, all were cut short in less than a year. I still don’t know how it happened. All I remember is the mad dash to Calicut Medical College. There was nothing we could do, but to accept the harsh truth. He was no longer with us.

Its been five years now. The fun we had along with him, the energy we felt while he was around and everything else were unmatched. We never had that fun in any other college event or the remaining Ragam editions. In his absence, we all our tried our best to keep what was left of the gang. But nothing really worked. From a close-knit “complicated family” we drifted apart to be just hi-bye friends. We all did blame one or the other for the growing distance, but no one was to blame. We had clearly lost the “heart”.

He was the link that held us all together; our differences, our ego and everything else.

I still turn my head whenever I hear the name Yadhu. Maybe because I still expect him to turn up someday, telling it was just another prank. I miss him; we all miss him. Be at peace my dear.

A special mention to my BTech senior Govind Haridas and my best friend Ramakrishna Menon for all the help in completing this write up.

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