MY FRIEND 'DEEP' PART 1.

MY FRIEND, DEEP(1)
Sardar Mandeep Singh Baweja aka Deep always fascinated me. At times he surprised me too. He was two years junior to me in College. I had finished my graduation was just entered to pursue my PG and he had just enrolled for his graduation. We could possibly have never known each other so well but for the small tiff we had in the college canteen over some seating problem. Fortunately it ended with some heated arguments only before it could turn ugly. In the evening, we came face to face again at a restaurant where I saw him for the first time. I was monthly boarder at this restaurant for the last two years and he presumably had joined today only. It was a popular vegetarian restaurant for the tight budgeted students from out of town.
I had to admire his guts when he came forward and introduced himself as Deep with an extended hand. I had no choice but to hold it as if asking myself to be done with it. But it was not so. He sat on the same table for his meals and during the meals he was telling all about himself which was of little interest to me. All I could grasp was that he was from an agricultural family in some obscure village of the adjoining district and that he was the only of the 6 siblings likely to graduate and become a professional one day. Agriculture did not interest him and he wanted to do something different. .
Every day in the morning he would wish me in the college and before I knew it we were friends. He was staying in a rented accommodation. I was also staying in a rented accommodation but shared it with a friend. He used to invite me to his room. We would sometimes order non-vegetarian food and beer. On such occasions he would bring one cigarette for me to smoke. I did smoke once in a while but never expected that a Sikh will allow me to smoke before him, least to say of buying a cigarette for me. He said he liked the smell of cigarette but as his religion did not permit him he would rather abstain.
Coming from an agricultural family, he would get his expenses depending on the funds at home not like monthly as I was getting from my Government employee father. So on occasion he was flush with money but mostly broke because most of the money he got went in paying his overdue college fees with penalty, Hotel, Milkman, Washer man in that priority. A good part of the balance was spent on non- veg food and beers and movies. He spent like a king as long as he had money in his pocket least bothered for tomorrow. At times he would take a detour to avoid his lenders. On the contrary I always had some cash with me to see me through till the next money order . He would not hesitate to demand 'arre dash rupaye Dena’ (give me ten rupees). He had no intention of returning and I too had no reason to ask considering the way he spent on me when he had. I would ask him to be judicious in spending but all in vain.
He was a great extrovert and made friends easily. His friendship with Harpreet and Jagjeet was also the result of his outgoing nature. These two young Sardars belonged to Government Contractor families and were looking after their recently acquired civil contract in the town. They also were occasional visitors to our restaurant where the friendship developed. They obviously came from well to do families or were having lucrative margins in business. Whatever, they spent lavishly and sometimes on us too offering fresh fruit juice from a close by stall which they frequented almost daily and had a running account there. Deep became quite close to them. Time passed and our friends grew stronger.
Final exams were approaching. We both decided to concentrate on exams and would meet only at the restaurant for meals. One day he informed that the contractors duo had suddenly vanished and had not paid the juice stall owner. It was heard that authorities had come to know about their selling cement allotted to them at controlled rates, in the black market at a premium. Their contract was cancelled. . It happened in January and since we were too concerned about our exams, we could not follow it up. Years later , while crossing a Cantonment Area, I saw one of them in Military Uniform as new recruit.
One evening, in mid- February, I saw Deep having heated arguments with Restaurant owner. On enquiry it was revealed that his three brothers, on visit to town, had come to the restaurant for meals but were refused credit. Though the owner had seen them in the past but he refused to recognize them. This infuriated Deep and we left without having our meals. We never visited that restaurant again, not even for paying our dues.
Now we faced another problem. Boys being boys, hotels generally stopped giving credit from January onwards to students as they feared they may leave without settling dues immediately after exams were over in March. All asked for advance payment. In my case the last money order for the year had already come and so was the case with Deep. I had some money available but he had almost nil. We negotiated with a restaurant and paid advance for the remaining part of Feb. The problem was how to arrange for March.
Deep suggested that we go to his village and he would ask his parents for money on some pretext and I would endorse his plea. I knew it was wrong but agreed as there was choice either. We went to his village, only two hours bus ride, stayed there for the night and left in the morning. His parents treated me as a family member and I had the taste of Sikh Hospitality. He had managed to get money from his parents saying he needed the same for paying final exams- Fee. We returned as victors.
Exams over, he left for his home and I for mine, hoping to meet after the results were out. We met in June. Both had passed. He had decided to pursue Chartered Accountant course and I to look for a job and both landed in Delhi. There I introduced him to my elder brother. I landed in job with a Private Sector Company and after initial training of six months was posted in Madras (Now Chennai) to develop dealer network in Southern States.
We kept in touch. Whenever I had the occasion to visit Delhi we would meet and enjoy. He was his usual self. Same Deep, Living on credit till the next installment of funds reached from village. Became friendly with my brother and ask him for small change without any hesitation. Spending like king when pocket is full, avoiding creditors and seeking money from friends when in need.
Life is demanding. We kept in touch but eventually we lost to the demands of our respective lives. My brother confirmed that he completed his CA and left for some unknown destination and was not touch anymore.
Inquisitive? For further updates see ‘MY FRIEND, DEEP (2).