And Finally I Earn The Coveted Epithet...

Undergrads have always been the apple of the IIT-eye. Once an IITian, always an IITian : this seemingly augurs well only with them. They are the cynosures of the IIT-besotted, which is always almost everyone outside the IITs. By the time they leave these hallowed portals, they shall have ingrained in them the rich spirit of the IIT culture, one that is by default passed down onto them by virtue of their stay for four/five whole years, the whole being more than the sum of its parts! It’s literally a re-birth. A boy walks through the gate and leaves out a man. The transformation that sees to it is what turns out to be perhaps the first and the most significant cornerstone of every IITian’s life. It is then hardly surprising that they owe fierce allegiance to their brethren for all reasons right and wrong.

The valedictory function is a very big deal for them, which is when ‘Profiles’ are read out. A ‘Profile’ is written by the hostel wing-mates/classmates/friends of a candidate, with painstaking panache. It is a humorously colourful description of an individual’s life in IIT in its entirety. From the eyes of the perceivers themselves comes a grandiose, witty and truthful (?!) account of the subject’s escapades in course of his stay, thus making a style statement on his worthiness for induction into the IITian Clan.

Post graduates have this complaint of step motherly treatment. It’s another thing that it is their own making. In a way, they are the most studious lot. The first year goes away in accustoming themselves to the awe of having to be one notch above what they are naturally capable of. It’s time for the peeling of the rust. We don’t have the advantage of arriving with gym-toned brains!! No time for socialization or exploration out of the box. Extra curricular activities figure in the bottom of their priorities, unlike the undergrads. The spirit of brethren is hardly prevalent among us. The limited duration of two years, half of what undergrads have to put up with, is another speed breaker. If UGs learn everything outside the classroom to hone their survival-of-the-fittest skills, PGs pathetically rely on the insides.

A typical post graduate that I am, all my could-have-beens came to the fore taunting me towards the end as was inevitable. I could have been better; I could have been stylish; I could have been the star performer in dramatics; I could have been more social; I could have been the able administrator. I cannot but help feeling remorseful at the missed out chances. And then a good person steps in to fill in the void to make me feel ‘complete’ as an IITian. It was very thoughtful of him to write a profile for me, from whatever little he could make of my idiosyncrasies. Though mostly written with a lopsided view to bring out my seemingly good qualities only, it still serves the purpose. And so I am glad to have rightfully (?) earned the epithet – IITian. What follows is the profile:

Vadlamudi Vijay Venu
a.k.a VVV a.k.a Tall, Dark, Handsome and Gult!!!

Meet Mr. VVV. Tall – Really really tall, dark, and handsome ;-). But as con follows pro – Gult and with a huge bushy moustache.

This eternal smiling happy-go-lucky “HappyDent” guy is the proverbial Doston kaa dost and dushmanon ka bhi dost.

You cannot but escape his immense affable nature. And it takes you quite by a surprise that a person who appears as imposing as him, has hidden the playfulness of a child under him.

Eternally emotional – Mr. VVV can cry at the slightest provocation. Things which he is completely bonkers about include – Books, Movies (damn crazy fan) and anything and everything queer! ;-)

Let me start with his books – his impeccable room, which is adequate proof enough of his non-IIT lineage, btw; is filled with books that transport you to a thousand worlds. The amount of stuff this guys reads and yet manages to keep a 9+ CPI is something of an eternal mystery. How he manages to pack 72 hours in a 24 hour period is something that scientists are soon going to embark upon…

He loves books, adores them and loves retrospective thoughtful books… Books of the kind which always leave the audience with “Uh……….”

His love for movies just cannot be described in words – it can be more aptly described in tears or let me just say bucket-loads of tears… Immensely emotional over the talkies – he is a cinema-maker’s delight – after all they always manage to wrestle out a tear or two from his eyes.

His passion for the movies far exceeds any superficialities and he internalizes each and every movie and takes them as lessons from life. A little extreme perspective in many people’s opinion as movies are never really meant to be real but only fantasy. But with the way this guy takes a movie, you are hell sure that this guy certainly does have power to bring his dreams to fruition.

And for exactly the same reason he just certainly cannot be a critic – he will give rave reviews to almost anyone who dares to show a picture on the screen! ;-)

He is queer in the most normal sort of the way – you feel a strange sense of security around him and at the same time a fear. Very quick to articulate his thoughts, he has also been gifted with an amazing listening power and his eagerness to listen to anyone with a word is so persuasive that even a shy hamster will start speaking with adornments.

The loves of his life include – his Laptop, his crushes, books, Chocolates, Cigarettes, Reliability, “his guide, co-guide and woh…” :-)

Above everything you know he is a good guy, when he is the sole person standing when you need to have someone beside you the most.

The gentle and caring way he treats a person around him, which is quite overwhelming at times, as your eyes twitch in disbelief on seeing such a person existing in this world, is at once elegance and passion personified.

If Passions and Emotions ever take a human form, I am quite sure that it will certainly be our VVV.

To say he is a good guy, would be giving the word “GOOD” too much credit. He is one of the few persons in life who go way beyond the definition of “good” – who probably define philanthropy really as lover of mankind.

A little birdie has informed me that his guide is planning to pursue him to do PhD in IIT Bombay, which is sure to make him the grand old man of IIT Bombay when he passes out… But yet again what does age matter when the spirit is so lively, young and horny!! ;-)

My best wishes and intentions are always going to be with him..

May you forever succeed in life my dear friend…

And I still cannot stop blushing.... :-)