I have a dear friend and his name is Amit. If I am Amitabh of Sholay, he is Dharmendra. If I am Amitabh of Dostana, he is Shatrughan Sinha. If I am Amitabh of Yaarana, he is Amjad Khan. If I am Amitabh of Agneepath, he is Mithun. So, we are very close. And since he claims to be the biggest fan of Amitabh Bachchan, he would "love" all these examples!
Amit and I have known each other since 1997. We were in the same class, B.Com (Honours) Evening Batch, at St. Xavier's College, Ranchi. Later, we were in the same MBA batch, and we were flatmates in Hyderabad and later Bengaluru (Bangalore back then).
We did not become friends immediately. He was the studious type and had a different group of friends. I was in a different group of "extra-studious" students. We knew of each other's existence but never spoke to each other during the first two years of B.Com.
So, how did we meet and start talking?
I have always been fond of Hollywood movies. For Hollywood movie fans, Ranchi was not the best place to be. It was the late 1990s, and the only Hollywood movies that played in regular shows were Hindi-dubbed versions of popular films like Jurassic Park, Men in Black, The Mummy, Godzilla, and The Matrix. I hated watching dubbed movies, so the only option was a theatre called Sujata Cinema in Ranchi, which used to play English movies in the morning show. These shows would run early in the morning, around 7:30 or 8:00 AM.
I watched many movies alone because it was difficult to get my "extra-studious" friends to agree to an English movie, especially one playing so early in the morning.
It was on one such morning that I first spoke to Amit while standing in the queue to buy a ticket.
In Ranchi, before the booking counter opened, everyone would stand properly in a queue. But as soon as the counter opened, it became chaotic. People would jump over each other and try to shove their hands through the booking window. The mayhem had not started yet, and I was standing in the queue, probably sixth or seventh from the counter. Behind me, the queue had grown significantly, and there were around fifteen people waiting.
This is when I saw Amit standing with one of his friends. He looked unsure about the situation and how he would get tickets. He saw me and recognised me. Then he said something to his friend and approached me.
He started with general chit-chat. How was I? What was I planning to do after graduation? He told me that he was planning to pursue an MBA and had joined an MBA entrance coaching class that had a good success rate. Then he came to the point and asked if I could buy tickets for him and his friend as well.
I expected this.
I do not recall the ticket price, but I think it was Rs. 10 per ticket. I had a Rs. 50 note. There was some reason, I think he did not have change, and he suggested that I pay for all three tickets and they would reimburse me after I secured them. I agreed.
Not long afterwards, the ticket counter opened and, as expected, pulled the entire queue like a giant industrial magnet. I reached the counter. A few minutes later, I went back to Amit and his friend, both of whom were looking at me with hope and anticipation, and told them that I had not managed to get the tickets.
They were disappointed and shocked because I was by far the biggest guy in the queue. But they said it was okay and accepted their fate.
None of us watched the movie.
I came back home. Later, I told my father that I wanted to join a computer class and an MBA coaching class. I mentioned the coaching class Amit had told me about, and soon I took admission there. Amit and I were in the same batch, and we became friends.
Years later, Amit told me about that day at the movie hall. He and his friend had discussed how a big guy like me had failed to secure the tickets. His friend laughed at me. Even now, at many gatherings, Amit talks about the incident and everyone has a hearty laugh. I am okay with that.
But there is something he does not know... even today.
My version.
After Amit asked me to buy tickets for him and his friend and said they would pay me afterwards, I became worried.
I used to get a pocket allowance of Rs. 200 per month, and I had to manage movies, outings with friends, drinking sessions... I mean extra-curricular activities, group study sessions, and also a long-distance relationship with the same money.
Sometimes, I made a little extra money by telling my mother that I had spent more on fuel than I actually had, but that source was limited.
So, the Rs. 50 I had that day was all the money I had until the next allowance arrived.
Yes, Amit had said that they would pay me after I got the tickets. But what if they did not? I barely knew him. He always came across as a sincere guy, but his friend did not. What if they later made an excuse and said he would pay me in college?
That money was precious.
I am not the type who feels comfortable going out with friends when I do not have money. At the same time, I did not want to miss out on going out with them. So, all my life, I have been conscious about money and disciplined with my expenses. That is why, I have very few friends.
Amit is also like that, something I realized later when we became flatmates during our MBA.
Nevertheless, on that day, I had reached the ticket counter and I could have easily bought the tickets. However, since I was not sure whether Amit would repay me immediately, I...intentionally...did not buy the tickets!
I should have.
Anyways....so...that is how we met.
One incident. Two different versions.
That day, I did not get to watch the movie, but I managed to find a great friend!!
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