[Written in April 2000 for the IITG 2000 Souvenir - Footprints]
Go to 101 (My first year shelter) and on the extreme left bed, you'll find a thin and flat but firm frame, with the face sideward, sleeping on his front under a brown striped blanket or a thick razai (we went together to buy that). And you are sure to encounter this scene everyday before 7:30 AM (As told by Item). Dare you try and wake him up unless you were asked to. Many a great strong hear (you know who I am talking about, the reason for Sekhar calling him Tiger) were humbled by this guy who is known among teachers as Janakiraman. I have preferred Bhargava or Jaan.
It was Raghavendra who introduced me to Bhargava telling me that he was with him in his coaching center. I wanted to make friends with this guy partly for learning Tamil. Bhargava's Telugu was cute and it was quite some time before I realized that so was his Tamil. During the first year, I was a frequent guest to his room. Once when I was reading in the corridors, he asked me to come in and study. Who wouldn't go? Tell me. The serious smile (above the sharp chin partially hidden under a little beard prominently jutting out from his face) for sure is infectious.
Behind the authority and the seriousness is a small kid who loves chocolates, all kinds of drinks and sleeping lazily. Every time he meets you, he'll slap you on your back and tell you that he is hungry. And his pleeease raa, pleeease raa would make anyone accede to his demands. Masti and freaking out are his favorite passtimes and if you accompany him, you'll never get bored. There were so many time I went out with him and all of them had a distinct flavor about them. I could not have visited Gangtok, if not for him. He masterminded the trip to Tawang and the obvious consequence was another trip, to Manipur and Burma. He introduced me to the various soups in restaurants, the pau bhaji and badam milk shake at Fancy Bazaar and Hotel California. No one could really make me listen to western music but Bhargava. His choice is great and needless to say, even I began to like the English songs he would listen to (Do you see him complaining that I spoiled one of his tapes? Don't believe it please).
His authoritarian style but willingness to accept new things, ability to learn (I'm his data structures teacher in part), very much commendable skills in convincing others make him a perfect candidate for a management career. No wasting time telling you how meticulous he is in following news and keeping himself up to date with the latest in economy and the polity. He'll teach you if you are ready to learn. And Economic Times has been his recent love. Bhargava, The corporate world is waiting for you.
