Info about old classmates (class of 1988 and others)

[Renu Agnihotri-Bansal]

Dear Classmates, seniors and juniors,
Happy to see you all around the new and exclusive LLRM's one and only website.
I'm envious of the class-of-1985's enthusiatic effort to bring old friends together. Let me take this opportunity to invite other classes to do the same. In one dedicated evening I was able to find 4 classmates, Deepa Mittal, Rajshree Mehrotra, Reshma Singhal and (possibly..) Asha Daswani. Of course, this is an addition to others I am already in contact with..and hope to get a chance to meet soon!
So, class of 1988, lets come out and exchange contact infos. Arvind Mathur Sir had a wonderful get-together last winter at his place (was a nostalgic reminder of all the good food missed while living in foreign lands..) and among a lot of favorite seniors brought Anurag Wahi, Namrata and me together. Sharad should have made it, but he's been super-busy lately. We had a very good time. Hope our class can put together like this too..where are our community med people?
Well, ciao for now..
RA

[Tushar_Arora]

Renu:
Good to see someone from the 1988 batch here. I don't know you whether u remember me but I am Tushar Aurora and working in Cleveland Ohio USA. http://www.alumni.net is also a very good way to keep in tough with batchmates. So how is life, I was keeping a very low profile after graduating as I moved and after lot of googling on LLRM find out this forum. Thanks Arvind for pulling this off right thing in right direction.
So you very rightly choose the academic path (man you have become big http://www.saba.edu/home_faculty.php), good for you. Do you have any contact info of others. You mentioned you are in tough with Anurag Wahi and Namrata how these guys are doing and what are their where abouts.

Take Care

Tushar

[Sanjeev Upadhyaya]

Dear Tushar:

Good to see you here. Himadri Roy took the initiative and then we all jumped on to that including Arvind.

Anyway it is heartening to see your career path. I last heard that you are at Ludhiana. Try to organize others too on this website. Our batchmates Alka Gupta (now Lashkari) and Neeta Tyagi (now Jain) are also in US. Both of them are forum members. We have Jograj Pal also; but we don'th have any his coordinates.

Cheers, Sanjeev

[Renu Agnihotri-Bansal]

Tushar (sir): Please accept my apologies for not replying earlier. The last week has been spent in the exhilaration of reaching India and I havn't had a chance to get online. Also, please don't pull my leg with the likes of the 'big person' remark..I will try to find Wahi's phone number in Delhi as soon as I can for you.
I spend the afternoon (and a lot of the evening too..in fact, all the tents were gone before we left..) at OSA 2007. I had a wonderful time. It was my first, so I really had nothing to compare it with, but it was much grander than I had expected it to be. There were cars and people everywhere, beautiful pink and white tents, flowers, lots of fun things for children to do, welcome gifts and some great food. But the one thing that was most noticable was the laughter and hugging that went on non-stop. Dheeraj's brand new sunglasses left in a front pocket were found broken to pieces..well, lets just say that the whole affair was intense!
I met Shikha Mahajan! Looks exactly like she did 15 years ago..beautiful as ever. In fact, I found a number of old classmates...most looked exactly like they did when I saw them last..Archana, Sanjeev, Seema, Dhamma among others. But what was very special about my meeting with everybody today was that irrespective of we looked..we all felt like one group..like old times..

[Renu Agnihotri-Bansal]

Well, as I casually looked through the forums here, a couple of thoughts struck me. I wasn't sure if anyone would even care about my reflections, but then, encouraged by the fact that I probably have one of the highest individual views on the forum, I figured I might as well talk about some of them!

The first big one was that this place feels like a sugar factory ..everybody's too darn sweet to each other. I'm all for propriety and dignity, but PLEASE people..its extremely boring!

In an attempt to practice what I preach I'll continue this as a blog of some interesting things that I remember about LLRM from long ago as well as accounts of some recent visits. Please feel free to join in as you please...especially if you're from the class of 1988 (if only wishes were horses..!!)

[Renu Agnihotri-Bansal]

Starting medical college was a very sudden turn of events in my life. I was 2 months into 'Venki' college in south delhi, had barely got used to the 'dressing up' every morning, college-special DTC buses, & mandatory bunking for classes, when I found out that I had made it into the ranks of doctors-to-be!
2 days before admission day, we realized that I would need a salwar-kameez. For someone who practically lived on the sports field in a pair of shorts..ok..maybe also an occasional pair of stretch jeans..it was a life changing moment!!
My mother, an excellent seamstress, (..among all the other things she's perfect in) sowed two white salwaars for me to wear under some of my straight dresses.
Well, I remember admission day as if it was only yesterday. Especially a guy in a red sweater that seemed to repeatedly cross my paths..and some very interesting fellow newbies..
More about them next time..

[Renu Agnihotri-Bansal]

The people in the new college seemed to be pretty interested in us. There was a group of 2nd year guys outside the admin entrance actually handing out lollipops. They didn't looked too pleased though when I went back for more candy for my brother and sister.
My Dad meanwhile, had found some inside connections of his own and introduced me (..more like handed me over..) to 2 people who were supposed to be his 'watch-over-my kid' duo. Abrar and Jayant! I wonder if they remember this.
Two years ago I went back to the girls' hostel and to S-1, my only room in the years to follow that admission day.. a room where the fondest of memories were made..

[Renu Agnihotri-Bansal]

One such fond memory that comes blazing to mind as we speak is Cecilia. She moved into my room for a couple of weeks in the 3rd or 4th year..and what a riot it was!
I was going through a 'explore-the-inner-you-with food' state...together, we experimented with snake-in brine..and some Mizo bug pickles that I really did not want identified at that point in time. Dilip would bring us deer and some other meats of animals that wandered around the Boys' hostels. Snake was more gritty than I'd imagined..the bugs were very very slimy, and the deer was tough and sweet. Cecilia and I decided that if there was no more food on the face of the earth one day, we would have at least trained to give it our best shot! And so, to ensure survival of the human race..we tried it all..and lived!

[Renu Agnihotri-Bansal]

The ragging period was the best part of starting medical college. The white flowing dresses, oiled hair, the requirement to abstain from looking unknown strangers in the eye..and then focusing all resources on breaking the above stated rules added to the mystique of the new place.

Blending into a class of almost a hundred females lent great anonymity, ensuring that the seniors really never went after us individually. We bonded like a terrified rat-pack, although I'll have to admit that the guys had a much tougher deal.

As I walked the grounds of our dear LLRM at OSA '07, I saw many a familiar face. Some of them, older exhausted versions of upperclassmen linked to instant flash-back memories of violence against my helpless and terrified male classmates. Its amazing what ends up getting embedded in the psyche..and such an awful way to remember a senior!

[Renu Agnihotri-Bansal]

I surely need to steer clear of pessimism-laced midnight musings. Repression being the keyword here..!

Graduating to happier thoughts..lets talk about some other interesting observations at OSA'07.

Both Dhamma and Sanjeev's wives were especially pretty and super-nice. Arvind sir's Nikita is one of the kindest people I've met and Sanjeev U sir's wife is so incredibly beautiful. Add to that the sweetest of children..and you all really hit the jackpot here, didn't you?

[Renu Agnihotri-Bansal]

Some everyday-living pictures of our life on Saba. As you've probably figured, I'm no photographer..

[ARVIND MATHUR]

Dear Renu

You surely are modest but the photos you posted are awesome and do not look less than a work of skilled person.

I can now understand better as why is it called 'Undisputed Queen of Carribeans'. This beautiful and surely picturseque! Rainbow with so lovely greens looks amazing! Would be good to see more of Seba!!

I surely am tempted to plan a visit some time! And what I have heard of from both you and Dheeraj, it may just be the right place to unwind and relax in the good company of you all! Lets see how it works!

Diya looks as naughty as ever and surly enjoys her walk through the yard!

Hope things are fine at your end and would be good to catch up over the weekend.

Cheers and ciao

Arvind

[Renu Agnihotri-Bansal]

There is a certain calmness about Saba, Arvind Sir.
In a rustic 'unspoilt' beauty and also in its gentle people. I'm glad you liked the pictures and I sincerely hope they encourage you to come visit. We've tried our very best to lead a simple life here, but an occasional double rainbow is enough to make it worth a splurge. I guess, beauty does lie in the eyes on the observer after all.

[Ila Bansal]

Hi Renu!

I hope you remember me. I am also "Bansal" now. I am in U.S. for last 10 yrs and am practicing as a hematopathologist. I am in touch with Asha, Manjusha, Reshma, Sapna and to some extent Rajshree. So how's life, family etc.? I have two boys and my husband (Atul) is a software eng. We'll be in India around Diwali time this year. What are your plans for visiting India?

Cheers,
Ila

[Renu Agnihotri-Bansal]

Dearest Ila,
Its wonderful to hear from you and welcome to the Bansal clan. It is good to hear about your boys.
Seems like I have been looking for all of you forever. Please let everyone know about this website and my personal contact info. I have spoken to Rajshree and Deepa a couple of times, but have been hoping to get in touch with especially Reshma and Manjusha.
I have (..contrary to the predictions of many) finally made the move back to India. We have set up house in Greater Noida and my daughters, Ananya and Diya (twelve and five years old, respectively) are in their second week of school here. Professionally, I keep a part-time position with my parent institution, dividing the rest of my time in India between having fun with the girls, visits to the spa, the gym and the pool. Feels wonderful right now, but I guess this is my very first 'real' vacation.. ever, so I may just be getting a little carried away and ignoring the other (harsher?)realities of living in India.
Well, we have to see each other when you come here for Diwali! Let me know when you're coming and I'll either see you at Meerut or chase you around the countryside until we can chat.
Let me send you my contact info privately, please feel free to send it to all our classmates. Also, what part of the US do you live in? I should be around NYC for about a week in early september, hope you live around there so that we can see each other. If not: there's always Diwali!
Lots of love