It was a hot afternoon, sometime in late August 2002. Times were new for us at NITK, and making new friends was the in-thing for us during those days ( as if we had any other options, after all you had to get to know the morons you were going to spend the rest of your college life with) . Anti-ragging posters were up all over the campus, and more so in our hostel, as if they expected the seniors to be there in our hostel ( and then actually caring to read them ). However, atleast within the safe confines of our hostel, and for a brief period of time before our official interaction, those posters actually made us feel safe. Those were the times when rajma and chole tasted wonderful, and we waited for the alu parantha and butter every morning, and I took a bath before going to college in the morning.
I was walking down to the common room of our hostel, Chakradhar Bhawan. I meet this guy from Bombay, tall, lanky with ears reminding me of Captain Spark ( of Star trek fame ) . We share a pleasant introduction, but the only thing i assimilate from our talk is that he is from Bombay, just a few days in RECK and the GT thing was already getting to me. I walk into the common room to check out some songs on the channel ETC ( songs I was going to see on the same channel over and over again for the next 4 years 
). Suddenly, out of nowhere, the guy from Bombay comes right back in front of me. Surprised as I was, I barely managed another ‘Hi’ . The same kid, without those majestic ears. He introduced himself, different name and branch this time. I knew college was going to be different, but things were happening too fast. He relieved my shock, “We are twins, …… , catch ya later”.
For the sake of simplicity, let us call these guys – Alex and Felix. Alex, the older one ( by some 7 minutes ) and Felix, naturally the younger one ( also by some 7 minutes 
) , probably one of those really rare things that the brothers had in common !!! ( Felix got the nickname “Chotu” for that reason )
Over time, first ragging, then quizzes, clubs, etc etc and ultimately being friends for life, I got to know these guys closely. Alex was doing electronics engineering and Felix, computer engineering, which they claim were their first preferences, but we still believe was due to their fear of being together.
Some of the dialouges these guys had in college, remain some of the most memorable incidents in college, firstly, due to the sheer rarity of such an event, and secondly, due to the nature in which those conversations took place. No looking into each others’ eyes, their converstaion saved up a lot of words of the English language.
A: “ Mom called”
F: ” Anything important”
A : “ No, call her once”
F : “Ok”
This was one of their most lengthy discussions.
News was made when one evening Alex came searching for some paracetamol, as Felix was down with fever, also, when these two shared a common balcony room in the 3rd and final year of college, and again, when they were caught in a room, just the two of them, giving tips to each other about the game NFS. And on other such intimate moments they may have shared.
Upon my inquisitiveness regarding this behavorial pattern of them, Felix said :” He is my brother de”. Hmm…yeah, I thought, somehow we forgot that somewhere down the line.
I hope, even after reading this blog, the brothers ( the TinTin brothers as i affectionately refer to them ) remember all those ideals of peace given by the great person they share their birthday with ( 2nd October).
Wishing them all the very best of luck for their lives ahead.
PS: All characters and names mentioned in the blog above are correct and intentionally refer to real life persons
