Priya's Visit to Charlotte
An unanticipated weekend - to say the least. I went to Charlotte thinking this was going to be the hardest thing I'd ever have to do. That being immersed in Dose's life would be - well, overwhelming. But it changed - it changed the moment I saw them.
Bhasker uncle (who is truly the mold from which I can see Neeraj's sense of humor being made)and Nina aunty who is the critical thinker we all admired Dose to be - seeing them was like seeing the magicians behind the curtain. They are so loving and so much fun - it's impossible to not see why Neeraj thrived in an atmosphere of critical thinking and unencumbered, uncensored, unfettered love for life and humor.
Then I met Maya and her friend Clint. Now Maya - this girl is a female version of Dose! She's darling but with the same wit, the same brutal honesty, the same kind but sharp persona - just a lot more grace than we could ever have given Dose (who made fun of his own clumsiness!). And Clint - we'll he's just the 'nice guy' who in his rather sweet protective way watched out for the rest of us as the wine kept pouring, spilling and flowing! Such great roommates and listeners by extension of being stuck with me for 2 days! :)
The day progressed with meetings with more people than I can remember - just names and faces and so much love for Neeraj and the stories we shared about him for hours. Abhi - now this guy reminds me of Neeraj. I can't pinpoint why. The style - the sense of humor maybe? Maybe the walk - ah but no one had a walk quite like Dose's v-shaped jaunt n sway! with that "man bag" he was so proud of! And I talked and talked - more than even I'd like to admit. Maya was quick to point this out! :) But Neeraj seldom had friends who couldn't take it like they could dish it -so I let that one go! ;)
Then there's Dave's Harold to Dose's Kumar! This guy doesn't remember what happened Saturday night! But I remember all the laughing. I remember Dave's story about how he and Dose went to see Harold n Kumar go to Whitecastle! Them standing outside the hall in frontof the sign! Carl Penn never had a thing over Neeraj though and Dose knew it!
Of course there's Martin. Now Martin, with his golden tresses could put most to shame. Probably even had Neeraj asking him for hair care tips! I know Neeraj communicated his jealousy! Undeniably charming, kind and so receptive. It is no wonder that Neeraj surrounded himself with these people - they are kind, warm people, who came together to toast and roast Neeraj - and we had oh so much to say! Well Martin - and his dog Macho - are just a sight for sore eyes - the smile, the demeanor and that hair! :) Thank you Martin for making me feel so special.
There's also Sanjay. Sanjay reminded me of Dose in his "I'll be right there" - show's up 2 hours later kind of way! I didn't think there were too many guys like that! But even with Sanjay - like all the rest of these folks - I felt like I'd known him for years. It's hard to describe how people I've known for hours - can mean so much. It has to be Dose's energy that carries from his relationships with his friends n family to the relationships we've made amongst each other. There's just no other way to describe how I can meet people one day and love them - every single one of them - in a matter of hours.
And then today I met Kim, Gary and Rahul. More testaments to the fact that Neeraj really knew how to pick em'! He chose people with such unbelieveable propensity for random conversations and true appreciation for a good, ol' dirty joke! People who can't help but spend an afternoon talking about "bush", "turtle sodomy", the mating rituals of the smallest marsupial mammals in Australia?! (did I get that right Gary?!)! and just relishing in the chaotic thought patterns of one Neeraj Bhasker Desai. It's almost too much side-splitting humor for one weekend!
And then the true breath of fresh air, a glowing soul and beautiful girl (inside and out) - Nikola. Now this girl makes me so proud of Neeraj. That he saw in her what we all see in her. That he thought past his "urges" to see more than just the "hot" exterior. It makes me proud to think how Neeraj really had it all. The job, the intellect, the friends, the family, the girl and what a terrific girl. What a terrific family. What terrific friends.
In his parents, I feel their love for me not only as their son's sister, but as their own daughter. With Maya and Sanjay, I see a closeness and love I might not even share with my own cousins. And the rest of his friends, well, they are now my family. Every one I met this weekend - carries with them a piece of Neeraj. And together we paint quite the collection of the comedy of errors that is Neeraj. And we partied from 4pm Saturday on to the rest of the night in a way that Neeraj would have been proud. In a consumption of alcohol that Dose would have been impressed with. And we mixed - not as strangers - but as pieces of a puzzle that came together to represent a time series of Dose's life. All in all - the perfect weekend.
I came to Charlotte - not knowing what to expect. I left with 10 new numbers on my cell phone, a weekend to challenge all weekends and friends and family that I will keep with me the rest of my life. Nothing short of Neeraj's presence could have made this weekend any more perfect. And as for so many other things in my life - I owe this to Dose. For shaping who I am, for keeping me and Kaushik together, for reminding me to smile, for giving me a sense of humor. I am overwhelmed with how much I owe this guy. And I hope his friends and family will let me be there for them in a ditch effort to give just a little bit back to Dose. Thank you one and all for a truly memorable weekend.
All my love and support,
Priya
Bhasker uncle (who is truly the mold from which I can see Neeraj's sense of humor being made)and Nina aunty who is the critical thinker we all admired Dose to be - seeing them was like seeing the magicians behind the curtain. They are so loving and so much fun - it's impossible to not see why Neeraj thrived in an atmosphere of critical thinking and unencumbered, uncensored, unfettered love for life and humor.
Then I met Maya and her friend Clint. Now Maya - this girl is a female version of Dose! She's darling but with the same wit, the same brutal honesty, the same kind but sharp persona - just a lot more grace than we could ever have given Dose (who made fun of his own clumsiness!). And Clint - we'll he's just the 'nice guy' who in his rather sweet protective way watched out for the rest of us as the wine kept pouring, spilling and flowing! Such great roommates and listeners by extension of being stuck with me for 2 days! :)
The day progressed with meetings with more people than I can remember - just names and faces and so much love for Neeraj and the stories we shared about him for hours. Abhi - now this guy reminds me of Neeraj. I can't pinpoint why. The style - the sense of humor maybe? Maybe the walk - ah but no one had a walk quite like Dose's v-shaped jaunt n sway! with that "man bag" he was so proud of! And I talked and talked - more than even I'd like to admit. Maya was quick to point this out! :) But Neeraj seldom had friends who couldn't take it like they could dish it -so I let that one go! ;)
Then there's Dave's Harold to Dose's Kumar! This guy doesn't remember what happened Saturday night! But I remember all the laughing. I remember Dave's story about how he and Dose went to see Harold n Kumar go to Whitecastle! Them standing outside the hall in frontof the sign! Carl Penn never had a thing over Neeraj though and Dose knew it!
Of course there's Martin. Now Martin, with his golden tresses could put most to shame. Probably even had Neeraj asking him for hair care tips! I know Neeraj communicated his jealousy! Undeniably charming, kind and so receptive. It is no wonder that Neeraj surrounded himself with these people - they are kind, warm people, who came together to toast and roast Neeraj - and we had oh so much to say! Well Martin - and his dog Macho - are just a sight for sore eyes - the smile, the demeanor and that hair! :) Thank you Martin for making me feel so special.
There's also Sanjay. Sanjay reminded me of Dose in his "I'll be right there" - show's up 2 hours later kind of way! I didn't think there were too many guys like that! But even with Sanjay - like all the rest of these folks - I felt like I'd known him for years. It's hard to describe how people I've known for hours - can mean so much. It has to be Dose's energy that carries from his relationships with his friends n family to the relationships we've made amongst each other. There's just no other way to describe how I can meet people one day and love them - every single one of them - in a matter of hours.
And then today I met Kim, Gary and Rahul. More testaments to the fact that Neeraj really knew how to pick em'! He chose people with such unbelieveable propensity for random conversations and true appreciation for a good, ol' dirty joke! People who can't help but spend an afternoon talking about "bush", "turtle sodomy", the mating rituals of the smallest marsupial mammals in Australia?! (did I get that right Gary?!)! and just relishing in the chaotic thought patterns of one Neeraj Bhasker Desai. It's almost too much side-splitting humor for one weekend!
And then the true breath of fresh air, a glowing soul and beautiful girl (inside and out) - Nikola. Now this girl makes me so proud of Neeraj. That he saw in her what we all see in her. That he thought past his "urges" to see more than just the "hot" exterior. It makes me proud to think how Neeraj really had it all. The job, the intellect, the friends, the family, the girl and what a terrific girl. What a terrific family. What terrific friends.
In his parents, I feel their love for me not only as their son's sister, but as their own daughter. With Maya and Sanjay, I see a closeness and love I might not even share with my own cousins. And the rest of his friends, well, they are now my family. Every one I met this weekend - carries with them a piece of Neeraj. And together we paint quite the collection of the comedy of errors that is Neeraj. And we partied from 4pm Saturday on to the rest of the night in a way that Neeraj would have been proud. In a consumption of alcohol that Dose would have been impressed with. And we mixed - not as strangers - but as pieces of a puzzle that came together to represent a time series of Dose's life. All in all - the perfect weekend.
I came to Charlotte - not knowing what to expect. I left with 10 new numbers on my cell phone, a weekend to challenge all weekends and friends and family that I will keep with me the rest of my life. Nothing short of Neeraj's presence could have made this weekend any more perfect. And as for so many other things in my life - I owe this to Dose. For shaping who I am, for keeping me and Kaushik together, for reminding me to smile, for giving me a sense of humor. I am overwhelmed with how much I owe this guy. And I hope his friends and family will let me be there for them in a ditch effort to give just a little bit back to Dose. Thank you one and all for a truly memorable weekend.
All my love and support,
Priya
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