Oh yes I am a geek!

Sometimes, the written word is the best medium for a confession. A confession about memories, weaknesses and strengths, about the changing faces of memories and people.

A chance meeting with a school friend a few days ago, urged me to classify people (despite my aversion against) I have met over a period of time.

Through school, college and even at workplaces, there is always a group of ‘cool’ people—the ones who are the life of every event, forever active in gossiping, joking around the corridors, mocking others and living life on their terms. For no apparent reasons, they are the ‘desired’ people. Confident in looks and speech, they are flawless and know something about everything from drinks to bikes, stilettos to slangs, hook-ups and breakups! They are, after all, the ones who flaunt what they have. The ones who are stalked on social networking sites. The ones who have everything in abundance.

And as the yin to every yang, balancing the ‘cool’ people is the section of ‘losers’. Awed by the social skills of the cool dudes, this section is distinctly classified as geeks—the ones sans great personality, with a poor dressing sense, confidence of a mouse and talents like a mule. These ‘losers’ are born to work, work and just work; they allegedly have an aversion to the concept of fun. They prefer to be all alone; company makes them uncomfortable; they may know the timetable of exams but not how to cheat and pass. They know how to make a report but not the correct person to pamper and get the report made. They are losers in the eye of the world and are silently ignored.

The slightly ambitious ones among the losers try to imitate the ‘cool’ but mockery and lack of acceptance push them back into their shell.

I met him after more than seven years. Best buddies in school, we were the cool dudes popular with girls and boys alike. –Our worlds revolved around the admiration till I shifted moved to a different school. We kept in touch but over a period of time, we drifted apart.

His call was a jolt out of the blue, a rush of pleasure or reconnecting with a childhood friend as we planned to meet. 
While his profile on social networking sites showed he had changed a lot. He was cooler, smarter, taller and so much more good looking. But for me he was still the friend from school who matched my intelligence, fought with me, teased me and was wonderful company.

I knew the meeting would be an awkward since our paths had divulged since school. I was an engineer by profession and he was handling his family business. Although apprehensive, I was positive about reviving an old friendship.
Finally the day arrived when we were seated in front of each other at the coffee shop. I was not a regular there; he seemed to know everything and everyone there. As we got talking, I realised how much things had changed between us. We seemed to belong to different planets now! All he spoke about was his family business, his lifestyle of drinking-smoking-partying, his latest girlfriend adored, his bike, his travel. And I had nothing to share except for my world of engineering.

Uncomfortable, I broached a discussion about our former classmates. And was stunned to hear about the way he spoke about all of them! He was not in touch with any of them but had not failed to give them nicknames. One was  ‘padhaku', another was dumbass and even his first girlfriend was ‘jhalli‘

“Are you single? Have you been taken up by someone?” he asked.

Disappointed with his usage of the term “taken up by someone”-- relationships are not a 'choose and pick affair, are they!—I told him that I was happily single. He merely guffawed. I could not understand the motive behind this strange reaction; disheartened, I wrapped up the meet quickly.
On the way home, I called him to thank him for the treat and sparing time to meet. “Thanks! But boy, you have changed so much over the years!” was his instant reaction.
I was curious to know his viewpoint. I knew I had matured in the past few years; I was no longer the kid who giggled over silly matters; I no longer fought for the last piece of chocolate or teased people to justify and prove my ‘cool‘ quotient. I had become more conscious of how others felt and was careful when speaking to and about others. I had realized that the way you carry yourself builds your image and I carried myself gracefully. I was happy with the changes in me; yet I wanted to hear his viewpoint. After all, he had been my closest friend in school.
“How have I changed?”
“You have become a total geek!”
I knew he would not approve of the changes, but I had not expected to be called a ’geek‘.
I too disapproved of him, his carelessness and judgmental attitude towards others. I disliked his opinions and lifestyle but was sensible enough to accept the differences in our natures gracefully.
“We are totally different from each other. I am not a geek, mister. You don’t know me well and you won’t know me well considering the busy life you live.”
we hung up on each other with surety on my end that I would never contact him again.
‘Geek’ haunted me for almost a week. I stalked the social networking profiles of all his female friends, noting the differences, even entertaining ideas to rid the ‘geek’ tag. 
 But some diligent efforts by my friends made me realize that I was perfect in my own way. I was special. I was looked upon as an inspiration for my simplicity. I rebuilt my confidence and kept going my own way.

Till yesterday.
An SMS, congratulating me on my success as a writer and professing pride in our friendship, reminded me of the last time I had met him. 
I smiled. I was still the same--sans the dressing sense, class, gossip, no special friend, no intent to waste a weekend at a mall. I am no beauty queen but I am no hag either.

His viewpoint does not matter anymore, because today, I am happy in my skin—a geek or a gem—I am precious. So the next time someone calls you a geek, smile away, coz that is the fuel you need to explore your potential. As the old souls said, “The world treats you, like you treat yourself.”