HONDYA.

HONDYA. No idea how and when this name originated. But none the less quite a concept, name, identity.

Members: Amit Rao, Sujay Nadkarni, Vinayak Bhosle, Sameer Insulkar, Rahul Parab, Pritam Kokate, Sagar Karande, Salil Kulkarni, Upendra Joshi , Vishal Patil, Amit Shinde, Umesh Doiphode, Ajay Chikalpatti, Satish Sawant.

Ajay Chikalpatti – Yaa Ajay – Popularly know as Giant Robo – Can study for 48 hrs straight without a wink.

Amit Shinde – Raya – I don’t have an idea why this crazy dude has been running marathons all over the US. Don’t think he ran even 10 meters back in Mulund.

Pritam Kokate – Koku - I think he still has to come to peace that he is getting older by the day and time has come that he leaves the college dance group and become Nepal Naresh.

Rahul Parab – Makko – Previously Makad – Makad became Makko once he came to the US of A. Still can’t believe the weight he has put on. Makko, dukker khaila kami kar.

Sagar Karande – My mobile, My car – Next to “Yaa Ajay” in studying at length without breaks. Co-Founder member of SASU Inc in 1996.

Salil Kulkarni – Garud – Titration experiment was expected to be over by age 25. Defying all odds Garud is still ON with more zeal every day. One request from all hondya’s: Please inhale less and preserve some Oxygen for the environment.

Sameer Insulkar – Kaalya – Chesti – Accha body hai boss. One of the most risky bikers I have ever been a pillion to.

Satich Sawant - Nagoba - Always ready for parties and crazy stuff.

Sujay Nadkarni – Nadya – Favdya – Has been eating Shikran since 11th standard. Thinks he is Neo Anderson but in reality is Naveen Chandrasen. With so much supply and less demand Naveen needs to come up with something new. Co-Founder member of SASU Inc. in 1996.

Vinayak Bhosle – Can relate anything with Goo and has a generic answer to all the life’s big complicated Q’s: Udya sakali 9 wajta ye and fresh supply ghe. Had loads of fun at his “Vinayak dham” in Panchgani.

Vishal Patil – Waakdya – The only Hondya who has the most possibility for now to make the hondya’s proud. Although I hope he starts walking straight now, especially that he is married now.

Umesh Doiphode – Thunder thighs – Quite a likeable guy. Got to know him through Sameer. Currently freezing in Toronto till June/July’07.

Upendra Joshi – Pendru – Has been studying various academic courses since childhood. BE Comps, Marine Engg, and Now some kind of LLB; don’t know what’s next in store. Has a VERY big business which the hondya’s fail to understand. Has a lot of potential and am sure will prove it soon enough.

Amit Rao – Baby Rao – Ab main apne baare mein kya kahun.

13 Yrs of association, friendship, love, support. How can I sum up these 13 years in a blog? I would probably need to write a series of novels about us if I have to mention everything about us.

I still clearly remember our first “MEGA” trip to Panchgani when we were just about to finish our 11th standard. I guess after that trip we traveled there about once in 8-10 months.

I’m sure even today, for an overnight trip, the first place that would come to everybody’s mind would be Panchgani. Somewhere deep within, I still have the dream of settling there in the old days. Murgiyon ka farm kholunga and Omlette Sandwich ke liye bread bhi main hi banaunga.
I believe only time will tell if I am able to live that dream.

We have probably traveled there by all different available means of transport – Asiad Bus from Bombay to Panchgani, Train to Pune and then bus, Rental car, Rao’s Maruti 800. There was this one time when we traveled with our guitar etc in train. Just listing down few Panchgani memories:

There were times when people would fall sick and all others would swear at them, but still care for them and get food, drinks and medicine for them. Sometimes I used to wonder if it was so that the sick would not die and become a bigger headache J lol. I guess not. It was just pure care and affection between all of us.

The innocent porkat disco parties where everybody would dance in the living room without room lights and one person would use a torch and wave it all over the room to give the “disco room” effect.

The time when we celebrated New Year eve by decorating the living room.

The tandoori chicken dinners with Rahul’s 2 Ltr Mangola bottle – “Chya maila mangola pya re”.

Spending hours outside on the porch trying to keep the tandoor flame alive by blowing air using small pipe, waving card papers, table fan (ekdum best item).

The attempted tandoori chicken that smelled of Kerosene which even the dogs outside refused to eat.

The time when a sucker blocked the toilet downstairs and it had to be removed using plastic covered “hands” – Yuk.

The jumping competitions – where we used to jump from the top of the stairs onto the gaadi (mattress) in the living room.

The chai, bread, omlette, idli, paratha breakfasts at “Bombay Dhaba”, Bhillar Bhosekhind Village and Parsi Iranian Bakery.

The lunches & dinners at Babli’s restaurant where I think we frequented more for babli than for the food itself.

The galli box cricket which we played in the yard.

Filling water in the tank was quite an achievement. Having baths out in the sun.

The innumerable treks to Panchgani market and back.

It was very difficult to convince my dad that I would be able to handle and drive the car all the way up the Ghats. After a little persuasion he did finally give in to my demands. I am still so grateful to him for that. Pali Ganpati pit stop then became an integral part of the journey. I still remember the trip in third year engineering when Rahul was reading his GRE Barons book in the backseat during the entire journey (or maybe for most part of it).

The Kullu Manali camp in May’96 is still fresh, feels like it was yesterday that we came back. All the snaps have some of the funniest expressions by Sujay and Sagar I have ever seen. To top it, these 2 idiots thought (I guess they still think) that the expressions made them look very cute and handsome. SASU Inc was born there. Though all the rest had to bear the brunt of SASU for quite some time, I have no clue what happened about it later on. Also the demand was high but the supply was quite less. I believe, all hondya’s would agree if I would say that the reality was quite different.

Naka. Probably Naka is worth a completely new fresh blog as it has a special place in my heart. But how can it go unmentioned here. Hondya naka was a corner near Rahul & Pritam’s house. The trend probably started around April-May’94, somewhere during the 10th standard vacation time frame and continued till the last hondya left Mulund (just a couple of years back). It was a taboo to go and loiter on such corners then, but slowly was accepted by everyone’s folks. Countless people tried to become permanent members of the Naka, but failed.

Few other eventful memories that I can think of:

Riding in Salil’s blue Maruti 800 in 11th standard. The only Maruti 800 ever manufactured without a key start – always required the push start.

Going to Somaiya College in 12 minutes on Pendru’s bike. Come to think of it now, it was pretty dangerous at 100 Kmph on that bike.

The various parties that we had at Vinayak’s place in Mulund

The party that we had at Koku’s place where we played a car racing game after drinking.

The Karjat waterfalls picnic in the rainy season.

Countless terms that originated at Naka: Cosmos Devta, Kum Kumnic, Koyle ke khaan ka heera, BQ, Goo.

Eating Gaadi ka Chinese food, Vada Pav, Double Roti.

Upendra & Sujay skidding off the bike while in 12th standard – Quite an eventful day.

This blog has already gotten so long and there is hardly anything that I have mentioned.

I guess I will leave the rest to all the hondya’s to think about and feel nostalgic. :)