I usually have breakfast with two of my friends in the office, we hit the cafe and have a  little chat to start the day on a energetic note. So today, me and AB sat on a table on the distant corner of the cafe, and JG joined us later. So there we were, looking at her ordering at the counter and failing to spot us.

So we thought of screaming out to her (not the most polite way – but works wonders in the right circumstance), her full name sounded too long to use. So we decided to make her a pet name & from their I got thinking.

Remember when we were kids, everyone in the colony had a nickname, some given by parents/grandparents and some by friends. Those with the names like Deepaish got it easy, and their name was  only shortened to Deep. But people like a friend in Gwalior – Tribhuvan had it tough with the name Tipsy sticking on to him.

Some were named by the kids according to their pet peeve (read annoying habit to others) and thus came into existence names like Chipku, Ghisatu, Lady, Mickey, Ungli and the world famous Silencer.  Some were even unluckier they had the names their grand parents bestowed on them and used graciously in every social event. So many came to be known as – sweetu, guddu, dabloo, babloo and pinky!

Then their were kids like me, whose last name was widely accepted, and the first got lost somewhere. So for most of school, college and B-school I was referred to as Patel!  Some are luckier here and get some kickass nickname based on their last name – so Reddy became RED.

And then are the people who are rechristened in a drunken night at some party, and TB (aka Tharki Baba) and THE DUDE come into picture.

But the most sad one’s are the people, who were given some ancient name (reasons vary – but i strongly suspect a lack of respect for the baby in India is the prime one) and then give themselves some kewl name themselves. This name is usually based on the first hollywood flick they watched (most common are Niel & Vicky). So I had a pal in College Neil Ray aka Ryan! Man does that not sound cool. But alas his real name was Kolyondeep, and every time he was caught talking to a girl, someone, somewhere would scream Kolyondeep at the top of his lungs and go shake his hand.

What’s  in a name I say – nothing, cause it is given to us before we grow into individuals. But a nickname has the essence of what you truly are.

I think our newly named Joe would agree!

-AP