Insecure Pradeep

The first time I saw Pradeep, he stood behind Sunil nervously. Sunil would do all the talking. Pradeep would interrupt into the conversation in a jerky manner. If this got a cold response he would slink back to the safety of Sunil's back like a street dog kicked by a passerby.

I do not think they were homosexuals but the relationship was intriguing, Sunil was the 'mother'. Pradeep was like the 'baby'.

Both came from Bihar from quite well-to-do families. Otherwise they would not be studying in one of country's best colleges in Mumbai. Pradeep's family, I learnt, had the dealership of a leading paints' company.

All the time Pradeep would be be Sunil. He would not go out with anyone else. He would go out only if Sunil was there too. It was a strange dependency.

One could detect an extreme insecurity in Pradeep. May be it was engendered by a dominating family. This I confirmed when once his father came visiting the college hostel where Pradeep stayed.

His father was a practical dominating kind of character. Another time I happened to meet Pradeep's elder brother. The man was like his father. I shuddered at the thought. The father would at least have some parental concern even for a weakling son. I doubted a brother would have similar scruples. A hunch that sadly turned out to be true.

Pradeep was erratic. Sometimes he would be overtly and excessively affectionate towards someone and would be inevitably snubbed.  This happened often. Other times he would lose his temper, turn aggressive and pick a fight with someone. Like a little boy.

Years later I learnt from a common acquaintance that Sunil had got a job, got married, and had children. Pradeep was alone in Patna without his protective 'mother' Sunil. After his father death, Pradeep's hard-nosed businessman brother had grabbed all of the family business and thrown Pradeep out of the house. Pradeep presently lives in extreme poverty today.