Let Me Tell You About Radhika and Sandeep

Radhika and Sandeep are a curious pair. Both are neighbors on the second floor of our building. Radhika is 17 and Sandeep is 23. Radhika is a girl. Sandeep is a dude. Both are Marvadis. They are inseparable, despite their strict mores that maintain that members of the opposite sex should not be friends, especially when there is such a drastic age different. Nonetheless, when Radhika's mother goes out a few evenings a week, the two spend all their time together laughing, walking, and befriending strange American girls reading on the terrace. They are what we call "best friends".

Both are such characters.

Radhika, despite her young age, has a strong sense of self-assurance that combined with her bubbly personality causes her to emit a glorious light that makes you need to know her. She is a joyful, practical girl who is loyal to her Marvadi faith.

Sandeep is a sweet, soppy, some cynics and fellow graduates of Jr. high would say unrealistic boy whose overthetop sentimentality makes me want to protect him from the harsh, yet beautiful reality that experience will most likely reveal for him. The only movies Sandeep has watched since he was thirteen years old were potentially tragic romances that have a happy ending. The first three questions that Sandeep ever asked me, in order, were "Do you believe in love at first sight?", "What is your favorite color?", and "Are you In love?" My dear friend, Sandeep, who I will always remember for his Backstreet Boys ring tone, loves nothing more than to hear about people being in love and talking about his belief of romantic loves potential to complete one's life. He spends his days working, sending his friends heartfelt text messages, and standing around on the terrace starry-eyed, looking out at the city below dreaming of finding his perfect Marvadi bride.