This is dedicated to three of my friends who were fellow musketeers and party to several shenanigans that we were part of in Madras of the mid and late 1970s.

Haritha Srinivasan (Union/Standard Motors), Sanjeev ‘Zulu’ Thomas (Al Kabeer) and RVSM (or something like that) Rama Rao (Scion of the Pitapuram Dynasty)

Three dear friends, brothers in fact...who were taken away from this world sooner than we expected. But who still live on in the memories of people who loved them.

There are so many stories about us...all of us, some of us...doesn’t matter. Many of them are Top Secret even now. There is no Statute of Limitations in these cases. But one story I will never forget is the first Loyola College Cultural Festival ‘Deja Vu’ in 1975-76.

I had personally battled Fathers and Brothers and managed to get permission to hold the first ever Cultural Event in Campus. I was looking forward to a successful event and had used my personal friendship with the girls from different colleges to ensure a healthy female participation in the Festival.

On the day of the Dramatics Event the girls from WCC came in a bus. And what a warm, whistly welcome they got.

But it was also the day the ‘goons’ of Pachaiyappa’s decided to play Spoil Sport. As I was backstage I heard a lot of noise and looked out through a gap in the curtain to see what was happening.

A bunch of students from Loyola’s Traditional Rival Pachaiyappa’s were walking down the aisle at Bertram Hall. Led by a huge fellow, they were throwing chairs here and there and the audience was running. They were a scary sight.

My thoughts went to the WCC girls who had come on my invitation, and who were friends. I rushed into the audience, gathered them and lead them backstage.

From there we made our way through the back stairs to the car park next to Bertram where the Bus was parked. I herded the ladies into the bus and instructed the driver to drive towards the hostel which was just a few yards away.

Now remember, no girls used to be allowed into Loyola in those days. And here I was taking some 20 odd girls into the hostel. I knew I was asking for trouble but the safety of the girls was paramount in my mind. And I knew that with the hostel boys behind them, the girls would be safe.

Leaving them near the Hostel Circle, I ran back to Bertram Hall and confronted the gang from Pachaiyappa’s. Luckily by then, their excitement had waned and the big guy listened to reason. How much that was because I was a big guy myself I’ll never know. But the gang left.

I went back to the bus and accompanied the girls upto the gate. The girls were shaken up but safe.

The Festival carried on. And was quite a success. I know that this festival was carried on for a few years. I had news about it from Hashim Tyabji and Denzil Stephenson.

Later I understand the name of the festival was changed. And then ladies were offered admission into Loyola.

Who were the girls? I can’t remember all of them. But names like Leila Karunakaran, Aruna Gibbs, Jyothi Hariharan...