Aditya first came on my Nafran Valley trek last year. As treks happen, people walk at their own pace and the two of us didn’t spend that much time until a section on the last day, which we did together. A few trippers stayed back after the trip, and over the next few months, I smiled at how some of my closest people felt about him.

Later we had a Delhi weekend reunion and we chilled in a pool, played frisbee and danced a lot. I had an early morning flight and I was touched to see Aditya being adamant about driving me to the airport. Maybe that was the beginning of a bond.

Some months later, he has booked a Himachal trip with us but our trip leader fell ill last moment. As emergencies happen, we asked Aditya if he could lead the trip. I felt he had seen how we conduct trips, and would know what to do. He agreed immediately.

This year Aditya booked my Meghalaya trip. We became room mates, and I had the maximum fun on the trip talking to him and Rahul. One evening, I fell off a small cliff. My back was in supreme pain. For the rest of the trip, every day Aditya would make sure he would give me painkillers, and medicine right after I came out of the bath, or had breakfast. He was almost like a concerned mom or girlfriend. He would keep nagging me to go see a doctor, in the two day gap between my two trips. And he never stopped pestering me about it, though he knew I wouldn’t go. I dunno how but I found myself confiding things in him.

Heh, he’s a sweetheart. Bahar se Delhi vibes, but very gentlemanly, respectful & polite. Funny but always aware of how others are feeling around him. Am I promoting him too much?

Yeh lo -) Aditya is on Bumble. He claims he doesn’t have much success on it, but I have my doubts. Our boy is potentially smooth, sometimes susheel, regularly smart looking &hamesha modest. His bio could read “Humble on Bumble, will singe you on Hinge. Tender on Tinder, but kardu ghayal on Aisle.

Mera bhai! Aditya, you have my love and respect. Jaldi mil.