Raison D'Etre

Life went on as usual. Once in the groove, it had the stereotype Monday to Friday schedule, most of which would be in school, listening to lectures, completing assignments or working in teams on presentations. The axiom of friendship between the trio of Sameer, Riya & Anamika stood still at times, as each would be busy with their respective team members. Sometimes, they would resort to catching up on phone, G'Talk or Skype. At other times, they would head out to usual joints for their chat in recluse. On campus, Subway was also a twice-a-month destination for Sameer and Riya. More than sharing things and exchanging thoughts, the probity in their friendship gained ground in leaps and bounds, each passing day. Some usual fun moments on campus could be proliferated thus:-

SUBWAY on Campus 

Participating in 'on-line fragrance panel' surveys,conducted by the marketing department at Business School was a fixed errand for Sameer & Riya. Of the many goodies on offer, in lieu of participation, these two would always opt for the Subway coupon, which would then be used up over lunch together. With her around, Sameer too used to heave a sigh of relief not having to rattle off names for choice of bread, vegetables, meat, cheese and pickles.The only exception to this routine was once, when Sameer didn't have a coupon to share with her and she supposedly handed it to Adarsh. 

McDONALD'S closest to School 

The nearest McD to school was about a mile away. This was a nice pretext for Anamika, Riya & Sameer to drive out. Anamika was a vegetarian and always stuck to a generous helping of French Fries. The other two, usually the hungry duo, would opt for choices which were lenient on the bill. Dollar burgers and nuggets were best suited for their palate. They would spend time sharing news or stories and also whining away, while nibbling at their meal. By the end of the session, Riya was sure to curse herself on the indulgence of extra calorie, but made it a point to drive herself and the other two out to the same destination, at the earliest possible.

SITWELL's & GRAETER's

Sitwell's near Clifton was an excellent ethnic joint for brunch or just coffee. One of Riya's excellent introductions, which Sameer always cherished going to, especially for their BLTs. The very mention of Graeter's always made Riya & Anamika swoon. Like many others they too loved catching up at this joint along with Sameer & other friends, all the while treating themselves to dollops of frozen delicacy.

HABENAROS

This was a favorite Tuesday destination for Sameer and Riya for its amazing fish tacos. However, missing out on paying tips once, remained an irk for life, for Sameer. 

AL MADINA
Although slightly ramshackle in looks, an elderly gentleman from Pakistan owned this Mediterranean food joint which was frequented by the hungry duo for its chicken kebabs wrapped in freshly made naans. Originally, Wahid had introduced them to Al Madina.

BUSKEN BAKERY
The Zucchini nut muffin which Riya treated Sameer & Anamika to, remained one of his eternal favorites.

The public Library, Arlin's pub, Bonbonerie, Melt eclectic deli, Dancing Wasabi and Pho Lang Thang (Vietnamese food joint) were some of their other hangout places. 

Seasons changed and so did times. Sameer was a self-proclaimed foodie and needless to say, gastronomic delight was one of his most loved stimuli. Spending time in choicest company, with the creme-de-la-creme of food options, Sameer ultimately seemed to have found his perfect raison d'etre for existence in Houston!!!!