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Monday, March 04, 2019

I’ve been meaning to share this news for a while now, for it’s a personal story for me at so many different levels.

One, I have known Alice Richman for the last 22 years, since I found her on a rainy afternoon on 24 June 1997, my first day at the University of Pune (I was actually looking for the hostel office). I was a lonely introvert and she felt like a kindred spirit. Since then, I have spend countless afternoons with her, reading (the garden, where the tomb is located, was next to my department). Later, I would invite my classmates and friends and introduce them to her. As Amit alleges, I too would make up stories about her short life and eventual death. My favourite was she falling in love with a local gardener, a handsome Maratha boy. The story ends with double suicide, and Alice haunting the campus searching for her lover (Kamal Amrohi’s ‘Mahal’ is my favourite film). Later, I even took a few friends to the park at midnight, to spot Alice’s ghost.

Two, the story features Amit Ranjan, who is smart and intelligent (and very difficult to please) and whom I am proud to call a friend. I am proud to have worked with him in his tremendous debut as a poet, in the collection, ‘Find Me Leonard Cohen, I’m Almost Thirty’. The book also contains half-a-poem about Alice (the other half is about another Australian, about whom Amit has written a fantastic book, to be out soon. Watch this space).

Three, I’ve always considered Pune to be my second home, and The Times of India, Pune, my extended family. Now, my friend goes there and gets a Page One Anchor! I couldn’t have been prouder. Ajoy, Renuka, Connie sir, whoever edited the story, salute!

Four, and the story has been written by someone who has been a colleague since my rookie days as a deskie, doing sports in ‘The Maharashtra Herald’, which I absolutely abhorred and she absolutely enjoyed. Thank you, again, Swati. Thank you for the memories.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/alice-who-10-years-of-research-visits-to-uk-aus-finally-story-behind-grave-at-pune-university/articleshow/67764153.cms

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