Amit and his bevy of babes

Amit 'Vicky-chan' Khajanchi exploded into our lives with all the force of a chick pea samosa working its way through a foreign digestive system one sunny September in 1992. Although he was initially mistaken for a professor, then a dean, a father, a step-father, and finally, a homeless man wondering the streets of Medford, Massachusetts, Amit was soon welcomed into the freshman class and, specifically, a small but resourceful group of strangers who found comfort away from home in the essential fact that they had absolutely nothing in common.

Amit getting a little too abusive with one of his women

It is strange to think that, a short time ago, young Khajanchi was a complete stranger to most of us, most notably the bride, her family, much of the wildlife around Bikaner, and approximately 99.2% of the undergraduate student body at Tufts, not counting the Japanese. For facts and embarrassing stories from his early childhood, please contact Manish in Kobe (how many can there be?).

Amit sees an opposing gang member and reaches for his gun

One of the more amusing of the many hilarious anecdotes surrounding our beloved Amit was the fact that he could blend into any crowd of blind Kansai natives. In a stunning upset, Amit beat no one two years in a row to grab a historic stranglehold as President of the Japanese Culture Club at the Old Brown and Blue. But Japan only left its stamp on one half of our dynamic and somewhat confused friend.

Ping pong playing stud!

Amit was born in India one very hot September day in 1974. Legend has it that on the day of his birth, a cow ran into a rickshaw right outside his house, signifying a long and prosperous career in pearl-plucking, preferably overseas. Amit embraced Jainism like a well-cooked nan, and it became as much a part of him as its philosophy of non-violence, although said philosophy did not prevent him from kicking some serious butt as a member of Tufts Tae Kwon Do. And his Indian heritage stayed with him like permanent mehndi throughout his four-year tenure at Jumboville, from the powerfully narcotic assam tea to teaching his many followers a vast array of crooked card games, to karaoke - oh wait, that was on the Japanese end. And, as the bride has seen, one of his less…admirable…talents.

Amit attracted friends from all over the globe, from Indonesia, Taiwan, Korea, Brazil, and even such remote corners of the world as Houston, Texas. (Although his sophomore roommate, whom no one met, mysteriously disappeared one fine day at the beginning of the semester.) And it is no surprise, since Amit was a jolly, friendly, fun-loving and down-to-earth kind of guy who could crack a joke and discuss philosophy in the same breath. In fact, he usually would, generally bewildering the person he was speaking to and abruptly ending the conversation.

Amit develops an addiction to helium

He showcased a brilliant economic mind, as evidenced by nothing that anyone can corroborate on paper. And, he was a devoted worker. Professor Inouye, a teacher and a friend of his, often recounts one of Amit's early trials as a student. Apparently, Amit suffered slightly from a case of not-so-good penmanship when he first came to university. Hard work, dedication, and eight million vegetable dumplings later, Amit was a gifted and poetic writer. His skill culminated in a masterful thesis that convinced many skeptics that the onion is truly the king of vegetables. But enough about his academic prowess. Amit was a man of many talents…one of which, it must be stressed, was NOT karaoke.

Amit takes another hit

Amit was also someone who knew how to handle adversity. In the middle of his studies, the Khajanchi family and many others were rocked by the tragedy of a horrific earthquake in his hometown of Kobe. Amit came to the rescue by selling 22.4 million cartons of mango juice to deprived Americanized South Asians in a relief effort that raised funds for his home.

In his spare time, Amit enjoys eating (but no animal crackers), singing badly, and we mean badly, and eating a little more.

He is above all…a great friend.

The many faces of Amit!