On Lucifer

In 1980, I had a student named Lucifer Madhusudan Singh. He was a Bio-chemistry student but his reading and understanding of fields as diverse as physics and literature,philosophy and chemistry, poetry, mysticism etc. and his eloquence were stunning in a boy of just nineteen. I found him sitting aloof, almost arrogant, in the first period I had with his class. But later on, we became great friends and were often seen together on long walks. I would miss even my evening tennis and cricket to be with him. Apart from his unquestionable genius, he was such great fun to be with; there never was a dull moment with him. He could always surprise me with his child-like antics, which were all the more lovable in a man otherwise so profound and brilliant. One day, he came to me and with a look that suggested a tragedy, said, "Sir, my love-affair with both God and bio-chemistry has run into rough weather. They don't yield to my overtures. Its totally one sided now and I am going to end it." I asked him what did he intend to do with them." I will wait for what they intend to do with me." After spending a few hours with him in the first week itself, I had told him not to come to the class room as there was nothing I could teach him. He was years ahead of me in everything, and it would have been enough if I could learn something from him - and I was most willing to do so. But after about a year's friendship of the closest kind, he left me suddenly and, despite trying my best, I could not trace him. Now, even thirty years later, I am still yearning for his company. If anyone knows where he is and can give me his whereabouts, I will consider my facebook experience a fruitful one for this reason alone, apart of course from Harman.