16. 4th Sem : Yet Another Love Story PART 2

Once in Delhi, I guess, I had found enough courage to call her up. That was the only way I could help myself now.

Another Year rushed by. Life moved on, but I didn't or should I say couldn't.

Till the time I happened to join college, I just lost touch with her. But soon got back with the help of a friend. After that it was like a dream, I was talking about things I would never have in school. Definately, I was inching closer.

Not a week passed that I didn't call her.

Over the days I learnt, a lot had happened between her and Sameer and she no longer regarded him the good friend he once was.

I thought what better time to let her know, but never managed it, I don't know what held me back. So decided to keep it to just casual talks. And it was these calls that Shis was reffering to.

When I was through with my story, Shis was quiet and so was Doc.

"What the f..??? And you say you are just friends?? Dude wake up!! Shes not going to be there forever. You have got to let her know!" Shis was talking like a pro here.

"Are you out of your mind? Maybe it was just a crush, plus we were just kids then!!"
"Hey, tell me are you going to tell her or not?" Shis sure was an adamant soul.

"No, am not!! and I told you what you wanted to know, so now just Shut up!!" I didn't like the idea one bit.
"Fine, Whatever you say, its your life afterall, hey Doc, did you get the book I asked you to?"For once Shis was talking about something else.

"What book??" Doc had no clue.
"What book?? The book that I asked you to get from the library?"
"Oh shit!!!" Needless to say, Doc had forgotten.
"Nevermind, I guess, I'll have to get it myself, you guys carry on I'll be back in a minute" Shis was off to library, for the first time maybe, since we had joined college, seemed starnge. Maybe, he had a change of heart and wanted to study for the pracs.

After about two cups of coffee and a sandwich each, Shis returned. Strangely though, he was smiling, and had no book in his hands. Maybe he didn't find it, but why was he smiling??

"Here, you forgot to take it back" Shis handed the cell back to me,
How could I forget that? But anyway, I was glad it was back to where it belonged.

"Now you don't have to worry about anything, my fingers have done the magic" Shis 's smile broadened.
"What? What magic?"I had no idea what he was talking about.
"About Arpita, you don't need to worry about her" He still wasn't talking sense, or maybe he was..

The cell beeped hard in my hand, and as soon as I looked at it, I knew what the dog was trying to say,

MESSAGE DELIVERED

Arpita
+919099563514

I opened the sent messages folder and what I read next, stunned me!!

Hi arpita,
I know this might sound absurd now, but I really can't hold it any longer..
I really love you..

Waiting for your response..

I didn't know what was I supposed to do or say, I would never have done that on my own and yet somehow, deep down I wanted to thank Shis for what he had done. Maybe, if it weren't for him, She would have never known.

The response came. As is obvious, such messages seldom go unreplied.

She called. We were still at the joint.

"Pick up the phone and tell her how you feel" Shis wanted the job he had started to be finished off well.

"Aa..Hi..Hello"
"Hey, what was the message all about that you just sent me??"
"Well its true, no jokes seriously, its the truth"
"What are you saying?? I can't believe this, why so out of the blue?"
"It was always like this, but all this while I just couldn't say"
"Ya ok whatever, listen I gotta go now, will talk to you later, bye"

She hung up.

While I didn't get any answer, I sure was relieved to know she wasn't mad at me.
I got her reply sometime later,

I really like you as a person, but there are certain things that simply cannot happen and I just can't think of hurting you.

I am sorry if I disappointed you but really you are a really great friend but I am not sure about anything more.

The writing was clear on the wall.

I had guessed it already but that didn't help at all. I still was feeling really miserable, one, obviously for the rejection and second, why did I had to carry forward what Shis did. I could have easily passed it off as a joke.

But now that I had taken the plunge, I thought why not tell her the entire thing? So I wrote my whole story down and mailed it to her. Not that She would have had a change of heart after reading it, but I wanted to vent it out. I had to. It had been with me for too long.

After that day, everything is back to normal or should I say even better than normal and I am really grateful to her for that.

There is one more person I should thank, Shis. Without his magic I guess, no one would have ever known about this, not even her.

15. The Procurement

Frustration levels were at an all time high, it was exam time after all. 5th semester. Around Mid Jan, we got the news that a software firm was coming down to hire from our college. Maybe, it was just the motivation we needed to carry on.

Soon, the notice boards were flooded with notices regarding the format of CVs, important dates and so on, and most importantly the list of eligible students. I was happy, relieved maybe, that my name was not excluded. But little did I know, the happiness was short-lived.

About a week later, a new list was put up, of the eligible students and this time, I was excluded. As a matter of fact, most of my branch-mates were, including Shis. But Doc was still eligible and was all kicked up to give it his best shot. He needed this real bad. He has an elder sis, who was already employed and a younger brother, who had topped his way into his second year.
So by now he too wanted some respect in his house.

He started preparing for the aptitude exams, while I was smoking my heart out. It did feel awful to be not eligible.

As fate would have it, specially mine, another list was put up on 29th, just a day before the exam and I was eligible again!! I really had no idea what the hell was going on but knew I wouldn't be able to make it now.

I was confident about my failure.

On the D-day, all formally dressed, we sat down for the aptitude test. The result was to be declared in the evening, around 6 PM. And the interviews would start soon after. While killing the time in between I realised what an idiot I was. I hadn't brought my class 10 and 12 mark-sheets!! They were needed in case I was selected for the Interviews. It was already 5:30 PM and considering my home was 50KMs away, It was physically not possible to complete a 100KM+ trip in rush hour traffic that too within an hour!! But, then I was damn sure I won't be shortlisted, so what the heck. I wasn't gonna need it anyway!!

At about 6:30PM a voice echoed through the corridors,
"All the students are requested to make their way to the auditorium, the results will be announced soon"

Doc wasn't gonna miss this one, it was the moment of truth for him.

Once in the auditorium, The HR head (referred to as HR henceforth) after introducing herself (She was some Rupali Ganguly), got on the job of announcing the names of successful candidates.

I couldn't help saying, "God IS the best architect!!!"
"Indeed, he is" Shis was already staring at her, wide mouthed.

Well, she was HOT, I mean she could easily give the models a complex. She was pristine, everything perfect about her. In her Grey trousers and navy blue "fitted" shirt, she was looking too damn good to be an HR. But maybe, even the firm she was working for was trying to cut the attrition rate by employing 'such' strategies.

After about 15 mins and almost 70 names, Doc was smiling. He had a reason.
I was in!!

A few names later, his smile widened a bit more, this time I guess, it was heart felt.
He was in too!!

"That were all the successful candidates, congratulations and the interviews will start in just about 20 mins, Thank You and congratulations once again" HR left the stage.

I checked my watch, 7:15 PM. I was doomed, I had no mark-sheets with me, what was I gonna do in the interview??

"Why don't you try and talk to Mr.Nanda, he might be able to help you" Shis was still around.

Mr. Nanda was our T&P head, and from an Army background. Quite naturally was a very helpful soul, always listened to the stupidest of problems and did whatever he could. But at times he was also quite strict even to the point of being rude.

"Can I have your attention please" It was Mr. Nanda, "We have divided all of you in four batches, the interviews for the first batch will be starting soon. For batches 2, 3 and 4 interviews will be held tomorrow 9:00AM onwards. The lists will be put up shortly on the notice boards. Except for the students for batch 1, rest of you can leave. But all of you need to be here by 8:00AM tomorrow morning, SHARP. I hope I am clear. Right then. Best of luck to all of you, Do your best and make us proud".

Soon, the lists were put up and Thank God!!! What a relief!! I was in batch 3. I had the time I needed to get my mark-sheets. Most of the students were either staying back in the hostel or at friend's places nearby, to prepare for the first job interview of their lives. But I had to rush back home!!

By 9:30 PM, we were almost there. Doc was visibly nervous. The fact that he had hinged all his to this opportunity wasn't helping either. I really had no idea about a Job interview. Called up Vijay and decided to meet up with him. I and Doc listened very carefully as he spoke, Vijay was already placed, and coincidently, in the same firm. His tips ranged from brushing up on current affairs to carrying a pen in the room positively. In a nutshell, he was comprehensive, I still can't think of anyone who would have given us better advice at 10:30 in the night, sitting on the pavement!!

But anyways we had a lot to do now, study newspapers, browse through our CVs and be ready with anything that might be asked, and what not. We reached home, and started with the most important thing.

We dozed off !!!

The next morning we were in college by 7:30AM
In the entire episode, I must confess, my heart beat was at peak value during this time. After about 4 hours of waiting, I was finally interviewed at around 12.

To put it modestly, It was horrible!! As bad as it could have been!! I did exactly as I was adviced not to. I was once again sure that I won't make it.

It was time to wait again. The result was to be declared by 7:00PM. At around 6:45PM we were asked to gather in the auditorium. HR was standing on the stage, lecturing about something, I wasn't sure of what it was simply because I was not listening. I was watching!! And so was Tiwari, a friend of mine, branch-mate actually. And to put it in plain simple text, We liked what we saw. The long day had taken its toll on our model-cum-HR. She was visibly tired now, hair all open, falling precariously on her shoulders. But still the temperature of heat-waves radiated from her was not a degree lower. Like me, Tiwari was confident of his failure too. So while Doc was praying, we were having a good time, Tiwari & me.

"She has no energy man.. look shes exhausted in just about 10 hours" Tiwari said checking his watch.
"Talk sense man, 10 hrs is way too much, even a horse would need a break in between"
"Not if she is under!!" Tiwari sure had a dirty mind!!
"Well in that case, Who would WANT one??" Even I was no exception.

High-Five!!!

All this continued until the Bong dropped a Bomb, She announced my name.

"Hey, congrats.." I could feel the taps on my shoulder, I was stunned!!

Then came Doc's.

This was two times in two days that I was surprised, for good, obviously.
Tiwari, sadly didn't make it, but sure had a word of appreciation for me, "Congrats man, you can have her now!!! Same company dude, enjoy!!" He is a joker.

"Ya, Thanks,"

As I and Doc came out, It was already dark. We could see all kinds of faces around us, happy, disappointed, crying, laughing, heartbroken, content, relieved but none like me, shocked!! It was a moment I will never forget.

I and Doc hugged each other,
"You made it!!" I was happy for Doc, he got what he had wanted.
"No, We made it!!" Indeed we had!!

Soon, Shis, Appu and almost the entire hostel was in the campus, congratulating the ones who had made it!! Well, Appu was different. He was holding a backpack.

"Remember your promise??" Appu was smiling showing off his gear-train like teeth.
"Ya I do, lets go"

Took him to the nearest Theka and he started putting the bottles in his backpack. He didn't stop until it was full. Nothing was too much for him. In this case SEA was the limit!! After dropping him off at the hostel and a drink, we left for home.

Feeling responsible, feeling good. We were employed now.

Shis got placed in another company a few weeks later and now we could finally celebrate!!
All of us had been "Procured". . .

14. 4th Sem : Yet Another Love Story PART 1

The semester was about to end and pracs were to start in about 2 days. The turn out was skeleton. But like is our habit, the whole group was present. Not to attend lectures but for a much more important cause. To persuade the lab assistants to be on our side during the external practicals. It was an easy job, to say the least. Their demands varied from bottles to cell-phones!!! But our expert negotiator Shis ensured that we never had to shell out more than 50bucks!! He truly is a magician with words. After finalising the deal, the rest of the time was always spent at the coffee joint, I am quite sure in the days leading to the practicals we are responsible for this Joint's 50% business!

The day was no different, after having sealed the agreement we were spending the time at the Joint. Appu suddenly felt the need to relieve himself, so had to rush to the hostel, yes it was the big thing not the usual stuff. And Babban was feeling lonely so off he went to a secluded spot where he could make his 'call'. That left Me, Shis and Doc staring at each other, actually Me and Doc at Shis while Shis was busy doing something with my cell.

"Who is this Arpita??"

"A friend, why??" Shit!! I should have guessed it before, the pig was reading my messages , "Gimme that", I wanted my cell back before it put me in any awkward situation.

"Wow, hold on beta, I am not through yet," Shis was enjoying this, " A friend? hmm, you hear that Doc, A FRIEND!!"

"Well, aren't we too your friends??"
"Hell ya, you are, what kind of a stupid question is that?"I shouldn't have given my cell to him, I was saying to myself trying to anticipate what lay ahead.

"Then why is that we don't recieve a single message or call from you in days??"
Shis was right I rarely called anyone.

"And this girl is all over your Inbox and call lists, but she is just a friend. right?" I could imagine Shis in a black robe, he would make a good lawyer.

"Its not what you think, she is just a good friend, plus I meet you guys everyday, don't I??"
"You can obviously meet her on the weekends, can't you??"Shis wasn't the quite one.

"I can't, Its not that easy as you think"
"She has a big brother, or brothers??" It was not hard to see from where he was drawing his inferences!! But seriously, I still can't understand why he does that, comparing things with his Rajnikant movies.

"NO you idiot, Because she is in VIT, in Vellore, not Delhi!!"
"Who is this by the way?? you never told us about her"Shis was actually right, I had never told them much about my school days.

"Well, we were classmates in school, till 11th, before I moved to Delhi"
"Ok, but there must have been others, whats so special about her that you only ring her up??"
He wasn't gonna settle for anything less but the full story I thought and decided to tell him, It was the only way to keep him quiet.

I began. I had to.

I first came across her during an intra-school drama competition. We were opponents.
She was playing the role of a mother, and as the role demanded, she was dressed up in a beautiful Saree and all the relevant stuff like jewelery and little bit of makeup. I really hadn't liked too many girls after Preeti, she always was my yardstick and frankly no one could measure up to her. But Arpita was different.

She was stunning. Her smile, beautiful round face, long hair and a childish voice, everything was just perfect. My yardstick had failed and how!!
I was in a dream sequence, again.
If the signs were anything to go by, I had lost my head again!!!
From that day on, whenever I saw her, my world went into slow-mo.

And, in class 9th, for the first time in my life, I thought God was backing me up on something. All the classes were reshuffled and thankfully she was put in the same section as me. I was elated!!
Some of my friends from the earlier sections were also in the same section. She was a good friend of one of them, Tanisha.
As the session progressed, we started talking and became what you can call friends!!
During classes, I used to stare at her and after stalk her. It was going well and I had reason to celebrate, she was in my sight most of the day and we were friends now, meaning I could try and move ahead.

What an idiot I was!!

I soon realised she was much more close to a boy named Sameer, who, thanks to the reshuffling, was in a different section now. He was light years ahead of me in terms of being close to her. Rumors of them being togther were ripe but I never gave an ear. I had no chance in hell but still I stayed on.

A year passed.

We were now in Class 10th, nothing had changed much. I was still just a friend and she was still THE ONE. Before the 10th boards, there was a trip to Sunderbans. School had organised it for us. I thought what better way to express your love than under the moon on a boat??
I made all the preps.
Card check
Walkman check
Smooth instrumental cassette check

Once on the boat, (well its hard to describe but it was much bigger than a boat but way smaller than a ship. but whatever it was, sure was fun to be on) everybody was enjoying the surroundings and soon it was dusk.

Just as I thought of spilling the beans, a friend of mine told me that Sameer had actually proposed her a few days back and she had reciprocated his feelings but didnt commit. I didn't know whether to believe him or not. But sense prevailed and I decided to stay quiet for some more time.

Second year passed.

We were now in Class 11th.
That Sameer happened to choose the same combination of subjects as me and consequently was in the same section. When he asked where will I be taking physics classes I just ignored him. A few days later I came to know he, Arpita, Tanisha and some other friends of mine were taking tuitions from the same guy. It sure wasn't sensible but I jumped onto the bandwagon as well.
So, now I had the privilege of meeting her after school once a week. It was her house that was the venue. So it was great fun having her around till the teacher came. It was the perfect thing I could have asked for.

Third year passed

We moved on to class 12th.
The tuition venue was now shifted to another girls house which was close to school. So I used to stay back at a friends place till the class as my home was too far for a to and fro journey in under an hour. By this time, I think we had become good friends. But still, I was too afraid to call her up even for a casual talk.

During the summer break my mom got transferred to Delhi and I knew I'll have to move with her. Before I left, I wanted to meet her for one last time, but really didn't have the courage to ask her so. Took the help of the physics tuition instead. Requested Sir to take the class on Tuesday, instead of Thursday, as I was to leave on Wednesday.

I still remember that class, not everyone had turned up. Tanisha was ill, Sameer was away.
That was the last time I had seen her, She was wearing a maroon-yellow salwar kameez. And as always, It was hard to look away.

After the class, I remember walking up to the bus-stand with her. Stood there for sometime, talking. Just couldn't catch a bus before she did. Figuring she might be getting late, I asked her to carry-on. That I'll be fine. She crossed the road, waved at me from the median and then from the window after boarding the bus and that was it. She was gone.

I took a bus myself and headed home.

13. Flashback

Almost every organism on the face of this planet remembers its past encounters or experiences and thus learns a thing or two about the particular situations and is supposedly better prepared to tackle them if ever they arise again, during his life. Except for one maybe, I never learn!!

I almost completed my schooling in Calcutta, right from Nursery to Class 11th, but not 12th. Mom got transferred and I had to come to Delhi.

In Calcutta, I changed my school once, in class 6th. This was because of my mother’s transfer. I was too young (read pampered) to be left alone. Thankfully, both schools provided me with great friends. And in fact, it was in KV SL only, my first school that I had my first crush.

I was maybe in 5th standard at the time, when I met, rather saw Preeti for the first time. She was a fresher and had just joined the school. Her smile was electric and I could feel the shivers travel down my spine every time she looked at me with that smile. In her impeccably well ironed blue skirt and white shirt, shoulder length hair held flawlessly with a red hair-band, she looked straight out of heavens. Funny?? Not really considering I was only 10 years old!! It was the stuff, my dreams were made of!!

I don’t exactly remember how and when started talking but as soon as we did, there was no looking back. We got along really well and used to play stupidest of the games imaginable (they seem stupid at this age, but back then they were the ultimate source of fun). It was nothing short of heavenly. I was just about a decade old and already I was having a peek at the ‘‘biggie’s’’ world, I was in love!! Before I knew it, I was singing songs to myself whenever I saw her and tried to steal as much time as I could, from wherever I could, just to be around her, be with her.

Gosh! Was I stupid or what!! It sure is embarrassing to write all this down but then it is also probably the fondest memory I have of my childhood, it was my puppy love, as they say.

But I had never imagined what lay ahead.

My mother got transferred to another school and considering my age she thought I was too young to be left alone in a different school. I wonder if her decision would have changed had I told her about what all was going inside my tiny little head!!

To say the least, I was shattered, my heart broken…

I confided in a common friend of ours hoping he would keep it to himself. But obviously he couldn’t and broke the news to her, actually not only her, the entire class!!

Since I was not in the school anymore, she became the soft target. I had so wanted to kick him but I thought since I wasn’t in school anymore, everybody would soon forget about it. And everyone did. But she didn’t.

She once confronted me about this and why did she have to hear it from someone else and not me? Besides, she rightly pointed out that I should be studying. Believe me when I say, I don’t remember much more than that about our conversation.

She came to my place on two different occasions, the first time with her sister, when we were in the same school. I was hyper-active and all pumped up.

The second time, alone, when she was leaving Calcutta. We were in class 8th then.

I hardly said a word, while she was trying to get my head straight. I think I wasn’t handling rejection all that well. [ :p ] I still remember what she said to me,

“Someday, when you sit down and think about this you will probably laugh. I know you’ll not realize it right now but in some years time you will!!”

Rubbish, I had thought at the time. But now I know how correct she was. Girls definitely are more sensible than us.

After that I just lost touch, didn’t hear from her or tried to contact her.

But never could forget her. Something or the other always kept reminding me of her. More than the love stuff I guess, she was more like a true friend, someone I could trust with my eyes closed.

Its always said, you don’t realize what you have until you loose it. I learnt that the hard way. Even after leaving school I was in touch with her, used to call her up in a month or two. But once she left for Bangalore, there was no communication.

And it was not until 2006 that I finally found her again!!!

Thanks to Orkut, it truly is a wonderful site.

I was skeptical at first, whether she would even recognize me, but not only she did, she was also pretty excited to hear from me after a decades gap!!

The best thing was that we still were the same, nothing changed except for maybe the love coefficient , so now we are more like friends, great friends actually!!

12. Love Story PART 3

It was not hard to see why Doc was feeling the way he was.

During the first year of college the course is common for all the branches and students are divided according to their respective PCM percentages. While I and Shis were in the same section, Doc was in the other section with .. ya you guessed it right, Shruti.

It was never too hard for Shis to strike a conversation with her during this time and Doc hardly seemed to interfere, partly because we didn't know each other then and partly because he simply couldn't. She had a group of her own and to put it politely, Doc was not welcome. The only time he had with her was during the bus journey (She lives near his house and they travel by the same bus) and labs.

The chronic problem we guys have is that if a girl we have a thing for, starts talking to us often, we feel she has a thing for us too. And, I hate to say this, but 90% of the times its not so and the girl regards us as just a "good friend"!!

Doc was no different. After the big revelation, Doc told us about many such occasions where he almost told her how he felt but could not.

"You had kept it to yourself since the 1st sem??" Shis wanted to get every small detail out of Doc.

"I didn't know you guys then, thats why"

"Ok, we have a situation here guys, Doc likes her, you like her, I.." I was cut midway,
"YOU TOO??" Shis and Doc seemed in the same team for once.
"No no not like you guys, nothing serious, its just admiration here!!"

"You are a pig, you know that" Shis and Doc, still on the same side
"Fuck you man, you got 100s of girls to drool over, leave her alone, will you??"Words of wisdom from Shis.

"Well from what I know her MI is 0 maybe 0.1 so I would suggest rather than having this serious stuff going, you people also start appreciating her fi.." Another sentence I could'nt complete.

It was my turn to run around the compound.

MI meant malleability Index, how much effort does it take before you can actually take her out.
A ZERO meant doesn't matter how hard you tried, she just won't go.
A ONE meant not more than one working week, starting from scratch.

One good thing about engineering is that you learn these swanky words that fit into our lingo as much as they do in the industry.

"Have..y..you eve....ever lo..ok..ed at i...i mean Not looked at a girl like that??"Shis was trying to catch his breath, while Doc preferred to lay down on the grass.

I had wanted to tell him about Preeti and Arpita, but, maybe some other time.

"God is the best architect, isn't he??" Those were the lines Shis always used whenever he liked what he saw.

"He is, I am sure but leave someone out and hey I am talking to you, what are you looking at?"

I pointed to the Coffee joint.

The view was too much for him I guess, He was spell bound it seemed. Doc was up by now, his reaction no different.

It was Shruti after all.

Her brownish black hair seemed like a perfect reflector, reflecting all the sun's rays that were falling on them. A gleaming White T, and the most perfect blue denim made her look even more stunning. She was laughing, giggling maybe, having fun with her friends and was not conscious of her surroundings. i.e. Shis and Doc who were staring hard at her by now.

"Haaa-aah, I love her" Shis sighed.
"Me too!!!" Doc was also in the same boat.
While they were deep in their fantasies, it looked hilarious, at least it did to me.
They were holding hands and their heads tilted sideways touching each other's, it really didn't look as if they were in love with Shruti, It was much like if they were in love with each other!!

11. Love Story PART 2

Shis already had his target in sight and now even Doc had shortlisted a girl he wanted to be with, that left me alone, scenes of both Doc and Shis bidding me good bye, arms in arms with their 'women' were like nightmares.

"You have got to believe me, I have never felt quite the same with any other girl!!" Doc was all pumped up.

"Take it easy dude, how many girls have you been with anyway??" Ouch, it hurts when someone slaps you with a reality check, it was Shis this time doing the job. I couldn't resist a laugh.

"What are you laughing at? As if you have been a playboy all through!!"

People do get nasty when it gets to them, but anyways, I was more interested in knowing more about this girl than starting an argument.

"Ok.. ok.. but who the hell is she, where did you meet, whats her name.." I voiced my curiosity

"Easy guys, obviously I'll share it with you people, who else do I have?" Doc was getting senti.
"Like I said you people know her, shes from our college only"

"CS??" Shis tried to narrow down the spectrum
"No"

"Must be EC then,"
"You are a genius Shis, how do you know, I mean I didn't tell you anything, man you rock when it comes to girls" Doc was impressed.

To put things into perspective, Computer Science is the most common branch girls opting for engineering choose. Electronics and Communication, Information and Technology being the
other favorites. Shis was just guessing blindly, even in the worst case it wasn't going to take more than three guesses!!

But it was too complicated for Doc to analyze, actually, it wasn't interesting enough for Doc to use his brain. The thing with Doc is that he uses his brain only to memorize or deduce techniques to memorize formulas and derivations. To illustrate the fact, I can't help but mention an incident.
In one of the semesters, we had a topic on Governors and not one soul could understand the graphs, but Mr.Om, volunteered to teach the topic to the entire class just before the finals. With a pen and paper he started,

"Simply draw the x,y axis for all the four and then start with a horizontal line for 1st one, 2nd at 45 degrees to 1st, 3rd at 20-something to 1st and for the 4th simply draw a line parallel to 2nd intersecting origin!!"

Every mouth in the room was open, as they were expecting an explanation so that they won't forget the damn thing, which might have come handy during interviews. But Doc had a different approach, as was clear to everyone now.

"I believe theory won't be that hard to mug up, right?" Doc was ecstatic. He had just taught a topic to the entire class which everyone including the toppers were finding difficult to handle.
Well, you see thats his approach to every god damn thing, if you can't understand it just mug it up!!

"I know, I know just continue with the story, about that girl" Shis was flattered but didn't want to show.

"Ya, as you said she is from EC and guess what you have even talked to her!! I mean its not a big deal for you to talk with girls but you know.." I wanted to bring Shis back to Earth, but Doc was in no mood to keep him on the ground. Shis talks to exactly 4 girls in our college, excluding the girl he drools over. Of the 4, 3 are his roommate's girlfriends and last one a distant cousin, but anyway, I let Doc continue.

"Which one, tell me something more about her, I'll see if I can recollect" Shis said to Doc

"Ok, ok.. She has these such big eyes, I can't tell you the feeling when she is looking at me." Doc has this thing with the eyes of women, I doubt that he'll spend his "first" night(whenever that be, going by his habits might well be his wedding night), maybe just looking at her eyes and describing it for us the next day.

"Wake up will you??, we have been sitting here for 20 mins now, you want to tell or not?" I was getting restless.

"Relax man, its a girl we are talking about, not an engine, no detail ought to be missed and take your time buddy" Shis reassured Doc.

"Ya I know the code, so where were we?"

"Eyes" palms on my cheek, I prayed he got on with it, "Get to the real deal man, I mean about the stats that matter, hows her.." I was trying to get him on track.

"Just SHUT UP, you are such an ass-hole, I said I love her, so keep your eyes off her and don't you dare fire up your imagination" Doc seemed upset, she obviously wasn't the first girl we had talked about, but this was someone different for sure.

"Whatever, but will you tell anything or just continue to bore us??"

"Patience beta Patience,Well, what can I say, She looks too innocent to be a college going girl, looks way younger than she actually is. Her dressing sense mostly jeans-tees is impeccable, has beautiful shoulder length hair, but keeps then neatly tied in a pony. The perfume she wears, man, its perfect, neither too strong nor too light. You know she is around when shes at just the right distance." Doc was looking at the sky, probably he was day-dreaming about her.

Shis for a change, was abnormally quiet now.

"Aaah,"Sighed Doc after the description, "I am telling you, she is the one, I have been waiting for" Doc had his future all sorted out.

"Cool man, so you have talked to her, whats her name by the way?" I had no clue who this was.

"SHRUTI" Shis's face had turned red, "You bastard!!!!" He jumped up his chair to get hold of Doc, but Doc was already up by then, and before I could blink, both were running around the compound.

Shruti, name sounded familiar, hmm.. I started recalling the faces, and when it actually hit me, I was astonished, shocked to say the least. This was the same girl, Shis had a thing for, his Dad's colleague's daughter. At this point, I was sure Doc was playing up with Shis but could he be serious?

"I swear, I'll kill you, if you talk to her ever again" I could hear Shis scream even from the opposite end of the compound.

This was going to be interesting, I said to myself!!
No more nightmares, I was happy the way I was, scenes of Shis and Doc arms in arms with the same girl kept me laughing till their run concluded!!

10. The Second Encounter PART 2

"Bus tumhare baap ki hai??" Encounter specialist was furious, seemed like there werent going to be any prisoners today.

"Why did you people have to ask them for a party? You should have given it first" he was in his usual form, I wonder what he could do for the Indian Cricket Team, if he were to be appointed as a coach. Nobody would be out of form ever, atleast he wont let them be. And next time, The Team was to travel, all the Fathers wwould have been accompanying their player sons.

"Call your father, I want to talk. And until your parents arrive, all of you are suspended" he said, banging his pen on the table, as if he was a High Court Judge who had just given a death sentence.

"Sir, please, sir dont do this to us, please sir.." we were standing outside The Chamber, just as we heard Aakash plead.

"Why shouldnt I? You people spoil the discipline, and set examples. Its our turn now to set an example."

"Sir you have got to believe me, this happens in every bus, every year!!"

We had slowly micro-inched our way back into The Chamber, to watch the 'Trial'.

"Really? Then why is it that only your bus incharge came up to me?" The Specialist had slipped, probably for the first time ever.

"I mean.. I mean why did a junior from your bus complained, and not from the other buses, if, what you are saying is true??" He tried to cover-up.

It was our Bus-Incharge, it had to be him. No junior had complained. It was starting to make sense now.

Vijay, during the party, had asked so many times, that we at least hand the Pig one sandwich. But we didnt. And now the Pig had thrown all of us in shit. It also explained why there had been no such complaints from other buses, as others had wisely fed their Incharges, while we chose not to do so. And now here we were, suspended and fined. I never had thought in my life, that a sandwich would cost me so dearly!!

"Sir.. even we had given similar parties to the Super-Seniors" Aakash wasnt gonna go down without a fight. Bravo!

"Then why didn u compl.. What did you just say? Super what??" Mr. Khurana had been 'prosecuting' violators maybe right from the day he could see. But the expression on his face said he had never come across a word like that during his Encounters.

Super Seniors? What the hell was that supposed to mean, only Aakash knew.

"Super-Seniors Sir!!" Aakash repeated.

"I have heard about this SuperMan, and even Nirma Super, but what is this Super-Senior" Khurana was scratching his head.

It was getting harder to control the laughter, not because of Khurana's wit, but because, probably it was one of those rare occasions when Khurana was clueless!!

"Sir, 4th year students are called that" Aakash tried to end the old man's miseries.

"Aa Ha! I thought so" He almost jumped out of his chair, as if his guess in CAT had gone correct.

"I dont want to hear what you did last year, I know what you have done this year and you will pay" Khurana declared, swinging his finger all across our faces, "Get out now and call your parents"

Over the next few weeks, Aakash, Hemant and Vijay's parents came and met with the Special Agent.He lectured them on his philosophies for precisely 2Hrs each! And at the end, he always asked the question, "By the way, whose parents are you??"
Needless to say, countless Encounters had taken their toll.

But, surprisingly, me and the others got away without having to call our parents. But had to pay the fines. Having been through the Second Encounter , I felt 'Bonded' to the college, and i still do.

I have funded atleast one pillar of the new girls hostel thats under construction!! I wonder if can take back the pillar and have a right to passage!!!

9. The Gang

Next lecture was of Engineering Mechanics. From the first 3-4 classes, Shis had got an idea that it was very deeply connected to what we had already done in the 11th class. He was in no mood to attend, "Theres no way am going to sleep in the 2nd lecture, This aint happening, No way!!"

"What the hell are you guys doing here, run man, before he spots us, run!!!" shouted Babban, who was trying to catch a train it seemed, his bag in one hand, a couple of books in the other.
"Dont tell me you are going to attend?" he tried to confirm, giving all three of us a disgusted look.

I, Doc and Shis exchanged looks.

"I am telling you, I would die without Ice-coffee in this dessert" exclaimed Babban, "One more please!" He was talking to Viru, the attendant at the Coffee Joint in our college.

"Why are you so reluctant to attend Gupta Sir's class?" I had wanted to attend.

"Are you out of your mind? His name sounds like an automobile company, he doesnt know what to teach, how to teach, from where to teach, whom to teach, I dont understand why did he have to leave France in the first place, and you want me to attend his class? What for? If I have to study on my own, why waste my precious 50 mins??" Babban was furious at me, I guess.

"One more" having finished the 2nd cup, he asked for another.

"Besides, all I can or for that matter anyone can do in his lecture, is SLEEP!!" Shis joined Babban.

Gupta Sir or BMG as were his initials, was a distinguished man. He had spent most of his life in France, learning and then teaching. But now, nearing 60, he had come back to India. He didnt have faith in Indian Authors and would only refer the likes of Shames, Miska etc. Even Indian websites were not upto his standards. Before starting a lecture, he would proudly write down the websites of Universities like Cambridge, MIT, Brussels and so on. There would be 8-9 in all.

"No need to take notes, Just understand the concepts. Whatever I am going to teach today, you can find everything on these resources, please do have a look".

Though everyone respected him a lot, or at least I did, most of the students chose to stay out. It was because, whatever he taught, was great from the point of view of understanding but was too confusing for someone who was looking for just 40 marks.

"Exactly, ok, you attended the last lecture, right? tell me what did you understand?" throwing away the 3rd cup, Babban demanded an answer. With Shis on his side now it became a kind of 2-on-1 handicap match, so I decided to change the topic.

"Want one more?" I tried to be nice.

"No Thanks" seemed like he was full, "Wheres your lunch by the way??" may be not.

"And what about yours Doc??" with my lunch in hand he turned towards Doc.

Babban is like 5'10", very well built, better than some of the body builders you might have seen. But, he is still like a 6 year old kid. Likes to keep his hair really short and since Sanjay Dutt has gone to jail, he is trying to fill it in. He has adopted Sanju Baba's look.

The way he talks, does certain things, you cant help but laugh. Things that might not look funny if I, Shis or even Doc were to do, look hilarious on Babban.

Akshit, is also the movie dealer of college, oh, thats Babban's formal name. Give him your request and it'll be granted within 72 Hours. Fees?? who do you expect pays for those Ice-coffees? You can find a trunk full of DVDs at his place. But he has this one rule, doesnt give his DVDs to anyone, You have to provide him a blank DVD to get the movie of your choice.

"Hey Babban, can you bring Lake Placid by Friday?" requested a friend

"Umm..I..hav..umm..it..re..umm..um.. mind me..I'll...ummm.. get..umm.. it tomo..ummm..rrow " Babban was struggling to speak, as there was too much in his mouth. He was through with my lunch and was about to finish Doc's. He seemed in a hurry.

"Hey hey hey look!! Appu is trying to run!" Doc pointed at some boulder that seemed to be rolling towards us!! After putting on my specs I realized it was Appu. He was running straight towards us. That explained why Babban was in a hurry.

Just like Babban, Sameer, we prefer to call him Appu, is a complete foodie. Anything that can be eaten, cannot escape from them. Interests apart, theres nothing much in common. Appu cant run actually, Firstly because, he doesnt want to, hes too lazy a person. And Secondly because, his tummy sometimes obstructs his legs.

Fighting for lunches is something I have been seeing these two doing since the first sem.

"C'mon guys lets go, Baby Ghosh must be in class by now" Shis checked his watch.
It had been over 55 minutes since we were sitting at the Joint

Couldnt afford to miss Prof Ghosh's class. So, we stood up to leave. Appu was about 20m away, quite far, by his standards.

8. The Second Encounter PART 1

I was enjoying my new found freedom! I was a 'senior' now, having completed my 1st year successfully.

And it was time.

It was time for a newer generation to step foot in the college, It was my time to take the 'Intros'. I was elated to say the least. The new crop, however, turned out to be much more sport than i had actually expected. They were willing and sporting enough to do whatever we asked them to, well almost, everything.

Things were looking great and just about then somebody popped the idea,

"Hey guys, when are we going to get a party?" asked a level-3 Junglee to a level-1.

For the uninitiated, level-3 means 3rd year, level-2 2nd year and so on.

The poor chap had just finished his intro and was visibly tired, sensing troubled waters he wisely chose to stay away, he kept mum.

"Didnt you guys give us a party last year? Then why shouldnt these guys do the same this year?" He continued, looking towards us.

He had a very valid point.

We had thrown a similar party for our seniors and it was a kind of ice breaker, you tend to get more comfortable with each other after such casual interactions.
But, more importantly, it was a tradition.

So, everything was planned, who is going to bring what and so on. The day was fixed.

On the D-day, as the freshers started boarding the bus with bottles of Coke, packets of snack and other eatables, the Bus-Incharge looked troubled!

Our Incharge during those days was a guy whose name sounded like a gemstone and who looked like a Gangster straight out of some Rajnikant movie. He had this amazing ability of seeing with one eye closed, as if in some kind of hibernation mode. Nobody had ever seen his two pupils simultaneously.

The party began.

Everybody was having a good time, by everybody i mean the Junglee league and the freshers who had the heart to sit at the back.

We ran out of supplies as the bus neared college. Just in time.
Juniors were obviously on a high, feeling they had befriended the Devils.

During the lunch break, I happened to meet a level-2 brother of mine, who was sweating profusely.

"Whats happened to you??" I asked.

"I guess you havent seen the notice board yet!" he replied pointing towards the Board.

I was blank for a second, whats notice board got to do with him?
Maybe, he had been detained or probably was in some kind of shit.

I moved to it and tried to find something relevant from the million bits of paper that were pasted on it. A freshly pasted paper caught my attention.

Oh My God!!

What the heck?

Must have been a fresher!

"What is it dude??" Shis enquired placing his hand around my neck,

I moved aside. He could see it now, what had hit me, again!!

Date : XX-XX-XXXX

The following students have been found to indulge in ragging in the institute bus and are suspended from the institute with immediate effect till further notice

1. Mr. VIJAY KUMAR
2.Mr. HEMANT MEHTA
3.Mr. AAKASH PANDEY
4.Mr. KAUSHIK TANEJA
5.Mr. AMAR TYAGI
6.Mr. NITIN BAWEJA
7.Mr. PRASHANT DEORA
8.Mr. YOURS TRULY

SIGNED
Prof H.B.Khurana
Head,
Discipline Committee

My second guess was correct, he was in deep shit, the only difference being, I was with him too!!
We were all set to face the encounter specialist, Me, for a second time.

There seemed no escape!

7. 3rd Sem a Love Story PART 1

As my luck would have it, Prof. Khurana walked in for a class the first day of 3rd semester.

"How much more inauspicious could it get?" I thought, and tried to elude his field of vision for the entire lecture as I didnt want any trouble on the first day.

After that, it was a pleasant ride, as i got better at eluding him. I was so good at it that most of the time he didnt even know i was in the class untill the attendance!! Great success!!

"Write a fourier series fo..." It was Prof K's class.

"Hey, i think i am in love" whispered Doc,

"What the f..k??"

"No no.. not like that, i think its pure love!!" Pure? I was trying to make sense of it, maybe he meant he didnt fantasize about her during The Act, that was just my interpretation.

"Whose the girl, since when?" A thousand questions errupted in my passive brain, it was active again, sensing a subject of interest.

"Which equals..?" I suddenly realised Doc had breached my concentration and i was directly in the line of vision of the Prof, who, in the mean time, had half solved some kind of mathematical jumble and was about to turn to ask his students what the answer might be.

"You Mr.Red T-shirt, what is the answer?" I had managed to duck just in time, and it hit Sheshadri!!, who was sitting behind me.

"Umm.. Sir.. I think.. it.. it should.. its.."

"You shameless creature, call your father" I could hear someone whisper behind our backs.

"You people dont study, your parents are wasting so much money and you.." Prof was seemingly upset on Sheshadri, nodding his head, he continued,"Shameless boy, i would like to see your father sometime, now get out of my class!"

Sheshadri is a very simple guy, i had first met him on the last benches in the first semester. He too was a backbencher, like myself, so we kind of bonded instantly.
As you might have guessed it by now, hes from south, theoretically at least. He had spent most of his childhood in the North-Indian town of Agra. So, presumably, he is a mixed breed.

He looks like an average guy, is about 5'6" and is medium built. He tries to make a fashion statement with the combination of spikes and a moustache!!

Academically speaking, He is too strong in his concepts about whatever he has learnt in classes 11th and 12th. And because of this fact, he was always very eager to answer the questions put up in the class during his initial days. But now, he has got acclimatized. Meaning, he now preffers to maintain a low profile in the class and seldom pays attention to what is being taught.

Linguistically, His English is impeccable and Hindi, much like, if not worst than, the roadside romeos of Agra. However, what i admire about him is the fact that he is constantly adding newer words to his vocab, the Hindi ones. He gets these new words from Security guards, Panwallas, Sweepers and God knows from where else.

He wants to pursue MS, thats right, his masters from outside of india. Thats his only aim in life. Actually he has one more, about which he too is not so sure. And understandably so because its about a girl.

He had met this girl during the counselling process, and as fate would have it, she turned up in the same college.
So, fantasies of Shis took wings!! He thought he couldnt live without her!!

During the first year, he was on talking terms with her but as time passed they started drifting apart. But, Shis never lost hope.

"Ok class, that will be it for today, now for the attendance.." My mind was back in the class, it was attendance time.

"Hey Shis, you better be alert from next time man, he can screw anyone to save his ass!!"pointing at me, Doc tried to speak, controlling his laughter. This was the 3rd time Shis had been sent out in 5 days!

"Ok ok, cut it out, enough, what were you saying back there in the class?" I asked Doc, wanting to know all about it.

Docs known to the Profs as Om. Well, he is 6'2" well built and from Haryana. He is a truly gifted soul!! Give him any piece of literature and he can reproduce it within 2 hours! Word by word, point by point. I guess, partly, that also explains why he is the topper in our group, other part being no one else in the group studies as much.

"I was saying what you heard!! And you know that girl" Doc said with a mischievous smile on his face.

"Whats happening guys??, What did he say?? What girl??" inquired Shis.

6. The First Encounter

There i was, walking through the corridors, towards The Chamber. Its one place, nobody wants to be in, not even the Profs!

"Sir, it was not at all intentional" i said to myself, practicing what i was going to say,

"I got the copy made, so that i dont have to carry it always and risk it being lost or stolen!"

"And just for your satisfaction, you can have a look at the original, its with me only, i didnt lose it or anything"

"One more thing, i am still in my 1st semester and i really had no idea that this would become such an issue, i would have never done it if i had the slightest of idea. I am really sorry sir, it wont happen again" punching the air, i thought, a deathblow and smirked.

"Hey, you all right??" Doc tried to make sure I hadnt lost it.

"I know he can get to your head, but dont think about it too much, he wont obviously hang you for this!!" assured Doc, placing his hand on my shoulder.

I seriously doubted his advice. This man could not be trusted in any way, he could do anything.

Before I could realize I was standing right at the doors of The Chamber. I had a good look at the entrance, it was a 7 foot high wooden door, brownish black in color, may be it was because of the "Encounters" that were held in this room, a label just above the door informed me that i was at the third floor of the south wing

S-329

Something i hadnt realised as i was too busy drafting a plea in my mind.
Just below that, on the door, my eyes stopped on the name plate

Prof. H.B.Khurana

Math Deptt.

If the students had it their way, it could have been

Special Agent H.B.Khurana

Encounter Specialist

"Com'mon go man," Doc pushed me.

"May i come in Sir", I asked swallowing my own saliva

"Yes" a gentle voice greeted me.

That was the encouragement i was looking for, I gathered all my courage and entered his room, i felt the door close on me. Doc was outside. It was one on one now. Either me or hi..

"What do you want" he cut into my thoughts.

As i raised my head, i could see him 'relaxing'. Both hands behind his head, legs crossed and on the table. He looked towards me and smiled.

"Sir.. Actually, I.. Uh.. First year.. Uh.. I-Card.."

"Oh, you are the one who was trying to get in with that fake I-card?"

All this while, i had been using the word 'copy' and never had even thought of the one he was using, i didnt know why, but it made me feel even more miserable than i already was!

"Umm.. Sir.. The thing is.." I tried to deliver the lines I had been practicing.

"That you were trying to use a fake id to get in the college, and we could very well register a police case against u and you could be behind bars for who knows how long"

I could see myself in those 'stripped' clothes almost instantly, my mother cursing me, actually my whole family..

"NO" I shouted with both my hands in air so as to stop him.

It surprised him too, he lost his balance on the chair and almost fell over on his back.

"What?? Are you trying to hit me??"

He now sat in a more conventional manner.

"No no.. Sir.. I was.. I am Sorry" those were my last words in The Chamber

I was fined and had to pay it but somehow i was feeling good, for two reasons,
One, I was still a citizen of my country and not a criminal
Two, Now i had something to boast about in the Junglee League and i was the youngest to have lived through an encounter(i was still in my 1st year)

The happiness was short-lived though. As is the thing with my life, my past always catches up with my present and almost ruins it. Prof.H.B.Khurana was going to take a subject in Third semester!!

5. The Forgery

The Inter College Fest was about to start, everyone was looking forward to it. I was too, it was going to be the first one for me. And i hadn't imagined it would be as eventful as it was.

In this place, there is a thing called I-card, yes, the identity card, but the similarities end there. An i-card, at best serves the purpose of establishing the identity of a person. Here, on the other hand, its a liability to the holder! Anybody and everybody, right from the security guards to the profs ask for your i-card as a first line of attack against you. And most of the time it works. Students do backoff once anything relating to their i-cards falls into their ears!

I was new, and thought it would be wise to get a "copy" made. So, off i went to a place i knew i would find someone who could do that for me, The RTO. Placing the Copy in my wallet, i kept the original in my drawer. A sense of accomplishment set in. No fear of losing it now!! I smiled and headed for my bus stop.

The rock band, Euphoria, was scheduled to perform later in the day, so seniors told me security checks would be in place. And as our bus entered the campus, i could see the extra security. Everyone was being asked for an i-card, that was the least of my worries, i had one, or so i thought.

"I-Card" asked the guard in a firm tone

I handed it to him

"Hmm..." with the card in his hand, he turned right, and gave it to the security incharge.
At this point, i could sense, something was not right.

"Come out of the line and stand here"asked the incharge looking at me and handed over the card to a senior prof.

The senior Prof was about 65, slim, and had a boyish smile. His shirt all tucked inside his trousers as if something was pulling it from down there. The defining traits were that unlike others of his age, he wasnt wearing a belt and a key chain was hanging from his left trouser pocket.

I could sense the focus of people around me shifting towards the 'bait'.

"Could this be the man?" I started thinking

"You think we are fools?" asked the Prof

He cleared the air for me, he was The Man, Prof.H.B.Khurana

I had so wanted to nod in confirmation.

"You people get these copies made and think u can get past us? No way, you never can"

I couldnt agree more. From what i had heard about this man, Khurana, he seemed like a psychopath. Seniors had told me, he was the one responsible for maintaining discipline in the college. I had often heard the Junglees joke about their encounters with him. I was having a strange feeling i was going to have one too!! Very soon!!

4. Road Trip"S"

The college is quite far from my place, so i decided to take the institute bus. The journey lasts for well over 2 hours! Its almost like a roadtrip daily!! But not so when you are a fresher, these 2 hours are something you dont look forward to at all.

The bus has its own "seating plan" just like there is one for the semster examinations. Not that it is enforced on by someone but its rather like mutually agreed upon by everyone.

The first row, just behind the drivers cabin, is a favorite for the Bus In-charges. Two-seaters are hot-favorites among the love-birds, The freshers would, normally, give anything to sit in the cabin with the driver. It looks like a refugee camp during the days new students arrive, everybody wants to be there. It becomes THE place to be. Just because of one simple reason, it saves them from the Junglees.

The preffered seats for these so called Junglees is the last two-three rows. This elite panel consists of mainly Mechanical, Electrical, Automobile and Electrical & Electronics Engineers-to-be. They seem anything but human when you are a fresher.

My first day was no different, someone from the same college had advised me to sit at the front. I was more than happy to follow it as a week had passed and i still hadnt been asked for an "intro"(These days, its not ragging i guess, its an intro.)

Then, one day, when the bus was still about halfway from its destination, the bus incharge got off. I was numb for a second. I knew that it was only his presence that had saved me from the Junglees. Now, they could do whatever they wanted to. I didnt even want to think about it and just hoped that somehow the Incharge gets back in the bus. i was too preoccupied to even realize someone standing right next to my seat.

"First year??"

"Y...Y...Yes" I replied hesitantly without even looking at him

"Then what are you doing here?, come on at the back its much more fun there" replied the voice.

What else i could do, i had to get up, Still staring at the floor of the bus as if i were to write a thesis on the patterns, and still hoping that some Seagull drop the Incharge back in the bus!!

The intro lasted for the rest of the journey. It gave them a fair bit of idea about the skills i had, singing, dancing, stand up act, poetry and so on. About some, even i was not sure that they existed!

But as they say, all is well that ends well. After the 'Intro', I was granted an entry into the Elite Panel, that meant, even i could pass comments, crack jokes on others and what not!! I was officially a Junglee now!

From that point on, the journey has been more enjoyable!!

3. The College

I wouldnt want to describe the college but what i can say is that its location is its best trait.
Once you reach college, you dont feel like coming back, no doubt there is always a maddening rush for the hostel accomodation.
And its called college because institutions proving undergraduate degrees in india are reffered as that, otherwise, it could well have been called a school. Its like hell on earth!
Rules, by which this place is run include, gates close at 8:30AM and open at 4:00PM.
If you are to leave the campus before that you need to get an application signed by your Class-councilor.

Imagine someone wants to catch a movie, what is he supposed to write in the application?

Thats not all, In every 2-3 months, there are "raids"(as if its some kind of terrorist camp !!!) to catch students bunking their classes. Punishments? Monetary fines. But being the students we also understand that how much important funds actually are for an expanding college and so we do our best!! ;-p (Read bunk classes!)

2. The Glimpse

4 days short of semester examination and i have started a blog!!
Great going!!

Such things are trademark of engineering students across the country. Studying is the last thing on our minds as exams approach.
4 weeks before exams, which semester is this?
3 weeks before exams, hey Doc, whens the new "stock" arriving?
2 weeks before exams, this university sucks man!!
1 week before exams, ok which are the books i need?
1 day before exam, Oh God!! please save my sorry ass this time, i promise i'll study from day1 in the next sem.

Well, for me, its 4 days before the exam, so i know that i am in final years of my BE and Doc is quite depressed so new stock wont be arriving any time soon, MDU really sucks and i need RKB for FM.

Unlike the people who inspired me, i am from an institute nobody would have even heard of, unless ofcourse you happen to be from the same! Its a private institute located just outside Delhi, in Haryana.

I still remember the first day of my college.

A day before, all my relatives had started calling, wishing me luck, giving me words of wisdom as i was about to embark on the greatest journey of my life, i was going to be an engineer in 4 years!

The next morning seemed like the no other, i was out of school! I could do whatever i wanted, bunk as many classes as i liked, and nobody would stop me! Poor me, what i didnt realise was that i had taken admission to a school all over again!

1. Thank You Guys!!

Well, first of all, i would like to thank all the people who have contributed directly or indirectly to this piece of crap ..umm.. or should i say 'creative work' !!!

First of all, thanks Mr. "I forgot the name", an IIM-A grad, present on this blog, sharing his experiences with the world, for inspiring me so much so that i started one of my own!!
And then theres Mr. "You all know who", an IIT grad, who created a whole new genre for novels. He too inspired me more than i had imagined he will.

So, as the whole of india, i am also influenced by the IITs and IIMs, but in a different manner!!

DISCLAIMER:
WHATEVER I WRITE HENCEFORTH IS STRICTLY MY PERSONAL OPINION ABOUT THINGS AND PEOPLE AROUND ME AND IT IN NO WAY REPRESENTS ANYTHING OR ANYONE ELSE. THE NAMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED FOR OBVIOUS REASONS.