TRaiN HiJaCK ePiSoDe

Dear diary,
    A lot has happened over the last 10 days that it has become a bit difficult for my mind to delve deep into my memory to retrieve my tour memories. What with one big event- I'd say a catastrophe- following another with very little time gap, it became incomprehensible for the mind to digest the first one and accept the next. Giving you the entire details our eventful and not so joyous yet memorable tour would need reams or paper, so I'd tell you about the incidents the memories of which the Trical'14 batch would cherish in the years to come.

16th december 2012     THE TRAIN HIJACK
         The tour started on a high note amidst shouts of 'Har Har Mahadev' and the two buses left the Rajputana hostel, the fog having reduced the visibility to zero. Having reached Mughal Sarai and with nearly 4 hours of time left to idle- it later went on to six, the train owing to the thin visibility was delayed by 2 hours. And thus Anthaaksahris and Dumb shows- mini flash mobs in their own like, attracting the attention of on-lookers and thus a time pass for them as well.
        And the sleep deprivation started to wear on us. The wait became more intense and with the announcement of the arrival of our train, we woke up from the slumber and collected our belongings to wait for the train. The hazy image of the advancing train brought relief onto our faces and the wait to a comforting sleep ahead was over.Little did we know that there was something very wrong with the train.
        We were to witness our first train hijack(Ever heard of one)- one that was to show the Bihari might, their unity in considering public property to be their very own, one that Lalu had bestowed upon them years ago when he became the Railway Minister.As the puffing engine slowly swept past us the coaches that followed gave us the fright of our life. They were fully packed with people- no less than 300 of them were stuffed in each coach. The initial reaction was one of shock, disbelief at what we saw and hope that the reserved coaches would empty at Mughal Sarai and that we'd get into our compartments as usual.The train came to a halt and nothing happened. All the coaches were bolted from inside giving us no chance to even get ourselves inside. And there we were staring at our compartments, not knowing what to do, completely awoken from the slumber we were in.
         Soon panic started. The doors of S7 and S13 were furiously banged, abuses hurled at the passengers for not vacating. Nothing would budge them, it was as if we were trying to trespass their property. Finally, when the doors did get open, hardly a student could get inside. Getting in was not the option, that much was clear, The compartments had to be cleared before we could get into them. The police were playing hide and seek with us worried that we might ask them for help when they were as much helpless as we were.Tension increased as people ran helter skelter asking for instructions.New leaders erupted passing orders from Sirs, telling us not to panic. Slogans soon started 'kahi nahi jaaegi ye train'. We had Santosh and a few others inside the train pulling the chain everytime the train tried to budge.
            On the other side some of our friends(Ajay Bhaiya,Ajeet, Mufeed, Sardar and others) with the help of the police force have managed to empty S13. Just when success was within reach and we were almost getting in, plans turned upside down. The Biharis had threatened us that they would set the coach on fire. Knowing very well the intentions of the mob, we alighted the train and in front of our own eyes the tour got cancelled before it even began.
          And so we retreated, the sullen look on our faces said it all. As a last attempt- Pallav and the core team took charge of this one- we staged a demonstration asking for justice. Media was roped in and with the DRM intervening, the station master caved in. He promised us that our train would be waiting for us at Naini and that we should reach there by the Anand Vihar train. So thanx to the core team, we managed to reignite the hopes of our tour that were long extinguished.

   Ironically the mob from Patna was heading to Allahabad to appear for the Railways recrution exam. When the Railways should've provided them with an extra train, it didn't and the people had to take this unruly step. The people couldn't be wronged either; Such is their need. Still, to give us a sense of last triumph, they couldn't manage to give their exam which was scheduled at 11 am as the train dropped them at Allahabad at 12pm.

                                                                                                            (to be continued)

THeFT: THRouGH THe eYeS oF THe BuRGLaR

                                                                                                                         3:50 am, 18th October. 
                                                                                                             Some place close to Allahabad
                                                                         
                The moving train came to a halt; Exactly at where I had anticipated. I alighted from  the puffed general compartment breathing fresh air for the first time in 2 hours.There was pitch darkness all around. Not a sound could be heard or a living being felt outside the compartment. You wouldn't find people loitering outside the trains at these ghostly hours. Save the twinkling of lights on the distant highway or the faint murmur of the horns, there was nothing else discernible in the vicinity. Perfect setting for my mission. It was always the outskirts of Allahabad that had been my favourite spot. I started walking towards the sleeper compartments making sure that my movement hasn't attracted my co-passengers attention. The stench of urine and fresh dung was wafting through the air as I made my way past another general compartment. When will I be liberated from this stench? The time is not far, my friend, came a reassuring voice from within. I had seen many kids board the train from Benaras with these flashy bags clung to their shoulders. These bags always had laptops, my friends told me. One prize catch and a 50,000 to the agent and off I'd go to Bombay with the job.
              With these thoughts in mind, I came to a halt at the A.C. compartments, the coach has an abrupt ending unlike the other connected coaches, clearly demarcating the rich- poor divide. The A.C. compartments were never worth a try.They were always locked and were under constant vigilance.So I hastily made my way across- I had to hurry. It would only be a matter of time before the train would make its way to the Allahabad station- thus reaching S1. I tried the latch and Lo and Behold, it was open. I opened the door slyly, boarded the train, closing the door after me not making a sound in the process.I checked to see if my entry provoked anyone and was happy to see that not a soul stirred. I stealthily made my way across the compartment, my eyes searching for the catch.I can't risk pulling the bags from underneath the seats. My search was limited to the luggage people had along with them on their berths; the untethered ones. As I was nearing the exit, the guy on the middle berth stirred my excitement. He had two bags along with him- Both the flashy laptop bags, I guess- one pressed against his waist and the wall, the other fully exposed bag just grazed his thighs and was fully resting onto the wall. How foolish can people get? Maybe he was one of those guys who believed in the' Nothing would happen to me or to my belongings' theory. I'm about to prove you wrong, mate. With my heart thumping against my chest, I slowly grabbed the bag, lifted it and pulled it towards me in a perfect arc. Phew!! He hasn't even stirred. Phase I has been perfect. I checked the contents to make sure it had a laptop and there it was. Now for the escape. Making sure that there was no police around, I stealthily opened the door, made a leap onto the ground and went for the run. I ran across the fields to reach the highway my eyes gleaming with pleasure.
                               Through the eyes of the victim:
          The T.C. was banging against the berth asking me for the ticket. That broke my sleep and it was only a while later I realized I was in the train travelling home and not in my room. I woke Koti up asking him for the ticket. It was then that two things struck me. One, the train was standing at the Allahabad station. Two, there was only one bag to my right on the berth. First,I thought it was my eyes pranking me. Then I thought it was one of my friends playing pranks with me. I frantically checked for my bag on all the berths of my cubicle only to be met with failure. I started panicking, I woke up all my friends and teaming with them I started scoring the platform for the thief knowing very well that my efforts would be anything but futile. I met the T.C. who advised me to lodge a complaint with the railway police and R.P.F on their behalf enlightened me by saying that the theft must've occured on the outskirts of Allahabad and that wasn't under their jurisdiction and that I had to either lodge a complaint with the Benaras or with the Vijayawada police. Thanks to their nonchalance, I had to board the train that had eventually started running with even registering a complaint.  I was completely broke and it was my dad's reassurance that brought me back to my normal self.   Came back home, lodged an F.I.R here. That was only as a formality, what's lost has been lost and can never be replaced.

P.S.  Guys, It can be really disheartening to let your things be robbed by bastards like these. Not that you don't know, but still. Make sure you chain lock all your belongings underneath the seat and for those you have along with you on your berth, make sure you either chain lock them as well or are in a position that even a tiny twinge would awaken you. Hold your beloved ones and things tight, both literally and metaphorically.

eXPiRY DaTe

Dear diary,
            Everything in this world comes with an expiry date; from commodities to human form, everything withers away some day or the other. So does my tendency to stay away from home; so to say, at IIT BHU. Manufacturing settings of my brain have set the expiry date at around two months. Implying that during the first two months of my staying away from home, my brain functions normally. Once the expiry date is reached, symptoms of home sickness start surfacing one after the other. The only remedy to this queer condition of mind would be to go back home, get rejuvenated and set the counter in my brain back to zero.
            With the expiry date long reached- I left Vijayawada on the 16th of July- so that's 20 days past my 2 months barrier, the symptoms have already started surfacing. Like in SWADES, images pertaining to my home start popping up in my mind. Thus begins a virtual slide of photos; photos of my home, my parents, my friends, the 'Addas' we have, literally everything of fondness in Vijayawada finds its entry into the slide show. Home obsessed guys like me have a really hard time now, more so if you're 30 hours away. You would start losing interest in the worldly things- Not that your life would turn morose or something but the pang of being away from home evident all the same- things that were hitherto fun would become disinteresting; the disinterest discernible from the inadvertently long stares into infinity and thoughts ending at nothing.
           Strangely though, none of what I've told you before seems to happen during the first two months-Of course instances like the happening of CT's or your famished soul staring at the 'Mess ka Khana' would bring back the yearning to go back home. The fast approaching 
CT's only make the yearning more, thus increasing the frequency of slide shows and the number of times I call home-Listening to the voices of my parents and friends gives me solace. Now Is there a cure to this state of mind? The only respite from this feeling would be to launch yourself into a busy life not giving your mind the time to realize the distance. And the more elegant solution, to make the place where you stay your home. Some of my friends have managed to achieve this but for a guy like who has spent the first 17 years of his life at the very same place, whose childhood memories happen to be hidden in  every nook and corner of my city - a part of my soul still lingers there taking pleasure from them, detachment from home would always be painful and no amount of fun, however lively the life    
I lead here would compensate for the distance in heart. 
           I can only find solace in waiting for the day when I'd be leaving to home and meanwhile, I'll pretend as though of detachment doesn't exist, living my life here to the fullest-One and a half year, not much of a time left here, I guess.


Bye.

a 'ReCoRD BReaKiNG' BDC

Dear diary,
             The Blood Donation Camp that KU organized was a real hit with a record 494 units of blood collected on a single day.True, this would be stale news for you. The newspapers had already done the revelation a week before. So over enthusiastic I was in donating blood that inspite of my being completely exhausted from the day's work, weak from the rough week I had earlier, I donated blood. And the result was obvious. MY body succumbed to the double loss of health and blood; a bout of viral fever. It took me 3 days to be able to walk the length between my room and mess.This coupled with a series of other preoccupations left with me no time to tell you this.
          Going back to what happened last week.This Sunday, unlike other Sundays, the sun had risen pretty early for me, at 5:45 and work started at 6; the work of readying the common room for the 'BDC'. It was fun; All of us KU guys getting together to work. Work seems fun when like-minded people do it together; Better still when what you're doing isn't for your own self, when you're not being paid, when you're doing it to experience 'The Joy Of Giving' without expecting nothing in return.
             Today was the one day when the KU people get the pomp and glamour that they're hitherto denied; Of course you gain importance when you're entitled the responsibility of getting  blood donated from a pretty girl, from taking her to the alloted bed to giving her the supplements after the donation to making sure she is fit to go back home. This also attracted the envy of the Non-KU guys as they tried their best to linger around in the common room but were ultimately shooed away. Today was the day when KUites weren't perceived as just 'They have nothing to do at IIT BHU Yaar. Left with nothing else to do, they turn towards KU.'There was no room for cynics to say,' They joined KU for money Yaar. Where do you think our monthly 20 goes? Into their parties, Aur kaha?' They couldn't blurt that out today. Heights of cynicism. Instead of the praises that KUites deserve, they hurl allegations at us. To hell with these cynics, KU would continue to do what is destined to do.
          Coming back to the BDC. The smooth flow of traffic started at 8 in the morning with the number of students reaching a peak from 11-12. It was good to see that more number of girls had given blood from the previous year's comparision. Their presence added glamour to the event. The boys flocked in large numbers too and Yes they added glamour as well. Marred by a few instances of 'people losing their senses after the donation'- the one where the guy started kicking his legs really shook the scene- the rest of the proceedings went on smoothly.
         The event came to close on a high note when momentos were presnted to the 'Sunderlal team'- They had to devote a complete day for a noble cause. Then we got together for the KU group photo- This ritual usually marks the end of every big event in KU.
        Had a pleasant time today. Am really glad to be a part of KU.


Bye.
       

PHeW!! oVeR aT LaST

Dear diary,
          The last week had been really sluggish; Time seemed to be crawling at snail's pace- time dilation occurs under two circumstances: One, when you travel at speeds close to the speed of light, as Einstein earlier contemplated and the second, psychological dilation of time occurs when you're stuck in unpleasant circumstances. What unpleasant had been happening to me? Of course, it's the CT's that had been playing havoc with my life and threw my life into turmoil. Stuck in the vortex of trying to complete the syllabus and the urge to try to comprehend what is being read, the CT experience hadn't been altogether pleasant. 
        The advent of CT's sparks off some noticable changes amongst our lives here. You wouldn't see people doing unproductive work-not completely atleast- discussions erupt-not on girls or any other damn thing, but on the dull inanimate things being discussed in the books. Geeks attain utmost priority, you would see more number of people loitering near their 'Abode of Knowledge' trying to gain every ounce of knowledge that would fly past their room. Some of the least expected ones end up in their rooms asking them to throw light on the 'dark matter' shoved into their hands by their Profs.
     Walking through the CT's was for me, like being stranded in a desert with the only vista being the Oasis strewn with rich palm trees- the end of CT's in my context. The distant vista seems to be beckoning you but you know you'll have to bust your ass to make it there.What with the Oasis reached - the icing on the cake being the BSC Sir's test today. This was a one of a kind test, a student's paradise, where the only talent to score marks would be to be able to crane your neck to look into your neighbour's paper who is sitting close enough that your shoulders almost touch, without being caught.
       Now that things are back to normal, that other adversity that has been fogged by the CT's would come into light- Job crisis. Data structures and the C programming find their way into every household. The 'Word Power' and the GRE guys cry ' Hail Norman Lewis' in unison; the IAS guys would snuggle into their books of 'God knows what'.What with the crisis getting deeper and deeper there seems to be less of Bakchodi and more of the useful stuff going around. Let me leave it here and hope that peace prevails until the advent of the next CT.

Bye.

"iNDePeNDeNCe": HoW We ReaLiZe iT?

       Come 15th August and the patriotic fervour sets in on the Indian crowd. With loud speakers blaring patriotic songs, songs that proclaim India's rich cultural heritage, the Unity in diversity, songs that describe the heroic acts of our freedom fighters and the agony they had to go through to bring India the much acclaimed Independence from the colonial rule; With the  national flag being hoisted in every Gali, the national anthem being sung at every gathering, the feeling of Indianness gets escalated that results in the electric sensation running down the spine saying: 'I'm proud to be an Indian'. With the young India taking to the streets holding flags, rising their voices in unison for the 'Vande Mataram' and the 'Inquilab  Zindabad' hope rises in the Indian hearts that we've got a glorious future ahead.
       It is only a matter of time when this fleeting sensation of patriotism withers away and we start being our normal cynical self, accusing India of not being able to live upto the dreams of its freedom fighters, resorting to the cliched phrase:' 65 years on Independence and look at where we stand. The same dire state of destitution, politicians bred in corruption, the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer theory and then we say in mock despair:'Kuch nahi ho sakta is desh ka'.
    And saying so we turn towards the USA or any other assumed Utopian country for comfort.The sort of dominance and the hold that the West has on the world and India in particular infuriates us but left with no other choice, we resort to aping the West. Imperialism has discarded its earlier image of colonization, it now means dominance, having a very loud say in the country's internal affairs. So India and Indians have been reduced to mere puppets in the hands of the West; And so we have more T-shirts shouting 'I love NY' than those that even talk about India, Hard Rock has crept deeper into our minds the melody that swayed India. English has become an inseparable component in our lives leaving us with no other option than to make it our 1st language-followed of course by the native ones. India has always been a safe haven for all the MNC'S - read as companies from the West- for they well know that imported stuff appeals more to the Indians than the home made ones.
     True, India has managed to rid itself from the colonial rule on this very day 65 years ago, But the West still manages to shape our thoughts and the country's future at large. With the trade rules liberalised and the foreign investments made open in the 90's the MNC's now have a lion's share in the Indian economy. With the FDI probably to be made open in the retail sector in the near future, we are only one step closer from being completely dependent on the West, the era of Imperialism is bound to return, Of course this time there would be no struggle for freedom and the chances of being liberated are very bleak.

CaReeR CRiSiS

Dear diary,
        The tension here was more than what I had expected it to be; not that I was anticipating this. Prepared though I was for this confrontation with career, looking at life from the crossroads, having to decide for the future isn't any fun. Back when I was a kid, growing up was fun. Getting to break the barriers one by one, that age has imposed on us gave me happiness. But now the very feeling of growing up is giving me creeps.Content I was with my life when the only important decision I had to take in life was to choose the flavour of  Cheetos I had to buy. The question ' What are you going to be when you grow up?' had had a completely different meaning in my life. A naive and carefree me gave answers ranging from Soldier, Businessman, Scientist, Industrialist, to the more recent 'Job lag jaye yaar bas'.
      The tension was evident from the moment I made my entry into Rajputana- the very same hostel that housed me in the first year, that saw my my entry into the Institute, when the grave and the appalling realities of words like future and career weren't fully aware to me- the entire branch has become alert, discussions erupted everywhere; their central theme being career, resolutions being made, efforts being intensified, clarity being sought for various career plans.
       Blessed are those who've chosen IAS as a career option- atleast they know what they're supposed to do- and those who've managed to stay at the top- their pointers might drive them home as far as jobs are concerned- but for the confused souls like me, life remains a mystery. With the arrival of companies for intern to be flagged off in a fortnight or so, the crisis has only deepened. With core and software being the only career options- Leaving of course the possibility that you would want to continue studying in India or abroad- there isn't much to choose from. Either you start off with the basics of Electrical Engineering or wrestle with coding( Both these options sound gruelling to me).
     Hence started my III year, confusing and intriguing at the same time- intriguing because you never know where you would end up-with the only ray of hope being the IIT tag. No. I don't think that would be of much help either. Can only hope for the best, as of now. It is when being realistic ceases to be of comfort, we turns towards optimism.
       This is all I can say for now: 'God bless our confused souls'.


Bye.

iT'S 'SRK' aLL oVeR

Dear diary,
          SRK has made it to the news again; Of course, it is the duty of the media to project the celebrities onto the screen- the celebrities owe a lot to the media( the Indian media, in particular) in this regard. Unfortunately for SRK, he's made it to the news for negative reasons; reasons, I presume, he wouldn't be happy for once he was back into being sober.
         Every other news channel I tuned into today- News channels, they usually act as an alternative for me when ads disrupt the flow of  a programme or the movie I happen to be watching - had one of the two things going: One, the local corporate colleges bragging about the JEE ranks they've secured and Two, the 'SRK brawl case'.
         The Indian media has always been in the habit of gnawing at any tiny bit of news that might add glamour to their organization. I don't know if SRK happens to be so important a figure( An iconic figure he is, no doubt) that his every move would create sensations or if there's been a shortage of things to be reported. So the news reporters read and re-read the fact that 'SRK  has been banned from the Wankhade stadium for 5 years' with a slide show of sweaty images of SRK getting into a tussle with the officials adding clarity to the viewer. God bless SRK and the MCA for whatever happened. ' I do not want to dig deep into whatever happened there, speculating at every finer detail. I've got my own problems to deal with', is what an average Indian would've thought upon watching this melancholy.
       Thanks to the media, SRK's got the negative publicity he never would've wanted. I wouldn't wrong SRK completely in whatever happened. People when drunk tend to get hyper active, fight at petty issues and SRK, though a high level celeb happens to be a human at heart. I guess, SRK should either have come into the stadium sober or should've refrained himself from coming into the stadium once he was drunk. Hope he's learnt a lesson here.
        The heat at Vijayawada has become unbearable with the mercury levels never falling below 40 in the last few days.  Hope there would be respite in the days to come. 


Bye.

aN eVeNTFuL YeaR

Dear diary,
          This might be the last time that I'd be writing to you from 239, Morvi hostel; the very same place from where I'd been telling you things, trying to give you a glimpse of my life here. Well, What has happened for the past 3 weeks? The end sems seemed to  have taken a toll on me, sucking all the life out of me and 3 weeks went by VROOM!! with me doing little else other than sitting stoned in my room, doing the inevitable 'Hunt for Grades'. The exercise has left me with no time to share things with you.
       'Study  Eat  Sleep', in their decreasing order of priority, This pretty much sums it for my 2 weeks of not writing to you.
        And so I sit here and ponder over the fact that another year is almost coming to a close; How fastly time has flown in the last 1 year. Ironically though, it is only after time has flown, leaving its marks on you,that you realize time has gone real fast, not when you're  actually experiencing it. Last year, it was on this day that my friends and I left to Gorakhpur en route to Nepal and now as I look back into that day, I can feel the change that has taken place both in and around me, the change that 2nd year has brought along with it.
       With the 'Faccha' tag gone, coming into 2nd year meant shedding the Freshers Outlook (that we had all over the first year) and assuming leadership; the feeling of belongingness towards the institute only increased and thus opened the gates to II year and to opportunities ahead.
        New hostel, new roommates, rooms being chosen to will; Borders made( both in mind and in space) this time the demarcation being more distinct. And so we stepped into the Electrical Department, hopes high, all set to experience what we call the 'core stuff'.Then came Machines along with many others;( others weren't that scary though. But contrary to my expectations,they weren't any interesting either). But the experience with Machines was excruciating, making it clear to me that the core was not meant for me.
        It is amazing how time changes our attitude; both towards things and people. How II year has made us more materialistic; Back in I year we were new to life here, but now that we know how the world operates here we had to change. How fame for some changed their attitude towards the world, How most of us still remain mediocres in search of what we call true recognition, how friendships have been redefined, partly losing their usual selfless form.
      With the IDD staying along with us, excellent relationships have been fostered with them, who were hitherto thought of as quite alien( by us B.Tech guys).
    The II sem was a mere repetition of the I with the fests adding to the joyous atmosphere for the 1st half of the sem. The 2nd half, well has the end sems and with the peak almost scaled; The labs happen to be the only thing left to scale the peak this mountain called end sems and life started to get back to normal. I realize that in no time, I'd be escalading to the III year and this time I'd be going to the III year without much of a planning , knowing very well from the lessons that II year has taught me that planning things in advance or fantasizing about them kills the joy of experiencing things first hand.
          Going into the finer details of life this year would mean writing a book; well, so much has happened  this year, a single page letter wouldn't serve the purpose. As it was change I wanted to emphasize upon, I hope this letter would convey my feelings to you.

Bye.

 G957H5DTFJCR

As I Go By That Lane

                     
               As I go by that lane,
               Memories spring up
               Like the mushrooms after hard rain
               Bringing in new life,
               And taking me away from 
               The pretentious and monotonous life
               That I'm now struck in. 
               Oh! how I wish
               I could go back once again.
               Oh! how I wish
               We could all be together once again.


               As I go by that lane,
               I see kids having fun
               And in them,
               I see fragments of you and me,
               For, a part of my soul 
               Still lingers here
               Yearning for redressal.
               Oh! how I wish 
               I could go back once again.
               Oh! how I wish
               We could all be together once again.


               We still meet,
               In the name of reunions
               But where has the warmth gone?
               Seems to me,
               You people have learnt the way of life
               But I still happen 
               To be a child at heart
               Searching for what we call redemption.
               As I go by that lane,
               Life springs up in me
               Making me complete.

machine lab 'HARKATE'

NOTE: In the interests of the people appearing in the photo, it isn't being shown to you. So please stay with me as I take you thorough the details of the photo.


Dear diary,
          The photo being talked about was taken (secretly though) at the Machine Lab. All was natural with the photo except for the guy at the left hand corner of the photo who is actually the only one posing for the photo; Well, that was me and I was the only one in the photo who knew about the cam in the mobile prior to the photo being taken.
        Now what's special about the photo? The central character in the photo- It is the feminine characters that take central position in the lab( an elaborate survey for the status of the labs at ITBHU can be had at http://diaryofaditya.blogspot.in/2012/01/lab-scenario.html)- happens not to be a student but but a Ma'am(The name is not being taken for obvious reasons) who was, well, teaching the curious kids( curious about what??) about the experiment. In our otherwise dull and uninteresting Machine Lab, Ma'ams like these provide a respite to the students and act as a source of inspiration for the students to work in the lab and as an end result, ask her doubts; It is only when you know something about the experiment that there arises a question of doubts.
        Coming to the last week; Unfortunately for us( or is it fortunately) the autotransformer given to us turned out to be faulty and it took us one hell lot of a time to realize this. Ma'am was with us most of the time helping us.No. Trying to help us, herself learning things along with us. Interestingly, people like me and Vishal who are members of the ' Disguised Unemployment Mitao Andolan'- Naturally, when you dump six or seven students in front of an apparatus that would need the efforts of only two or three students, people like us had to take measures like this in the interests of the group- happen to take an active part in the proceedings of the experiment.
        It is here that I'd want to tell you about my theory' The Dark Room Theory' which goes as follows: 'You Leave a man in a dark room for a very long time, then any ray of sunshine that might enter the room would be bliss for the man; however tiny the hole might be and whatever be the time of the day: be it the noon sun, the early morning sun or the fading away sun; it is sunlight all the same'. I hope the analogy in our lives at IT is understood.
      It is true not only of our group, but the Machine Lab scenario( In Ma'am's presence), more or less remains the same. Again, a reference to 'The Dark Room Theory'. 


Bye.

P.S. A special reference to Vishal who through his mobile managed to capture the photo with sheer cunningness and timing. Sorry dude, the effort couldn't be put to proper use.

TRiCaL 'DuRBaR'

Dear diary,
         What you are looking at happens to be the Trical 2nd year 'Durbar' in progress. Like in every Durbar, we have problems to discuss, a king to pass judgements, minister(s) to advice him and sometimes mock him, representatives among the 'Janta' from various groups and Of Course the vast majority 'Aam Janta'. The central figure in the photo, the one delivering the 'Pravachan'- There wasn't even a bomb drop silence in the crowd- happens to be Mr. Pallav aka. Pallu, taking the role of the king in this drama called Durbar. The kingship wasn't bestowed upon Pallav by his predecessors ; Owing to the CR mishap last year, the branch was left without a right leader to lead the branch and Pallav with every quality of a to-be-Neta happened to be the best bet for the post. And the bulky figure to his side happens to be his right hand ( left hand, I guess, he happens  to be standing to his left); Amandeep aka. Sardar.
        Coming to yesterday; It wasn't much of a discussion, it was a disclosure mostly; Pallav and his team were disclosing the details of the freshers; location , food, booze and stuff. The call for the Durbar starts with the king's men going room to room informing the Janta about  the meeting " Oye meeting ho rahi hai, bahar aa jao". The crowd slowly starts moving towards the location; some halfway through the movie, some forcibly woken from sleep, some starting to initiate a process called studying; All of them cursing the kingsmen under their breath.
         The Durbar finally started off with the Janta trying its best to disturb the proceedings. Amid chaos and confusion, Pallav tries to put forward his point, sometimes trying to hush the audience; mostly in vain, which turns out to be a reason for the sneers and giggles that follow. But against all odds, amidst comments( mostly personal), he raises his voice, takes the pretence of an 'angry young man', reveals the details of the fresher;  with enthusiastic leaders from every group trying to put in their point and hence their dominance in their group.
         Whatever, Durbars like these are fun, a general get together- In this busy 2nd year life, people from different groups rarely have fun together) and are never productive; A consensus is rarely reached.


Bye.

TRue DiViNiTY

Dear diary,
         Today I made a visit to the VT( The BHU one) after quite a long gap; a month and a half, I guess. This time the visit was, partly out of devotion, but mostly out of sheer necessity ; It is one of those times when you are in a foul mood( mostly for no reason and my pointers, they have succeeded in aggravating my foul mood), that you decide to go to God's abode to find solace. ( Sorry God, I might be sounding materialistic but there is nothing I can hide from you).
        So, well, I  went to the VT. There was this one sight that really moved me. He was a popular figure there for he had been performing there from quite a long time. Well the local gazal singer was the one who moved me. He was like any other singer, only he was blind. I've seen him perform once or twice before but this time I was quite observant. The pleasant smile, the serene look on his face made me want to go sit there for a minute. There was no audience to his performance there was only me, Patidar and some old chap siting beside him watching him play; People going about only offered him a glance and went on with their making wishes to God. He wasn't aware of our presence, any amount of audience wouldn't have made any difference to his divinity.
         Here was a man who, inspite of his disabilities was offering himself wholly to God, with no intention of fame or the many other things that artists receive, and look at me, perfect in shape but still fretting and accusing God of injustice for the pointers I received. Now it was my pointers that was the reason of accusation, at other times it was about my being a mediocre and not a Rockstar( which was needed en route to fame and fame means a lot at IT-BHU) or my not being in some other famed IIT, there were reasons galore. Now here was something I could learn from this man. There was no big reason for happiness. You can  be happy only if you are whole. I wouldn't talk of spiritual blabber like detachment from self or losing interest in material happiness, but this much I've realized:
  ' You can be happy only if you are content'
     Now being content wouldn't mean being in the same petty state, not wanting to change and cheating yourself to believe you're content but would mean  staying whole inspite of the ups and downs you encounter in this voyage called life.  
    Once again I've realized that life is the best classroom for me to learn things.


Bye.

PoST eLeCToRaL ReSuLTS: THRouGH MY eYeS

Dear diary,
          The results are out. The fate of the 5 states (atleast for the next 5 years) that were restless for the past 2 months (on account of elections) is out. Celebrations for some, dilemma and introspection, as to what went wrong, for others.
            Let me tell you what the first thing I did yesterday. Finished my daily chores,and then went online to check the live counting of votes in UP; one of the 5 states that was into polls that interest me coz I partly stay there. Not that I'm an active follower of politics or something but to forcibly make myself take an interest in the running of the country.
             The results did not startle me. Neither did they surprise me. They weren't my exam results to make an emotional impact on me.  Right then, SP was leading with 196 seats with 202 needed for clear majority. The exit polls predicted almost the same result. So, No surprises there. Prior to the exit polls, I always thought Mayawati had a vote bank large enough to be able to clinch the CM post once again. And why had I thought this way? 
             True, in her 5 year tenure, she was apathetic to the plight of the state, making sure it was in the same state as, when it was handed to her; The only change I've noticed in Benares in my 2 years of stay was the completion of the flyover near DLW( And the work happened to start  3 years prior to my coming here. 5 years for a small sized flyover. Now that's progress.) . Otherwise, the city lies in its own state of neglect. She did have time, though , for the tons and tons of artefacts of elephants( Other than being her party symbol, I see her being particularly drawn towards these creatures), of herself; Now this is weird. I always thought statues were made of people' Jo shaheed ho gaye'. But why she fancied to see herself in stone and in such large numbers  when she is such fine health( I mean she has no fear that she might die in the near future, like Karunanidhi, maybe.), God knows. But people still developed a liking towards her, fondly calling her Behenji. That she would come to power was what I've heard from many people in Benares. Hence my expectation.  
           Now, Rahul Gandhi; How has his charishma failed to deliver for the congress? I'm no political analyst. Let me put this straight. He failed to realize that people weren't that naive to be able not to see the difference between a prince constantly eating in Dalit's homes to give the world the pretence of a good caring ruler and a real ruler who sees to it that no Dalit goes to bed hungry; with only water to satisfy his hunger.
           All the newspapers today have been shouting this : Congress losing its grip in many parts of the country. Other the landslide victory in Manipur, there was nothing positive that Congress could take out of this. Maybe the 2G & the CWG scams has got us thinking:' Do we have no alternative to the most corrupt, money thirsty UPA Sarkar that is, Of Course the  largest single unit in the country.' That is for the 2014 elections to decide.
        Will the SP solve all the problems in UP and make it one of the competent states in the country. That, I can't say. I'm not from this part of the country, So making vague guesses would be gross. But, for now, we can only hope that the power transfer in UP & Punjab brings about real development in the next 5 years....


Bye.

X BoaRD eXaMS: MeMoRieS.

Dear diary,

                   4 years ago, on this day, my X class Board exams got off to a grand start, with Social being the first exam. I still remember how nervous I was; Whatwith 5 textbooks and tons of syllabus and my disinterest in Social (only Economics interested me), I was prepared for a disaster. However, the exam later turned out to be an easy one ( all of them were and still continue to be) and I managed a 92.
                 Yesterday when I'd gone to drop Akhil at the examination venue ( my brother has his X Board exams starting from yesterday), I've noticed that things haven't changed one bit. Anxious students; With signs of fresh sindhur on their foreheads, smiles on their faces, not completely natural but partly due to nervousness, the last minute discussions. Anxious parents; giving last minute advices to their kids, wishing them good luck, assurances that God is always with us. The scene on the whole would resemble this: Ambitious kings and queens sending their little princes to the battlefield; to fight a three hour war which when conquered would define their entry into manhood( A X pass student would be considered a man, I guess).
              It's funny how 4 years can change your position in the battlefield. As I was watching all this melancholy happen, I was actually looking for myself in the crowd; how 4 years ago, I was the one who had to take the test, how fastly time has flown; Ironically, time doesn't appear to flow faster while it is actually flowing, it is only after time has passed that we realize that time had flown faster, and my yearning to go back into the school days was there once again. It isn't that I'm not happy with time right now, it is only that schooldays were more fun, less of responsibilities, more of expecations about the future; it is easier to expect than to actually go into the future and live in it.
         Sadly though, I can only drop him only on one of his exams( Akhil has his next exam on the 16th and I'd be off to Benares on 12th). 
         Why haven't I written to you these 10 days? No reason in particular. My stomach has been venting its anger on me for having dumped incongruous stuff into it, thanks to my mess there. My liver has got infected with bacteria, so my doc says. Whatever, wish me a speedy recovery.


Bye.

PRe eXaM aNaLYSiS

Dear diary,
        It all starts two days (or is it one) before the Exam. In our otherwise peaceful and happy life here, exams are to us what storms are to a sailor; they make his voyage tough, the sailor battles his ship through the storm and what emerges after the storm is a sailor, stronger at heart, tougher in spirit and with the memories of an eventful voyage.  So, the D-day arrives, which demands actual preparation,not the combined study, which is done the whole one week prior to the exam, which eventually turns into a discussion about girls and stuff that interests us.
      So, we start the preparation. Like the caveman's search for food, our search for knowledge begins:
1. Procurement: The first step involves the procurement of raw material ie. notes. People who were hitherto considered as nerds, book worms, suddenly start gaining importance. People flock their rooms asking them, No, requesting them, for their notes so that they can have it xeroxed. Like a not-too-pretty girl suddenly receiving attention, they realize that it's their time and start doing the inevitable: show attitude. After a lot of persuading, you manage to get your hands on the notes and Eureka!!! Off to the Xerox shop.


2.Filtering: With the raw material ready, you would filter the useless stuff and now are left only with the stuff that'll earn you marks( None of us wants to do any sort of research, right!!)


3.Reading( equivalent to cooking for a caveman): With the raw material sorted out, we get started. This is the toughest part; it is going to be tough when you have very little knowledge of what you're actually doing. Starting from the base, then the concept, then the problems, you would realize that you've made a mistake by starting way too late and then the resolutions. You would say to yourself that from the next time on, you would start off early( Strangely though, this rarely happens). While some panic and black out with the excuse of a 'Defaulter', others struggle; struggle to make sense of the maze right in front of their eyes.


4.Digestion: Now is the time to see if your effort does pay off; if you can manage to pull this off. Rather, if you can digest the stuff you've read. While 'Muggus' have a happy time mugging things, others, in search of true knowledge, run helter-skelter in search of a Guru. Gurus need not necessarily be nerds, but are those who manage to get a deeper insight into the subjects, either through self realization or through nerds.
        
      And then the battlefield: The Examination centre. 
     I think I need to get going. I've got an exam tomorrow; Thanks to my roomie, I can directly start off from step 3.


 Bye.

i (We) aM (aRE) SiNGLE

Note: All throughout I would be using the word 'We' and not I coz here I'm going to tell you what, not me alone, but a major section of the youth thinks about being single.

Dear diary,

With Valentine's Day round the corner, We all say this together," Man!!! Look at us. Another Valentine's Day's gonna go by and we would still remain single". But atleast experience has taught us this: Having a girlfriend is like a villager owning a BMW Car. He has to handle the car with care; bumpy roads, ditches all throughout, and one little damage and it would cost him a fortune to get it repaired. The rest of the village( We single guys) who well know they could never in their lifetime own such a beauty, say in unison," Oooh!!! Look at her. What a beauty!!! How I wish she could be mine one day." The villager then deems himself the hero of the town but at same time starts worrying," kahi kisi aur ki nazar na lag jaye meri wali pe". So the villager starts taking extra of his BMW; showering all his love on her and his money; The BMW, Of Course cannot mint money of her own. In the end the episode leaves the villager frustrated, restless, anxious and any one of the two can happen to him: One, he would spend his life in anxiety, fear that that his BMW might get stolen. Two, if he were a sensible fellow, he would sell the BMW to someone else and lead a happy life using either taxis or public transport for his travelling!!!!!!"

So, saying so We slip hands into each others shoulders and sing aloud:

Yeh dosti koi ladki nahi todegi,

Chhodenge relationship magar,

Tera saath na Chhodenge.

                  Yes, we are those who laugh at a boy trying to convince his girlfriend, talking hours on end, saying," Man!!! look at him. He has ruined his life" but at the same time , deep down we have this feeling: ' When am I going to meet the girl of my dreams'. It isn't that we're gay or something neither are we Calcigeinophobic( fear of beautiful girls). Agreed we're no Tom Hanks to be expecting a super hot girl as our g.f. Agreed we're no Rockstars; We're not cool singers, neither are we dancers (which means no chance of dancing hand in hand with a girl), summed up: We're not famous. Still we're smart, all the same, And most importantly, are happy.But we have this one thing: Relationship -o- phobia. Afraid that relationships might change us, might decrease our degree of freedom, might alienate us from our friends. Also, this is India. Relationships are not easily accepted at home. We have large barriers( based on religion, caste and what not). We're afraid that we might not be able to make a 'Two States' out of our lives. It is these fears, with no base, that leave us single on Valentine's Day.

             Now the brighter side. There are facilities which we single guys enjoy exclusively. We see a guy going out with gals and shout aloud," B******d, look at him. Saala yaha pe to ek bhi nahi mil rahi hai. Do do ke saath jaa raha hai." And saying so, we laugh, laugh at our own fate and enjoy. Believe me, We are the ones having more real fun than the guy with two gals. We tease girls, talk about them, obscene stuff, of course and most importantly, we fantasize, about the girl of our life. How she would look, where she is right now and Man! Is she not perfect in our dreams. The commited guys can't actually do this. They're stuck to the same girl.

            Summing up, we would say this," As long as we're single, we shout this aloud,' Stay Single, Be Happy' and we're single not because fate has decided us to be but because we have chosen to be.

            Anyways, Happy Valentines Day in advance.

P.S. 1.  After you finish reading this, make sure you ask god my to bring our 'being single streak' to an end.
      2. The 'summing up' sentence was only written to show off attitude. But, No, We don't have attitude for the fact that We're single.


Bye.

IT To IIT

Dear Diary,
       The 'IT to IIT' Protest that is to be held tomorrow tells one very important thing: hum log haar nahi maanne wale hai. Agreed, the stakes are not pretty high that this event might actually stimulate the lousy politicians who are putting up a real good show out there in the Parliament; seeing to it that the bill would not come up for discussion in the Rajya Sabha. But the message is clear: We would fight till the end for the conversion, even harder, maybe, so that the thick skinned politicians might actually take us seriously. If not us, we would want the future IT BHU generation( I guess that would be the IIT BHU generation by then) to enjoy the benefits.
       IT has always been that neglected child who craved for his mother's attention, and that he got by throwing regular fits of tantrum. Starting from 1971; the time from when the selection here was made through the IIT-JEE, protests were held, 'Dilli Chalo' Andolans performed, assurances given by the politicians, all this for the IIT status; for the much needed 'IIT Standard facilities' and the respect( that the other IITians get) that the IT janta craves for and very much deserves.
       The student participation in these protests had always been high, clearly showing the unity and power that the student community here has. But is the adrenaline gush,that the IT Janta here possesses, enough? Yes wouldn't be the answer. The cheap tricks played by the politicians and the BHU administration had stopped this from happening for the past 40 years. But there has been development.With the bill passed in the Lok Sabha, we're only one step closer from getting the bill passed. Will the bill be passed for the common good or will it be kept hung in balance like the 'Women Reservation Bill In The Parliament', God knows. Rather, politicians know.
     Guess we'll have to wait with our fingers crossed.


Bye.

BooKS:CLoSeST To MaN

Dear diary,
      By books here, I hope you realize that I'm not talking about the voluminous textbooks that talk about Sciences and the laws that govern nature but little about about the laws that run living beings. I know I'm being gross about the textbooks. Agreed, that these books are needed for the civilizations to prosper; But when it comes to books being our friends, you wouldn't want to read 'Concepts of Physics:2' by H.C.Verma when you're upset or something and would want a respite from your world for sometime, maybe.You would rather read an inspiring work of fiction or an excellent piece of literature.So, no offence meant, in any way, to the scientists of the mathematicians or to people who deal with anything in the textbooks.
     Books have this amazing property of teleporting us to a new world. A good author, according to me is the one who manages to do this perfectly. When you're reading a book, you're actually going into the book, standing near the scene and watching the whole thing happen. When you're bookmarking the page and closing the book, you're actually pressing the pass button and telling the book,"Man! I think I'll go live my own life for a while, will catch up with you later". So apt is the description of some of the authors, that not only do you find the book enacting itself in front of you but you would also relate yourself to some character. So now you're not standing there and watching things happen but are a part of the book itself
       A good book is like an old friend who has something new to tell you everytime you open it. No words are exchanged between you and the book, it is only a flow of feelings that take place. The book expresses to you and you reciprocate your feelings back. Books, unlike humans don't change. So you are friends forever. In Mahatma Gandhi's words: A good book is like a companion who you can always cling on to for help and support.
     Now, Why so emotional about books? One, I've recently finished reading 'The Life Of Pi', one of the best novels I've ever read.So much has the book inspired me, moved me that I thought I should tell you this. Two, right now I'm novel free; meaning, Both the novels I've brought from home have exhausted and it is when you're away from something that you realize its importance.
     I should say that being novel free has done me good. I'm able to, rather,I'm having time to look at the other books around me; by other books, I mean Electrical Machinery by Bhimbra, Optimization by S.S.Rao and many many more.
    Cheers to all those authors who helped me shape my imagination, who helped me write and who inspire me everytime I read their works.


Bye.

RePuBLiC DaY: DiaRY oF a CoMMoN MaN

     Waking time today wasn't the usual 6:30am. No rush hour. Could spent the entire day with my family; Thank God India became a Republic.Woke up pretty late, at about 9( I had a really long night, for obvious reasons, you know) and the first thing I saw as I opened my eyes: a smiling Priya holding a cup of coffee. How I wish I could see my wife smile so sweetly everyday. She rarely smiles on a working day. Rather she rarely has time to and I rarely have time to see her smile.
     Did my usual chores very slowly enjoying every part of it.Then the Republic Day Parade. Me, Priya and kids, we do it every year. We watched the parade and the cultural programmes that follow, together.Initially, it was the four of us. Ten minutes pass by, and my kids go out to play. Ten more minutes, and Priya who was fulfilling her responsibility as a wife by sitting along with me says," Honey, I know how much you like this but it really is getting pretty boring. I think I'll go sleep for some time. Wake me up at 1, khana to banaya hi nahi maine". How could these people not like all this stuff? Watching the events with the current like feeling flowing through my spine all the time; I really felt patriotic.
    Any Republic Day resolutions? Yes.I'll try to be a responsible citizen. And how will I do that?I don't know. Maybe, as an LIC agent, I would make people have their lives and precious things in their lives insured so that their loss wouldn't leave them completely devastated. Yes, I know this is silly but what else can I do on my part? You wouldn't expect me to sit at the India-China border and stop the Chinese infiltration into India.No.I'm not meant to do that.If everyone does his part responsibly, I guess the country would've gone way ahead than where it finds itself right now.
    Spent the entire evening playing with kids and then teaching them Maths. How I wish India would've become a Republic not on on a single day but on multiple occasions. Had dinner together and had to go to bed early. Can't have a long night today!!!!
    Oh god make sure, atleast from the next time, that holidays fall either on Saturdays or on Mondays; Not like this in the middle of the week.

ThE 'RaBDI' THEORY

Dear diary,
       'Pahelwan ji ki lassi' is the best lassi in the world(to me,that is). After a heavy meal at some restaurant, lassi going down the throat is what I would call ecstasy. Now why this sudden interest in lassi? Let me tell you.
      Along with the sweetest lassi served, 'the icing on the cake' is the Malai and Rabdi on top.I was always in the habit of avoiding Rabdi and maybe, asking for an extra helping of Malai. I don't know why I disliked Rabdi, I felt it ruined the taste of the lassi.But recently, I developed a special liking towards Rabdi and I find myself looking forward to the Rabdi more than the Lassi itself.Why this sudden change? Has the Rabdi changed? I don't think so.This shop is quite orthodox. Things don't change here.Or have the DNA strands in my body decided to change their orientation so that I start liking Rabdi. Not possible. I guess genetic mutations take place over generations. The answer is simple: I've stopped having preconceptions about the taste of Rabdi. That is when I coined the 'Rabdi Theory'.
      "Like the way it happened to me with Rabdi, if we were to look at things and people in life without preconceptions, we might actually change our opinions about them".Who knows, we might be liking the very same person whom we had detested earlier.Not necessarily because they've changed but maybe because we've started looking at them from a whole new point of view or maybe, without preconceptions.The proof to this theory lies in the fact that we aren't programmed machines who wouldn't do anything beyond their coding but are creatures with feeling, and feelings tend to change when we start things anew.
  Life does teach us a lot of things.


Bye.

ReaLitY Vs FAnTaSY

Dear diary,
       How would fantasy be defined? Fantasy, I guess is living the life of our dreams. A life, which does not contain things we are not happy with, in which things happen to us which we pretty well know wouldn't happen in reality. Summed up, fantasy is a life in which you are your own God, you control things; how they happen and what happens.It isn't the world that is going to do the decision making for you.
      Then what is reality? Reality is what actually happens to us. Scientifically put, it is the earth moving around the Sun, the Sun moving along with the Milky Way in this infinitely vast universe with us moving along with them.
      Now comes the question: Why do we fantasize? rather Why do we have to fantasize? The answer, I guess, is simple: in search of happiness. If reality and fantasy were to coincide, I wouldn't be calling that a life, that would be bliss. Come on, we all know there is no person on this planet Earth who is so very much satisfied with his life,with his day to day goings, that he would say,"I don't have the need to fantasize.I don't live a perfect life parallel to reality. My life is perfect".A sadhu who has attained inner peace would be fantasizing of his place in heaven at God's abode. Brad Pitt would be fantasizing of a chick hotter than Angelina Jolie. A bald man would be fantasizing of himself as being Baba Ramdev someday. No one is an exception.
    Do we have to fantasize? Isn't it dangerous? I mean, if fantasy dominates Reality in our lives,that is when you are down with schizophrenia( a psychological term that has got something to do with delusions).I wouldn't say yes for an answer. The sense of euphoria experienced when we fantasize of being someone we have dreamt of being someday, but couldn't be, is worth the risk taken. Life is this balance between Reality and fantasy and we're all heading towards the same common goal: 'To merge Reality with fantasy'.


Bye.

LoVE: SUICIDaL

Dear diary,
       It is only when suicides happen near you that you realize their impact, not when newspapers shout about the increasing suicide rate in farmers, not when people talk about the high suicide rates in the IITs. The climax to TECHNEX'12 was not the way it was anticipated.There was no DJ night, no Laser Show,just the talk on everyone's lips that someone from Mechanical 3rd year has committed suicide and that the show has been cancelled.
     Now the 'Mechanical and Suicide Combination' struck one thing in my mind: Pressure.But Pressure was not to be the reason. The reason turned out to be this:(This I've come to know through sources. So,Please excuse me if it turns out to be wrong) His girl friend has done the same thing he has done today three days ago and her reason-unknown. This sparks off a serious debate with one side claiming 'How could a girl be more dearer to him than his own life and ,maybe, his parents who've been with him all throughout his life' and the other side telling 'They are true lovers in every sense of the word, One couldn't live without the other'. Don't call me as being unromantic in calling love the culprit.Love could happen to anyone and this would've been a perfect ending to a Bollywood movie: a boy dying for a girl. But how could he be so obsessed with the girl who he must've met recently that he thought of her life as more important to him than his very own life; The life he's been living for the past,say, 21 years , the life that has brought him onto this planet Earth by being that successful sperm. And his parents? Wouldn't they be devastated by his loss? I've never been through what he must've gone through. I don't even know him,Maybe I shouldn't be saying this. But yes, I would call him a coward for doing such a thing.
     May his soul rest in peace.

Bye.

SaNKRaNTI:MEMORIES

Dear diary,
         When you are studying at a place far from you home(Am I studying?? :) ), you tend to get nostalgic about your home,your parents,your hometown at precisely four particular instances:
1. MESS: Twice a day you would want to teleport yourself to your homes.You would enter the mess,hungry as ever, but looking at the food served would make your stomach go numb and you would start yearning for the home made stuffs.
2. When you're not well(both physically and mentally).
3. Exam time: Exams bring along with them misery, misery in the form of One Night Studies and your only source of salvation would be to think of home.
4. Festivals: Staying away from home during the festivals is the worst,Especially if you happen to be a Southerner, studying somewhere in North-India where Sankranti is considered just a holiday or just some day for flying kites. 
      
         Back at home,Sankranti to me held a different meaning. It was a three day festival (not a one day one like it is here), a three day holiday for kids,best if happens to fall in the middle of the week.It would start with the onset of festive season one week before Sankranti; actually the festive season to me started off even before, it started 3 days before Christmas,when my hols started. Then the New Year, a week a two of going to school and then Sankranti.
        This is how my Sankranti used to go. One day before the first day,Bhogi, me ,dad and brother used to go out to procure wood for the 'Bhogi Manta' (It was a custom to light a bonfire on the first day of Sankranti early in the morning.Sadly though, for the last 4 years, I've not been able to do this). Then getting up at 4 in the morning was the toughest part; then the bonfire, the getting ready part, new clothes,haldi applied on them, Man!! how I miss all these now. The evenings with the family reunions, the 'Bhogi Pallu', it was a custom in which the kids are showered with berries on their head( the reason I'm not sure of but I'll make it a point to ask Mom next time), it was real fun with us kids getting together after a long time.
        The next day was the Real Family Reunion day. There was not much to do that day, a public holiday,which meant everyone was at home, all relatives meeting and the entire day spent in lazing about or watching the hit movies being telecasted on TV, kids playing outside in the verandah, the elders sharing news about their well being. So, Sankranti in one word to me meant Family Reunions. The third day used to be a pretty sad day to me, schools reopen, relatives depart, going their own way; seemed sort of like the 'Calm after Carnival'. Whatever it is,staying away from home hurts me, but I really didn't have time to think off all this today.There is festivity here as well (for a different reason, though). We have TECHNEX ,our annual technical fest , it really is like a carnival here.Whatever, I still miss my home.


Bye.