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.