Dehradun
the routine day, 1995
8:00 pm
Stuffing the math home assignment into my schoolbag, I expectantly waited for dinner to be served while the newsreader on Doordarshan rattled on about the day's newsmakers, entertainers and illusive government propaganda directed towards political gain of the ruling party, especially considering the upcoming general elections (Of course nothing made sense to a standard 2 boy, solely interested in the 'Dekh Bhai Dekh' series that followed the 8'o clock news).
The day had been fun. Chasing dragonflies, playing football, discovering dominions hitherto unknown wandering through the vast 'greenlands' of SJA, and other arbit jackassery more than made up for the meagre study and scanty reading hours. A new day would commence next morning, starting 6 am - the matador would be honking at my door, waiting to ferry me through the biting cold to 5 kms away - and so after enjoying Shekhar Suman's lucid performance thoroughly with peals of genuine laughter, I retired to bed, ignorant and unconcerned of the tomorrow that was to come.
Vadodara
March 2007
9:30 pm
"Take it easy beta ! You have plenty of time left." - was mom's reaction to the way I was gorging up huge quantities of food, a spoon in one hand and my chemistry textbook in the other. Boards were knocking at my door, banging harder and harder as the time elapsed, raising dread and despair in the deepest confinements of my heart. After hours of serious pondering, I still hadn't been able to figure out the dynamics of rotation, which was resulting in a rather irritable disposition. It took a great deal of persuation by my parents to put me to sleep by midnight, assuring me I had done well enough to fetch me a 99 percentile (and weren't they right !). Horrendous dreams haunted me through the night, repercussions of having spent more time prognosticating the result of the Indo-Pak cricket series giving me the heebie-jeebies. After all, it was going to be my first step towards an ambitious career.
Roorkee
18th Feb. 2010
00:00 hours
The day has just begun. Every ray of light originating within the cosmos has vanished into thin air. Two years ago, at this time I would have been sound asleep. Today, life has assumed a nocturnal demeanour. The ecstasy of unperturbed slumber has long been forgone.
The midsems begin 10 hours from now, but I haven't commenced preparations, yet I couldn't worry less. I have the whole night to myself, time long enough to make amends. Staring blankly into the pages of a book that had until this time been lying in a corner, carefully preserved under a film of dust, I embark upon a voyage through the ocean of discreet 'fundas' and temporal laws without further ado. I might not be able to complete my journey, but the tools of conjecture and expression would come in handy to serve my purpose of making it through the stipulated 1 hour trial of mental ability, reasoning and mugging.
Even though I have already wasted much time writing this post, I gain inspiration from Robert Frost's beautiful lines of poetry:
"The woods are lovely, dark and deep
But I have promises to keep
And Miles to go before I sleep
And Miles to go before I sleep....."
About Me
- Arnav
- Mumbai, India
- An ardent lover of human virtues , an admirer of all forms of art, a dreamer and a naturalist - so much to brag about me. Otherwise, I'm just the ordinary person with a zest for living and a penchant for merriment. Writing is my passion, and my means of reaching out to the world yonder. I'd be happiest the day when the words I pen down start to make a difference to the people I know, and to those whom I don't.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Saturday, January 2, 2010
THE ADVENTURE
Suddenly, I heard the rustle of leaves and there, standing in front of me was a giant T-Rex, exactly similar to the ones I had seen on television in ‘Jurassic Park’ the previous day – apart from the fact it hadn’t been created by some fancy computer program. I recalled what the hero had instructed his team to do in order to escape being mauled by the hideous creature – not to move a muscle; only I had no team, and neither was I acting in a movie. Nevertheless, I wasn’t a palaeontologist, and no other idea happened to cross my mind at that time. I could feel its warm breath on my face as it scrutinised the stranger that had wandered into its territory. As I stood motionless, still as a rock, I couldn’t help wondering how I had arrived into this unknown, dark, prehistoric jungle where dinosaurs walked amongst thick tress and humid environs, a stream running through the dense growth.
I was playing cricket with my friends after a long time, and needed a four off the last ball of my innings to win. The bowler hurled towards me a bouncer on the off stump and making room, I heaved my bat to play that glorious upper cut the Master Blaster had first introduced into world cricket. I won with a six, the ball disappearing into the distance among tall grass and weeds. I was filled with a sense of pride, but it seemed my friends weren’t – nobody else had any more energy left to retrieve the ball. Vitalised by victory, I jogged to where it had fallen. It was lying in a trench I never knew had existed. As I climbed down into the ditch, it caved in, and I found myself falling through darkness, for an infinite time, blackness increasing as I descended. I felt relieved when finally I bumped into solid ground. But there was nothing to be pleased about. I had landed in this forest, lost and bewildered.
I saw giant creatures I had only read about in books – maybe I was dreaming, maybe this wasn’t real at all – how could it be, unless I had travelled in time to millions of years back the timeline. I pinched myself, and it hurt, filling my inner self with dread and despair. How could I ever get out of this place? I wandered around, looking for help, but there was none I could fathom. And thus, I had encountered this monster, and now I stood petrified for dear life.
It worked. I could feel the earth becoming lighter again, as it receded away, uninterested in the statue of a man transfixed by terror. Cautious about the dangers that awaited me, I then resumed my adventure in hope of returning to the comfort of my bed and the excitement of my precious PS2, which, now, seemed like a gloomy prospect. Treading through the rugged terrain, I finally came to a place where the forest seemed to end its domain abruptly. I was staring at a wooden cottage, conspicuously standing alone in the wilderness, and I was once again baffled by the turn of events. But there was something else that was about to throw me into a tizzy. I went inside to look if it was inhabited. Turned out it was. A bony, green weirdo with a bulging head and disproportionate body popped out of nowhere and without stopping for breath (perhaps ignorant of my state of mind), told me “Congratulations Sir ! you are the first person on Earth to have discovered the secret land of ‘Nothinglikethisexists’ and are therefore, the rightful winner of our first prize – an all expenses paid trip to Mars, the land that boasts of the finest school of magic – Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Oh, and I forgot to mention, you’re a wizard. Here’s your conveyance.” ‘It’ signalled towards a shuttle floating in mid-air. Exhilarated, I boarded the ship that would fly me all the way to realms unseen by the common man. An alarm sounding like bells clanging aloud went off, indicating my ship was ready for take-off. But gradually, the sound of the bells faded off into the distance, replaced by shouts of “Wake up! It’s 9:30 in the morning. How come you’ve become so lazy?”
Mom was trying to awaken me after I’d slept for 10 hours straight. Well, one doesn’t enjoy that luxury at IITR; so I wasn’t to blame. Besides, what else are holidays meant for than to make up for things we crave for in college - including peaceful slumber? I wonder if she hadn’t, I would have been the first one on Earth to set foot on Mars, and Hogwarts !
I was playing cricket with my friends after a long time, and needed a four off the last ball of my innings to win. The bowler hurled towards me a bouncer on the off stump and making room, I heaved my bat to play that glorious upper cut the Master Blaster had first introduced into world cricket. I won with a six, the ball disappearing into the distance among tall grass and weeds. I was filled with a sense of pride, but it seemed my friends weren’t – nobody else had any more energy left to retrieve the ball. Vitalised by victory, I jogged to where it had fallen. It was lying in a trench I never knew had existed. As I climbed down into the ditch, it caved in, and I found myself falling through darkness, for an infinite time, blackness increasing as I descended. I felt relieved when finally I bumped into solid ground. But there was nothing to be pleased about. I had landed in this forest, lost and bewildered.
I saw giant creatures I had only read about in books – maybe I was dreaming, maybe this wasn’t real at all – how could it be, unless I had travelled in time to millions of years back the timeline. I pinched myself, and it hurt, filling my inner self with dread and despair. How could I ever get out of this place? I wandered around, looking for help, but there was none I could fathom. And thus, I had encountered this monster, and now I stood petrified for dear life.
It worked. I could feel the earth becoming lighter again, as it receded away, uninterested in the statue of a man transfixed by terror. Cautious about the dangers that awaited me, I then resumed my adventure in hope of returning to the comfort of my bed and the excitement of my precious PS2, which, now, seemed like a gloomy prospect. Treading through the rugged terrain, I finally came to a place where the forest seemed to end its domain abruptly. I was staring at a wooden cottage, conspicuously standing alone in the wilderness, and I was once again baffled by the turn of events. But there was something else that was about to throw me into a tizzy. I went inside to look if it was inhabited. Turned out it was. A bony, green weirdo with a bulging head and disproportionate body popped out of nowhere and without stopping for breath (perhaps ignorant of my state of mind), told me “Congratulations Sir ! you are the first person on Earth to have discovered the secret land of ‘Nothinglikethisexists’ and are therefore, the rightful winner of our first prize – an all expenses paid trip to Mars, the land that boasts of the finest school of magic – Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Oh, and I forgot to mention, you’re a wizard. Here’s your conveyance.” ‘It’ signalled towards a shuttle floating in mid-air. Exhilarated, I boarded the ship that would fly me all the way to realms unseen by the common man. An alarm sounding like bells clanging aloud went off, indicating my ship was ready for take-off. But gradually, the sound of the bells faded off into the distance, replaced by shouts of “Wake up! It’s 9:30 in the morning. How come you’ve become so lazy?”
Mom was trying to awaken me after I’d slept for 10 hours straight. Well, one doesn’t enjoy that luxury at IITR; so I wasn’t to blame. Besides, what else are holidays meant for than to make up for things we crave for in college - including peaceful slumber? I wonder if she hadn’t, I would have been the first one on Earth to set foot on Mars, and Hogwarts !
Sunday, October 25, 2009
The essence of THOMSO
The deadly foe has been vanquished yet again....and now is the time for mirth and merriment.
Toiling day and night all through the midsems, knowing that is the only way you can attain a respectable score, is a daunting task indeed (now one would rather say the effort put in is nothing compared to the tougher, life-sustaining ordeal during the endsems). It was only yesterday that exams concluded and a few days hence comes "Thomso" - this time especially for the 'Gods of fun' (I bet 'Meta' and 'Pseudo-Meta' stand for more than that). Flying rumours, commotions in the Cultural council, misgivings about the TOC and SAC's affairs, and incessant chatter about which lady is going to grace 'Vogue' - would make even an Alzheimer's patient guess IITR's annual cultural fest is approaching near.
One will do anything and everything to make sure nothing can ruin his plans for the immediate near future - be it finding a partner for the much awe-inspiring and hyped Salsa workshop, or learning new dance moves for the 'Xhilaration' nights. And why not ! Seldom does an IITian get an opportunity of displaying HIS talents to an audience comprising of people in the same league as himself - without fear of attracting sardonic mockery of his exceptionally unusual endowments. The world yonder (outside the realms of IITR) perceives us as science-loving geeks and we have this one chance to prove it wrong - to show it we are a little studious all right but nonetheless normal, fun human beings who, maybe have had a greater portion of luck (or misfortune I might say) relative to their colleagues who took the JEE but failed to make it to the top ranks.
I remember first year when we were simply mesmerised by the enormity of this fest (most of us had only seen an event as big as the school annual day until that time). Dazzled by consistently rising participation and the recognition it has, we felt heart broken on missing out on even one amongst the plethora of events hosted during those three days. Now some of us don't even care to step out in the chill of winter and visit the source of forte musical notes rocking the environs. I wonder if this transition has resulted from the two-and-a-half years spent here or from frequent disappointment of seeing a 'backup artist' as the lead singer in the much anticipated Pro-Nite. One can never say for sure what we're about to confront unless and until we actually see it happening in front of our eyes.
Nonetheless, Thomso is a welcome change from class lectures that would no doubt be prescribed by doctors as the best hypnotics for insomnia, nagging tutorials and threatening professors that have so advertently become a part and parcel of our daily lives. The time when the campus becomes abuzz with life in stark contrast to the usual quiet that befalls at most times. Three consecutive evenings of fun and respite from the terrors mentioned above. Something we're never going to enjoy again once we pass out as engineers from this glorious institution.
So much to say, while I contemplate upon my plans for doing something good enough to entice a pretty girl to come with me to Salsa after having missed out on the previous two occasions, I leave you in the company of a quote that a wise man very rightly made (yes, that was me !):
"The essence of Thomso lies not in what you can gain from it; it inherently lies in your contribution to make it better and more enjoyable."
PS : Nice work TOC ! You really deserve accolades for finally getting something like JAL into the campus (Better not be a rumour this time).
Toiling day and night all through the midsems, knowing that is the only way you can attain a respectable score, is a daunting task indeed (now one would rather say the effort put in is nothing compared to the tougher, life-sustaining ordeal during the endsems). It was only yesterday that exams concluded and a few days hence comes "Thomso" - this time especially for the 'Gods of fun' (I bet 'Meta' and 'Pseudo-Meta' stand for more than that). Flying rumours, commotions in the Cultural council, misgivings about the TOC and SAC's affairs, and incessant chatter about which lady is going to grace 'Vogue' - would make even an Alzheimer's patient guess IITR's annual cultural fest is approaching near.
One will do anything and everything to make sure nothing can ruin his plans for the immediate near future - be it finding a partner for the much awe-inspiring and hyped Salsa workshop, or learning new dance moves for the 'Xhilaration' nights. And why not ! Seldom does an IITian get an opportunity of displaying HIS talents to an audience comprising of people in the same league as himself - without fear of attracting sardonic mockery of his exceptionally unusual endowments. The world yonder (outside the realms of IITR) perceives us as science-loving geeks and we have this one chance to prove it wrong - to show it we are a little studious all right but nonetheless normal, fun human beings who, maybe have had a greater portion of luck (or misfortune I might say) relative to their colleagues who took the JEE but failed to make it to the top ranks.
I remember first year when we were simply mesmerised by the enormity of this fest (most of us had only seen an event as big as the school annual day until that time). Dazzled by consistently rising participation and the recognition it has, we felt heart broken on missing out on even one amongst the plethora of events hosted during those three days. Now some of us don't even care to step out in the chill of winter and visit the source of forte musical notes rocking the environs. I wonder if this transition has resulted from the two-and-a-half years spent here or from frequent disappointment of seeing a 'backup artist' as the lead singer in the much anticipated Pro-Nite. One can never say for sure what we're about to confront unless and until we actually see it happening in front of our eyes.
Nonetheless, Thomso is a welcome change from class lectures that would no doubt be prescribed by doctors as the best hypnotics for insomnia, nagging tutorials and threatening professors that have so advertently become a part and parcel of our daily lives. The time when the campus becomes abuzz with life in stark contrast to the usual quiet that befalls at most times. Three consecutive evenings of fun and respite from the terrors mentioned above. Something we're never going to enjoy again once we pass out as engineers from this glorious institution.
So much to say, while I contemplate upon my plans for doing something good enough to entice a pretty girl to come with me to Salsa after having missed out on the previous two occasions, I leave you in the company of a quote that a wise man very rightly made (yes, that was me !):
"The essence of Thomso lies not in what you can gain from it; it inherently lies in your contribution to make it better and more enjoyable."
PS : Nice work TOC ! You really deserve accolades for finally getting something like JAL into the campus (Better not be a rumour this time).
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Of Swines, Humankind and the World going haywire...
I suppose one of the better reasons there are gazillions of living species is to make sure that Darwin's ground for the Theory of Evolution holds some basic merit, and that consequent to natural competition, even after annihilation of the weakest taxon, there are enough families left to inhabit this tiny speck in the vastness of the universe we call Earth. If on the contrary there were a limited few, survival of the fittest would mean one face staring at another familiar(rather similar) face and wondering if the former could at all find different anatomies anywhere else within the cosmos and get some respite from the latter's lividity.
It seems the day might arrive sooner than one would expect. Now, with the advent of Swine flu, there has been revealed what was concealed for several millenia - survival has assumed an altogether new meaning. Influenza symptoms have become the most dreaded of all human fears, when just a few months ago nobody cared if a stranger as much as sneezed on your face. The name itself incites fright. People are fleeing from the more adversely affected regions for the sake of their own well being, praying not to encounter a "running nose" on the way. Travelling to places is a dangerous proposition keeping in mind how easily the flu is communicable. This global pandemic is a sardonic mockery of human advances in medicine - at an age when baneful diseases like cancer have been vanquished by human intellect.
But where do hogs hog into the limelight? To say the least, they are the very harbingers of the virus strain that has bamboozled medical experts worldwide. It seems weird that such silent, innocuous and self-involved creatures could possess a trait so unique and distinct that can affect a race millionfold in population and incomparably superior in capability. Sadly, this distinctive attribute is enough to wreak havoc in an otherwise ignorant mortal soul.
As a measure against the spread of this pandemic, mass gatherings have been prohibited within the IITR campus (to many a person's dismay). And this memorandum has been issued at a time when things looked like life was returning back to usual. Unfortunately, it was not to be. Perhaps it would take more than a few weeks to regain the lost grandeur. Atleast, everything should fall back in place by the time some of us get the long-awaited opportunity to visit Europe or America next year.
PS:
6 fresh cases have been reported in the insti as per reports being circulated..... and i thought there couldn't be a safer place than Roorkee !
It seems the day might arrive sooner than one would expect. Now, with the advent of Swine flu, there has been revealed what was concealed for several millenia - survival has assumed an altogether new meaning. Influenza symptoms have become the most dreaded of all human fears, when just a few months ago nobody cared if a stranger as much as sneezed on your face. The name itself incites fright. People are fleeing from the more adversely affected regions for the sake of their own well being, praying not to encounter a "running nose" on the way. Travelling to places is a dangerous proposition keeping in mind how easily the flu is communicable. This global pandemic is a sardonic mockery of human advances in medicine - at an age when baneful diseases like cancer have been vanquished by human intellect.
But where do hogs hog into the limelight? To say the least, they are the very harbingers of the virus strain that has bamboozled medical experts worldwide. It seems weird that such silent, innocuous and self-involved creatures could possess a trait so unique and distinct that can affect a race millionfold in population and incomparably superior in capability. Sadly, this distinctive attribute is enough to wreak havoc in an otherwise ignorant mortal soul.
As a measure against the spread of this pandemic, mass gatherings have been prohibited within the IITR campus (to many a person's dismay). And this memorandum has been issued at a time when things looked like life was returning back to usual. Unfortunately, it was not to be. Perhaps it would take more than a few weeks to regain the lost grandeur. Atleast, everything should fall back in place by the time some of us get the long-awaited opportunity to visit Europe or America next year.
PS:
6 fresh cases have been reported in the insti as per reports being circulated..... and i thought there couldn't be a safer place than Roorkee !
Monday, September 7, 2009
Opportunities will come and go....Until "The One" stops by !
"Ye kya hai?! Dhang ke formals pehenne hain....t-shirt nahi chalega....aur pata hai uske baad GD bhi hai?" - were words of wisdom uttered by the Great Pink Saint as I was about to leave for the pre-placement talk by the first giant company that has so far visited the campus with the object of capturing the best (in what terms is still uncertain...) of the lot for its summer internship programme next year. "Kya fark padta hai?" - was Rangeela's straightforward reply as he joined me on my way to STEP for the all-important presentation to be made by senior corporate executives to give us a first-hand view of what is expected of student interns in general, and IITians in particular, in order to make it to one of Forbes' top 50 conglomerates.
The place was teeming with dreamy souls and hyper-tensed "ghissus" all of whom were fancying their chances as the worthy suitor for the Princess of Wonderland's hand. Some looked like they had no idea they hadn't come to watch a football match while others looked set for their first real test of character. We climbed up the flight of stairs leading to the seminar hall even as the harried "placement" team of 4th-yearites (I wonder if all of them will be placed eventually) checked our identity just in case someone from COER had ideas of infiltrating into the session and somehow influencing the company to recruit from their campus instead of ours. A few enthusiasts were turned back from the door because they had forgotten to bring along their I-cards, but their determination never wavered and they decided to witness the drama from the backstage (yes, the whole thing later assumed a melodramatic form!).
Finally, after much waiting and debate over whether one of the representatives was a little out of the league of "normal" human beings, the guy who supposedly was an alumni of this totally awesome institution started conversing in a very business-like manner - the first sign that he was here only to talk shop and that these people weren't so credulous to impress upon. We went through presentations and audio-visuals that were 'refined' to suit the standards of the IITR junta, but failed to make an impact anyway. The questions that followed never seemed to cease - there was one which was met with much disdain from the corporate fraternity present; the poor inquisitor (an ambitious 4th yearite) might have to part with much more than his identification when the authorities come to know about the incident.
The final selections have been done - only 2 from the insti were fortunate enough to secure a place after staying up all night to prove their merit by exhibition of composure when all you care about is a soft bed and nobody to interrupt your snores. I first felt sad not to have been lucky enough to figure among the few names at the top of the list. But maybe, there is something waiting for me - something better than anything I've ever expected to achieve. Perhaps, by missing out on such opportunities, I am only inching closer towards that ultimate nirvana.
PS:
As I was pondering on where my destiny would take me, I suddenly stumbled upon this wonderful quote:
"I am here for a purpose and that purpose is to grow into a mountain, not to shrink to a grain of sand. Henceforth will I apply ALL my efforts to become the highest mountain of all and I will strain my potential until it cries for mercy."
It seems The Almighty really is keeping me motivated; He sure has plans.....
The place was teeming with dreamy souls and hyper-tensed "ghissus" all of whom were fancying their chances as the worthy suitor for the Princess of Wonderland's hand. Some looked like they had no idea they hadn't come to watch a football match while others looked set for their first real test of character. We climbed up the flight of stairs leading to the seminar hall even as the harried "placement" team of 4th-yearites (I wonder if all of them will be placed eventually) checked our identity just in case someone from COER had ideas of infiltrating into the session and somehow influencing the company to recruit from their campus instead of ours. A few enthusiasts were turned back from the door because they had forgotten to bring along their I-cards, but their determination never wavered and they decided to witness the drama from the backstage (yes, the whole thing later assumed a melodramatic form!).
Finally, after much waiting and debate over whether one of the representatives was a little out of the league of "normal" human beings, the guy who supposedly was an alumni of this totally awesome institution started conversing in a very business-like manner - the first sign that he was here only to talk shop and that these people weren't so credulous to impress upon. We went through presentations and audio-visuals that were 'refined' to suit the standards of the IITR junta, but failed to make an impact anyway. The questions that followed never seemed to cease - there was one which was met with much disdain from the corporate fraternity present; the poor inquisitor (an ambitious 4th yearite) might have to part with much more than his identification when the authorities come to know about the incident.
The final selections have been done - only 2 from the insti were fortunate enough to secure a place after staying up all night to prove their merit by exhibition of composure when all you care about is a soft bed and nobody to interrupt your snores. I first felt sad not to have been lucky enough to figure among the few names at the top of the list. But maybe, there is something waiting for me - something better than anything I've ever expected to achieve. Perhaps, by missing out on such opportunities, I am only inching closer towards that ultimate nirvana.
PS:
As I was pondering on where my destiny would take me, I suddenly stumbled upon this wonderful quote:
"I am here for a purpose and that purpose is to grow into a mountain, not to shrink to a grain of sand. Henceforth will I apply ALL my efforts to become the highest mountain of all and I will strain my potential until it cries for mercy."
It seems The Almighty really is keeping me motivated; He sure has plans.....
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