Hi All. Thanks for all the following you people had given me. A lot of you had taken time to read my story and replied back with comments or e-mails.
Well this story is not about Varun Shyamak, my favorite literary character. It has again been written in one night. Just going through my college photos when I went home in Holi, I saw a folder named Pondicherry and it reminded me of some weird incident that happened on that day. The story has been inspired from that incident, but then I am not a reality writer and I don’t want reality to spoil an interesting story. I have always maintained that never let truth come in way of an interesting story. So no characters are real here and all characters have been exaggerated to suit the story, so if any of my college friends read this, please treat this as a work of fiction, as otherwise you may end up finding many inconsistencies. So enjoy reading and give me your feedbacks
Danger can be fun at times. Rebelling against higher authority, breaking rules and making your way out of a troublesome situation created by none other than you and moreover escaping a trap and giving a piece of your mind to a person who dislikes you are some things that have an inherent attraction. Just that these little moments of indiscretion and a little slip-up here and there may just redefine your whole life, it can destroy careers, destroy lives and at times finish lives. But in case you manage to wriggle out of it unscathed, it becomes a memorable story.
A similar thing happened to our back-bencher group sometime into the middle of second year of our Engineering in Vellore Institute of Technology. Supposed to be an industry visit to give us some idea on how the industry works, it ended up being one of the most unforgettable days of our college life. It all required a set of confused faculty members, our group of nonchalant students, a girl bent on driving attention not of boys but of an old man sitting in the office of Coordinator of School of Computing Sciences, some beer and above all the tenacious and strategically brilliant display of leadership by my good friend Alok who managed to pull everyone out of trouble and in the meanwhile also had a sweet revenge, something, which I am sure of, he is still proud of.
Things were going normal before that fateful day for all of us back-benchers, Alok, Akshay, Begu(Amit Singh), Riks(Amit Agarwal), Devesh, Manjeet, Amitosh, Nishant, Captain(Amit Kumar), Anand and me(Abhishek). We went to college, bunked when possible, gave proxies of each other, were always late to classes, played computer games, watched movies, talked crap, slept a lot and studied as and when absolutely required. Off course, being back-benchers we didn’t have reputations to keep and all of us silently followed our goal while we also enjoyed life. In the coming time we will end up surprising all of those front row people who when they read this will be rubbing their wounds. Things could have changed drastically that day if it was not for Alok.
It all started when during the break between classes Alok came into the class and announced, “ This Wednesday, Mar 15, 2007, we will have an industry visit to Whirlpool factory located in Pondicherry. Please give me your names and 250 bucks if you are interested”. Lest you may get confused what branch of engineering we were studying, let me clarify, we were in Computer Science and Engineering and lest you may get more confused, what washing machine factory had to do with Computer Engineering, the answer is nothing, but this simple fact was never understood by our department but that is how that department worked and I’m sure still works with all incorrect people in incorrect places. Alok was our class representative and took this job very seriously. He may look weak and his frame may look of only skin and bones, but behind it lay a person with steely determination and extraordinary capability to get things done. He loved taking responsibility and he understood the difference between representative and leader. He was practical, he never idealized situation and always put others before himself. Unlike the other representatives who pushed for attention by being the idealists and acting a puppet into the hands of management, Alok simply got the attention and was a person highly popular without having to seriously try for it. None of us were really excited about the trip but still we decide to go as it might be the only time in college. The despos were highly excited with their prospects as our branch still had a lot of single girls, due to the fact as Riks used to say that all the best guys are back-benchers who don’t give them a damn. I still like to agree with him.
The trip was supposed to start 3 A.M. in the morning and three buses were booked. Smriti Tripathi, the Class rep. of other class had turned at her instructive best. She was shouting orders, giving behavioral guidelines and explaining how seeing washing machines being built will be helpful for soon to be software engineers.
“Make sure all of you when you reach there, move in line”
“Please, don’t smoke and don’t disappear to other place without informing faculty members.”
“Don’t laugh and talk loudly in the industry as it is the reputation of the college which is on stake. … bla …bla …bla …bla”
Alok disliked Smriti and he had his reasons. Smriti with her influence and reach had managed to alienate Alok from all important decision making process concerning event organizing and other such stuff. Despite being zero in these abilities as compared to Alok, she managed to become important by using her charm and beauty (only on some people’s scale) to attract influential persons. The college being situated in South India, she turned friendly with most influential South Indian students who were innocent enough to do all that she wanted and got nothing in return. Her closeness with some of important faculty members including the dean and event the program coordinator were exemplary. Most students who used their brains to think hated her, but this number was way too small in comparison who thought from one foot below the brain. However, Alok will have his revenge and she will finally be shown the door unceremoniously from the post of rep. in final year despite heroic efforts by program-manager himself but then that is another story.
We managed to reach the campus gate, where the buses were supposed to arrive, by 2:45 A.M on that day. Some people had pulled out their best clothes and looked like they were prepared to do a ramp walk. The buses were standing in a row. People were speculating as to which bus all the girls will go in and thus were reluctant to enter any bus and waited till girls arrived. Rohira was dressed like a peacock. He was wearing a red T-shirt with flowers on it, a blue faded pair of jeans with two skeletons drawn on the back pockets and a belt which had a large fan in place of buckle which somehow managed to ensure that his pants didn’t slip a little more low. Alok had said, “What if…. The fan starts rotating dude?”
We chose not to wait and we got into the last bus and all of us filled last couple of seats. After some 10 minutes a bus carrying girls arrived among a lot of cheers from a lot of guys. They got down looked here and there and then suddenly some girl entered our bus and others followed. Smrit entered last, and then began most humiliating 150 seconds of her life. Just as she entered she realized that Akshay was in that bus. Akshay was the guy whom most girls hated as he often got under their nerves with his witty and at times even indecent remarks. He let out a volley of very hilarious comments and also composed a funny song with help of Riks. Smriti realized her mistake. She got down went to the faculties and requested to change their bus as that bus had discipline problems and took all the girls to other bus, which was full of despos. They cheered as if they have won a war. We too hooted as we had won round 1. Alok gave a high-fi to Akshay and Riks, some others joined in and we had a good laugh. Some despos were sitting in front in our bus too. They felt infuriated. Ranjan especially looked devastated, but didn’t have the balls to say anything. Suddenly we realized that Anand and Devesh have disappeared silently and went to bus in which girls went. After the trip got over they were given a lesson but then that is also another story.
We were about to get started after a head count and an attendance, and with it started some confusion. The faculties assigned to the trip were inexperienced and all were given different directions from their seniors. There was some miscommunication regarding path to take and the timing and even which faculty gets into which bus. They kept on discussing for quite some time without any decision being made. All of us were getting impatient as the heat and humidity levels in Vellore were very high and sitting on a stranded bus was like sitting in a hot oven. Sweat was pouring and slowly all girls were beginning to look more ugly with the fading make up and thus they were turning impatient too. Captain had had enough and he got down and went towards the faculty. Captain had a strange urge to be the leader, and we all thought that he is going to get into trouble, but then Alok pulled him back in time. Then he went to the teachers and suggested his ideas. Smriti cut him short and gave some very impractical and idealistic ideas according to Alok. Well I wasn’t there so I don’t know what the ideas were and what the discussion even was, but however we started in another five minutes. Later Alok came and told us that the industry had given permission for only 100 students but there are 180 students on trip. As Alok told me that Smriti wanted to make it first come first serve basis, then she told make it on CGPA (knowing full well that it will eliminate most of our group). Alok had better idea, he suggested that once we reach Pondy make an announcement that whoever is not interested can go roam the city and come back by certain time and in most likeliness there won’t be more than a 100 left. Smriti however was not convinced, she had said “Some people will get drunk and misbehave with girls after that”, something which had never happened before that and never happened any time in those four years, but then somehow some girls seemed to have form an opinion about some of us as to our only motive in life was drinking and misbehaving with them, although there was no such precedent and now most of them only agree that they had wrong opinion of us. However, that is another story.
However, the faculty members finally took Alok’s advice and imposed one condition that no one informs that this had happened to any higher authority. The trip started, and every bus had a different journey experience. The despos had the time of their life singing and dancing, the other bus with mostly Andhra and TN people in that simply listened to songs and slept. In our bus we simply cracked jokes and planned what to do next, while some guys took a puff or two, and most of the time we slept through the journey. There were some more confusions in the way but was sorted out and we finally arrived at Pondy at 11:00 A.M.
Swathi Ma’am made the announcement that those who are not interested can go away but they must be back at same spot by 5 in the evening. Swathi Ma’am was one of the few faculty members who have earned the respect of all the students including all of us. Her fresh approach to teaching and her impartial ways along with her student friendly attitude had made her very popular among students. As soon as announcement was made the students started disappearing and in some time all left were all the despos and almost all the girls, except a few who chose to go away. Smriti’s face had turned red and she felt humiliated. Among us Alok, Anand, Manjeet and me were the ones who did not drink and chose to take our own path to city, Devesh chose to stay with the despos and go to the industry, while Akshay, Riks, Begu, Nishant, Captain and Amitosh chose to go the beach and have some drink and also catch a glimpse of skimpily dressed French girls on the beach of Pondicherry.
We were still uncertain of what to do. Anand wanted us to join the others to industry visit and so did Manjeet as he had already had one visit here before, while Alok and I wanted to go to some beach and also visit the local market place. We decided to discuss it over lunch and as we were about to finish the lunch when Alok got a call from Swathi Ma’am. He went out to talk and when he came back he said, “Smriti had informed Kalyan Raman (the class co-ordinator) of what has happened here on phone. He has instructed the faculty-members to call us all back and take us to industry while he will negotiate with Whirlpool people over the number. So we need to be back at the place by 1 P.M. She is a pain in the ass.”
“Whaaaaat the Fuckkkk!!! What’s her problem?” I said.
“She is such a bbb….”, before Anand could complete, Manjeet said, “So what do we do now?”
“Let’s go back. No other option” said Alok making a frown on his forehead.
“Ya, that’s right.” I said and added “Did you inform the others?”
“I called Akshay, he told that they can’t come by 1 as they have gone far and thus I told them to come to the industry directly. I will tell the faculty members that they could not be reached” said Alok. Alas! If that could be so easy!
We returned to the place by 12:45 P.M., slowly a lot of people started coming still fuming and pissed at Smriti at spoiling their plans. It had turned very hot and sun was beating down giving a burning sensation to the uncovered parts of the body. Smriti looked happy and content and she had an emphatic smile on her face. On seeing Akshay and others have still not returned, she started getting restless. She was seeing an opportunity of a life-time to get our friends expelled or at-least suspended. Alok and I were sitting on a footpath nearby. Suddenly she came to us, and asked “Where are your friends?”
We did not know whether the question was addressed to me or Alok so we simply looked at each other and turned our gaze away from her.
“What happened? Where are they?” She seemed irritated.
“They cannot come now. They will come directly at industry” Alok said.
“Why they can’t come now? What is such a big deal? They have come here for an Industry visit and they must be here.”
I wanted to say “Go mind your own business” but before that Alok said “I have informed this to Swathi Ma’am about this” and turned his gaze away. Alok had informed this to Swathi Ma’am and also convinced her that none of our friends name would go to the Dean. Smriti was getting all the more restless. She hung there for sometime looking at Alok for one instance and me the other but both of us kept silent. Frustrated, she went to one of the faculty members and told her the details. This person with some unpronounceable name was in his mid-twenties and may have just completed his education. He had no intention to get involved in such a situation, but since a girl had told him, he had to do something. He walked to us and asked Alok, “if they will take time we can wait for another half an hour”.
“No need Sir! I have told them to come to the industry and they may have already started, if they don’t come here then you can complain or do whatever you want.” Alok was just too good for him. He went back discussed something with Smriti who did not seem to agree, but still they once again decided to take Alok’s word. Smriti had just lost another round.
We reached to the industry around 3 P.M. and found that our friends have still not come. Alok was panicking now. He moved aside and made a call to Akshay. I could see his expression change suddenly and he looked concerned to say the least. After he had completed the call, he pulled Manjeet and me aside and told us “Goirala had met a minor accident. Akshay, Nishant and all had joined Ankan, Mrigang and Goirala on the beach and Goirala and Mrigang had drunk too much beer. Then they had hired a bike, which while driving Goirala had met a small accident. Mrigang had also drunk too much and he is lying and vomiting at the beach. No way, they can come here now and if they can’t they and also we are in trouble for supporting them.”
I was thinking what to say when Swathi Ma’am came to us from nowhere. She asked
“Where are they?”
“On the way. Stuck in traffic.” I lied.
“Make sure they are here at least before we leave from here” she instructed as she walked away.
Smriti had smelled something fishy. She walked to me and asked, “Is there any problem? Tell me, I can help” she said.
I was not to fall in this trap, “No, no problem. They are on the way, stuck in traffic.”
“Are you sure?” she asked.
“Ya. Thanks for the concern.” I mocked but very subtly.
“Ok” She walked away.
“Let’s hope that this industry visit takes a long time, we will need every minute” said Alok.
As luck had it, a problem surfaced. As expected there was another goof up. The permission was for only hundred and Kalyan Raman had promised he will negotiate to get all the students in, a promise which he had failed to keep. Now the industry was willing to allow in only 100 to their campus.
Some faculty members were in negotiations with some industry people when Smriti started, “Since we already knew that this may happen let’s face it. Let’s 100 of us go in while others can wait outside. Let’s make it on a CGPA basis”
Alok had reached his combustion point. The sun was blazing and it was really hot at that place, he was already in tension and now this stupid theory of Smriti, even an angel could have lost it and Alok was only human. He broke out, “It’s because of you that these people have come here and now you say they can’t go in. Either all go or no-one goes”
“What can I do yar? I though it will be negotiated. Now that it hasn’t it will be better if at least some of us more deserving should go in” Smriti said.
“Oh great! And what is your scale of deservingness?” Alok was getting irritated.
“Let it be on CGPA basis. That’s the best scale”
“Oh so is it like the caste system? So higher castes can go in the temple and lower castes cannot, similarly, higher CGPAs can go in the industry and lower cannot.”
“Why are you…”
Before she could complete Alok fired “Shut up! Just shut up! Who the hell do you think you are that you are passing your judgments? Don’t forget you are just a student yourself and you have no right and no business to comment who deserves and who does not. You are just a representative of the class and not a representative of the college management. Who has given you the authority to decide what we all need to do? Better hold your tongue and if any decision is to be taken let the faculty members take it, if any announcement is to be made let them make it and not you.”
Smriti had just been given the dose of her life. Alok had just told her everything that every one of us wanted to say to her for a long time. A public chiding to her was Alok’s dream and finally he only fulfilled it. Most of students were delighted, they clapped and hooted. Gaurav Thaddani came to Alok and said “Well done dude!!! Keep it up” Swathi Ma’am was chuckling silently. Everyone whom Smriti considered her friend were either laughing or smiling silently except may be a few. Her beautiful eyes were filled with tears. One or two hot tears rolled down her cheeks which she quickly wiped off. I admit that had I not known her for past one and half years and if I was one of them who don’t think with their brains, I would have beaten the hell out of Alok for making her cry. Two of the male faculty members looked sympathetic but they didn’t dare reprimand Alok publicly as now suddenly he was the star of the show, but they had made a note in their diary to reprimand him whenever an opportunity arises which did not arise in future.
Now this incident remains to be a legend and people still talk about it. Alok is still proud of it and I feel Smriti still longs for revenge. But there was a small incident after that one which very few know. Smriti had been reprimanded; people had congratulated Alok and dispersed here and there. Alok was trying to reach Akshay or Nishant and I was standing there by myself not sure what to do. Smrit walked up to me that moment. Before this Smriti and I were on good terms even though we were not exactly friends. She looked straight at me and asked “Don’t you think having 100 people with higher CGPA’s in will be the best thing to do in such circumstances? Do you have any better suggestion?”
I don’t know, to this day, why she had walked up to me. Maybe she felt she could divide Alok and me, or maybe I being the one in our circle (only one as Riks and Ankan were away) who could make into the industry with my CGPA will support her theory. But, then I had had enough of her that day. I didn’t shout back, I simply replied “I have a better idea. You see a pit over there” I said and pointed a big pit probably used for dumping some industrial waste, and added, “shoot the 80 people whom you don’t want to take in and put them in that pit and then take the rest of them in.” I was walking away but she followed me and shouted right at my face “How arrogantly are you talking? How badly? Is this the way a second year Engineering student should talk to a girl?”
Now I don’t know whether it was a trick or she was serious but I just replied “Just go away. I don’t want to shout at you now. Just go off or let me be off” and walked away and after that day we did not talk to each other for quite some time and we talked only on the last day of college after this and that too was a simple “All the best” and “Good Bye”
Smriti stood there looking furious and finally walked to Anand and Ishaan who gave her a patient hearing but uncharacteristically chose to keep quiet after this.
But our problem was still not solved. The confusion had given us some time but the issue was far from over and now the wounded tigress in form of Smriti wanted revenge. One mistake and she would end up with the upper hand. Our friends were in trouble and there was no option seemingly available. One option was to take one of the faculty members into confidence and seek his help. But that would be too risky as most of them were very wary of management. Another way was to save our ass and tell them that we tried to contact them but we could not. But this was not what we wanted to do.
Suddenly Deepak Joshi came to us and asked Alok, “Alok, shouldn’t we ask them to go to the beach for some time. It’s no point coming to Pondy, having our lunch and going back. At least one hour there and then we can have our dinner there and go back.”
This was a Eureka moment. Alok had just found the way out. He went to Swathi Ma’am who meanwhile was busy negotiating the entry of 180 students into the campus and asked “Ma’am the students want to go to rock beach after the visit even for one hour. We had come here and just going back after lunch won’t be good. And you see every other branch which came here went to the beach. So please one hour.”
“Ok let me see.” She said. Smriti heard it but she was in no mood to go against the students’ wish once again. A few more guys joined and started requesting. Finally she said “Ok! But one hour only. We leave at 6:30 max.” Some students cheered while we just breathed a sigh of relief. Alok had once again become the hero of the masses.
Finally a deal was struck with the industry people and they allowed visit in two batches. First batch went into the industry at 4 and came by 4:30 P.M while the second batch went in and came back by 5:10 P.M... Manjeet, Alok and I did not go in. We contacted them and told them all to reach at the Rock beach by 6:15 sharp. As the beach was near to place where they were stuck, chance was optimal that they may make it. Before leaving for the beach Swathi Ma’am asked us “Where are your friends?”
“They were stuck in traffic, not getting a vehicle and so I told them to come to the beach. Don’t worry they will be there.” Alok affirmed though his face told different story. Smriti was just seeing a glimmer of hope. She smelled something fishy and she was alert.
We reached the beach by 5:45 P.M and clear instructions were given to leave latest by 7:00 P.M. While everyone joined the fun on the beach Manjeet, Alok and I stood near the bus making frantic calls to our friends who were always saying in the way. Our impatience grew every passing moment; all sort of negative thoughts were clouding our mind. We were hungry but did not feel like going for food. It was nothing short of the climax of a bollywood movie when they all arrived sharp at 6:50 P.M. Mrigang and Goirala were still under effect of alcohol. We pushed them on back seat and covered them with blankets. We covered the wounded face of Goirala with the blanket carefully and sprayed some deodorant to mask the smell of beer.
All the students slowly filled the bus by 7:10 P.M. Smriti came near our bus to confirm and looked hugely disappointed to see all of our friends have arrived. She was once again given an unceremonious see-off as Akshay once again let out a volley of hilarious remarks to send her off. Our hearts skipped a beat when one of the faculty members while taking attendance came very close to Goirala but then walked off without further inspection. As the buses started we allowed ourselves to let out a huge victory cry despite our tiredness.
We reached Vellore in 5 hours drive and we have just pushed ourselves to the tunnel and came back. It was a day that none of us will ever forget. We had given ourselves a lot of memories to laugh about in future and a big lesson to people like Smriti.
A lot of water has flown under the bridge ever since. But even today whenever I am reminded of this day I am filled with a sense of admiration for Alok. Putting your ass on line for protecting your friends even when you know they are wrong requires courage and resolve. Alok may not have won a war but he had saved many careers. The day, 15th of Mar 2007, on which we laugh and have fond memories may have had been a day we would have regretted our whole life had it not been for him. I haven’t met Alok and neither met Smriti after we passed out. But I’m sure wherever Alok is he is still proud of the fact that he moved Smriti to tears and wherever Smriti is she still longs for revenge for that day, if only life gives give her another chance. I just hope it never happens but if it does it would be another memorable story.
