I was in my 3rd year of engineering and it was three days prior to Sept. 5. While I was getting down the stairs of C-block, I saw one of my senior (4th yr) on his way to home which made me increase my pace and as I reached him patting his shoulder I said, “Hey boss, how things moving on……? Hey, by the way how are the preparations? Need any help let me know”. With a puzzled look he said, “What? Preparations for what”
I replied, “Hey in two days we have Teacher’s day and we usually have some celebrations for it, right!” For which he said “Oh! Yes, no idea dude may be this time we are not having anything”. With a sense of disbelief I said “But, last time your seniors did organize it amazingly, we really enjoyed on that day. And it’s a tradition which won’t be good if we drop it this time”. While I was talking to him, the last time celebrations just flashed on my mind. Where, I along with my friends was sitting in a group behind every one, commenting on every program that was being performed there. While this was going on all of a sudden I got up as I thought of some suggestion which could have made the program more exciting, so went up to one of the seniors present in front and before I could even talk to him; he brushed me aside saying we know how to organize things. Dismayed by his reply, I came back to my place and continued having a great time.
I got back to our discussion when he began his reply, “Harish, common we have so many other things to take care of, this is our final year and our placements are going on, we have our tensions don’t add any more to them!”. With a smile on face, I replied, “Ah, yes I was unaware of your problems; still I guess I will talk to the CR (class representative – topper for that semester) of your class”. He burst out with laughter, for which with a smile I continued, “I know CR in CBIT is nothing but a nerd, who only cares for his marks. But this is his responsibility and he is expected to take up the initiative, or why else should he be called a CR? Now it’s up to him he if takes up or not; I shall talk to him. Anyways have a good day, see you.” He replied back, “Sure, see you.”
Next day in the morning during break between the sessions, I was able to meet their CR. I asked him the same and as was expected, he gave a weird look; upon which I thought he might not even hear of something of that sort. Then I said to him, “No problem, I will take care of this event” without thinking and being unaware about the process and things involved in it. For which he gave a pleasing smile.
Here, I could have still gone back as none was there to help me out with the event and I kept thinking how I can manage everything all alone. But the ardent desire that the tradition should not be dropped made me to go ahead with it. I found out that the ISTE group present in the college was sponsoring this event for each branch with the props, cakes, snacks and other stuff. So that reduced my anguish considerably and got me a confidence that the event can still be pulled out though I was left with no time for the preparations, this news gave me a huge sense of relief.
After coming back to home, I started to ponder on it again. The celebrations will not be confined to only cake and snacks we still need to have some programs to make it exciting and here I was at home with little or no time left to even list out persons who can put up some show. Then something struck to my mind, two of the girls from the class junior to us (2nd yr) from the other section C-1 sings really well and we often used to make them sing during the ragging. Before I could think much on it, I called up one of them and persuaded her to sing for the event, after the usual ‘No’ that every one puts up, she agreed eventually, after I took much trouble in convincing her; thanks to her. Then I called her friend but this time it was bit easy to persuade. “Hey, your friend has agreed” always works wonders!!
I thought, now I have some song performances and I can add up antakshari and musical chairs to finish up the event. It might not be a great event but still a decently good one and much better than completely dropping it. So, had a good peaceful sleep that night, but next day morning little I knew that I will get myself again into the same tensed situation. I missed the bus that morning and reached college very late around 11 leaving only one hour to invite the lecturers. And in that one hour I have to prepare the invitations as well and missing even one lecturer will be such an embarrassing situation. I was cursing myself that had I come early before the classes started I could have caught a 1st year junior. May be god might have heard to me, I saw a guy passing at a long distant. Instantly, I called him to come near to me, The fact that I never saw him earlier in college made my belief strong that he should be a 1st year. But right in front of the classes, also without knowing much and calling from such a distance is considered to be risky for ragging and I was in a mood to take that risk.
As he came towards me, I asked him, “Which year?” to which he had replied “MCA 1st year”. Though we never rag MCA 1st years we only concentrate on the engineering 1st years but here I was in such a damn need. So, I told him, “I will not rag you not even interested in it, I need some help for which you have to bunk your class for this hour”. Surprisingly instantly he agreed without any buts’ and if’s. I took him to a lab where the invitation cards and other stuff were stored, then assigned him the work to place those cards in the covers and ran from there to the staff room.
Panting and in urgency approached the staff in-charge there, to which she was bewildered. With a smile I asked her, “Mam, I need the teaching and non-teaching staff list of CSE”. She instantly took the print out and gave to me without asking any question, maybe she understood the reason and was expecting someone would ask her for the list. That made me think how bad it would have been had we dropped the celebrations. Came back to the lab and sat along with him and completed the invitation cards. Assuring that invitation cards work was done, saying thanks I asked to him leave, once he left it flashed to me that I forgot to even ask his name!!!
Now, it was time to invite the lecturers for the celebrations. Thought it won’t be good if I go alone and invite so I asked few of my friends to accompany me and they did. We invited everyone, even the students which includes our juniors and as well as the seniors from both sections C-1 and C-2. After these events, we had a class session and having completed the work even I attended the session but all during the session I was so anxious thinking “How will it go, What if it dulled?”
The timing for which I booked the assembly hall and the end of class session had only five to ten minutes break in between, so I had put myself again into anxious moments by attending that class. As soon as the class was over, I rushed to the room where the cake, snacks and cool-drinks where placed. Saw a person in-charge there and requested him to send those to assembly hall right away. But, he showed his helplessness as he had no attendants to send those and told me he would do that as soon as he find someone. But, I was in no mood to wait as the time I was left with was miniscule. I requested him to give them to me and I will take them; he gave a surprised look too. They were around four to five big boxes, seeing them I understood why he had given that puzzled look; I had to carry them alone from that room to the assembly hall above the canteen one after the other. I could have called up my friends but I was not in a position to wait.
This confirmed my preparations where all done and set. And the assembly hall was also decently filled up with batches of all three years and again two sections in each of them and the teaching and non-teaching staff were all present. I had still around few minutes to start the proceedings. But then something stuck to me that if I start up the event with welcome message with my seniors and the outgoing batch sitting in front, it will amount as disrespect to them. So, I took one of my friends from the 4th year aside and told to him, “We have only two to three minutes prepare some welcome note and you have to start the event”. After those two to three minutes he came to me with the note and said, “Harish, look at it if this is fine”. To which I replied, “Whatever it is, its fine. People are waiting there, rush and start the program”.
After all the initial glitches and anxious moments I was into. The celebrations went really well with the help from my friends in organizing the shows and in distributing the snacks etc. Apart from once or twice running to the generator room from the assembly hall placed at diagonally opposite corners of the college, for the electrician to set the speakers right; everything else went on perfectly. Though when I compare this to the celebrations I attended when I was in 2nd year, this looked not so good but the sense of happiness and satisfaction was tremendous for me. As, if in that celebrations my words were not even heed to, here the very next celebrations I can proudly say that it was organized and even worked on completely by me.
This was the Sept. 5, 2005; it was my 3rd year of engineering, which will remain forever into my mind…. But little did I knew, what was in store for me for the coming Sept. 5!!! Interested in knowing what might have happened? Then read the next commencing part ….
Sept. 4, 2006; I was into my 4th year and final year of CBIT life. I along with my group of friends was idling our time in front of the sports room, post lunch; our usual favorite way of spending time. Then fortunately I happened to remember the date. I shouted with sudden rapidity, “Oops, today is 4th!!” someone from the group at their usual humorous best shouted back, “So what, is it your death day to be?” I replied, “Stop mocking guys, I am serious. Tomorrow we need to organize the Teachers day celebration”. For which Ratty (modernized version for Ratnakar) - if his looks has to be described. A tall, hefty having a typical nature of talk with heavy glasses slashed onto his face, anytime of the day makes him look a big nerd. Which he is, he is also the most decent and organized member of our group, he stood up and said, “Oh yeah! So shall we do it this time too?” I replied, “Of course we have to!!” and I continued, “Last time it was completely upon me but this time we all will do it together”. For which everyone were more than happy to work in their way.
So, I took Ratty, Pavan – person of extremes, if he can be taken to be the ultra modern kid as he enjoys and lives on rock music and other tech savvy stuff. He has got another side to him too, he equally is well aware and lives on the other kind of music (mass music in local slang) too and lot of other stuff too and always witty to the core and can get the nuts out of you, if you have happen to annoy him and if you do so, very easily it can considered your most unfortunate day; he has such great ability. He is a lean medium sized guy with always fully combed hair, sporting branded wear every moment. Along with Ratty and Pavan few other came along with me to the ISTE in-charge. I asked him, “Will you be providing the stuff for celebrations in similar manner, as it was done last time?” He gave me a complete shocker by saying, “No, this time we are not funding the event!!”
I was in full shatters, as again there was not much time left out it was almost the end of the day. So, whatever we can do we have to do only the next day. But this time I had greater hope, as I was not alone but my friends were also equally interested in organizing it. So, I told to Ratty and Pavan, “That’s ok, we will contribute ourselves. Tomorrow in first period start collecting in the class from our friends”. So, that’s what all we were able to plan on that day. And about the programs or shows to my amazement I didn’t even think of them.
Next day morning, I continued my legacy of going late to college and class. This was and is one thing which never comes into my control. Luckily as usual, the lecturer allowed me into the class. After having settled down at my place I looked at Ratty and Pavan, they said they were collecting. Till the end of the class session we had collected considerable amount, which I asked to keep it with them.
After the class sessions during the break, we went around each staff room inviting every lecturer. Mean time, Uday – supposedly the topper of class, takes up responsibility each time very well and he has a patient and friendly nature. To describe him, his style keeps changing; his hair keeps changing at times he complains of getting plump and eats all grass that he can find, at times he complains of being the same old personality.
And Bhanu – the other decent member of our group, who never talk’s bad and most dedicated to career and classes, never misses to take down the notes in class. To describe his looks, he is a tall, well built, and hairy with very unique gait. All his good manners will be lost in a second if he is any Disco or DJ, he would be the first person to hit the floor and gets into his own mood unaware of the surroundings, every time vows to eat less and not to eat non –vegetarian and ends up eating more than anyone else could and also ends up eating only non –vegetarian.
Both Uday and Bhanu took up the work of getting the best cake from the surrounding places. And we after inviting everyone went to the canteen at college and ordered there, for supply of the snacks and other stuff for the celebrations. And that officially were the end of the preparations, but for the shows to be put in there, we still had no clear idea. So, I took up that matter with my friends and after discussions we decided we will go with the conventional things like Antakshari, dumbsher arts, musical chairs etc, there was no time left for us to be creative and innovative.
Everyone including the faculty along with the HOD started assembling in the hall and we had our preparations going on too. Then I saw Uday coming in with the cake, as soon as he came in, I had some relief only then I remembered that a mam was not there in her room when we went to her staff room to invite. I went to Uday and told him, “Can you go and invite the mam, as she was not there when we went?”
May be he was tired roaming for the cake and began shouting on me, “Nee… @#$%&$ vere valu lera ….. (Youuu …. @#$%&$ you don’t have others …..)”. Being completely unaware of the fact that I had the microphone in my hand and it was in full active mode. His sound was echoing from the speakers which made him put a sudden halt to his word and embarrassingly he left from there to invite the mam. The funniest situation that can happen, we had a good laugh!!
Then, I started the proceedings with a welcome message and other programs followed it. We had a very good time with the lecturers and our other friends there. When it was time for the cake cutting, everyone pushed in towards the table to have a glimpse. And as, I was left with very little space, I pushed out myself from the crowd and was standing behind few others. Then there was the most memorable moment I cannot even think of. The HOD, after having done with the cutting of cake ; for the first piece of the cake he was searching for me and as I was standing behind, he was unable to locate me and had to wait for few seconds, still I got the first piece of the cake.
I Felt on top of the world, so euphoric and satisfied. Adding to it as it was a complete team work and more importantly along with my very good friends I was more enthralled and elated this Sept. 5, 2006 celebrations than the last year’s celebrations i.e., Sept. 5, 2005.
Next year, I was in Mysore for my training at Infosys. When I enquired my juniors on how they had celebrated Sept. 5, 2007. I felt dismayed and dejected to know that there was no celebration and an end to that tradition had finally come!!!
1 comment:
Nice work mama...Its so nostalgic.. Miss those days at CBIT.
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