Diary of A Chick(en) Addict

The Engineering Saga- III: Arrival at the College!

2012-04-27T22:21:00.000+05:30

I was on cloud nine while coming to college to start my first semester or what we call a freshman’s year. It wasn’t the first time I was overjoyed to go to a new place. It happened to me every time. Every time I changed school or institute I used to get excited about the new place. The same thing was materialising then.

I saw father; he was looking a bit relieved and a bit tensed; relieved for he got me admitted to engineering college and tensed for me whether I’d run from the college. Therefore he was convincing me throughout the journey.

“You’re a bright student and I’m sure you’ll perform well.”

“Well, thank you! But I don’t think, I am that bright” I responded rather coldly.

“Aah...Don’t worry about NDA, there’re various opportunity in armed forces after mechanical engineering” he sounded convincing.

And then he started motivating me. And by the end of the journey to Punjab, I was brainwashed.

First thing that will catch your eyes as you enter the Campus!

Next day, we reached college. As I moved in, I started liking the college. The infrastructure was good and as a matter of fact it’s getting better now. For the first time I was seeing Surdars, I saw them in movies basically. And I thought most of them are driver; this was my prejudice. And after a long time, I was watching lots of girls at same time and same place. Imagine the mental state of a boy who has just moved from boys school, then to a school with very few sex-ratio, then to academy of Merchant Navy; no girls at all. And again to a place with lots of beautiful girls in a campus. I was flabbergasted.

Keep your eyes wide open, and you'll definitely find these sort of beauties...

We reached to administrative building and I was exhausted. No wonder, I weighed 195 lbs at that time.

“I am dealing with some formalities, by the time you should go and keep your luggage in your hostel” my father said.

“Wait!! Let me have some rest for a while” I was exhausted.

“How could you be such a slothful? C’mon, get up, fetch some water and move” he kind of yelled at me. At times he used to behave like an army officer.

I took out the hostel seat confirmation receipt and moved towards hostel. I asked a senior passing by about the room.

D-623-C, my slip read this. I asked what it meant.

“It’s D-Block, Room No. 623 that’s 6^th level and bed no. C” he responded.

I almost fainted after getting to know that my room lies on the top most floor, 6^th level. Somehow I managed to reach there. I knocked the door, but there come no reply to that.

I banged the door, and it opened. I looked around the room. I found one water bottle of one litre capacity.

“Is this water good for drinking?” I asked panting.

A guy nodded his head. I drank it in one go. Then moved toward my bed and kept my luggage.

“This bed is been allotted to me and I believe you should move” I said in firm tone.

“Okay! We are here temporarily and tomorrow we’ll shift to our hostel, if you don’t mind” those guys were allotted a room that was not built yet (this was kind of funny part).

“I won’t mind unless I face any problem” I replied to them. I was jerk at that time.

Few hours later, my father visited my room after finishing all the formalities. He met with my room-partners and did a bit of chit-chatting.

In evening, he took leave and was about to go. I accompanied him to the main entrance gate of our campus. He was preaching me how to live in college and all that stuffs. Again and again, he said the same thing that

“DO NOT FIGHT WITH ANYONE AND DO NOT DO ANY SUCH THING THAT THE COLLEGE ADMINISTRATION THROW YOU OUT. ALWAYS KEEP IN MIND YOU ARE HERE TO STUDY AND MAKE YOUR CAREER. AND MOREOVER YOU’RE ON EDUCATION LOAN. YOU’RE NO MORE JUVENILE; GROW UP ACCORDING TO YOUR AGE. WHATEVER MISCHIEF YOU INTEND TO DO; HAVE THE COGNIZANCE OF THE POSSIBLE REPERCUSSION”.

I promised him I would not let him down this time. Although the first two lines were quite familiar, I used to hear them when I was in boarding but never paid any heed to them. But this time these lines were quite heavy. Intrinsically, I decided to follow them no matter what. I thought of not to assault anyone in this college, not to get into any sorts of fight with anyone. I’d change myself COMPLETELY.

We reached gate, and it was time to bid adieu to him. I was chocked, literally. Not a single word was coming out of me. This was not the first time. It was normal. Every time my parents used to leave me in boarding school, my throat used to get choked. I wanted to cry but I couldn’t. I wanted to be strong in front of my parents.

The similar feeling that prevailed at that moment.

“Take care” that’s what I could say.

“You too, and remember my words” replied my father.

“Okay” I nodded. And I came back to my room.

Finally I was at a place full of girls or better say chicks. It seemed like I was in a fantasy world, but it was not. It was real and I could feel that.

.......to be continued

The Engineering Saga-II

2012-01-07T06:19:00.014+05:30

continued....

mixed up with career choice

I marveled whole night, why there is so much fuss about engineering. I was bushed. I couldn’t find the answer.

I wished Mr. Vidhu Vinod Chopra had made his film “3 Idiots” in 2008, at the time of my admission in engineering college. I would have shown that movie to my parents and would have pursued my dream happily(?).

wish it would have filmed one year back

That night my father came with a letter in his hand. That was the call letter from National Defence Academy. I was called for my SSB interview at 1AFSB, Dehradun for my SSB. The reporting time was 8^th August 2008 at 0700 Hrs. My first choice was Indian Air Force. I was welcomed there at the selection centre. On the very first day, I had hunch about my rejection. It was because my eyesight was not perfect, and they postulate the exact 6/6 eyesight to become a pilot in Indian Air Force.

Overall, it was one of the most esteemed experiences I had ever been through in my life. People say, merely reaching to Board is not enough, if you don’t experience the five days task; your experience of SSB is zero. I was lucky, though not enough so I came back, I was not recommended. But the experience was awesome; not exactly, but it was.

“You did what you wanted to do, now it’s my turn, and you ought to listen me this time”, my father said when I returned from there.

“Go for engineering!” It was his command, it appeared from his tone.

"But...", I tried to keep my point.

"No if & buts", interrupted my father "give me a coherent explanation and I'll consider your wish of not choosing engineering. You're well cognizant of our fiscal condition."

He had a point.
Even if I had to rebel, I had to give a plausible excuse for it which I didn’t have against his logic. Eventually, I said YES to Engineering. I capitulated.

I asked my sister if I could get admission in the college she’s in. The answer was NO. She didn’t like her college. But she’s been supportive throughout this. She’s one of the coolest sisters available on the earth. Don’t be jealous, you can’t be as lucky as me in this case!

I got to know about LPU and I was admitted. I thought it’d be fun but it was all beguiling and my fate had some other plans. It really sucked….counting about the problem my calculator will run short of this. And it was more shocking for me when I checked the menu in the mess. There was not a single non-vegetarian dish in it. It was as though it's running a campaign "go vegan".

the university hostel was like this

I started cursing whole management for this. I cursed the Director of my University for keeping the hostel vegetarian. And he had to for he was a "Marwari". For me food means Non-vegetarian food.

my definition of food is this!!

Later I met Binayak, a perfect gormandizer like me. He was my cohort. We were kind of clique. And somehow I had to settle there, I had no other option.

My sister warned me once to not to opt Mechanical branch, but there comes a time when you listen to nobody but self. My sister admonished me not to opt for mechanical as she had a clue what mechanical actually was and she knew me very well. She considered me as a headstrong person with not few but many of the screw of mind loosened if those screw actually existed.
She often wondered whether there was not a chasm where my brain should be. For her I was a categorical idiot.
She had an anticipation that I’d botched up further. And I guess her prophecy is coming true.

that's what mechanical engineering all about

And this way I landed in engineering…..Mechanical Engineering.

Few days back, I was murfing some YouTube videos and I found an interview of Chetan Bhagat by Richa Anirudh of IBN7 in her show ”Zindagi Live”. Though it was quite old episode but I like her show for two reasons. Number 1, I had a childhood crush on her and number 2, her show was very inspirational.

Richa Anirudh at Zindagi Live: beauty redefined

I can say the show would make you a true human being if you happen to watch full episode; it’s better than the other sitcoms like “How I Met Your Mother and Vampire Diaries”.

That day it was Chetan Bhagat as a guest and he was there after release of movie “3 Idiots” based on his novel “Five-Point-Someone”. There was a bit controversy about his credits in the movie and few differences arose between the 3-Idiots team and him. He was asked why he pursued management after he graduated as an engineer. Well, that man has an answer for it.

He stated “In India, when we come from a middle-class family, basic needs come first and then passion is followed. If you don’t have food and your passion is singing, definitely you would go for making way for food not for singing. If you really want to pursue your passion then first you must have your basic needs and go for it. As I first made money, did savings and then I pursued my writing, and I think this is the better way.”

Now I realized; I am not confronting this alone. Let’s face it!

Sometimes I feel like the sayings of Bhagwadgeeta are true. It says “Whatever is happening is good for our life and whatever is going to happen is also going to be good”.

In 2008, there was terror attack on Hotel Taj, Mumbai and following which the tourism industry went down. Had I opted for Hotel management as my career, my career would have gone gloomy.

26/11: Dark day for India

Later in 2009-2010, there was seizure of a vessel of Merchant Navy by Somalian Pirates. The pirates killed many of the hostages. And the government was perplexed to take any action as it was the not in its territory. Even the company was not of India. However, it took eight days to confer order to Indian Navy. Thanks to Indian Navy, it rescued the hostages in no time. But the whole operation tickled my thought again. Had I been in Merchant Navy, I could have been one of the hostages or may be one of the hostages that were killed brutally.

Indian Navy overpowered Pirates

But again every field has some danger zone. Every career has treacherous side in one way or another. IT sector was on the boom once. But during 2008, there was recession and it came to same ground. We have to deal with it, no matter how hard we have to work or perform.

Boom and recession: all needs to handled

At the end of the day, it’s you who matters.

Now, I am flowing with the wind of fate and my work. I really have no idea WHAT I WILL BE UP TO.

Wish me all the best. Bless me if you’re good at it. But don’t curse me, it will be of no use; I have an anti-virus installed in me. J

The Engineering Saga-I

2011-12-19T19:41:00.008+05:30

I was really confused!

When it came to my career choice, I often wondered what I am going to be. My school friend Raushan coveted to be a successful lawyer, though he rarely mentioned among our group. He wanted to be like his grandfather; a Judge.

Chandan, Saurav and other friends of mine were desirous to join IIT (Indian Institute of Technology). Although they couldn't make through it but they are in highly reputed college now. And Apoorva was like me; aimless. He had an unavowed desire of becoming a super-model. As a matter of fact, he had started keeping longer hair. Now, he's pursuing Masters in Environmental Science, from Fergusson College. I haven't met him since we departed from our boarding school. He's changed a lot, physically and intellectually as well. But for me he's the same person. At times, he seems like a womeniser but I am not sure about it, unless I meet him.
And I had never thought about it, all I thought about eating.

I was in Bokaro Steel City, a hub of engineering-exam preparing students, during my high school. I had no clue about engineering, what it is, what to do, and all other stuffs. I was just filling the forms of various colleges, and gaze at their prospectus. All I wanted to join merchant navy by hook or by crook.

When result of my 12^th declared, I was not so happy and nor were my parents. As the result was not up to his expectation so my father finally gave his acquiescence for my joining the academy of merchant navy.

All I wanted this: merchant navy= huge wallet

I couldn’t be there for a longer period and came back. The reasons of my homecoming from the academy are classified. I reached home heavy heartedly for I left what I wanted most in my life. My father asked about what I wanted to be in my life and imposed his desire for making me an Engineer.

I wanted to be anything of my type but engineer, even a shopkeeper would do but engineer would not. But my father is a kind of person who will talk to you in a way that you’ll always think: “Argh…darn man! What was I thinking, this man sounds sensible and how stupid I was thinking”

So, the question was what I wanted to be.

“What happened to your NDA result”, my father enquired.

“Its result is not out yet”, I responded as I have no idea when its result would be declared.

NDA (National Defence Academy); this was my top priority

“NDA should be your first priority. We belong to the Rajput clan and it must be our first priority to join the armed forces” mentioned my father. Rajput is a clan known for its desperate determination of fighting and serving the defense force of India since ancient period. But now it’s also known for its headstrong nature.

“Sure papa, I’ll give my best to get into it.” I responded favorably.

“God forbid, but if you do not make through this NDA, do you have any back-up plans??” he inquired.

“Yes, I do have. I want to go for fashion designing” I said in most convincing way I can. I had applied for the NIFT too.

what I thought fashion technology be like.

“What??” Retorted my father, “you want to be a fashion designer?,"

“What you’ll do there, this field has got no prospect, and do you want to sew blouse and petticoat ??”

What my father perceived by fashion designing

“No, it’s not that fashion designers do that, there are various other courses available there” I reacted accentuating my view.

“No, no, don’t do it” riposted my father, “you’ll land nowhere”

“Well, that’s a bit glamorous world and I don’t want you to go towards that. We belong to middle-class, we live in a very simple way possible, away from any glamour and distraction”. My father laid down the law.

I cogitated about this so called middle class. Who are these middle class anyway? There are still no universally accepted criteria for defining the middle class. Fundamentally, they are neither rich nor poor. Neither do they live in opulence nor do they live in destitution. Even the income criteria have not been benchmarked for them. According to the National Council of Applied Economics Research (NCAER), a family with an annual income between Rs. 3.4 lakh to Rs. 17 lakh comes under this category. It’s become stylish to deride the “middle class morality” and “middle class mentality” without even having clue what the heck it actually mean. Yes, the middle class is materialistic and a bit orthodox. Arrange marriage is strictly followed and love marriage is looked down upon. They believe in incremental change. But they are also progressive in many respects. They are adaptable to any changes. They hate violence and provide stability and order to society. Mahatma Gandhi, I don’t adore him but my country does, was also a middle class and so were many great people.

we the middle-class population

This middle class is tagged with selfishness on every occasion. If being focused on providing a decent life to one’s family through hard work is selfishness, then other class of the society too will face the same tag. If middle classes aspire to get rich through honest means and paying taxes, what’s wrong? Nobody wants to live in penury, right??

I really don’t have problem with what I’ve blabbered up, my only problem is why they run away from limelight. (I am being a bit selfish; I belong to middle classJ anyway.)

“Why don’t you drop a year and join some engineering college??” my father advised me the very next morning.

“I am not going to drop my year at any expense” I said in a very firm voice.

“See, you are a good student, so just drop a year and take some coaching classes if you want and crack any engineering examination and get good college” he tried to convince me.

“What’s the guarantee that I’ll crack it next year?” I asked. Only I knew how brilliant I was.

“So, what other options do you have??” asked my father.

“Well, my next choice would be hotel management” I said confidently,” and I m sure, I’d make through it”.

what I thought about Hotel Management

“Noooo….are you going to be chef??” this was my mother, and this was the longest NO I’ve ever heard from her.

What my mother thought about Hotel management

“But I love food” I put my point.

“Listen! Cooking and experimenting with food is your hobby, but don’t mix your hobby with your profession” My father sounded sensible.

“Furthermore, if you are going to be chef of a hotel, that hotel will ruin, as you’ll finish everything over there” my mother said sarcastically.

“Ok…give me time, I’ll tell you tomorrow” I responded coldly.

to be continued.....

I TOO HAD A DREAM.....

2011-11-20T21:13:00.003+05:30

every action has its meaning

It was summer morning, and my result of class 10th board examination was to be declared today. I was full of anticipation and so were my parents especially my father.

I had a sound sleep but my father hadn't, he was quite insomniac for the obvious reason: my result.

His anxiety was quite obvious for I was thrown out of my boarding school just before a week of the commencement of my Board exams,
and it was not only me but the whole batch were suspended and asked to not come to the school again and make their own arrangement for writing in exam.

Thanks to my Housemaster (warden) and my Sanskrit Teacher who recommended my name in naïve pupil list. They did consider me as the one as I've got a can't-do-mischief-at-all looks. But looks tends to prevaricate.

Soon I was asked to leave school again since I was caught in fist-fight with few friends, not once, twice or thrice but five times.

The day before my English paper, I was caught with a rod of closet, which I was waving in air and shouting slogans. My supportive house-master lost his placidity and presented me before Director and Principal of the school and they asked me to pack my luggage and move out of the school, but somehow I managed to stay there and took my last examination.

This was the account of disquiet of my father on the date of result declaration. I was placid for the obvious reason I knew what I'd done in paper and I was certain I'd get good marks. On the contrary my father was thinking that I'd scarcely pass by some grace marks for sure.

I got up, freshened myself and offered prayer to god for more than my usual minutes. I took my bicycle and my brother accompanied me to the cyber cafe.

The cafe was quite dark there. However my brother showed the place and helped me to enter. There were narrowly 2-3 people inside, all of my age or 1-2 years older to me.

"Roll number", asked the owner of cafe chewing tobacco he had in his mouth.

"Five-one-two-four-six-eight-three", I said in my usual tone.

"Who is this fellow??" he yelled after spitting the tobacco.

"What happened???" my brother became nervous.

"Nothing, he got just unusual marks." he said and turned towards me, "You didn't study here, did you."

"No, I was in boarding" I nodded.

My brother took the result and calculated roughly and said, "You got round about 85%".

80% was the score that was quite regal for the society I lived in, and I managed to get that.

I smiled but didn't say anything.

I was not happy over my score but my parents were. In-fact there was a reason of their happiness as they never expected me to get this marks under those circumstances.

I was sad not because I got less marks but because every guy with whom I used to be with got more score than me (remember the dialogue of 3 idiots: dost fail ho jaye toh dukh hota hai lekin dost first aa jaye to jyada dukh hota hai,: when friend fails we feel bad, but when a friend comes first we feel worse).

Anyway, the score was not going to change and I had to bear with that.

The very next day my father approached me and said,"We are sending you Bokaro Steel City."

"As you wish", I retorted.

Bokaro Steel City, or Bokaro, was known for coaching for engineering and was second priority of students after KOTA.

"We can't afford to send you to New Delhi, we are middle class people". My father said when he found most of my friends were going to New Delhi and Kota," and Kota is not as good as Bokaro", he justified.

"Ok...so which school I am going to?" I posed a question.

"Well, you are lacking with 1%, so you can't go to GGPS or any of the top schools, so we're thinking to send you in Holy Cross", my father hurled back.

Schools like GGPS, DPS were the dream of every students of Bokaro. But I was not privileged enough to join those schools.

But whatever happens, it happens for good.

I really enjoyed those two years of my life, which I'd have not really enjoyed in other prestigious schools. I got good friends and really good mentors like Mr. Samir and Mrs. Panna.

I just like to thank my friends of Holy cross, who never made me feel I am from other city. And Mr. Samir who acted like my true guardian and Mrs. Panna for never making me feel bore.

Last, I’d always miss some of my friends like Anupam, popular as Jumbo, Mandal, Nilesh, Pravin and gang, and Ashish Agarwal, known as Sethjee.

Love you guys and miss you.

live you life..

I AM

2011-10-30T07:58:00.008+05:30

I am a regular guy born in an ordinary middle-class family with extra-ordinary elite class dreams in my eyes. I am not perfect. I don't get noticed when I walk in some crowd places like malls. I don't top any exams nor do I study in a numero uno college of the country, nor I am a patrician or belong to royal family.

But the brighter side is that I am a perfect blend of tall, dark & handsome. I am tall for I'm 5'10" and I'm handsome when it's dark. I've head full of hairs, no scars on my face, regular body with regular looks. I am just like the guy next door to you whom you might have seen a zillions of time but gave a not so interesting look to him.
I do not brag for I am not flashy. I'm not a guy wearing some branded eye-gear, cuddling with a branded phone or better say i-phone. But then, I am not a guy with goofy looks.
Still I don't have quite great interaction with fair-sex. But on the same side the mere reverie of having a girlfriend gives me Goosebumps, and then I decide "Hail Lord Hanuman, I am better a single than to mingle"
We don't have a concept of pocket money in our family, whenever I need money I ask my father to credit the account. So, the money I get from home is always less for my needs are quite greater than yours or any other average person in my college. I have to eat outside twice a week coz I can't survive on food of mess and the list is on and on. And most of the girls of our college are snob and I personally don't want to spend money on them, I can have a bucket of chicken in KFC instead.
One more reason, I don't have a familiarization with fair sex is my branch of engineering, MECHANICAL ENGINEERING.
It's said the boys from "mechanical engineering" are quite rude to girls...reason for that: nobody knows but it's still a topic of research. I still remember, in the very first year of my engineering I met a girl, with piercing eyes; in campus cafe...she became friendly within a couple of minutes and started chit-chatting about the stuffs.

"Which branch??" she asked swiftly after fifteen odd minutes of our chatting.

"It's Mechanical Engineering" I said in a conventional way.

I felt the colour of her face faded slowly & she disappeared.

THIS IS THE POWER OF MY BRANCH, THE PINNACLE OF LOUSINESS.