When Harry met Sally!!!

Hope you guys still remember where I had left you all previously. My last post was on my hostel life mainly, and this one I will try to stick to my class life. It was a peculiar class which I had got, and all elements were unique here in nature. If I start explaining them all, it will be more than Homer’s the Iliad and the Odyssey. So I will confine myself to stories revolving around me. I offer serious apologies to all of them, whose incidents are not being included here. Missing those can be due to memory loss also, Ghajini style, so if you remind me of the same, I will surely add them up in the next piece, I promise.

In my last post, I had told you how I had met those twin Sally(s). Miss X was anyway part of my batch, and we used to meet frequently, and chit chats during our practical classes. She used to speak to me in Hindi, and her Hindi was very soft and soothing to ears. At first I was shocked to hear Hindi come out from her mouth, and then accepted it as a part of Bollywood globalization. Only thing while speaking Hindi, she used to become as slow as Kolkata trams. ‘Tum – kaise – ho’ (Here each hyphen represents a time delay of around 2-3 seconds between words). So if she had to tell something long, she used to gasp for breath at end, and I used to wait for eternity to let her finish. So our communication was based on me opening my mouth lots, and she on responding through nodding and ‘Haan’ or ‘Nahin’ mainly.

Then in came Miss W, as I had told, and I swear it was no way her entry was matching with any of the bollywood flicks of Karan Johar, or Rajshree productions, where in first sight people become friends. Here the story was ulta, seeming as if RGV was trying some new experiment again, something as bad as ‘RGV ki aag’. I don’t remember in my so called short life, if I had hated any girl, just by seeing her face for the first time. Hate at first sight. J She was like some vamp of Ekta Kapoor’s family soaps (everlasting), whose arrival meant division of views in house. Very soon it started to show, and our class was divided in boy’s group and girl’s group. She was bossing around in girl’s group. She had a complete different group of friend circle, as she was from Information Science earlier, even after changing to Computers, she was still in her old group, and never seemed loyal to our class. I used to hate her, as well as her entire group. Was waiting for an opportunity for those people to come in our way, and we will give them a good lesson. But they came out to be very decent. I think the rivalry between Computer and Information science is based on similar tracks of supporting Manchester United or Chelsea, Shahrukh khan or Salmaan Khan, Mohun Bagan or East Bengal. But these people didn’t know it was Computer science, which gave birth to Information science, by little alterations. So finally, Information Science was a derived format of Computer Science, just like Pakistan from India. But like stated example these people also were never obliged to us, and in everything be it sports, studies or any other activity we had a competition with them from day 1. Day 0 I had bunked so don’t know. ;-)

So her old loyalty to IS (information Science), used to raise eyebrows from me. I was a known Gunda in the class, and for me she was the Gundi of the class. I had thought that the first opportunity I will get, and I will teach her a good lesson, and make her normal. ;-). This had affected my relations with Miss X too. I never used to speak to her properly when she was around with Gundi. He he he. Otherwise, we were good friends, sans her presence. I don’t remember exactly, but some day I had told her something even on her face. Not abuse, just something like ‘Thu Maga’ maybe. I had newly learnt that word na and didn’t find any better sample for testing my knowledge. ;-)

In between, once we were in chemistry lab, doing practical. In my batch, we were three. Myself, Miss X and one more girl. The other girl had brought a scale, which she had got as a gift, brought from Singapore. Somehow, I touched the scale, unknowingly, and it fell down from table and broke into pieces. Oh my god, I don’t know if the scale was made of some precious stone, but she started crying. I was not getting how to tell sorry to her. I think, I told her somehow and gathered all broken pieces and gave her. I will be so thankful to Miss X for her support that day. It was the first and last encounter for me, where a girl was crying in public place, for what I did [Generally I am decent with girls]. I was just dumb, and she somehow controlled the situation. Somehow things were managed and this story was over. Later, I came to know, Gundi tried her best to persuade the victim girl to fight for this and ask her scale back the very next day. Even ask me to go to Singapore and get the same scale. Thank god, the other girl was very decent and she never put her ears on her provocation, and I was saved. (I came to know about this much later, or else I swear I would have killed Gundi that day only). ;-)

We both used to always take different paths, and never come in way of each other. For any discussions with girl’s group, ARD was designated as the boy’s spokesperson, and he used to communicate with them. So there was no direct communication with them. I could have named the subject title as ‘Boa Vs Python’, the war was so fierce. But this time there was a twist here. The annual fest had come, and we had participated in all events. We boys took part in football, cricket and volley ball, and girls in throw ball events. Each and every event had assigned points, and finally champion class was to be chosen. We never thought we will have a chance. Initial phases had started and one day we hostlers were sitting in pizza hut (it was only a hut, without any pizza, and smoking zone for us) and smoking, when a senior of 3rd year came there. He called me in side, and told me that I am spoiling guy’s name everywhere. He told, they all go for cultural event’s practice, and there Miss W (Gundi) is spreading that all guys in her class have wore bangles and they don’t have courage to do anything. (In the fest day celebrations, these two were supposed to sing a song, but never got a chance because of delay). Also many other things they are telling about you all, and especially you, what is this. I forgot to tell you, in between we had decided to go and support girls in their throw ball match. This information had changed the wavelengths in my brain.

I returned back to hostel, called everyone from our class for urgent meeting. Within 10 minutes, we came to a conclusion of not going to support anything where our class girls are associated and we will choose to support their opposition. We told ARD, to convey the same message to girls next day, so they should not feel, we are stabbing from behind. Next day, we hostel guys were celebrating the ‘Kurta day’. I had taken a kurta from my friend, which was almost 1.5 times bigger than what it should be. Anyway, we reached class. In the break, ARD told them, and big uproar. Gundi came to me, and told me that it was all lie, and someone is misleading me. I told her, I don’t trust her, and I have full faith on her telling all those. Then she asked (requested ;-)) me to call the culprit (in her eyes) senior guy. Everyone suggested me to clear this episode for all. I called him, and then Gundi went to him and asked when she told all those. He was like why you people are discussing such cheap topics in college. Even I got angry, and told him, listen you tell her all the events as you told me, and we will decide which topic is cheap or not. Suddenly, he changed the record he was playing all these days, and told it was all lie, and he was doing all these to break the unity of our class. They feared, we juniors can beat them and grab the championship. So it was all planned, and we both were chosen as the puppets for the show. I was very angry at him, and even forgot he was my senior and had almost hit him, when a small pull and tuck saved me and him too from further drama. Miss W was pulling the sleeve of my kurta, and she asked to leave him and this topic, and clear the misunderstanding between us.
I was little sad I had misunderstood her, and trusted someone else. I told her sorry. She told it was ok, and anyone could have reacted in same way. She had put forward her hand towards me for friendship, and I was not so cheap to reject it. I shook hands with her, and we all were happy. I think first time we entered in class together and addressed our class, and asked their all help to win the championship. That day was history and from then we had been good friends till today, err… best friends.

Coming back to our fest events, I was the captain of the cricket team. Three main players in our team were day scholars. Once schedule of match were announced, our first match was on Wednesday morning. Once Tuesday college was over, the day scholars went back, the cricket organizers came and informed we have match now, and if we don’t play, walkover will be given to opposite team. I requested them telling our players have already left, but they didn’t hear anything. Somehow I arranged a team, and was almost dejected; we could lose even before starting it. Four players were there in our team, who had never played cricket in long time, five regulars and two average players. Anyway, even our opponent was not so good, so we thought of fighting it. God was so happy with me then, and his blessings were showering on me. Within no time, with a caught and bowled, one bowled and one caught at short, and I had got a hat trick in the very first match of the tournament. The oppositions were bundled out for mere 37 runs. After few hiccups, we achieved the target, and moved to knock out stage. Then we came across our batch Mechanical people. This match we played with our full strength, and even when they had better team on paper, we defeated them easily, and entered the semifinals. Here we were supposed to meet 3rd year Mechanical team, the best team of the college, and their playing 11 had 7 college team players. We had no hopes. But something else was destined, our full class had come to support us, and I was again magical, taking 4 wickets, almost getting a hat trick again. Later our hero batsman TT, and finishing touch from me, we had done the biggest upset of the tournament, and had reached the finals.

The finals were on a day before the fest day. All the classes were released, for the match, and first day I saw so many people surrounding us and cheering us. The final was with the 3rd year EC team. Most of them were cheering for seniors, but our class was rocking it. To start with, lost the toss, and they chose to bat. I took 2 wickets, still they had gathered 70 odd runs. We started the chase, and till 7-8 overs we were in full command. TT was like a whirlwind, and he was taking everyone apart. Suddenly a blinder on boundary and we lost 3 wickets in quick succession. I was seeing all these from non striker without helping. We were supposed to get 19 off last 2 overs. Brilliant running between me and Bis, where we were jumping, as if jumping for life. On such gravel field, we both had dived and taken 3 runs off a ball, where only 1 was possible. We both had ruptured elbows, which we had never felt. Blood was all over our t-shirts and then came the huge blow, last ball of penultimate over Bis was out, we still needing 9 off 6 balls. Next over, 1st ball I was on strike, and I hoisted it over the square leg for a big one, to take all honors, but failed to connect it well, and was caught. I knew it was all over, as there were no batsmen left. I was not willing to leave the crease, but I was forced to. In front of more than 500 people, I was so helpless, and tears started to roll over my eyes and cheeks. Everyone was silent. We got another 4 runs and finally lost by 4 runs. I told sorry to my classmates for I couldn’t make it, and came off. That night we felt the pain of loss, all seven of us, from hostel were sitting and all of us were crying together. Everyone had given their best, still luck had eluded. There were few cheatings done, but we were responsible to blame, as even when we were cruising towards victory. Anyway, we got back from cricket and started preparing for next events.
Next we participated in Volleyball and there we had a thumping win over all the teams. We two people and two more supports, we four were enough to handle all the teams. Our anticipation, smashes, placing, everything was unanswered. By the time, we could realize ourselves, we were the champions. Then soccer, we were never used to football so much. We were playing just for fun. Our first match was with 1st year IS, and I had requested all guys that we should win this match at least, and then if required, we will give walk over for next match without playing. Vicious brain had arisen again. ;-). My goal was disallowed courtesy offside, and we had to go for penalty shoot out. I replaced myself as goalkeeper, and saved 2 shots from them. Both were Gundi’s friends. ;-). We won 4-3. In the night, it was a huge celebration in hostel. Although, we lost the very next knock out match by 0-1, we relished our win against IS. Then started girls throw ball. We all supported our team on top of our voice and in very peculiar ways by making peculiar sounds, and we reached the finals, against same senior team which had tried to break our unity. Few gaddha activities by Miss X, and super play by our seniors, we were on the losing side, but still the brave face put by our class girls was worth appreciating. Gundi (Let me call her Miss W from now on) had got a cut in her toe, still was playing with full enthusiasm. At the end of the events, we had emerged champions by around 15 points. I had won Hindi antakshari event too along with TT and my lorry friend. ;-)

The unity in our class continued for another 6 months, and then again it started breaking. This time, with no solution. Girl friend – boy friend story had started and there was no space left for our unity. With every passing moment we were getting lesser in number, but those less numbers used to depict true friends. Enough, hands paining again. Next post on our 1st year teachers and our studies. Hold your breath till then please. And by the way this was the time when Miss W had confessed of trying her best to persuade the victim girl, my lab batch mate, to fight with me, to get her broken scale of Singapore back. Gurrrrrr…….