Wednesday, June 22, 2016
Sunday, June 19, 2016
Kota diaries (written on kota life of my dear friend and roommate Ramji bhai kalvi)
"The life of every man is a diary in which he means to write one story, and writes another.”"Vision excellence in carrier education Mission practice persistence and performance ".Upto this point Resonance and I were seeing eye to eye.There were a huge many options for me on one side there was the boisterous presence of Bansal , Resonance ,Carrier"k" of kota stands for three things kachouri,kiraya,koching.They say destiny is always preplanned for everyone and in my destiny it was resonance and Mk Verma."So what was your IITJEE rank with 12th?". "4300 sir ",I said ."Okay so Mr ramji why do you want to try again?". "Sir I want to be like DungaRam Chowdhury IIT air 1 in IITJEE 2003 who happens to be from the same place that I belong."So you are also from jalore,Rajasthan na?so is he a relative to you?"."he is my relative , a distant cousin actually"."Okay then best of luck for your preparations and you must be already knowing how competitive it is ,but donot worry for we will guide you through the process and you need to work hard thats all.You will be finding many reacreations in Kota but you must not give in to the entertainment part instead you should be true to your purpose and follow the classes regularly"."your classes will begin on 13th May and all the best".Well I was tensed and became further tensed after the last line .His last words "all the best" seemed to spur me on unleashing the Areion which ran through the vast green fields of serengeti ready to take the decisive battle to its cresendo.
"Sir the answer is 4.32 sir it is solved in mechanics chapter in HCVerma.Sir Vijay Budhani has not taken into account the area of crosssection while calculating the friction part.Sir the direction would be reverse and as the box will rotate it will assume a shape of a ball that is moving ".Vijay Budhani looked at me and pondered over the idea, the would be IIT kanpurite was caught blank on that. BKM sir looked mighty impressed.Soon after the class Vijay Budhani paid personal attention to me and we too slowly but gradually became good friends for the most part of Kota Odessey.And yes I had another friend of mine named Vikash Jain,he is currently in NIT Warrangal , he was more like me and used to stay put all the time with books only.Among us the three musketters Vijay was the most talkative person he used to talk about women ,life .He was a Bits pilani select too but he wanted to do computer science from IIT KANPUR only.He was the topper of Central Public School Kota putting up a 88 percent in 12th 1% less than me but he was from a different board altogether.He used to tell us stories of how his brother had managed to get IIT Kanpur computer Science after a 3 year toil and now currently he is the topper of IIMAhmedabad.We used to talk of how he used to study and all such things. These conversations used to take place in Chambal garden just near the Chambal River one of the most popular places of Kota.Boys and girls used to visit the garden at alltimes , the wind of the river used to have such a cool and calm effect touching our strained brains and tensed hearts giving relief to both.The mellifluous naussem of the flowers used to transport us to different place altogether where there was no strain and we were all successful and happy.
"why did not you join Bansal?Gaurav Tower is so popular "once Vikash asked .Vijay replied to this by saying "R3 is better pahla R1 me to pahoch ne ki sooch.IIT top 1000 rankers bhare pare hai usme to . Saalo sabko chahiye Rank 1 ."I and vikash both laughed.We often used to talk of every thing when resonance classes were not there .VIjay was particularly good at mechanics ,infact he was a God of it .Mk verma once told "Vijay if you are able to get atleast 100 questions of HC Verma in 2 hours then u are in with a fighting chance of making to the top.And you are nearing it fast."Vikash and I used to stay put all day long with the sheets of Resonance and then we needed to study peter sykes,op tandon,organic chemistry som series,ie irodov ,resnick haliday,arihant series.At times the bad thing was that the boys of hostel at night often used to put off the light by switching of my rooms light from the main switch board.I used to rebuke them a lot for this but the more i said not to do they would do it all the more.
We used to devour the delicious kachouri of Jains and used to drink juice regularly while returning back to our hostels.Sitting in the cool shade of the banyan tree in the Chambal garden we used to memorise the equations of chemistry.Main livelihood of the households of kota come from the revenue generated from the students boarding these houses.Almost all the houses of our locality put big rent boards "If you are not a drinker and are looking for a place to stay and study please move in" some read" 300/- a month rent .please contact 9894567432" .In kota NewYear and Dushera are two main festivals and almost all the coaching institutes make this days memoriable by giving party to all students.It is the sort of merry making that gave some breathing space for otherwise mundane clastrophobic schedule.We used to go to visit nearby temples these days asking for almighty's blessings although Vijay used to say,"I go to temple to see beautiful girls especially the bihari girls they are so easily empressed"but both I and Vikash knew it was only words to say really (although we liked his words) for Vijay was a serious student and at the time of the prayer he seldom looked here and there.
Finally as time passed and the day of exam drew closer the intensity of preparations reached its zenith and as the final doubt clearing capsules were finished we were all ready for the exam.I came out with an Aieee 3400 all india rank ,as competition in Rajasthan is intense as compared to other states so I had to be content with Nit Raipur finally .The last day when i finally moved out of Kota with all the bagandbaggage i found i am leaving behind a host of memories ,the chambal garden ,faces of vikash ,Vijay ,jain ki dukan, putting of lights by truant boys of hostel , the nightlong fights to keep up with scheduleof resonance.,the girl with whom vijay used to make fun of ,the memories lay etched in memory finally forever.The main reason why I went there was though not successful entirely although I learned a lot there yet I had been successful in knowing how life is and the experience have helped me in the previous few years and I think will help in the coming years too.
"Sir the answer is 4.32 sir it is solved in mechanics chapter in HCVerma.Sir Vijay Budhani has not taken into account the area of crosssection while calculating the friction part.Sir the direction would be reverse and as the box will rotate it will assume a shape of a ball that is moving ".Vijay Budhani looked at me and pondered over the idea, the would be IIT kanpurite was caught blank on that. BKM sir looked mighty impressed.Soon after the class Vijay Budhani paid personal attention to me and we too slowly but gradually became good friends for the most part of Kota Odessey.And yes I had another friend of mine named Vikash Jain,he is currently in NIT Warrangal , he was more like me and used to stay put all the time with books only.Among us the three musketters Vijay was the most talkative person he used to talk about women ,life .He was a Bits pilani select too but he wanted to do computer science from IIT KANPUR only.He was the topper of Central Public School Kota putting up a 88 percent in 12th 1% less than me but he was from a different board altogether.He used to tell us stories of how his brother had managed to get IIT Kanpur computer Science after a 3 year toil and now currently he is the topper of IIMAhmedabad.We used to talk of how he used to study and all such things. These conversations used to take place in Chambal garden just near the Chambal River one of the most popular places of Kota.Boys and girls used to visit the garden at alltimes , the wind of the river used to have such a cool and calm effect touching our strained brains and tensed hearts giving relief to both.The mellifluous naussem of the flowers used to transport us to different place altogether where there was no strain and we were all successful and happy.
"why did not you join Bansal?Gaurav Tower is so popular "once Vikash asked .Vijay replied to this by saying "R3 is better pahla R1 me to pahoch ne ki sooch.IIT top 1000 rankers bhare pare hai usme to . Saalo sabko chahiye Rank 1 ."I and vikash both laughed.We often used to talk of every thing when resonance classes were not there .VIjay was particularly good at mechanics ,infact he was a God of it .Mk verma once told "Vijay if you are able to get atleast 100 questions of HC Verma in 2 hours then u are in with a fighting chance of making to the top.And you are nearing it fast."Vikash and I used to stay put all day long with the sheets of Resonance and then we needed to study peter sykes,op tandon,organic chemistry som series,ie irodov ,resnick haliday,arihant series.At times the bad thing was that the boys of hostel at night often used to put off the light by switching of my rooms light from the main switch board.I used to rebuke them a lot for this but the more i said not to do they would do it all the more.
We used to devour the delicious kachouri of Jains and used to drink juice regularly while returning back to our hostels.Sitting in the cool shade of the banyan tree in the Chambal garden we used to memorise the equations of chemistry.Main livelihood of the households of kota come from the revenue generated from the students boarding these houses.Almost all the houses of our locality put big rent boards "If you are not a drinker and are looking for a place to stay and study please move in" some read" 300/- a month rent .please contact 9894567432" .In kota NewYear and Dushera are two main festivals and almost all the coaching institutes make this days memoriable by giving party to all students.It is the sort of merry making that gave some breathing space for otherwise mundane clastrophobic schedule.We used to go to visit nearby temples these days asking for almighty's blessings although Vijay used to say,"I go to temple to see beautiful girls especially the bihari girls they are so easily empressed"but both I and Vikash knew it was only words to say really (although we liked his words) for Vijay was a serious student and at the time of the prayer he seldom looked here and there.
Finally as time passed and the day of exam drew closer the intensity of preparations reached its zenith and as the final doubt clearing capsules were finished we were all ready for the exam.I came out with an Aieee 3400 all india rank ,as competition in Rajasthan is intense as compared to other states so I had to be content with Nit Raipur finally .The last day when i finally moved out of Kota with all the bagandbaggage i found i am leaving behind a host of memories ,the chambal garden ,faces of vikash ,Vijay ,jain ki dukan, putting of lights by truant boys of hostel , the nightlong fights to keep up with scheduleof resonance.,the girl with whom vijay used to make fun of ,the memories lay etched in memory finally forever.The main reason why I went there was though not successful entirely although I learned a lot there yet I had been successful in knowing how life is and the experience have helped me in the previous few years and I think will help in the coming years too.
HISTORY OF UBJ ( THE NAMES SAGA)
HISTORY of ubj is diverse and spread out.It spans over decades.UBJ's first name was manu (implying the saint ) . According to hindu mythology manu(UBJ) played a pivotal role in sristi and its propagation. Uddalak(UBJ NAME 2) essentially means a saint who obeyed the words of his master(guru) and almost sacrificed his life to stop the water from destroying the band thus saving millions of lives.
Now the current UBJ in reallife has deep cultural history.His grand father MR satya narayan banerjee were descendents of jamindar nayan banerjee the ruler of bolpur and santiniketan.On his mothers side his grandmother Mrs Saraju bala bhowmick was again the wife of late Sri nripendra bhowmick who had the taluk of dhaka with 3987 acres of domain(to be shared among 6 brothers ).With the forefathers having a history of multiple marrages and life of luxury UBJ began to grow up fantasising the grandeur which was largely swept away with the partition . Anyways but blood is blood he used to think of the queens and palinquets ,those that lay in his wait.
UBJ loved and adored women and perhaps loved many but shied from confessing.
Later when he joined NIT JSR he was named tughluq(firuz tughluq) because most of the people from bihar up and mp could not pronounce his full name.IT was piyush from jharkhand who first coroneted him with this name.TUGHLUQ according to history was the man who ruled DELHI during 1400-1434 AD and had umpteen wives and wealth .He founded Malwa .Anyways later in NIT RR he was named the latest and on vogue UBJ( the shortest so far) .IT is the most unique name yielding google search resultes specifically.With the creation UBJ fans club and UBjliterary committee(in which he worked for about a year)the spot light started to find its king.Baadshah, superstar ,legend cognomens started to be hurled at this nonchalant individual.With as many as 67 in names UBJ started to hog the lime light time and again.
Apart from these names the names which found a lot of popularity were uddus, king(nit rr), baadshah(vivek,samir,deepesh,romi, raghav,rimjhim),picu,mantusona(aunty),babu(mom and dad),uddiyoman taroka( abhishek sarkar),legend ,uddoda( pintu),srk(deepa, romi , nikita, rimjhim)etc...
Now the current UBJ in reallife has deep cultural history.His grand father MR satya narayan banerjee were descendents of jamindar nayan banerjee the ruler of bolpur and santiniketan.On his mothers side his grandmother Mrs Saraju bala bhowmick was again the wife of late Sri nripendra bhowmick who had the taluk of dhaka with 3987 acres of domain(to be shared among 6 brothers ).With the forefathers having a history of multiple marrages and life of luxury UBJ began to grow up fantasising the grandeur which was largely swept away with the partition . Anyways but blood is blood he used to think of the queens and palinquets ,those that lay in his wait.
UBJ loved and adored women and perhaps loved many but shied from confessing.
Later when he joined NIT JSR he was named tughluq(firuz tughluq) because most of the people from bihar up and mp could not pronounce his full name.IT was piyush from jharkhand who first coroneted him with this name.TUGHLUQ according to history was the man who ruled DELHI during 1400-1434 AD and had umpteen wives and wealth .He founded Malwa .Anyways later in NIT RR he was named the latest and on vogue UBJ( the shortest so far) .IT is the most unique name yielding google search resultes specifically.With the creation UBJ fans club and UBjliterary committee(in which he worked for about a year)the spot light started to find its king.Baadshah, superstar ,legend cognomens started to be hurled at this nonchalant individual.With as many as 67 in names UBJ started to hog the lime light time and again.
Apart from these names the names which found a lot of popularity were uddus, king(nit rr), baadshah(vivek,samir,deepesh,romi, raghav,rimjhim),picu,mantusona(aunty),babu(mom and dad),uddiyoman taroka( abhishek sarkar),legend ,uddoda( pintu),srk(deepa, romi , nikita, rimjhim)etc...
BLACK ROSE
"THE BLACK ROSE"
-----------------------------------------------------------UDDALAK BANERJEE(UBJ)
#All characters and incidents in this story are imaginary and unreal. Any similarity with any real life happening is purely fictional.#
"I love you EJ",SAID Uddalak.EJ said "shut up and concentrate on your work.Dont you have any sense of time.How many times have you said this to me now? From the mornng this is the 15th time.And it is only 10 am in the morning.".Uddalak,"But I really really really love you ..When will u understand my feelings?God promise!..See See I have touched my throat".EJ ,"Ooff! U say a word more and I live the office.For love to bloom you must respect and be curteous and stolid and not impatient and restive like you are..lol(smiles)".THE BOSS CAME OUT OF THE OFFICE AND SAID,"HEY UDDALAK AND EJ PLEASE COME IN ".EJ,"See how romantic ..You and your stale romance.. Atleast the boss knows how to relieve girls.You can learn .."
"WE HAVE AN ASSIGNMENT INFRONT OF US WHICH CAN PRODUCE A DIRECT REVENUE IN THE ORDER OF 500000 LAKHS!!!CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS!".EJ ,ALWAYS SMARTER ,REPLIED,"WOW!BUT WHAT'S THE JOB ?"."YOU TWO HAVE TO BRING ME A SMALL PACKET FROM GHANA THATS ALL",SAID BOSS.UDDALAK ASKED "WHAT IS IN THE PACKET?".B0SS SAID ,"NICE QUESTION BUT THE ANSWER IS WHAT U HAVE TO FIND OUT TOGETHER.."."I AM NOT GOING ...NOT WITH THIS UDD..",SAID EJ."NOW WHAT I HAVE DONE?",UDDALAK."YOU KNOW ..",SAID EJ."OK SORRY NOW IT IS OK?",UDDALAK."ENOUGH BOTH OF YOU...YOUR BOTH ARE GOING BECAUSE BOTH OF YOU ARE THOROUGH IN GHANESE SO INCASE YOU NEED IT YOU CAN HANDLE IT ".
UDDALAK AND EJ both have been actively working for the same newspaper for some time now .One of the most wonderful and beautiful ladies on the block EJ was often prompted for modelling and she persistently said "NO".She had a dream .She wanted to become someone who will be sought after .She hated gloss and but loved to take challenges.Uddalak on the other hand was always a man who was always into dreaming .He was always having an inherent feeling that he wanted to talk to girls especially the ones like EJ on romance and attimes flirt around with the rest.But then asperson I guess keeping in mind the date and time of composition that was perhaps perfectly normal.Since the very first day Uddalak had his dreams enmeshed on EJ .Which may be because of her beautiful dreamy face,her tenubrous eyes,the bluish tinge of around her retina or her frank smile and overtly sophisticated panache.EJ indeed had a class of her own.SO even if they quarrelled all day long it did not affect either of them.For Ej it was just another day and trying to keep his college heap coals on his head .FOr Uddalak it was yet another day to try to get a bit close to the girl of his dreams.Now Uddalak had a secret.He out of all the women in school or college and later now at work had for once and only once chosen EJ as his soul mate,so even knowing that he mightnot have had any remark on her mind always used to try and try to have himself infront of her as some one she would like or take a bit more seriously.
Anyways,the day was 12th june,2010 and they boarded the airIndia flight to Ghana.In plain too they took separate seats on request from EJ.Uddalak did not have his day again.He had to stay contended with seat no 124 with EJ taking 214 of the other row.Now on plane the person sitting in seat no 213 was FRANCIS KANU.He was a man in his early 40s but had all the style that every women would die to want.KANU was a two time devorsee but yet had an impinge of charm that made him strikingly different.His manners starting from holding the cigar to making coffee had the name style written allover it.AND EJ died for style .SHe had an inborn liking for it.Kanu broke the ice ,"My dear lady you certainly look devine.May I wonder what a such a fine maid may do in Ghana?".Uddalak was keeping abreast of the developments and was constantly peeping through the newspapers towards the seat no 214."who is you?",said EJ."I am as people say most benevolent FRANCIS KANU".EJ recognised instantly his voice ,"did you come on radio last night?O my God!I listen to all your programs.You are true chauvinist.And most of all a true man. ".And the airhostess came near her to forward a glass of juice which bimistake fell on KANU.EJ said,"sorry sorry !".Kanu said with all grace,"no no!it is fine.".EJ rose to rub it off.Kanu looked into EJ's eyes and looks were exchanged and magic of airindia perhaps had its last say.In the midst of all this Uddalak rose up and in a means to divert the attension said ,"I am sorry but Mr KANu would you mind if I take your seat ..it is rather hot for me here ..U know..I think that seat would be airy..".
Anyways in another 9 hours finally AIRINDIAflight landed in GHana.All this while uddalak silently read a book given by one of the air hostesses which was about Black ROse.Uddalak all his life had heard of red rose as the symbol of love.BUt was shocked to hear that the black rose found in GHana had a great magical effect in love .The magazine said the outer color of rose though black has a strange element in it which could conjure up a tempest in the holders mind and can steal his heart in a matter of seconds.Really GHana was an amazing land full of mystique as the time of landing approached.The flight landed at 9:00 am .THe land here is quite similar to India .ONly that population is minimum as compared to the strong 110crore Indians with dense buildings.Apart from that Ghana is a country which is extremely poor but has vast tracts of cultivable land and lakes too.Ubiquitous uddalak took up the luggages as EJ bade Kanu goodbye with a warm hug.As the porter was helping him out.Uddalak could not help sighing"I never got anything like this..".As soon as Kanu was gone .Uddalak as always tried to use the black rose effect in Ghana by divert EJ's attension saying "So then what was the two time divorcee doing with you ?".EJ instantly replied "mind your own business.".In his mind he thought "Damn! it did not work!"."ok! some one gets hug and someone gets stones ..both are same yet so unsame..!!!(looking at the porter who was looking at him with a smiling face).(TO EJ)so where is the map?"."what map ?We have to go to the bicarmel street first and then get the map from there..ANd you please on the back seat ..please because if you seat on the front seat i would be constantly distracted.",said EJ."when the summer smiles, kingdoms rye,oceans buttock yet you like nile make me file in a dream of tile with macabre guile."uddalak ."ok this is no time for poetries or else i am going out of the car.."said EJ. They reached the hotel and meet Mr Bercuscci.He took them to a secret room in the hotel and said "I hope by now both of you must have known the project is huge as otherwise the company wont have invested so much money to get you two jeornalists up here in GHana.".Uddalak in his repartee said"what is there in the packet?".Mr Bercuscci laughed and said "Wait on ! I will tell you ".THe mystery of the room suddenly unraveled with the magical half sarcastic half learned smile from MR Bercuscci .Uptill the entry into the room sofar the visit was looking real normal although both Uddalak and EJ knew that it was not that normal either.For they remembered the boss'S words "500000 lakhs".IT would take human histories greatest inventions to earn that kind of fortune in a single hit .Mr Bercuscci explained ,"there is a lake or rather there was a lake which was destroyed by American bombers in the late 2nd world war but one of the GHana scientiest had kept a sample of water of the lake which had a strange property of converting water to petrol.Can you imagine EJ what cost such water would be if you can convert pure water to petrol with that?".Ej replied,"trillions of EURos"."yes infact more..runing into astronomical figures.",said Bercuscci,"now to get this sample is what you have to do ..we will do the replication thereafter..it is said that the scientist having the sample went to an assosiate island named lubina you can aswell go and find it
out.".But Uddalak was more concerned about the blackrose he had read of in the plane .He thought that perhaps the black rose is his only alternative to win back EJ.
Without any wastage of time they went out to LUbina assisted by BR Bercusscci ,who at the end said and warned them both to keep the thing a secret because any leekage of news could rob their newspaper and his agency both of millions of dollars because if they could find the thing out then the newspaper and the agency stands enriched by a atleast a billion dollars by advertisement and other assosiates.There while they were taking a local cab to a place near asuni where the scientist was last spotted.They met mr Kanu .EVER SO watchful Ej's chauvinist perfect male Mr Kanu immediately on seeing them stopped the cab and gave them a free ride with EJ sitting at his side and Uddalak at the back of the car.EJ was mighty impressed for the cab was slow and she always used to like speed .On both sides of the lane there were a series of black flowers.Which made Uddalak wander whether they were black roses or not.what ever be it slowly but gradually love started to blossom between Ej and Kanu .Kanu made arrangements for their stay too in Asuni where he had a big bunglow and a lake alongside.Uddalak was given and an outside room and EJ was kept at the room alongside KAnu's Room.About this uddalak wrote in his diary about .On searching for the scientist though Kanu proved to be a great help and this further impressed EJ who was already head over heels for him.Poor Uddalak had to now play only a secondary role and with Kanu sweeping all EJ's focus .Uddalak started to become silent too.In his diary uddalak wrote "the summers come winters go , i feel lonely and sorrow, i donot know what hides my queen ,my god seems lost in the rainy green."The scientist was traced to his ancestors and his bloodline traced to a boy FARID who was a cousin of KANU itself.And all this over in just 7 days the project was speedily moving to its completion by the day thanks to Kanu .But one thing that was constantly bothering Uddalak was that Kanu was getting all the attention now from Ej who now openly professed her love for her.SHe made the food for kanu ,cleaned his clothes,even chatted all night with him,and on the otherhand Kanu too had EJ's tatooed on his arms.In between uddalak was stuck he could neither say anything on pain of a project failure which may simply terminate their carriers and which would definately indirectly lead to a permanent loss of EJ nor just stay a silent spectator to the blooming romance which had taken the valley.In his diary uddalak wrote"I saw them kiss yesterday near the fountain,Ej was all wet,and Kanu had his shirt removed too.I picked a rock and dropped it on the lake.SO they were distracted and did not go further.BUt i believe this wont do ..I am losing EJ without whom i have no other interest in LIfe .But perhaps i should take her free will as my marker.I know I cannot live without her ,infact breath without her,she is my companion friend and everything,never had a friend except her since college.I tried my best to win her but she just did not respond..I dont know much of courtship .I tried to be serious but then she feels bored and when i joke she feels it is stale.I am dying in grief and my soul is passing through hell with each passing day."
Finally,the day finally came and Kanu coaxed Farid to give him the sample stored in his lab.He did not have any clue for he had no idea of its importance.EJ was happy as the project reached its completion and directly Kissed Kanu in the open.THe boss was happy and ecstatic and accoladed Uddalak and EJ as the best jeornalists of his time.And the night was a full moon night and as both EJ and Kanu celebrated their night together with Kanu proposing to Ej in a garden of black rose(a speciality of Ghana) and obviously acceptance from Ej followed.Uddalak witnessed it all from his room,the sting of the black rose perhaps sealed his fate.The girl he had been dying to have is now no longer his .He simmered in frustration but had no way to relent.As Kanu once explained "the black rose is the rose which assumed color black but has all the major qualities of a rose.perhaps like me who had a series of wives but still stood afresh ..(laughs).But truely black rose makes Ghana what it is .It is this black rose which changes lives for ever.".They took an oath in the temple and spent the night together living as man and wife making the relationship consummate.Uddalak stayed outside crying in pain as the night rolled out to a morning new.FOr it was the day of their coming back to India .Where the agency and the newspaper were ready to welcome them.EJ came to Uddalak's room and told "I am not going back.We have taken an oath of staying together for life.But I had always wanted you to succeed and hence am giving you the sample.Go back to India and the world will have your name in all leading newspapers."Uddalak stood silent.EJ said "it was nice working with you ,you were really good to me,at times i felt happy with you and attimes i was irritated but truth to see we were not predestined for each other ..".Uddalak now said ,"you are asking my heart and giving me money,what will a lifeless body do with money?I never had any craze for name .I can easily forego all this name just to be with you.Please come back.""it is not possible as the vows were exchanged and i like him ..so all i can do for today is be your lover for one day as you live for India." Ej said. Uddalak smiled and said"ok in one day shall I live my life and never complain till the last breath leaves my body"."in all the newspapers around the globe the name would be yours ...I would be just the carrier .I will tell them the truth and slowly dissolve myself in the dark that surrounds the lamp of this invention."Uddalak continued,"Now that the hour of our 17 years long assosiation is near and you gave me a day to fulfilling my role as your lover..Just bring me a blackrose and infront of me let me touch it to your eyes face and lips and i would happily part ways with it .In his diary Uddalak wrote "Ej accompanied me to the garden.I picked up a rose and with the beautiful climate around us i touched it to her forehead and slowly dragged it around her eyebrows and her lips down to her throat with her eyes closed.It was a sight i could not forget all my life.For one moment I touched divinity and reached my fulfillment .For one moment i lived all my life and my soul begun and ended in her.The world stopped and i found myself living in one moment all the time that had left behind even the time when we were close yet so far."Uddalak said ," I love you and always did with the last rays of light ..and will always live my life in your name,In my joys in my pranks i have always found you ..I get you physically or not doesnot matter.That day when he was kissing you i didnot see any wrong but i felt that my hold on u is ending ..my god is living me ..hence i felt sorrow..thats all.I donot know about you but i will live my life with this rose that you had given me ..and may be wait for a 14th life to have you..this life seemed to be short and futile but yes i will have you someday in your 14th life and that time there wont be any other person..the day when the sun and the moon in the skies will be clear we will meet in comets unseen.."
Then they departed .EJ stayed back.Uddalak came back and gave the discovery to the press in Ej's name and receded to a life of his own.ANd he put that rose in the diary he always carried.Today when uddalak is seventy years old and unmarried still flirting with Ej in his dreams in all those fullmoon nights when the sky is clear and stars so distinct.grandchildren of his neighbours often ask about the adventure and say "Grandpa did you love Ej?DId you kiss her ?Did you see her after that ?"uddalak replies to one and all saying ."no i did not kiss her but the black rose which made my heart wake into hers and united the souls in pole star you see distant every evening when you go to sleep.And even in death i will flirt with her and her always ..i can feel the pain she must be experiencing at the joints at this age..and the joy of the ocean touching her palms..both so equally.".And then he takes his diary out and read the whole thing time and again with the ematiated blackrose infront of his heart as he slips to sleep.A whisper is heard --"they meet again in his dreams..".
=====================================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------UDDALAK BANERJEE(UBJ)
#All characters and incidents in this story are imaginary and unreal. Any similarity with any real life happening is purely fictional.#
"I love you EJ",SAID Uddalak.EJ said "shut up and concentrate on your work.Dont you have any sense of time.How many times have you said this to me now? From the mornng this is the 15th time.And it is only 10 am in the morning.".Uddalak,"But I really really really love you ..When will u understand my feelings?God promise!..See See I have touched my throat".EJ ,"Ooff! U say a word more and I live the office.For love to bloom you must respect and be curteous and stolid and not impatient and restive like you are..lol(smiles)".THE BOSS CAME OUT OF THE OFFICE AND SAID,"HEY UDDALAK AND EJ PLEASE COME IN ".EJ,"See how romantic ..You and your stale romance.. Atleast the boss knows how to relieve girls.You can learn .."
"WE HAVE AN ASSIGNMENT INFRONT OF US WHICH CAN PRODUCE A DIRECT REVENUE IN THE ORDER OF 500000 LAKHS!!!CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS!".EJ ,ALWAYS SMARTER ,REPLIED,"WOW!BUT WHAT'S THE JOB ?"."YOU TWO HAVE TO BRING ME A SMALL PACKET FROM GHANA THATS ALL",SAID BOSS.UDDALAK ASKED "WHAT IS IN THE PACKET?".B0SS SAID ,"NICE QUESTION BUT THE ANSWER IS WHAT U HAVE TO FIND OUT TOGETHER.."."I AM NOT GOING ...NOT WITH THIS UDD..",SAID EJ."NOW WHAT I HAVE DONE?",UDDALAK."YOU KNOW ..",SAID EJ."OK SORRY NOW IT IS OK?",UDDALAK."ENOUGH BOTH OF YOU...YOUR BOTH ARE GOING BECAUSE BOTH OF YOU ARE THOROUGH IN GHANESE SO INCASE YOU NEED IT YOU CAN HANDLE IT ".
UDDALAK AND EJ both have been actively working for the same newspaper for some time now .One of the most wonderful and beautiful ladies on the block EJ was often prompted for modelling and she persistently said "NO".She had a dream .She wanted to become someone who will be sought after .She hated gloss and but loved to take challenges.Uddalak on the other hand was always a man who was always into dreaming .He was always having an inherent feeling that he wanted to talk to girls especially the ones like EJ on romance and attimes flirt around with the rest.But then asperson I guess keeping in mind the date and time of composition that was perhaps perfectly normal.Since the very first day Uddalak had his dreams enmeshed on EJ .Which may be because of her beautiful dreamy face,her tenubrous eyes,the bluish tinge of around her retina or her frank smile and overtly sophisticated panache.EJ indeed had a class of her own.SO even if they quarrelled all day long it did not affect either of them.For Ej it was just another day and trying to keep his college heap coals on his head .FOr Uddalak it was yet another day to try to get a bit close to the girl of his dreams.Now Uddalak had a secret.He out of all the women in school or college and later now at work had for once and only once chosen EJ as his soul mate,so even knowing that he mightnot have had any remark on her mind always used to try and try to have himself infront of her as some one she would like or take a bit more seriously.
Anyways,the day was 12th june,2010 and they boarded the airIndia flight to Ghana.In plain too they took separate seats on request from EJ.Uddalak did not have his day again.He had to stay contended with seat no 124 with EJ taking 214 of the other row.Now on plane the person sitting in seat no 213 was FRANCIS KANU.He was a man in his early 40s but had all the style that every women would die to want.KANU was a two time devorsee but yet had an impinge of charm that made him strikingly different.His manners starting from holding the cigar to making coffee had the name style written allover it.AND EJ died for style .SHe had an inborn liking for it.Kanu broke the ice ,"My dear lady you certainly look devine.May I wonder what a such a fine maid may do in Ghana?".Uddalak was keeping abreast of the developments and was constantly peeping through the newspapers towards the seat no 214."who is you?",said EJ."I am as people say most benevolent FRANCIS KANU".EJ recognised instantly his voice ,"did you come on radio last night?O my God!I listen to all your programs.You are true chauvinist.And most of all a true man. ".And the airhostess came near her to forward a glass of juice which bimistake fell on KANU.EJ said,"sorry sorry !".Kanu said with all grace,"no no!it is fine.".EJ rose to rub it off.Kanu looked into EJ's eyes and looks were exchanged and magic of airindia perhaps had its last say.In the midst of all this Uddalak rose up and in a means to divert the attension said ,"I am sorry but Mr KANu would you mind if I take your seat ..it is rather hot for me here ..U know..I think that seat would be airy..".
Anyways in another 9 hours finally AIRINDIAflight landed in GHana.All this while uddalak silently read a book given by one of the air hostesses which was about Black ROse.Uddalak all his life had heard of red rose as the symbol of love.BUt was shocked to hear that the black rose found in GHana had a great magical effect in love .The magazine said the outer color of rose though black has a strange element in it which could conjure up a tempest in the holders mind and can steal his heart in a matter of seconds.Really GHana was an amazing land full of mystique as the time of landing approached.The flight landed at 9:00 am .THe land here is quite similar to India .ONly that population is minimum as compared to the strong 110crore Indians with dense buildings.Apart from that Ghana is a country which is extremely poor but has vast tracts of cultivable land and lakes too.Ubiquitous uddalak took up the luggages as EJ bade Kanu goodbye with a warm hug.As the porter was helping him out.Uddalak could not help sighing"I never got anything like this..".As soon as Kanu was gone .Uddalak as always tried to use the black rose effect in Ghana by divert EJ's attension saying "So then what was the two time divorcee doing with you ?".EJ instantly replied "mind your own business.".In his mind he thought "Damn! it did not work!"."ok! some one gets hug and someone gets stones ..both are same yet so unsame..!!!(looking at the porter who was looking at him with a smiling face).(TO EJ)so where is the map?"."what map ?We have to go to the bicarmel street first and then get the map from there..ANd you please on the back seat ..please because if you seat on the front seat i would be constantly distracted.",said EJ."when the summer smiles, kingdoms rye,oceans buttock yet you like nile make me file in a dream of tile with macabre guile."uddalak ."ok this is no time for poetries or else i am going out of the car.."said EJ. They reached the hotel and meet Mr Bercuscci.He took them to a secret room in the hotel and said "I hope by now both of you must have known the project is huge as otherwise the company wont have invested so much money to get you two jeornalists up here in GHana.".Uddalak in his repartee said"what is there in the packet?".Mr Bercuscci laughed and said "Wait on ! I will tell you ".THe mystery of the room suddenly unraveled with the magical half sarcastic half learned smile from MR Bercuscci .Uptill the entry into the room sofar the visit was looking real normal although both Uddalak and EJ knew that it was not that normal either.For they remembered the boss'S words "500000 lakhs".IT would take human histories greatest inventions to earn that kind of fortune in a single hit .Mr Bercuscci explained ,"there is a lake or rather there was a lake which was destroyed by American bombers in the late 2nd world war but one of the GHana scientiest had kept a sample of water of the lake which had a strange property of converting water to petrol.Can you imagine EJ what cost such water would be if you can convert pure water to petrol with that?".Ej replied,"trillions of EURos"."yes infact more..runing into astronomical figures.",said Bercuscci,"now to get this sample is what you have to do ..we will do the replication thereafter..it is said that the scientist having the sample went to an assosiate island named lubina you can aswell go and find it
out.".But Uddalak was more concerned about the blackrose he had read of in the plane .He thought that perhaps the black rose is his only alternative to win back EJ.
Without any wastage of time they went out to LUbina assisted by BR Bercusscci ,who at the end said and warned them both to keep the thing a secret because any leekage of news could rob their newspaper and his agency both of millions of dollars because if they could find the thing out then the newspaper and the agency stands enriched by a atleast a billion dollars by advertisement and other assosiates.There while they were taking a local cab to a place near asuni where the scientist was last spotted.They met mr Kanu .EVER SO watchful Ej's chauvinist perfect male Mr Kanu immediately on seeing them stopped the cab and gave them a free ride with EJ sitting at his side and Uddalak at the back of the car.EJ was mighty impressed for the cab was slow and she always used to like speed .On both sides of the lane there were a series of black flowers.Which made Uddalak wander whether they were black roses or not.what ever be it slowly but gradually love started to blossom between Ej and Kanu .Kanu made arrangements for their stay too in Asuni where he had a big bunglow and a lake alongside.Uddalak was given and an outside room and EJ was kept at the room alongside KAnu's Room.About this uddalak wrote in his diary about .On searching for the scientist though Kanu proved to be a great help and this further impressed EJ who was already head over heels for him.Poor Uddalak had to now play only a secondary role and with Kanu sweeping all EJ's focus .Uddalak started to become silent too.In his diary uddalak wrote "the summers come winters go , i feel lonely and sorrow, i donot know what hides my queen ,my god seems lost in the rainy green."The scientist was traced to his ancestors and his bloodline traced to a boy FARID who was a cousin of KANU itself.And all this over in just 7 days the project was speedily moving to its completion by the day thanks to Kanu .But one thing that was constantly bothering Uddalak was that Kanu was getting all the attention now from Ej who now openly professed her love for her.SHe made the food for kanu ,cleaned his clothes,even chatted all night with him,and on the otherhand Kanu too had EJ's tatooed on his arms.In between uddalak was stuck he could neither say anything on pain of a project failure which may simply terminate their carriers and which would definately indirectly lead to a permanent loss of EJ nor just stay a silent spectator to the blooming romance which had taken the valley.In his diary uddalak wrote"I saw them kiss yesterday near the fountain,Ej was all wet,and Kanu had his shirt removed too.I picked a rock and dropped it on the lake.SO they were distracted and did not go further.BUt i believe this wont do ..I am losing EJ without whom i have no other interest in LIfe .But perhaps i should take her free will as my marker.I know I cannot live without her ,infact breath without her,she is my companion friend and everything,never had a friend except her since college.I tried my best to win her but she just did not respond..I dont know much of courtship .I tried to be serious but then she feels bored and when i joke she feels it is stale.I am dying in grief and my soul is passing through hell with each passing day."
Finally,the day finally came and Kanu coaxed Farid to give him the sample stored in his lab.He did not have any clue for he had no idea of its importance.EJ was happy as the project reached its completion and directly Kissed Kanu in the open.THe boss was happy and ecstatic and accoladed Uddalak and EJ as the best jeornalists of his time.And the night was a full moon night and as both EJ and Kanu celebrated their night together with Kanu proposing to Ej in a garden of black rose(a speciality of Ghana) and obviously acceptance from Ej followed.Uddalak witnessed it all from his room,the sting of the black rose perhaps sealed his fate.The girl he had been dying to have is now no longer his .He simmered in frustration but had no way to relent.As Kanu once explained "the black rose is the rose which assumed color black but has all the major qualities of a rose.perhaps like me who had a series of wives but still stood afresh ..(laughs).But truely black rose makes Ghana what it is .It is this black rose which changes lives for ever.".They took an oath in the temple and spent the night together living as man and wife making the relationship consummate.Uddalak stayed outside crying in pain as the night rolled out to a morning new.FOr it was the day of their coming back to India .Where the agency and the newspaper were ready to welcome them.EJ came to Uddalak's room and told "I am not going back.We have taken an oath of staying together for life.But I had always wanted you to succeed and hence am giving you the sample.Go back to India and the world will have your name in all leading newspapers."Uddalak stood silent.EJ said "it was nice working with you ,you were really good to me,at times i felt happy with you and attimes i was irritated but truth to see we were not predestined for each other ..".Uddalak now said ,"you are asking my heart and giving me money,what will a lifeless body do with money?I never had any craze for name .I can easily forego all this name just to be with you.Please come back.""it is not possible as the vows were exchanged and i like him ..so all i can do for today is be your lover for one day as you live for India." Ej said. Uddalak smiled and said"ok in one day shall I live my life and never complain till the last breath leaves my body"."in all the newspapers around the globe the name would be yours ...I would be just the carrier .I will tell them the truth and slowly dissolve myself in the dark that surrounds the lamp of this invention."Uddalak continued,"Now that the hour of our 17 years long assosiation is near and you gave me a day to fulfilling my role as your lover..Just bring me a blackrose and infront of me let me touch it to your eyes face and lips and i would happily part ways with it .In his diary Uddalak wrote "Ej accompanied me to the garden.I picked up a rose and with the beautiful climate around us i touched it to her forehead and slowly dragged it around her eyebrows and her lips down to her throat with her eyes closed.It was a sight i could not forget all my life.For one moment I touched divinity and reached my fulfillment .For one moment i lived all my life and my soul begun and ended in her.The world stopped and i found myself living in one moment all the time that had left behind even the time when we were close yet so far."Uddalak said ," I love you and always did with the last rays of light ..and will always live my life in your name,In my joys in my pranks i have always found you ..I get you physically or not doesnot matter.That day when he was kissing you i didnot see any wrong but i felt that my hold on u is ending ..my god is living me ..hence i felt sorrow..thats all.I donot know about you but i will live my life with this rose that you had given me ..and may be wait for a 14th life to have you..this life seemed to be short and futile but yes i will have you someday in your 14th life and that time there wont be any other person..the day when the sun and the moon in the skies will be clear we will meet in comets unseen.."
Then they departed .EJ stayed back.Uddalak came back and gave the discovery to the press in Ej's name and receded to a life of his own.ANd he put that rose in the diary he always carried.Today when uddalak is seventy years old and unmarried still flirting with Ej in his dreams in all those fullmoon nights when the sky is clear and stars so distinct.grandchildren of his neighbours often ask about the adventure and say "Grandpa did you love Ej?DId you kiss her ?Did you see her after that ?"uddalak replies to one and all saying ."no i did not kiss her but the black rose which made my heart wake into hers and united the souls in pole star you see distant every evening when you go to sleep.And even in death i will flirt with her and her always ..i can feel the pain she must be experiencing at the joints at this age..and the joy of the ocean touching her palms..both so equally.".And then he takes his diary out and read the whole thing time and again with the ematiated blackrose infront of his heart as he slips to sleep.A whisper is heard --"they meet again in his dreams..".
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A Toast to my School VMS
POW(177+120+256+620+50+79)=UBJ
================================================uddalak banerjee(ubj)
“dekha tujhe dekha jab hua main to craize …..Na kar aisi khit pit soniya ..(when I saw you I became crazy for you ….dont do this disturbances now let me have you…)”,the song was flowing out from a not so melodious voice in the bathroom of hostel room at NIT Raipur.His name is UBJ.His words are what the mass always believes.He wears a simple shirt and lives a simple life.He did his schooling from VIVEKANANDA MISSION SCHOOL ,JOKA,KOLKATA,INDIA.He was a studious person in school but yet had enormous number of friends all through.Infact his list of friends is endless.Starting from the fat RITAM BASU to the orexic,lean,thin ARKA BHATTACHARYA his friends spanned people from all personalities ,all tastes ,all levels of excellence (the last of which according to ubj is complete duffer).In VIVEKANANDA mission school in class x there were about 177 students and in class xii there were about 120 students because of the massive cuts that they implemented at class x retaining only the best.Being a student on the brighter side obviously UBJ made it to the first list of SCIENCE in 10 th position based on high scores in physics and chemistry and maths.Even after scoring 95 marks in computers in class xth ubj however decided to skip to biology which was perhaps instrumental in shaping his future producing various vissitudes in his uprising graph..Now all these swings of life and a lot of separate permutations and combinations finally UBJ settled down at NIT RAIPUR with computer science and engg .
“I am the hottest supersexiest coolest rockingest hit hit superhit mindblowing person in the history of human race since the time of cave men.”,he often used to say to most of his friends to which they used to smile and say,”obviously you are…now tell me that again.”In his childhood he used to like to roam about a lot with his friends discovering shortest paths between two places which involved even climbing walls and trees too albeit partially.The friends who used to accompany him at that point of time were AVINANDAN CHATTERJEE and ANIK MAZUMDAR who had been with him since class 3 upto class x .Well anik continued in science but avinandan could not make the cut so had to opt for some other school.Since all of their houses were widely spaced so none could really devote enough time to meet each other regularly like before .Ubj did feel bad over that for he always felt that friends as such are the most devine gifts of god and should be treasured for life.Anyways there were other two friends who also formed part of the gang they were Abhradeep Chatterjee and SAGNIK chakraborty.Abradeep went on to become a DENTIST while Sagnik went on to become an MSC from IIT after completing his bsc from St.Xaviers college.Well with Abradeep there was a problem ,he was more of a mugger and always had an inborn tendency to memorize things which Ubj did not like much.Infact this instinct was more pronounced in TAMAL CHAKRABORTY too who used to memorize even the math book.Inspite of Tamal being a good friend I must say I never liked his this instinct.He was really poor in maths and had to drop out of school in class vii due to maths .After he dropped out in class vii he joined some inferior school but his maths problems persisted all the way to class xii when finally severed ties with it.After class vii he seldom used to visit us maybe owing to the shame or maybe his mother did not allow him to.He like most of us used to feel tensed very easily maybe this is a tendency in most of Indian students owing to the gross competition that he faces but he had a very unique ability which he nourished which was to play the table.He used to sing too in public functions.UBJ had always gone to the public functions that were organized in the locality to see him sing and obviously hear him too.He used to sing Bengali songs mostly band songs,”tomar dekha nai “.Sagnik on the other hand was a landslide topper who had topped perhaps most of the exams we took starting from the nursery I, nursery 2 ,transition ,class 1 ….and so on.He was a boy with firm goals and extremely industrious.He used to participate in extra curriculars like eloqution and used to encourage Ubj to participate in them too.But then at that point of time UBj was too shy to speak and always wanted to listen more .Apart from them the friends I remember a lot include mainak basu,bibek raychaudhuri,priyanka ,krishnakali.Well mainak basu was a man of firm principles but a very loveable person whose intelligence was far more than his height.He had been in the same section with me for aslong as 10 years from the beginning to the very end.So we obviously had a great friendship going and this was further enhanced by us sitting together for more than 4 years.We had always mostly sat in adjacent benches for the remaining years.He scored surreptitious 96 and 95 percent in the 10th and 12th respectively but couldnot make it big in medicals and had to settle for a below par rank of 1300 in WBJEE.He was not really comfortable in maths so engg never occurred to him although he used to score in the 80s regularly .As for bibek priyanka and krishnakali well I must say that we formed the best quartlet that ever were in the history of human race.They gave me the best part of my life interms of schooling and joy of schooling.They made school real fun for me.People like Dipayan jana ,Abhishek Ganguly ,Ankan Ray ,Arko roy became very good friends in class xii but this period with krishnaki,priyanka ,bibek mainak is UBJ’S GOLDEN PERIOD OF VMS.
Bibek was more of effeminate kind of person.He was very femalish in nature with an accent which resembled more females than males but it was a joy being with him because he was good from heart.BEFORE class ix I never used to sit with girls and used to always try to avoid them because that was the training which all conservative middleclassfamilies in india pass on to the next generation.There used to be sitting arrangements decided by school teachers .On the day of sitting arrangement I was absent owing to fever.Now the only place left was that on the “girls bench”between 9 girls.3 in the bench before and 4 in the bench adjacent to it at the back and 2 in the bench I had.Now it was real tough to get going initially because I was not used to this and I kept the bag between them and me.It was hard going UBj repeatedly kept on asking the classteacher to change the sitting arrangement .But she used to smile and say”why?are girls untouchables?”.I even approached the principal to make a sitting arrangement change.But there too the class teacher’s view was iterated.Principal Keya Sinha said,”No obviously no…first you did not come to class on that day and second what harm can it be? Apart from that the world is huge if you have no problems to talk to me and come to me at all times then what problem do you have with these girls?”.UBj did not say anything, just ruminated on it for sometime and finally accepted the verdict.
After about 3 months we started to become best of friends.Starting from interaction in the beginning to dialogue at later stages .I was immensely popular in boys but used to be very shy with the girls.The boys used to make fun of me for being forced to sit with the girls but gradually that faded off .Priyanka used to say,”tu to top karega 80 ke neeche baat nahi hoti..apna to 40 ate ate dham tuth jati hai..”.I used to say,”to parti kiu nahi hai ?hamesha shahrukh aur shahrukh aur shahrukh..pareshan hogaya is naam se..bas”.She used to say,”so whose name should I take ,yours?”.I immediately defended saying,”I did not say that absolutely.You know what I think that u should consider anik mazundar he is the macho personality ..i think he is just the man for you,”.Priyanka used to say,”I will break your teeth if you say that nonsense again”.I used to reply saying,”jaanam dekhlo mitgayi duriya ..hum yeha hai yeha hai yeha..”.She used to look back and say,”for whom was that song for?”.”for You and Anik ..the tonic”,I replied.In her bid to try to change the topic she used to say,”can you show me maths ..i have problems In maths ..and u are master genius in it.”.I used to say ,”yes I love to coach but for that you need time ..in the newpaper yesterday there was a news on u and anik..u two were caught and reprimanded near the bitch for posing nude scenes and promiting vulgarity by promiscuous means..if you know what that means.”.Priyanka used to say,”which newspaper ..i take statesman hindu and times of india..there was no such news..”.I used to say,”in navbharat..page no 2.but there is no need for panic it is ok.I mean if someone wants to have a piece of other ..it is no harm in it..its GOD’s gift enjoy it..OM SAI OM.I am always the faithful follower of GOD the almighty.” Priyanka used to smirk back,”jai baba ji ki jai!should I call debolina?”.I used to say ,”what nonsense !! She is in class vii come on!”.”So ?class ke kya matlab hai ! she is good looking smart.and she likes you” .In the mean time Krishnakali used to be very silent and used to take this for fun and enjoy it thoroughly.I used to pull her hair also by simple mascular force.Infact I used to pull her hair strong and she used to scream and say,”chor chor chor..it is paining offo”.Krishnakali used to say,”this is a very bad habit of yours to pull hair.”.I used to say “but you were smiling and when you smile I feel that my hand starts to etch..you know doctor ki aulad”.”my father ,uncle and grandfather is a doctor but my mother is not”,used to be her reply.I used to say,”ooooo hai hai the world has collapsed ..for such a grave anamoly..in my full ancestry there are all jamindars and talukdars ..I have bankers all of them in my family all SBI,UBI,VIJAYA BANK,HONGKONGBANK everything but I don’t have a single doctor! So?.”.She used to smile and say” baba ke ghar me DOCTOR ki kami thorai hai?DEBOLINA KI TO PURI FAMILY Hi doctor hai”.
Anyways time flew off we had to part ways at class x as krishnakali ,priyanka, bibek all were shown the door from school as they were not given Science.And none were ready to take commerce.There were only 60 seats in Science so the stake was huge.To frankly confess I must say that I used to feel bored in class xii classes and did not enjoy so much as I did in class x with these people around me .There were friends in class xii in SAPTAMA AND SUMOULI BUTthey were absolutely study bugs.Then in class x there was others like SOUVIK MUKHERJEE,ARKO MUKHERJEE,JOY SAHA ,ROHAN BANERJEE,JUPITER GUHA,ANKAN RAY,ABHISHEK SARKAR AND CHAUDHURY,ayon ,DEBRAJ the ratoooo(doing MBBS from calcutta medical in 2nd attempt in WBJEE) AND THE GREAT ARNAB GANGULY(CS ,JADAVPUR UNIV,MY GURU AND ICON) who deserve special mention for making life enjoyable and lending variation in life of whom only arnob,Jupiter,ankan,souvik,abhishek and ayon made it to class 12 in vms with science I missed the rest also very badly including joy ,debraj ,rohan and all in particular. I have always loved each of you and Abhishek GANGULY AND DR DIPAYAN JANA (mbbs Calcutta medical)for being with me in tough years of my life and even now keeping our friendship ever young.We used to talk a lot about each other and their houses and all.It was like a real dreamy time which I forever missed and miss even now.I don’t know I will ever see them again or not but they were the best I will ever have.In Pt we later on had such kind of climate having 79 good strong friends there was a milestone in itself with SHASHANK,ARJUN ,VIVEK ,PRASHANT ,NITIN,DIPTI,SWATI KHETRI, AVANI RATHOD, ANKITA KEJRIWAL,SURESH PANJWANI, ,AMIT ,AND RATAN ,and many more who have given me a place in their hearts and mind as a friend and a fellow companion in the voyage of life.This time faces of Priyanka and Krishnakali were taken by Avani and Ankita and DEBOLINA WAS replaced with EJ .In college too there came super rocking party of magnamous personalities each having abundance of distinction from each other leading to great diversity and a super hot rocking party making life a joy..VIKRAM SINGH PARIHAR( MY ICON GURU),ANIMESH PANT,PRASHANT SINHA(PAROO) ,VIKASH AGRAWAL,HITAISH DURUGKAR ,VINAY VERMA,ASHUTOSH JHA AND SAU ,CHANDAN AGRAWAL AND DASH,DEBASHISH PANDA,VIVEK DEWANGAN,SUDIPTO SARKAR,SOORAJ,BHARAT,SUDATTA,RAMJI,ABHISHEK AND PRAKUR CHAUHAN,BANSIDHAR,PRABHAKAR,RAKESHJHA,SUDARSHAN SARAF,AMUL BADJATIYA,K.RAJESH ,PAAVNI,MADHULIKA,PRIYANKA ,SUMEDHA AND MEDHA PANDAY,NIKITA NARAIN ,BHARTI BASKEY ,MAULI,VIVEK AGRAWAL,RAHUL JAIN,KSHITIJ KASHAP,VIVEK THE BETI,ANKUR JAIN,PRAVIN SINGH,PRAVEEN SINGHAL,PRADIP,ABHISHEK,ARUN JAIN,MAIDHAR,SHINDE AND VIVEK SINGH MARKAM each of whom are super special for me and love them all intensely and live in my breath and form an integral part of my power. But then class x was the purest and most uncomplicated year of my life which I thoroughly enjoyed .THE 50 AND 256 WERE THE OTHER SET OF PEOPLE WHOM I MET AND ENJOYED IN NIT JSR AND PRIVATE COACHINGS ….INCLUDEING CONSPICUOUSLY YASH MODI(IIM C)now oldest friend,SHANKAR,RAJNISH,RANVIJAY PRATAP,NITIN GOTHI,DAKOJO AMARNATH,AMARNATH,RAHUL SINGH,PROFESSOR VINOD, PAPPU, PROFESSOR SAAB ,MASCARAS XAVIER, ANKITA THE FMS GIRL, NEHA SACHDEVA, APARAJITA ,SUNIL KUMAR ,UJJWAL .All these girls they stayed on in my life in the form of numbers but yes both for them and me the experience that we had were awesome and it changed the very dynamics of my life and the mechanism of my thought.I love you all 177 and 120 AND 620 AND 256 AND 79 AND 50 and will always do that .for the love and recongnition you gave me.I hope for those reading the story whose name have not figured in this ..please never mind for that in some story you will definitely figure in for I treasure each of you individually and each of you are irreplaceable in my life.THIS ONE WAS FOR SCHOOL MOSTLY FOR COLLEGE YOU HAVE A NOVEL COMING BECAUSE 620 IS A HUGE NUMBER!!
================================================uddalak banerjee(ubj)
“dekha tujhe dekha jab hua main to craize …..Na kar aisi khit pit soniya ..(when I saw you I became crazy for you ….dont do this disturbances now let me have you…)”,the song was flowing out from a not so melodious voice in the bathroom of hostel room at NIT Raipur.His name is UBJ.His words are what the mass always believes.He wears a simple shirt and lives a simple life.He did his schooling from VIVEKANANDA MISSION SCHOOL ,JOKA,KOLKATA,INDIA.He was a studious person in school but yet had enormous number of friends all through.Infact his list of friends is endless.Starting from the fat RITAM BASU to the orexic,lean,thin ARKA BHATTACHARYA his friends spanned people from all personalities ,all tastes ,all levels of excellence (the last of which according to ubj is complete duffer).In VIVEKANANDA mission school in class x there were about 177 students and in class xii there were about 120 students because of the massive cuts that they implemented at class x retaining only the best.Being a student on the brighter side obviously UBJ made it to the first list of SCIENCE in 10 th position based on high scores in physics and chemistry and maths.Even after scoring 95 marks in computers in class xth ubj however decided to skip to biology which was perhaps instrumental in shaping his future producing various vissitudes in his uprising graph..Now all these swings of life and a lot of separate permutations and combinations finally UBJ settled down at NIT RAIPUR with computer science and engg .
“I am the hottest supersexiest coolest rockingest hit hit superhit mindblowing person in the history of human race since the time of cave men.”,he often used to say to most of his friends to which they used to smile and say,”obviously you are…now tell me that again.”In his childhood he used to like to roam about a lot with his friends discovering shortest paths between two places which involved even climbing walls and trees too albeit partially.The friends who used to accompany him at that point of time were AVINANDAN CHATTERJEE and ANIK MAZUMDAR who had been with him since class 3 upto class x .Well anik continued in science but avinandan could not make the cut so had to opt for some other school.Since all of their houses were widely spaced so none could really devote enough time to meet each other regularly like before .Ubj did feel bad over that for he always felt that friends as such are the most devine gifts of god and should be treasured for life.Anyways there were other two friends who also formed part of the gang they were Abhradeep Chatterjee and SAGNIK chakraborty.Abradeep went on to become a DENTIST while Sagnik went on to become an MSC from IIT after completing his bsc from St.Xaviers college.Well with Abradeep there was a problem ,he was more of a mugger and always had an inborn tendency to memorize things which Ubj did not like much.Infact this instinct was more pronounced in TAMAL CHAKRABORTY too who used to memorize even the math book.Inspite of Tamal being a good friend I must say I never liked his this instinct.He was really poor in maths and had to drop out of school in class vii due to maths .After he dropped out in class vii he joined some inferior school but his maths problems persisted all the way to class xii when finally severed ties with it.After class vii he seldom used to visit us maybe owing to the shame or maybe his mother did not allow him to.He like most of us used to feel tensed very easily maybe this is a tendency in most of Indian students owing to the gross competition that he faces but he had a very unique ability which he nourished which was to play the table.He used to sing too in public functions.UBJ had always gone to the public functions that were organized in the locality to see him sing and obviously hear him too.He used to sing Bengali songs mostly band songs,”tomar dekha nai “.Sagnik on the other hand was a landslide topper who had topped perhaps most of the exams we took starting from the nursery I, nursery 2 ,transition ,class 1 ….and so on.He was a boy with firm goals and extremely industrious.He used to participate in extra curriculars like eloqution and used to encourage Ubj to participate in them too.But then at that point of time UBj was too shy to speak and always wanted to listen more .Apart from them the friends I remember a lot include mainak basu,bibek raychaudhuri,priyanka ,krishnakali.Well mainak basu was a man of firm principles but a very loveable person whose intelligence was far more than his height.He had been in the same section with me for aslong as 10 years from the beginning to the very end.So we obviously had a great friendship going and this was further enhanced by us sitting together for more than 4 years.We had always mostly sat in adjacent benches for the remaining years.He scored surreptitious 96 and 95 percent in the 10th and 12th respectively but couldnot make it big in medicals and had to settle for a below par rank of 1300 in WBJEE.He was not really comfortable in maths so engg never occurred to him although he used to score in the 80s regularly .As for bibek priyanka and krishnakali well I must say that we formed the best quartlet that ever were in the history of human race.They gave me the best part of my life interms of schooling and joy of schooling.They made school real fun for me.People like Dipayan jana ,Abhishek Ganguly ,Ankan Ray ,Arko roy became very good friends in class xii but this period with krishnaki,priyanka ,bibek mainak is UBJ’S GOLDEN PERIOD OF VMS.
Bibek was more of effeminate kind of person.He was very femalish in nature with an accent which resembled more females than males but it was a joy being with him because he was good from heart.BEFORE class ix I never used to sit with girls and used to always try to avoid them because that was the training which all conservative middleclassfamilies in india pass on to the next generation.There used to be sitting arrangements decided by school teachers .On the day of sitting arrangement I was absent owing to fever.Now the only place left was that on the “girls bench”between 9 girls.3 in the bench before and 4 in the bench adjacent to it at the back and 2 in the bench I had.Now it was real tough to get going initially because I was not used to this and I kept the bag between them and me.It was hard going UBj repeatedly kept on asking the classteacher to change the sitting arrangement .But she used to smile and say”why?are girls untouchables?”.I even approached the principal to make a sitting arrangement change.But there too the class teacher’s view was iterated.Principal Keya Sinha said,”No obviously no…first you did not come to class on that day and second what harm can it be? Apart from that the world is huge if you have no problems to talk to me and come to me at all times then what problem do you have with these girls?”.UBj did not say anything, just ruminated on it for sometime and finally accepted the verdict.
After about 3 months we started to become best of friends.Starting from interaction in the beginning to dialogue at later stages .I was immensely popular in boys but used to be very shy with the girls.The boys used to make fun of me for being forced to sit with the girls but gradually that faded off .Priyanka used to say,”tu to top karega 80 ke neeche baat nahi hoti..apna to 40 ate ate dham tuth jati hai..”.I used to say,”to parti kiu nahi hai ?hamesha shahrukh aur shahrukh aur shahrukh..pareshan hogaya is naam se..bas”.She used to say,”so whose name should I take ,yours?”.I immediately defended saying,”I did not say that absolutely.You know what I think that u should consider anik mazundar he is the macho personality ..i think he is just the man for you,”.Priyanka used to say,”I will break your teeth if you say that nonsense again”.I used to reply saying,”jaanam dekhlo mitgayi duriya ..hum yeha hai yeha hai yeha..”.She used to look back and say,”for whom was that song for?”.”for You and Anik ..the tonic”,I replied.In her bid to try to change the topic she used to say,”can you show me maths ..i have problems In maths ..and u are master genius in it.”.I used to say ,”yes I love to coach but for that you need time ..in the newpaper yesterday there was a news on u and anik..u two were caught and reprimanded near the bitch for posing nude scenes and promiting vulgarity by promiscuous means..if you know what that means.”.Priyanka used to say,”which newspaper ..i take statesman hindu and times of india..there was no such news..”.I used to say,”in navbharat..page no 2.but there is no need for panic it is ok.I mean if someone wants to have a piece of other ..it is no harm in it..its GOD’s gift enjoy it..OM SAI OM.I am always the faithful follower of GOD the almighty.” Priyanka used to smirk back,”jai baba ji ki jai!should I call debolina?”.I used to say ,”what nonsense !! She is in class vii come on!”.”So ?class ke kya matlab hai ! she is good looking smart.and she likes you” .In the mean time Krishnakali used to be very silent and used to take this for fun and enjoy it thoroughly.I used to pull her hair also by simple mascular force.Infact I used to pull her hair strong and she used to scream and say,”chor chor chor..it is paining offo”.Krishnakali used to say,”this is a very bad habit of yours to pull hair.”.I used to say “but you were smiling and when you smile I feel that my hand starts to etch..you know doctor ki aulad”.”my father ,uncle and grandfather is a doctor but my mother is not”,used to be her reply.I used to say,”ooooo hai hai the world has collapsed ..for such a grave anamoly..in my full ancestry there are all jamindars and talukdars ..I have bankers all of them in my family all SBI,UBI,VIJAYA BANK,HONGKONGBANK everything but I don’t have a single doctor! So?.”.She used to smile and say” baba ke ghar me DOCTOR ki kami thorai hai?DEBOLINA KI TO PURI FAMILY Hi doctor hai”.
Anyways time flew off we had to part ways at class x as krishnakali ,priyanka, bibek all were shown the door from school as they were not given Science.And none were ready to take commerce.There were only 60 seats in Science so the stake was huge.To frankly confess I must say that I used to feel bored in class xii classes and did not enjoy so much as I did in class x with these people around me .There were friends in class xii in SAPTAMA AND SUMOULI BUTthey were absolutely study bugs.Then in class x there was others like SOUVIK MUKHERJEE,ARKO MUKHERJEE,JOY SAHA ,ROHAN BANERJEE,JUPITER GUHA,ANKAN RAY,ABHISHEK SARKAR AND CHAUDHURY,ayon ,DEBRAJ the ratoooo(doing MBBS from calcutta medical in 2nd attempt in WBJEE) AND THE GREAT ARNAB GANGULY(CS ,JADAVPUR UNIV,MY GURU AND ICON) who deserve special mention for making life enjoyable and lending variation in life of whom only arnob,Jupiter,ankan,souvik,abhishek and ayon made it to class 12 in vms with science I missed the rest also very badly including joy ,debraj ,rohan and all in particular. I have always loved each of you and Abhishek GANGULY AND DR DIPAYAN JANA (mbbs Calcutta medical)for being with me in tough years of my life and even now keeping our friendship ever young.We used to talk a lot about each other and their houses and all.It was like a real dreamy time which I forever missed and miss even now.I don’t know I will ever see them again or not but they were the best I will ever have.In Pt we later on had such kind of climate having 79 good strong friends there was a milestone in itself with SHASHANK,ARJUN ,VIVEK ,PRASHANT ,NITIN,DIPTI,SWATI KHETRI, AVANI RATHOD, ANKITA KEJRIWAL,SURESH PANJWANI, ,AMIT ,AND RATAN ,and many more who have given me a place in their hearts and mind as a friend and a fellow companion in the voyage of life.This time faces of Priyanka and Krishnakali were taken by Avani and Ankita and DEBOLINA WAS replaced with EJ .In college too there came super rocking party of magnamous personalities each having abundance of distinction from each other leading to great diversity and a super hot rocking party making life a joy..VIKRAM SINGH PARIHAR( MY ICON GURU),ANIMESH PANT,PRASHANT SINHA(PAROO) ,VIKASH AGRAWAL,HITAISH DURUGKAR ,VINAY VERMA,ASHUTOSH JHA AND SAU ,CHANDAN AGRAWAL AND DASH,DEBASHISH PANDA,VIVEK DEWANGAN,SUDIPTO SARKAR,SOORAJ,BHARAT,SUDATTA,RAMJI,ABHISHEK AND PRAKUR CHAUHAN,BANSIDHAR,PRABHAKAR,RAKESHJHA,SUDARSHAN SARAF,AMUL BADJATIYA,K.RAJESH ,PAAVNI,MADHULIKA,PRIYANKA ,SUMEDHA AND MEDHA PANDAY,NIKITA NARAIN ,BHARTI BASKEY ,MAULI,VIVEK AGRAWAL,RAHUL JAIN,KSHITIJ KASHAP,VIVEK THE BETI,ANKUR JAIN,PRAVIN SINGH,PRAVEEN SINGHAL,PRADIP,ABHISHEK,ARUN JAIN,MAIDHAR,SHINDE AND VIVEK SINGH MARKAM each of whom are super special for me and love them all intensely and live in my breath and form an integral part of my power. But then class x was the purest and most uncomplicated year of my life which I thoroughly enjoyed .THE 50 AND 256 WERE THE OTHER SET OF PEOPLE WHOM I MET AND ENJOYED IN NIT JSR AND PRIVATE COACHINGS ….INCLUDEING CONSPICUOUSLY YASH MODI(IIM C)now oldest friend,SHANKAR,RAJNISH,RANVIJAY PRATAP,NITIN GOTHI,DAKOJO AMARNATH,AMARNATH,RAHUL SINGH,PROFESSOR VINOD, PAPPU, PROFESSOR SAAB ,MASCARAS XAVIER, ANKITA THE FMS GIRL, NEHA SACHDEVA, APARAJITA ,SUNIL KUMAR ,UJJWAL .All these girls they stayed on in my life in the form of numbers but yes both for them and me the experience that we had were awesome and it changed the very dynamics of my life and the mechanism of my thought.I love you all 177 and 120 AND 620 AND 256 AND 79 AND 50 and will always do that .for the love and recongnition you gave me.I hope for those reading the story whose name have not figured in this ..please never mind for that in some story you will definitely figure in for I treasure each of you individually and each of you are irreplaceable in my life.THIS ONE WAS FOR SCHOOL MOSTLY FOR COLLEGE YOU HAVE A NOVEL COMING BECAUSE 620 IS A HUGE NUMBER!!
HORROR
===================================================UDDALAKBANERJEE(UBJ)
The door was open and seeing no body around the detective ventured into the house.The house was old and far away from the town Pompus which had been ravaged by the volcano in 1995.There was thick dust on the floor .While all other houses fell to satiate the unsatiable hunger of the volcano this house had lived on mysteriously.
“William I am inside ,the baby is not here! William can you hear me?”.
There was no voice from the other side of the mobile.Since the time the case was given to Ryan Williams have been his accomplice .They had grown a strong bonding between each other even though Williams was more of reserved kind.Ryan was not knew to Pompus he had been here before to investigate another case of which he never divulged much.It was Williams who gave refuge to Ryan and the hospitality of his widow mother and small sister was truly generous.Agitated and capricious of Williams health detective Ryan was anxious.He thought of calling Alice,Williams sister to brief her on the matter but suddenly the bench behind him started to shake.A small innocent baby girl was playing on it .There was blood on the left finger of his right hand and on her left hand there was a doll wearing black clothes.Ryan went towards the baby and tried to pull him towards him .He had seen her somewhere before but the place he could not recollect.The baby disappeared from the table and in his hindsight Ryan felt someone running out of the room to the next at lightning speed.Ryan was puzzled,fraught with fear and could not decide as to what to do .He searched for his revolver but could not find it .Then he remembered that he had left it in the old coat. But now he was certain that this is no ordinary detective case.In his 17 years of detective experience Ryan had never faced such a case or condition ever.Even in the wake of Vietnam war he had always stayed calm and inspite of being a marine had never really thought of defeat or death.He ended up killing 34 enemies in the war earning himself a medal.But 34 was the formal account to murders charged to his name.He had killed a few more after he persued detective cases later on out of pure interest.But then he was young and his skin was tight which has become lose in his 43 year old body now.For the first time in his 17 years of detective experience and 7 years of life as marine Ryan felt fear staring at his face and his hoary eyelids drop .He never cared for his own life but he did care for Williams who had grown quiet endearing to him.
“hello? William? Hello? Is anyone there?”,Ryan asked on phone.
“You are welcomed to the DIS messaging service please leave your message after the word beep“, came a very familiar mechanical voice.
“William if you are listening to me ..you were right ! I am sorry I mistrusted you..be fast !close the windows and doors and take the widow out of town .Fast!”,Ryan got his voice recorded and still he was not ready to leave.
A black shadow fell on the wall behind Ryan and he could feel something breathing on his neck balancing on the wall.
“You wronged me..I was innocent yet you got me convicted..(pause)just here remember?Your gun fired from the position where u are standing ..(pause)..The clock I had was with William so I went there to get it and not the widow.You again calculated wrong Ryan and now you shall die!just the way you led my old mother and small sister to death following my conviction and subsequent murder.You are a murderer Ryan .he he he he he ”
Each time the words were uttered Ryan felt a deep cold breath crashing against his shoulders .The atmosphere appeared frozen and nothing moved.In deep anxiety and fear just when he was about to turn around to explain his stand a deep thrust of teeth penetrated Jones throat just above his 300$ jacket which Williams’s small sister gifted the other day when they were discussing the case in William’s house.Visages of his past deeds and his sister started to appear in his minds sight.Yet as death started to loom on the room Ryan made his last move.He threw his hand around the ghost’s neck and used all his might to overturn him by his right shoulder around him.But his otherwise sinewy strength seemed slack and he started to give up as blood started to soak his coat and shirt.He started to fall and just the moment he fell ,he made a last attempt to look into the eyes of his assassin and his weak slack voice faintly said “William! ”.The ghost’s red heneous eyes smiled with a glitter of satisfaction as the lifeless body fell to rest on the heap of the dust .
The door was open and seeing no body around the detective ventured into the house.The house was old and far away from the town Pompus which had been ravaged by the volcano in 1995.There was thick dust on the floor .While all other houses fell to satiate the unsatiable hunger of the volcano this house had lived on mysteriously.
“William I am inside ,the baby is not here! William can you hear me?”.
There was no voice from the other side of the mobile.Since the time the case was given to Ryan Williams have been his accomplice .They had grown a strong bonding between each other even though Williams was more of reserved kind.Ryan was not knew to Pompus he had been here before to investigate another case of which he never divulged much.It was Williams who gave refuge to Ryan and the hospitality of his widow mother and small sister was truly generous.Agitated and capricious of Williams health detective Ryan was anxious.He thought of calling Alice,Williams sister to brief her on the matter but suddenly the bench behind him started to shake.A small innocent baby girl was playing on it .There was blood on the left finger of his right hand and on her left hand there was a doll wearing black clothes.Ryan went towards the baby and tried to pull him towards him .He had seen her somewhere before but the place he could not recollect.The baby disappeared from the table and in his hindsight Ryan felt someone running out of the room to the next at lightning speed.Ryan was puzzled,fraught with fear and could not decide as to what to do .He searched for his revolver but could not find it .Then he remembered that he had left it in the old coat. But now he was certain that this is no ordinary detective case.In his 17 years of detective experience Ryan had never faced such a case or condition ever.Even in the wake of Vietnam war he had always stayed calm and inspite of being a marine had never really thought of defeat or death.He ended up killing 34 enemies in the war earning himself a medal.But 34 was the formal account to murders charged to his name.He had killed a few more after he persued detective cases later on out of pure interest.But then he was young and his skin was tight which has become lose in his 43 year old body now.For the first time in his 17 years of detective experience and 7 years of life as marine Ryan felt fear staring at his face and his hoary eyelids drop .He never cared for his own life but he did care for Williams who had grown quiet endearing to him.
“hello? William? Hello? Is anyone there?”,Ryan asked on phone.
“You are welcomed to the DIS messaging service please leave your message after the word beep“, came a very familiar mechanical voice.
“William if you are listening to me ..you were right ! I am sorry I mistrusted you..be fast !close the windows and doors and take the widow out of town .Fast!”,Ryan got his voice recorded and still he was not ready to leave.
A black shadow fell on the wall behind Ryan and he could feel something breathing on his neck balancing on the wall.
“You wronged me..I was innocent yet you got me convicted..(pause)just here remember?Your gun fired from the position where u are standing ..(pause)..The clock I had was with William so I went there to get it and not the widow.You again calculated wrong Ryan and now you shall die!just the way you led my old mother and small sister to death following my conviction and subsequent murder.You are a murderer Ryan .he he he he he ”
Each time the words were uttered Ryan felt a deep cold breath crashing against his shoulders .The atmosphere appeared frozen and nothing moved.In deep anxiety and fear just when he was about to turn around to explain his stand a deep thrust of teeth penetrated Jones throat just above his 300$ jacket which Williams’s small sister gifted the other day when they were discussing the case in William’s house.Visages of his past deeds and his sister started to appear in his minds sight.Yet as death started to loom on the room Ryan made his last move.He threw his hand around the ghost’s neck and used all his might to overturn him by his right shoulder around him.But his otherwise sinewy strength seemed slack and he started to give up as blood started to soak his coat and shirt.He started to fall and just the moment he fell ,he made a last attempt to look into the eyes of his assassin and his weak slack voice faintly said “William! ”.The ghost’s red heneous eyes smiled with a glitter of satisfaction as the lifeless body fell to rest on the heap of the dust .
SPACE TRAVEL
After spending about 15 days in Nasa space station orienting our bodies and minds to the task at hand me,yugo Gagrin and Enamota Toshiba were part of the historic flight to space.Sorry,I did not give you my introduction ...I was the space boy .. like the coffee boy you have in resturants among the three...
I was trully amateur of the travel but i was kept part of this historic mission because of my trained hand in fixing complex thermodynamically unstable machines and orienting them in different shapes and forms as seen viable.I was then recent passout of MIT completed my postgraduation in thermal and radioactive technology.
For the last time when I was leaving my house and my planet I left behind my degrees and all the college documents on the table while searching for the tubular Tong used for searching the radio instruments when the radio box is opened.
The certificate read--
"MICHEAL FORD ,has been the student of our most esteemed institution from 1956-1960.He had topped the batch in the 3rd and 5th annular technological bonanza conducted by the institute....."
I used to esteem this certificate profusely.Anyways,once in the space shuttle we first congratulated each other for having been esteemed to be part of history for America.I infact,was selected at the last instant by NASA spaceshutle supervisory team as I had previously held aerospace engg degree from Texas at arlington and was one of their distinguished students.
Our spacecraft could carry 6 aestronauts and had 22000 kg of payload into low earth orbit and had a projected life span of 20 operational years.
Hazards of space atleast at that time before the space mission was much pronounced even the most audacious scientist used to think twice before the mission . Perhaps this was one of the reasons why Dr Frank refused to join the squad inspite of being a radio engineer with 10/10 grades in MIT.
Anyways ,Yugo went aboard the 30 feet high space craft by holding the rod of the chair car kept for our transport when the spacecraft started.The entire gravity seems to pull us .Anyway, we managed ourselves and Yugo quite artistically and acrobatically got hold of the control buttons and started to monitor it.Enamota on the other hand was holding me tight because he heard of me as an amateur graduate who doesnot have much of space travel lessons.
After about 5 minutes we recieved a message from space station in the form of radio-signals which Yugo recieved.He then signalled V to Enamoto meaning it is okay and the connection with ground station is also established.
we had a kettle of coffeeproducer espresso machines indegiously developed by NASA which did multiple tasks like water boiling , water cooling , tea making,cocoa making all in one, it was fitted against the side chamber.Walls of the side chamber had numerous tubes in which each performed the task of coding the space shuttle because cold water from coolers fitted somewhere near the main engine used to carry water through the water carry nozzles .In the meantime , there was a separation chamber which we called the floor separating us from the gas chamber where heat was created at about 6000C to 7000C as we achieved a thrust required to propel us forward using NEWTONS THIRD LAW.
Radiation incubators round shaped were stationed too for keeping the spacecraft thermally stable near the control panel there was a T.V box shaped object linked to a telescope from behind aiming outside for our vision into the skies.It was the only way for us to see the outerside of the ship,while in motion.
We reached the space-station at around 6:15 am accounting to the clock in our space-craft.Yugo signalled to the ground station sending the message (electronically embedded with alternate beep s in the trasmitter)
I and Yugo then stepped for the first time in space with Enamoto holding spaceshuttle commands now.It was a feeling of amazing adventure ,immense joy that filled our heart.We floated ourselves holding the sides of he extension fitted to the door of the spacecraft.Our feet were fixed with robes attached to the moving doorway.
Well,the basic idea was to supervise the radiators fixed on the spacestation which were absorbers of sunrays and also electronic signals, before their transmission.As you know the spacestation is not static it keeps on moving with earth at the same speed.So as we rotated with it we had our first ever vision of America we all were waiting for it.Yugo saluted it and I followed.
Suddenly ,we experienced tremors in the spaceship we both were terrified
but situation was brought in control by Enamoto himself actually a small asteriod shook the left valve of the spaceship...
Finally,when the deployment was over we finally alighted back on the space ship and then as we recieved the all clear signals from our base back in groundzero we began our jeorney back to earth.The back jeorney was somewhat more tedious for it had the risk of potensial fluctuations as we entered the gravitational field of lower orbit of earth.But luckily barring a few jarks potensial drop did not take place stratosphere was also fine so we finally managed land safely back to our ground station with a huge mass of enthusiastic people further flaked by the media all waiting for us.
We thanked each other for one last time and then alighted from the spaceship putting an end to the adventurous and ever so memorable space mission.
-----------------------------uddalak banerjee
I was trully amateur of the travel but i was kept part of this historic mission because of my trained hand in fixing complex thermodynamically unstable machines and orienting them in different shapes and forms as seen viable.I was then recent passout of MIT completed my postgraduation in thermal and radioactive technology.
For the last time when I was leaving my house and my planet I left behind my degrees and all the college documents on the table while searching for the tubular Tong used for searching the radio instruments when the radio box is opened.
The certificate read--
"MICHEAL FORD ,has been the student of our most esteemed institution from 1956-1960.He had topped the batch in the 3rd and 5th annular technological bonanza conducted by the institute....."
I used to esteem this certificate profusely.Anyways,once in the space shuttle we first congratulated each other for having been esteemed to be part of history for America.I infact,was selected at the last instant by NASA spaceshutle supervisory team as I had previously held aerospace engg degree from Texas at arlington and was one of their distinguished students.
Our spacecraft could carry 6 aestronauts and had 22000 kg of payload into low earth orbit and had a projected life span of 20 operational years.
Hazards of space atleast at that time before the space mission was much pronounced even the most audacious scientist used to think twice before the mission . Perhaps this was one of the reasons why Dr Frank refused to join the squad inspite of being a radio engineer with 10/10 grades in MIT.
Anyways ,Yugo went aboard the 30 feet high space craft by holding the rod of the chair car kept for our transport when the spacecraft started.The entire gravity seems to pull us .Anyway, we managed ourselves and Yugo quite artistically and acrobatically got hold of the control buttons and started to monitor it.Enamota on the other hand was holding me tight because he heard of me as an amateur graduate who doesnot have much of space travel lessons.
After about 5 minutes we recieved a message from space station in the form of radio-signals which Yugo recieved.He then signalled V to Enamoto meaning it is okay and the connection with ground station is also established.
we had a kettle of coffeeproducer espresso machines indegiously developed by NASA which did multiple tasks like water boiling , water cooling , tea making,cocoa making all in one, it was fitted against the side chamber.Walls of the side chamber had numerous tubes in which each performed the task of coding the space shuttle because cold water from coolers fitted somewhere near the main engine used to carry water through the water carry nozzles .In the meantime , there was a separation chamber which we called the floor separating us from the gas chamber where heat was created at about 6000C to 7000C as we achieved a thrust required to propel us forward using NEWTONS THIRD LAW.
Radiation incubators round shaped were stationed too for keeping the spacecraft thermally stable near the control panel there was a T.V box shaped object linked to a telescope from behind aiming outside for our vision into the skies.It was the only way for us to see the outerside of the ship,while in motion.
We reached the space-station at around 6:15 am accounting to the clock in our space-craft.Yugo signalled to the ground station sending the message (electronically embedded with alternate beep s in the trasmitter)
I and Yugo then stepped for the first time in space with Enamoto holding spaceshuttle commands now.It was a feeling of amazing adventure ,immense joy that filled our heart.We floated ourselves holding the sides of he extension fitted to the door of the spacecraft.Our feet were fixed with robes attached to the moving doorway.
Well,the basic idea was to supervise the radiators fixed on the spacestation which were absorbers of sunrays and also electronic signals, before their transmission.As you know the spacestation is not static it keeps on moving with earth at the same speed.So as we rotated with it we had our first ever vision of America we all were waiting for it.Yugo saluted it and I followed.
Suddenly ,we experienced tremors in the spaceship we both were terrified
but situation was brought in control by Enamoto himself actually a small asteriod shook the left valve of the spaceship...
Finally,when the deployment was over we finally alighted back on the space ship and then as we recieved the all clear signals from our base back in groundzero we began our jeorney back to earth.The back jeorney was somewhat more tedious for it had the risk of potensial fluctuations as we entered the gravitational field of lower orbit of earth.But luckily barring a few jarks potensial drop did not take place stratosphere was also fine so we finally managed land safely back to our ground station with a huge mass of enthusiastic people further flaked by the media all waiting for us.
We thanked each other for one last time and then alighted from the spaceship putting an end to the adventurous and ever so memorable space mission.
-----------------------------uddalak banerjee
Saturday, June 18, 2016
Dream Machine
# All characters of the story are unreal and purely imaginary. Any coincidence with any character or work should be treated as coincidental and purely fictional#
I say to my nephew time and again,"What if a DreoMac comes to life?".
He retorts "we would then have been in alice in wonderland".
I say "life is full of pain,misery and treachery what more?what harm if we live in a glossy farmland in dreams alone".
My cousin says"But it is impossible".
In return I say "im-possible is always I am possible"
If he then puts up any further arguments I always say"As I have always said that I am possible so how can then my dream be impossible?"
He smurks and smiles only to say,"you donot know anything.. how can dreams be true".
Science ,Science he swears time in and time out but forgets the hidden Science in the logic itself.. only for me to point that "have you heard of Kevin Warwick or the article of John p donogue 's article in journal nature or the term brain gate?
if not then please stay put for me to tell you ".
The story I say to him is as follows-----
The implant system, known as the BrainGate, is being developed by Cyberkinetics Neurotechnology Systems of Foxborough, Mass. The company is now testing the system in three other people whose names have not been released — one with a spinal cord injury, one who had a brain-stem stroke and one with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Timothy R. Surgenor, the president of the company, said Cyberkinetics hoped to have an implant approved for use as early as 2008 or 2009. Mr. Donoghue of Brown is a cofounder of the company and its chief scientist. Some of the authors of the research paper work for the company, while others work at Massachusetts General Hospital and other medical or academic institutions.
The sensor measures 4 millimeters — about one sixth of an inch — on a side and contains 100 tiny electrodes. The device was implanted in the area of Mr. Nagle’s motor cortex that is responsible for arm movement, and was connected to a pedestal that protruded from the top of his skull.
When the device was to be used, technicians connected the pedestal to a computer with a cable. So Mr. Nagle was directly wired to a computer, somewhat like a character in the “Matrix” movies.(i have seen the movie 3 times)
Mr. Nagle would then imagine moving his arm to hit various targets, as technicians calibrated the machine, a process that took about half an hour each time. The implanted sensor eavesdropped on the electrical signals emitted by nearby neurons as they controlled the imaginary arm movement.
Scientists said the study was important because it showed that the neurons in Mr. Nagle’s motor cortex were still active, years after they had any role to play in physically moving his arms.
Cursor control was not very smooth. In a task where the goal was to guide the cursor from the center of the screen to a target on the perimeter, Mr. Nagle hit the target about 73 to 95 percent of the time. When he did, it took an average of 2.5 seconds, though sometimes much longer. The second patient tested with the implant had worse control than Mr. Nagle, the paper said.
By contrast, healthy people moving the cursor by hand can hit the target almost every time and in only one second.
Dr. Jonathan R. Wolpaw, a researcher at the New York State Department of Health in Albany, said the BrainGate performance did not appear to be substantially better than a non-invasive system he is developing using electroencephalography, in which electrodes are placed outside the scalp.
“If you are going to have something implanted into your brain, you’d probably want it to be a lot better,’’ he said.
Dr. Donoghue and other proponents of the implants say they have the potential to be a lot better, because they are much closer to the relevant neurons. The scalp electrodes get signals from millions of neurons all over the brain.
One way to improve implant performance was suggested by another paper in the same edition of Nature. In a study involving monkeys, Krishna V. Shenoy and colleagues at Stanford University eavesdropped not on the neurons controlling arm movement but on those expressing the intention to move.
“Instead of sliding the cursor out to the target, we can just predict which target would be hit, and the cursor simply leaps there,’’ said Mr. Shenoy, an assistant professor of electrical engineering and neurosciences.
He said a patient using the system could do the equivalent of typing 15 words a minute, about four times the speed of the other devices.
Other obstacles must be overcome before brain implants become practical. The ability of the electrodes to detect brain signals begins to deteriorate after several months, for reasons that are not fully understood. Also, ideally, the implant would transmit signals out of the brain wirelessly, doing away with the permanent hole in the head and the accompanying risk of infection.
Mr. Nagle, meanwhile, had his implant removed after a bit more than a year, so he could undergo another operation that allowed him to breathe without a ventilator. He can control a computer with voice commands, so he does not really need the brain implant. But he said he was happy he volunteered for the experiment.
“It gave a lot of people hope,’’ he said.
He retorts "we would then have been in alice in wonderland".
I say "life is full of pain,misery and treachery what more?what harm if we live in a glossy farmland in dreams alone".
My cousin says"But it is impossible".
In return I say "im-possible is always I am possible"
If he then puts up any further arguments I always say"As I have always said that I am possible so how can then my dream be impossible?"
He smurks and smiles only to say,"you donot know anything.. how can dreams be true".
Science ,Science he swears time in and time out but forgets the hidden Science in the logic itself.. only for me to point that "have you heard of Kevin Warwick or the article of John p donogue 's article in journal nature or the term brain gate?
if not then please stay put for me to tell you ".
The story I say to him is as follows-----
The implant system, known as the BrainGate, is being developed by Cyberkinetics Neurotechnology Systems of Foxborough, Mass. The company is now testing the system in three other people whose names have not been released — one with a spinal cord injury, one who had a brain-stem stroke and one with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Timothy R. Surgenor, the president of the company, said Cyberkinetics hoped to have an implant approved for use as early as 2008 or 2009. Mr. Donoghue of Brown is a cofounder of the company and its chief scientist. Some of the authors of the research paper work for the company, while others work at Massachusetts General Hospital and other medical or academic institutions.
The sensor measures 4 millimeters — about one sixth of an inch — on a side and contains 100 tiny electrodes. The device was implanted in the area of Mr. Nagle’s motor cortex that is responsible for arm movement, and was connected to a pedestal that protruded from the top of his skull.
When the device was to be used, technicians connected the pedestal to a computer with a cable. So Mr. Nagle was directly wired to a computer, somewhat like a character in the “Matrix” movies.(i have seen the movie 3 times)
Mr. Nagle would then imagine moving his arm to hit various targets, as technicians calibrated the machine, a process that took about half an hour each time. The implanted sensor eavesdropped on the electrical signals emitted by nearby neurons as they controlled the imaginary arm movement.
Scientists said the study was important because it showed that the neurons in Mr. Nagle’s motor cortex were still active, years after they had any role to play in physically moving his arms.
Cursor control was not very smooth. In a task where the goal was to guide the cursor from the center of the screen to a target on the perimeter, Mr. Nagle hit the target about 73 to 95 percent of the time. When he did, it took an average of 2.5 seconds, though sometimes much longer. The second patient tested with the implant had worse control than Mr. Nagle, the paper said.
By contrast, healthy people moving the cursor by hand can hit the target almost every time and in only one second.
Dr. Jonathan R. Wolpaw, a researcher at the New York State Department of Health in Albany, said the BrainGate performance did not appear to be substantially better than a non-invasive system he is developing using electroencephalography, in which electrodes are placed outside the scalp.
“If you are going to have something implanted into your brain, you’d probably want it to be a lot better,’’ he said.
Dr. Donoghue and other proponents of the implants say they have the potential to be a lot better, because they are much closer to the relevant neurons. The scalp electrodes get signals from millions of neurons all over the brain.
One way to improve implant performance was suggested by another paper in the same edition of Nature. In a study involving monkeys, Krishna V. Shenoy and colleagues at Stanford University eavesdropped not on the neurons controlling arm movement but on those expressing the intention to move.
“Instead of sliding the cursor out to the target, we can just predict which target would be hit, and the cursor simply leaps there,’’ said Mr. Shenoy, an assistant professor of electrical engineering and neurosciences.
He said a patient using the system could do the equivalent of typing 15 words a minute, about four times the speed of the other devices.
Other obstacles must be overcome before brain implants become practical. The ability of the electrodes to detect brain signals begins to deteriorate after several months, for reasons that are not fully understood. Also, ideally, the implant would transmit signals out of the brain wirelessly, doing away with the permanent hole in the head and the accompanying risk of infection.
Mr. Nagle, meanwhile, had his implant removed after a bit more than a year, so he could undergo another operation that allowed him to breathe without a ventilator. He can control a computer with voice commands, so he does not really need the brain implant. But he said he was happy he volunteered for the experiment.
“It gave a lot of people hope,’’ he said.
My Favourite Teacher of School
## This story is dedicated to the person who has taught me english. I was never good at it . But she really brought my interest into the subject. She is no more . She left us even before i passed my 12th . #
"When lion in the Capitol roars Newyork dogs seldom bark" and in a moment the entire scenerio changed the humm in the class came to a shocking halt.In a moment the tyrant by her searing gaze shivelled our heart and our mirth dissolved and fear jumped at its place.Silence prevailed for a minute. No hush no words a rare sight in class vii b of VMS,JOKA.""you big tub of lard!".Silence again."Ha so Mr banerjee what the big fat joke did the filty lumpy wretched goon come up with?".Silence again."Yes I am asking questions have the rodents lost their tooth?"."Donot try act smart with me i will catch my the collar and wringle you to back of the ramshakle shed.You worthless belial brutish subhuman even Caliban will smurk to see you uncouth wretched creature".Silence prevailed.And suddenly there was a rush of life cutoff the deathly silence as wave of students were seen walking in groups talking to each other and apprehensively peeping into our room with BD sister standing tall stabbing joy by her mere colossal presence.The recess bell has gone yet noone spoke.Juxtaposing the stark contrast between the noisy lively class a few moments back against the marooned chided silent bunch of lifeless stones sitting in the class ,sent a chill down our spine."Next time be aware if I catch you all again even the great God with all his might wont be able to save you".After we saw her back ,albeit a minute after it we finally rose to leave but the apprehensive bunch seldom interacted for the next few minutes.
And what a contrast on 13th june 2004,Rajiv was talking with Rohan sitting so close to her and yet Madam did not say anything not even once infact she didnot even try as her lifeless body was decorated with flowers by her weeping sisters assisted by Shusmita Mam and Baral Mam for the funeral.I can never forget what a painful death it had been but now she is free away from all pains and agony.She had a monstrous stroke on the morning of 12th june 2004 while teaching in our neighbouring class.The entire Vms was shook by her stroke as her 79 kg body hit the floor with saliva covering her face."Help me" she said the last.Her eyes were bulging out in pain she did not want to die . She used to say "i donot want to die for i have my son who is 15 years old ...he will not be able to live without me"
She used to teach us grammer and literature.She was fat and dark but she was a paragon martinet when came to her panache in teaching.She was our most unfriendly best friend.I remember her how she came to me and said " I'll take a spoon and scoop out your eyes if you make a single mistake in grammer ever again in your life".I always was in awe of her throughout the short time about 3 years that we had her with us.Truth to say all of us loved and respected her deep within our heart.I didnot invite her for my threading ceremony and the next day she shot back at me in the class"Yes Bannerjee why didn't u call me for the threading ceremony of yours?Am i not a mother to you?Or i need to kiss you to prove my love for you?".To This I said "I was not sure ..i was going to call but.."."OO ! you are too bad at making stories.Donot try mothers stories to your aunt ..son.".
Then oneday, while teaching us a short story called diamond necklace she was discussing how men cheat women and by pure patriarchial chauvinistic feelings try to limit their freedom at every step treating them as mere play things she said,"the male chimpanzees flaunt their hairy legs and ears and dance around and sing kaho naa pyar hai but if a woman the poorthing if she for one instant even talks with a stranger for an hour or so or even had a coffee with him then she would be boycotted such is the thought process governing our society.".Well she was a crazy supporter of Sir VIvian Richards in cricket and whenever we used to talk of cricket or Vivian Rechards ..she used to say"ah what a man he is!!!!!he was a hitter he could hit a bumblee bee with his eyes closed..had I not married my sweet old Ramesh i would have surely liked to go on a long date with him".We all used to laugh whenever she used to say so.But yes when she used to teach she was a diva ,her every expression reached the very bottom of our heart.Once Rohan asked her in jest "madam dont you think Ferdinand was an amateur kisser in Tempest?".The class became silent at his audacity but was soon brought to fits of laughter when she said"Don't teach your grandfather how to kiss!! ".
Even to this day I remember her for her brilliant quotes and teaching procedures.She was the one who always participated actively in most extracurricular activites and inspite of her greater than life image as a disciplinarian ,she never hesitated to dance with us and applaud us in all our creative compositions.While teaching Shakespeare she used to wrap a maroon shawl around her and say -"when you talk like a ROMAN, you should look like a Roman also!!".Her immortal quotes even today haunt us whenever we visit our school or pass by the side of it. We have made an orkut community in her memories it is named"Our BD sister for ever" with more than 800 members presently.I think we will never be able to forget her ever and so through this composition i pay my undying homage to this great lady and say"Madam I love you forever and ever and ever .I donot know where you are .I miss you always.Through this composition madam .. through your own quotes (which are engraved in our hearts even today) may even those who had not seen you can feel your presence justas we do everyday in our lives.Thankyou mam I learnt a lot from you.Mam i am dying to hear your those inspirational words now "I can I shall and I will""
"When lion in the Capitol roars Newyork dogs seldom bark" and in a moment the entire scenerio changed the humm in the class came to a shocking halt.In a moment the tyrant by her searing gaze shivelled our heart and our mirth dissolved and fear jumped at its place.Silence prevailed for a minute. No hush no words a rare sight in class vii b of VMS,JOKA.""you big tub of lard!".Silence again."Ha so Mr banerjee what the big fat joke did the filty lumpy wretched goon come up with?".Silence again."Yes I am asking questions have the rodents lost their tooth?"."Donot try act smart with me i will catch my the collar and wringle you to back of the ramshakle shed.You worthless belial brutish subhuman even Caliban will smurk to see you uncouth wretched creature".Silence prevailed.And suddenly there was a rush of life cutoff the deathly silence as wave of students were seen walking in groups talking to each other and apprehensively peeping into our room with BD sister standing tall stabbing joy by her mere colossal presence.The recess bell has gone yet noone spoke.Juxtaposing the stark contrast between the noisy lively class a few moments back against the marooned chided silent bunch of lifeless stones sitting in the class ,sent a chill down our spine."Next time be aware if I catch you all again even the great God with all his might wont be able to save you".After we saw her back ,albeit a minute after it we finally rose to leave but the apprehensive bunch seldom interacted for the next few minutes.
And what a contrast on 13th june 2004,Rajiv was talking with Rohan sitting so close to her and yet Madam did not say anything not even once infact she didnot even try as her lifeless body was decorated with flowers by her weeping sisters assisted by Shusmita Mam and Baral Mam for the funeral.I can never forget what a painful death it had been but now she is free away from all pains and agony.She had a monstrous stroke on the morning of 12th june 2004 while teaching in our neighbouring class.The entire Vms was shook by her stroke as her 79 kg body hit the floor with saliva covering her face."Help me" she said the last.Her eyes were bulging out in pain she did not want to die . She used to say "i donot want to die for i have my son who is 15 years old ...he will not be able to live without me"
She used to teach us grammer and literature.She was fat and dark but she was a paragon martinet when came to her panache in teaching.She was our most unfriendly best friend.I remember her how she came to me and said " I'll take a spoon and scoop out your eyes if you make a single mistake in grammer ever again in your life".I always was in awe of her throughout the short time about 3 years that we had her with us.Truth to say all of us loved and respected her deep within our heart.I didnot invite her for my threading ceremony and the next day she shot back at me in the class"Yes Bannerjee why didn't u call me for the threading ceremony of yours?Am i not a mother to you?Or i need to kiss you to prove my love for you?".To This I said "I was not sure ..i was going to call but.."."OO ! you are too bad at making stories.Donot try mothers stories to your aunt ..son.".
Then oneday, while teaching us a short story called diamond necklace she was discussing how men cheat women and by pure patriarchial chauvinistic feelings try to limit their freedom at every step treating them as mere play things she said,"the male chimpanzees flaunt their hairy legs and ears and dance around and sing kaho naa pyar hai but if a woman the poorthing if she for one instant even talks with a stranger for an hour or so or even had a coffee with him then she would be boycotted such is the thought process governing our society.".Well she was a crazy supporter of Sir VIvian Richards in cricket and whenever we used to talk of cricket or Vivian Rechards ..she used to say"ah what a man he is!!!!!he was a hitter he could hit a bumblee bee with his eyes closed..had I not married my sweet old Ramesh i would have surely liked to go on a long date with him".We all used to laugh whenever she used to say so.But yes when she used to teach she was a diva ,her every expression reached the very bottom of our heart.Once Rohan asked her in jest "madam dont you think Ferdinand was an amateur kisser in Tempest?".The class became silent at his audacity but was soon brought to fits of laughter when she said"Don't teach your grandfather how to kiss!! ".
Even to this day I remember her for her brilliant quotes and teaching procedures.She was the one who always participated actively in most extracurricular activites and inspite of her greater than life image as a disciplinarian ,she never hesitated to dance with us and applaud us in all our creative compositions.While teaching Shakespeare she used to wrap a maroon shawl around her and say -"when you talk like a ROMAN, you should look like a Roman also!!".Her immortal quotes even today haunt us whenever we visit our school or pass by the side of it. We have made an orkut community in her memories it is named"Our BD sister for ever" with more than 800 members presently.I think we will never be able to forget her ever and so through this composition i pay my undying homage to this great lady and say"Madam I love you forever and ever and ever .I donot know where you are .I miss you always.Through this composition madam .. through your own quotes (which are engraved in our hearts even today) may even those who had not seen you can feel your presence justas we do everyday in our lives.Thankyou mam I learnt a lot from you.Mam i am dying to hear your those inspirational words now "I can I shall and I will""
13,GLASSGLOWSTREET,SOUTHERN AVENUE
Please Note: All characters of this story are fictional and any coincidental similarity should be treated as untenable.
Once upon a time in Kolkata there lived a boy named uddalak.He was an orphan and used to stay with his uncle Avinash.He was lean and orexic ,13 years old.Since the day when the news broke out of his mother and fathers demise he had always stayed a recluse.He used to dream of fairies ,dwarfs,dolphins,whales and talking parrots .They had a house near the South Western part of Kolkata near FALTA ,Raichak which was far less crowded and had a lot of space for the otherwise burdened nature.There was a boulevard of pine trees which decorated the hallaway where once in a blue moon people used to pass off in taxis and private buses for picnic.The place was quite far off from locality so usually people used to settle for the other part of Raichak which has numerous transport conveniences and buses every fifteen minutes.They had a small river named ruprekha flowing near their house.Unlike other children uddalak never went to school ,he spent his time idling in the woods taking stock of the numerious fruits growing in the boulevard and taking stack of the hedgehog that lived there.His uncle was a woodcutter who used to take the wood to the FALTA Woodstock factory and earn their living .At night his uncle used to tell him stories of BENGALI FOLK TAILES ,stories of prince and princess who used to beautiful as GOD’s AND GODDESSES like the GOD panchanan’s mandir which was there in the woods near in house and closely associated with
.
His uncle AVINASH’s stories often used to take UBJ (as his uncle used to call him when he used to ponder on his big name) into dreams all day long he used to pick up tree branches and rehearse all these scenes time and again.One day his uncle came to know that in a neighbouring village a CIRCUS party has come which is known as DINESH’S WORLDFAMOUS CIRCUS.The cost of ticket was Rs 100(last row),Rs 500,Rs 1000(first row) for adults and RS 50(last row),Rs 300,Rs 500(first row) for children.AVINASH wanted to take little uddalak to the circus .Infact he was planning for it for some time now as uddalak used to be ill for most part of the year owing to common cold which he used to have because of roaming all day long in the Sun and consuming water just after returning and also partly due to the muddy roofs and walls of their house.He thought taking him to the circus would freshen him up and would open up the closed world for him which starts and ends in their house and with not many relatives keeping their relation with this poor family plagued by regular wants it would also be a enjoying experience for the maverick child something different from the stories he was tired to repeatedly recite.
Finally on SUNDAY the 13th they went to the CIRCUS .The circus was held inside a big tent surrounded on all sides by tight security and an oval covering which shielded anyone from viewing from outside.From the morning only uddalak was very excited for the circus ,he had heard from his uncle about the clowns and the lions and tigers which prowl in there .It was quite an experience for little UBJ which truly fascinated him and he was so enthusiastic that he woke up early at 4 am andbegan impatiently moving around and pushing his uncle time again to wake .Anyways finally at 9 am they started for CIRCUS and took the RS 100 AND RS 50 tickets from the counter and sat at the last row .The Circus was badly constructed and from the last row it was barely visible and one had to stand up to have a glance on the proscenium.The events for the day were to begin with THE CLOWNS gimmicks with the cycle with balls on his hands and then follow it up with stunts like motorcycle race in a closed vessel,jimnastic by Sandra bullock,bear cycling races and finally the ringmaster act with 7 lions and 3 tigers on stage.The stage was set and the enthusiasm in the weather was palpable.But alas the were further pushed back towards the exit by a gang of syberites who simply pushed them away backwards as there was quite a crowd accumulated .His uncle did not complain and being a peace loving person silently rose and moved towards the toilet entrance and took little UBJ on his arms to have him a glimpse of the rostrum.
BUT ALAS! The stage was till not properly visible and only the first row was properly visible.After sometime of hussle restive little UBJ’S eyes fell on a girl of about his age.She was dressed in a golden top and had a tinge of kajal on her eyes but not much make up otherwise ,yet she was the most beautiful woman by far in the circus . Even the light of the circus was following her.She was the most beautiful woman uddalak had ever seen.At first it seemed to him as she was part of the circus party as she was constantly focused on by the lights and was all smiles constantly motioning towards the clowns and explaining to her friend how she enjoyed the clowns last antics.As she spoke her hair was constantly falling back and again on her face and with his tender fingers she pulled them back time and again making a nice panache.A golden chain adorned her neck which often pandomised with slight movement of her glistened face.Although she was wholly unaware of his very existence his silent eyes stood riveted on her.Her devine smile as if stole the very purpose of his coming to circus.For any slight movement ahead of him he soon readjusted his vision expediently to refocus on her.She to him seemed to him an opera by herself .Her smallest small movements ..her leaning on her friends shoulders ,her adorable cute face and whole kaleidoscope of emotions started a dream within him …he felt asif she was the princess for whom he stood searcing with the twigs of the jungle, she was the princess for whom he had made small boats and floated them in the river waiting if they ever come back with someone.When ever sun set in the valleys and sun peeped into the waters he used to rest his boat and dream of the faces which he had never seen perhaps dreamt to see ,meet ,chat.”HOW ARE U UDDALAK ?WHERE DO YOU STAY?” they often said in dreams.
As the CIRCUS neared its end,in the last show the ringmaster came out and signaled at her and bowed infront of her.At first uddalak felt perhaps the ringmaster too had fallen in love with this devine sprite and when she waved in return ,perhaps somewhere deep within he felt an insatiable lust to have her attension too and stop his rival from winning the game with such a boisterous ease. Anyways after a few great stunts the circus closed for the day.And uddalak and his uncle both came back home.When at home his uncle asked ,“How was the circus ?Saw the great panther? O! my God ! it was so Big !I have been to CIRCUS BEFORE but never before I saw such a big circus.Next time whenever they would come next year we would go again.”,uddalak replied uninterestingly ,”nice”.His uncle was expecting a more energetic response and a whole barrage of descriptions but that did not come .He then asked,”U did not like it ?” .Uddalak replied ,”yes i did”.His uncle thought uddalak must be tired and hence doesnot want to speak much.”poor child !”,he thought,”ok we will talk tomorrow morning”.
That night his uncle slept but Uddalak did not,all night long he was in him mind seeing her again and again .He wanted to capture this moments .He wanted to distill this picture for time indefinite.He wanted to hold her back .He felt as if the banyon tree in the courtyard of their house is saying ,”Go to her .She is the princess who is your goal.She is the one whom you love .So what are you waiting for? You have grown up.Every individual is born for some purpose when the darkness of night will dispel and there will be a new morning where she will be waiting for you near the river.And then you too will ride in the boat as the clouds will reek the sunlight and the water will touch the boat as you too will share each others experience and laugh at them forever.”.Then he felt a voice within him say,”I am not born to be here ! I will try my best to reach out to her .I will try try and try to go beyond the world I know In search of her”.He went outside at night and sketched her face in a palimset and made a boat with paper from his uncles diary and placed the palimset in it and made to handles and set it float in the river.
Next day,when his uncle was going to work he went out and started to assay his way by traveling along the lines of the river and constantly noticing if the paper boat was moving somewhere near the shore.That day at the evening when his uncle came back he was very unhappy and apoplectic at his employers .The very moment he entered the room he said,”I know these people they are always behind money they donot have heart.I donot know where they will keep all this cash .. I have been thrown out of job..anyways donot worry we will go to our village and there we would make for something …anyways I think I would make more than this scoundrels ever gave me..“.Uddalak did not know what to say he mused on it and then said ,”ok”.In his heart within hearts he could not forsake the fear of losing his princess.He wanted to go and tell this to his princess transported by air to kingdom of dreams 7 seas and 7 lands away to enter which u need mercury on your shoes and a beautiful heart(his uncle once told this …at night when he was crying for his mother).BUT ALAS! That was not possible so he was at war with himself for he knew that if he went to the village yonder then he may not see his princess again.
NEXT DAY 15THmorning they arrived at the station.Uddalak was very much in a trance ,he knew not what he wanted to do …on one hand he had the the loving hand of his avuncular uncle and on the other he had the face which he saw all night yesterday .The face which joined the polestar with the sagitarius ,the face which resembled of the face of that girl in circus who is anonymous, whose antecedents he knows nothing of ,he does not even know he would ever see her again or not.With tufts of cloud as her black eyelashes and half moon as her lips he could see her hair flowing with an earning eyes looking at her always ,staring at him imploring him to come to her rising out of the fairy book of her dreams.The sight was indeed impelling ..the sound of the train reaching and station had somehow been drowned in the dream itself.He has grown up –he thought ,”prince of persia did not run away like this ! “.When his uncle dragged him over into the crowded local train he could not react much.But in his eyes the image ruled.”NO !no more !he cannot do this! The birds the squirrels the trees that he is living behind is begging him !they are saying no …this cannot be a friend.. you are not a turncoat ……why are u going away? “.Tears came down on his cheeks..”NO I wont … “,he decided and came down from the running train .His old uncle did not know what to do .He was awestruck .There was no chain and he could not come down he called behind him “come back !come back!Train is leaving !Train is leaving ! cannot you hear?”.uddalak did run the race of his life.He ran and weaved through the mob and reached outside the station.He then realized where would he go now? He began to cry.He did not know who else he had in this world apart from his uncle.He felt destitute and lonely in this great world.As porters and familys began to pass him he realized that he must now go back to the circus.He walked to the hut of theirs .From their he did not know the road .He asked someone in the road and then mapped his way to the circus.15th was the last day and the last show was going on.Preparations were on for the shifting of elephants ,tigers and deers.He went there and looked around .He did not have money he gave his slippers to the gate keeper and entered the Circus campus .He was barefooted and the evening lights had started to fade.He was stranded ..knew not which way to go.Soon the ringmaster was seen alighting from the lions cage moving slowly towards the backdoor followed by his trainer.Uddalak made a dash.He reached up to him and said ,”do you know where that girl lives???”.Ringmaster negligently said,”who are you??”.Uddalak said,”that princess … this much tall,golden shirt,with a ring in her neck..i had come her two days back to see the circus”.Ringmaster replied with all irritation ,”who????????i did not know anybody with your description.”uddalak’s eyes dropped ..for one moment he had all the energy and hope against hope but now he was all lost .Perhaps now his uncle would come and take him away and then beat him for his utter negligence and disobedience.The ringmaster took one more step then stepped back and artfully said,”O… ya I know someone ..but what do you have to do with her ?”.The vulpine face did strike terror in uddalak’s heart.He said timidly “she is my princess,I like her ,I want to know about her”.”ha ha ha ..”,ringmaster broke down in laughter.The trainer standing alongside him grinned and said “see these boys barely 13to 15 years of age and ..see how they ..”.The ringmaster then said ,”No stop”(towards the trainer)”you said that u donot have anybody else but your uncle isint it ? ok ! listen I can tell you about her but u have to be patient …since you have come that far off to just know of her ..so I think you are patient unlike your age…and I will tell you one thing about your princess each year on your birthday but you have to work for free all these days ….uptil the day when I finally tell you her address.”.The trainer said “what !!!are you out of your senses ..you barely know him ..we donot know his antecedents and you are keeping him in the circus as employee?”.The ringmaster was shrewd he understood his simplicity visible in uddalak’s eyes.He said “I am a business-man too .I know how to choose…My father have been a gold miner for years ..I know better..”.Then he turned to Uddalak and asked “then? What did you decide?”. Uddalak was speechless ,he did not want to go back.He had no other choice.SO he nodded.
From then onwards each year he worked day in and day out.There was no vacation and he often had to hear all the abusives of his high demanding masters.His uncle came to the circus too to search for him later but he could find him because the circus party had moved from Kolkata to Jharkhand and then from there they went to Trivandrum…and so on.Uddalak even in such a tight schedule never lost hope .He knew all his life that although his uncle never gave him any work but when need will come he will arise and will work and work better than the rest.And now when like his uncles stories he is made to work like the prince of Ametheus who worked day in day out and finally one day God came and released his servitude and gifted him a magic sword using which he finaly made his dream come true and find the princess Diana to get a glimpse of whom he used to work day and night at CEBELY.He was happy and hopeful.As years flashed by ,Uddalak emerged as one of the old members of the circus troupe .He was given food and clothing but no salary as such.In the first year ,the ringmaster said “She has a closely knit family and she likes roses.”From that day onwards he started to accumulate rose sticks and used to work meticulously at night and made embroidery on them.Added paper petals.Then next year in his birthday the ringmaster said ,“SHe is known as EJ among her friends and family members.” Uddalak inscribed the name EJ in the petal pots and then made the embroidery again.In this way year after year passed .After twelve long years,when his birthday came ..the ringmaster was ill.He finally said that he was impressed by his servitude and peonage and that his days are numbered and he wanted to say him something .He told him to come close and in his ears the ringmaster whispered,”13,GlassGlowStreet,SouthAvenue….Go fulfill your dream..”.Uddalak was happy all this while even as year after year in abject servitude passed by.He knew someday he would meet EJ.Someday their story would be reach its completion.But as the Ringmaster finally said the address..tears fell from his eyes.He took a loan from his fellow circus college who voluntarily gave it without any repayment condition.He took the train and reached Kolkata and took took a bus to the South Avenue.There once alighting from the bus he asked a fellow pedestrian where 13,GlassGlow Street was.The pedestrian who was an old man pointed towards the norther direction.It was the month of May and in Kolkata it does rain during this time yet the atmosphere was cloudy.Uddalak felt within his heart that it would be a historic day when he would meet his EJ and the entire world will celebrate it with monsoons.Twelve long years have made his feelings even stronger.Today he had grown a lot more confident and silent .
The serpentine lanes ultimately brought him to a big bunglow there was high security outside.There was a big plate outside in golden color-“13,GlassGlow Street”.He asked permission from the guards who instantly refused.He then seeing no other alternative jumped up the walls using his circus experience standing on the 12 feet wall he jumped onto the middle of the 4” by 4” muddy patch created to cultivate flowers.Thus making no noise.He then pressed the bell from the vestibule.Two boys came out running “I will open the door Ronnie .. I will ..” .”no rajiv I am your elder brother I will “.One was eight years old Ronnie and other was 7 years old Rajiv.They asked ,”Yes mr what do you want ?”.Before he could get over the hysteria of this 12 year long wait and say something.Ronnie said “are you the plumber Mom called ?”.”wait I would call Mom”.As rajiv stood looking at him trying to figure out whether he had a chocolate for him or not Ronnie went into the washing room to call his mother.Moments later a lady most probably 25 years old but having a face of a 30 yearold came out.Her wizened face has lost its gloss but still is beautiful.The old penache is of hairs falling with the wind on the face is still there.Only thing that perhaps has changed is that she now was a touch portly and have grown fat around her stomach.Her tenubruous eyes though is still so catchy with a shade of blue on the rims.”yes what do you want ?”.Uddalak knew not what to say.All his dreams …all those hopes ..all those years of desire …accumulated in the pipeline seemed to create a strange sphere around him shielding him from reality which has assumed crude proportions.He began to feel this as untrue and all that he had thought in dreams to be true..he forced himself into the fantasy as tears started to fall in his eyes.Dark cloud in the atmosphere slowly found a origin in his eyes.He saw darkness all around him.His breath was panting and he fell like running out to the wild ,somewhere serene and ask to mankinds mother “was this necessary? Why me ?”.EJ said “Yes ?hello ?”.Uddalak said with a heavy voice as if 10000tonnes weight has been put on it ,”sorry,I have made a mistake …(voice loss)..I have lost my path……..I…” .Ej said ,”Who are u ?how did you get into my house ? Guards!Guards!”.Guards came rushing in and took him away out into the streets.Ej turned towards Rajiv and said ,”how many times did I tell you not to open the door to strangers?What would have happened if …”.As tears came out from Ej’s eyes Uddalak felt that someone relieved all his pain as with a blow all his pain became numb.He lay unconscious on the street and his bag full of presents for Ej blew in air and flew around.The rose he had made with extreme precision lay close to the drain crying for attention.The guards picked up a few of them and took them to gift their wives and happy that they taught the fool a lesson returned to the bunglow reporting.
After an hour when Uddalak found consciousness ,he knew not where to go .He remembered of the time when he left his uncles hand and reached the circus.It was still so distinct.He stood up and started to scramble to his hut wondering whether it was still there or not.He moved a step or two and the rain came falling down.One Two three all the drops started to rub the dust of his clothes..and he sat down to take rest.Just when the rain had thinned out a little he moved out towards his hut.Now Kolkata had changed a lot .Even at Raichak there are houses with large drains flooding streets in rains.Just when he was about to enter his locality he found a paper chip making a lot of noise in the mouth of a drain.Just as he turned to see what was it –he found that it was that same palimset he had written in the memory of EJ once.The diagram made of pencil has indeed faded but the borders are still there.The pattern he made on the boat is still there although it s borders have been eroded.As he touched it he felt as if the entire universe and the skys came falling down,and all his inner world was torn into pieces.A big cross blurred the fairies and tiny elves of his dreams ,their images lost their faces .He sat down on his feet and felt the rain .As far away down the street at the corner of the factory created over the boulevard he heard a voice of his uncle.He walked towards him following the straight road passing his house which was no more.The road took him to the wood factory where his uncle used to work.He enquired there of his uncle .The man sitting at the chair said “he died when he followed you and tried to alight from the train..following you …anyways you can work here”.On hearing this all uddalak closed his eyes and became silent.The glitter of the man’s eyes resembled that of the ring master.Uddalak asked,”where are the marked trees ?give me the axe and my uncle’s trolley.”
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A simple story of a wonderful place called DONGARGARH
------------------------------------Uddalak Banerjee(UBJ)
Central Characters -----
Uddalak banerjee(UBJ)—NIT Raipur ,computerScience engg,4th year
Animesh pant -- NIT Raipur, computer Science engg,4th year,[home state:Rajasthan]
Ramji bhai kalbi—NIT Raipur,INFormation technology,4th year,[ home state:Rajasthan]
Girish Dhawan-------- NIT Raipur ,Metallurgy ,4th year
Abhishek Chauhan---NITRaipur ,ComputerScience engg.4th year( Special appearance Durg Station)
This story is a travel account and hence is a real story. I hope that this will last the wheels of time for all times to come. I hope that Mine or Animesh or Ramji 's children or their children and grand children will one day read this story and smile. Maybe on that day i will no be no more or maybe alive in some part of the world completely unaware that our old and fantastic journey is getting read by our own children.
28/12/2009 was a red lettered day for more reasons than one.It was one of the last dates of the year 2009 and also the last days of much celebrated college life of UBj.But apart from these two reasons the day assumed great significance in Uddalak Banerjee’s life because it was the day when a completel y different facet of Chattisgarh as a state was finally revealed.Since the very starting of our college life in 2006-07 session ,the whole batch of nit Raipur had been complaining that there are no tourist destinations available near Raipur or in Raipur but finally when it was time to perhaps bid a final good bye to the state bag and baggage,it unleashed a completely different pellucid side.
The planning for the trip was rather abrupt.It was Ramji bhai kalvi(RBK) who came up with this crazy idea and Animesh acceded and Girish followed suite.Once RBk asked UBj to join ,it was only matter of schedule adjustment so that any other preoccupation did not clash with the date of jeorney.On 28th morning I had a Pt exam on mock Xat and by 10 in the morning the exam was over and our jeorney began at 12 clock in the afternoon.Girish assumed the role of the guide since he had a string of pathbreaking jeorneys to his credit.He had been part of the Nit group who visited Kanya Kumari,he had also been part of the group who participated in techfests etc and lastly and most importantly he had been to Dongargarh three times.On the other hand ,for me and animesh and ramji it was a first time experience.Span of the jeorney deduced from the experiences of Lala(vikash agrawal ) (who had just been to dongargarh few days back ) we knew it would be approx a 12 hours jeorney .We went to the saraswati nagar station and took tickets of 19.6 Rs each from Sartola to Dongargarh.I was wearing a white peter England shirt and a black colored pant ,sweter and a jacket on top.RBk was wearing a green shirt and a black pant with a jacket on top and sported a super cool sunglass .Animesh Pant and Girish were wearing a jacket each on top of a blue and yellow tshirts respectively .
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The train was bilaspur durg local and arrived at 12:45 .The train was scarcely crowded so we did not face much of problem finding our seats .Once on train and seated ,Girish broached the topic of placement saying “ Adani is confirmed for metallurgy but it would be giving the same rotten 3.4 lakhs.”.Rbk inorder to bypass the topic asked me ,”So then UBJ ,u had a test in the morning in pt ?How was it ?Top karega ki nahi ?“.I replied “ don’t know 34 ka net score araha hai .Dekhte hai ..ab age ..Cant say because I donot the scores of the rest of the candidates “.Animesh ,”you are UBJ man ..the king , baadshah .. you will rock I know ..”.Girish ,”UBJ you are going IIM ahmedabad ..if not this year then the next ..i am sure of it ..”.I replied ,”Beta mera baap ne bhi IIM ahmedabad nahi dekhi hai ..salary uski 30-60 lakh ke beechme ajati hai… it is the most prestigious school of India.You need to have the best of best profile to even think of applying for it.Xlri to chor ximb mil jaye khush ho jayunga ..Top 20 me kuch mile bas…”.IN the mean time the train passed kumhari and marched at great pace towards bhilai.
Girish started again saying ,”Are India me talent hai bahot sare lekin problem ye hai ki kuch deals aise hua hai jaise ki Indian mines wale jo do deal hua uske chalte do mine khali hogaya na ?it is upto the government to decide as to what it wants to do.The 17 navaratna’s are doing so well and maharatnas are doing well too.the provide a salary of 10 lakh easily .even in mining in our college you are getting 13 lakhs .. UBj you should have taken mining ..”.I did not want to circumlocute to the main topic of placement again so I said,”Girish ek chiz bata Fms xlri in sab college me 15-19 lakhki average package dete hai ..par qualify karna itna tough hai lekin mining jo ki last me bharti hai aieee me log 13 lakh ka package kaise le jate hai ?”.Girish said ,”yehi to baat hai na ..Psu effect ..aur kya ..6th pay commission aur kya ?bas wahi to baat hai na .Chattisgarh is reach in mines .See BSP ..it is the only major steelplant which has provided such great profits that it has singlehandedly sustained Sail.”.RBk,”rajasthan me bhi oil ki bahot khoj chal raha hai ..mera ghar ke 20 km dur me hi to OIL refinery chal rahi hai.”
In the mean time Bhilai passed we remained oblivious of everything and was talking to each other.In the mean time Girish insisted me to right him an sms to some sumeta kulkarni,plant director with full usage of English vocab . I wrote him one sms .And as we were talking of “MIT and its patents .and IIT MIT differences and how MIT created IIM C in 1960s”(favorite topic oF RBK being research) the train came to sudden standstill at Durg.One by one all the passengers alighted on the station .Girish asked,”bhaiya train age nahi jayegi kya ?”.”no !” came the answer from the fellow co passenger who was standing last in the queue while alighting from the train.We also followed suite.
On alighting from the train I and the other three moved out of the station and traveled to a “Shresthsweets” bhojanalaya.The restaurant was looking good from outside so we all took our fancy to it and hence went to visit it.Once we made our selves comfortably seated Rbk who was visibly annoyed with Girish for having taken the wrong train .said,”kya re Girish 3 bar aneke baad bhi train sahi nahi chose kiya?Idiot train to sahi sahi chose karna chaiye tha .Ab ?busstand hai kareeb 2 km yeha se…kaise jayenge?”.Girish
Was not a man to be perplexed.He was cool as always .Cool as cucumber should be the appropriate word.He said ,”galati sabse hoti hai Ramji..bus stand na sahi ..train hai 2:20 ko .usko pakrenge to 5 baje
Tak pahoch jani chaiye Dongargarh!vaise RAMJI darling ye restaurant bahot mashoor hai yeha har khana milta hai veg me .”I said ,”order to kar ..It is already 1:30,I think we should do it fast..Because if we miss the train then bus will be the only alternative and to avail that alternative we have to walk 2 km.”Animesh called the waiter to give the order.The waiter came and said ,”sir u all need to wait for 25 minutes for aloo parootha.And one parotha would cost Rss 50 each”.Rbk said ,”so which of the dishes can be done quickly ?we need to catch a train so …”.The waiter replied,”sorry sir I think apart from dosa and samosa ..nothing can be prepared at this short notice.”.Then guessing all our choices Animesh ordered ,”3 samosa,3 bara,1 dosa”.But soon after taking the order ,the waiter returned saying “Sorry dosa is not possible now..take something else ..”.Now at this RBk went mad with anger and turning to Girish,”Saale ye kaisa restaurant hai yeha kuch bhi nahi milta kya ?ye tera best restaurant tha ?agar kuch nahi mil raha hai to samosa aur bara le lete hai 4 plate aur 4 chai ”.Animesh communicated the order to the waiter and this time he did not harass.He brought the 4 plates and 4 tea at 1:50 and we finished our lunch and dashed to the station to catch the train.There at the station I met abhishek Chauhan ..who began the discussion by saying “koi company arahi hai kya ? Batana ..”.I said “if I know you will get to know ..so dont worry over that .Ek chiz bata ki yeha se dongar garh kaise jaye ?”Chauhan said ,”kafi train hai ..train me hi ja kiu ki bus stand kafi dur parega station se ..to padal jane me diggat hogi so ..take the train seedha dongargarh pahocha degi.”
Uptill now the jeorney that we had was very rather smooth as Animesh too was apprehensive of .Because both I and Animesh both knew something is wrong because wherever we go what ever we do atleast some hitch is always there.And amidst this feeling of dejavu sprouted the first major impediment.The train was to dongargarh was actually was plying to Nagpur.Obviously 28th being a weekday had a huge crowd there was absolutely no space to even stand in the train.All the daily grocers,blacksmiths,plumbers had boarded the train.In the train the hoipolloi was rather excited but it being a local train had a majority of them tribals.The stink of the sweat and absolute shortage of space made life really horrible for us all.Now the platform where I finally found shelter was near the middlw of the train where I reached after traversing or rather weaving through the obdurate crowd who just were not ready to move from the way.Here a kindhearted lady also from college finally gave me some space to seat beside her .There were 6 persons seating on the seat designed for 3 ,she was just one of them.He had kept a handkerchief on that place so as to avoid yet another intrusion.But seeing me sweat profusely and struggling to keep myself together she lifted the handkerchief and asked me to sit.
In the mean time as the first battle of Nagpur local was won by the devine intervention of this Great lady the battle my friends were fighting in the other compartment was far from over.Unlike Ramji Animesh was completely new to this supreme struggle which people from lower classes continually take to shift their luggage for business and daily living.Amidst all this a small child was crying amidst hundreds of people out of which even women were standing and few others were quarreling with the incoming force which were multiplying at every stop.”Koi decency hai inlogo ki ,kahi bhi charne ja rahe hai,jagah nahi hai kitni bar bolu ,dekh nahi rahe hai kya puri bhar chuki hai train ,toilet ke paas bhi jagah nahi hai .” said a college girl shouting towards the inrushing crowd.In the acute shortage of space In the compartment in which ANimesh was standing there were a few people who were carring bagsful of old cloths which emiting mephitic smell making life a terrible dream,in addition to these there a few people dressed in green who were lighting cigars blissfully unaware of the crowd reactions and smoking away to glory and surprisingly no one resisted.Animesh was standing just next to the toilet infront of the door so at each station he was having to endure the deep intrusive force of the newcomers who always seem to be in hurry and were ready to do anything ,no matter how insensitive it may be to just get in.Add to that the perspiration of other twenty odd people standing infront of the door with Animesh and Ramji both in jackets it was real hell inshort.It was for this precise reason Girish came up to me and after standing about half an hour beside me finally used his “jugaru “ nature to good effect.He asked the uncle sitting in the upper berth with his luggage to shift one luggage over the other so as to provide some space to sit .The uncle did just that and that provided enough space for us to to sit together comfortably.Soon there was a call from animesh,”yaar next train me chaltehai yeha ekdam jagah nahi ahi .(pause) ek chota baccha mera neeche pakar liya tha …”.I asked in surprise ,”kya!! Neeche kaha pe?”.Animesh said “saale neeche samaj nahi raha hai kya ?waha pe…main nahi jaunga .Ramji bhi bol raha hai ki next wale me chalte hai.”.I said ,”next station abhi uthrenge to phir next train ka ata pata nahi hai ..ho sakta hai raat ho jayega pahoch ne me hi ..phir ate time problem ho jayegi..phir bhi agar bahot problem ho rahi hai to phir uttar te hai aur kya ..”.Girish yelled immediately ,”Saalo ladki ho kya ?ek local train me safar nahi kar sakte ?bas aur do stop dur hai dongargarh ab yeha kaha change karenge train?bas aur bis minute me dongargarh a jayegi”.See ing no other alternative the two relented.
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We alighted at 5:30 in dongargarh.Animesh and Ramji immediately sped to the nearby purewater basin.There they rubbed their forehead with water and began to gurgle .Seeing us Ramji began to say,”Saale ganda bhaddha train tha ,chi kuch sanitation naam ki chiz nahi hai,CG gaon to gaon hi hai bas.Rajasthan me bhi local trains hai par itni bhir nahi hai .Animesh ka to chote ladke ne pakar liya..”
Girish and I were laughing.Animesh added”Superfast me ani chahiye thi ..reservation karwalete .Par ha ye kah sakte hai ki Kolkata aur Mumbai me isse bhi jaada bhir hoti hai .. Main jab Kolkata giya tha to usme isse bhi jaada bhir tha jab Nettech ki training karne gaya tha na tab..”.Girish,sir prudence added a line more ,”Delhi me bhi hai bhir bahot ,gurgaon noida ke saare log to jate ate hai ..dialy passenger bahot hai ..”.Anyways finally just the moment we came out of the station we saw the temple in the mountain with so many ropeways joining the base with the pinnacle.I solicited the groups opinion by asking ,”Ropeway me jani hai ?Bata Ramji pahle 1000+ seri honge …dekhle agar nahi uth payega to phir ropeway lelete hai …”. Ramji with the authority of the IIT 4300 ranker and AIEEE 3000+ AIR reported ,”nahi .Bhagwan ke paas ayehai padal hi chalenge.”I said ,”I also feel the same .Vaise bhi hum to bhagwan ke saache bhakt hai ..nange pair 1000+shiri to kam hi hai ..himalay charjaye agar saath sab ka ho to ..”.Animesh ,Ramji and Girish were all laughing at this comment but soon collected themselves and unanimously said “Ok,UBj rocks take the lead..”.We stopped in a shop named “Jaimata Shubhalaxmi bhandar” there we kept our shoes and brought Prasad of Rs 21 each with coconut and a few clothes.Then began our jeorney of 1000 steps.
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Ramji said “I am always with UBJ ..thora slow chal yaar .To EJ ki kya haal hai ?abhi tak baat hui ki nahi?”
I bounced the question,” Bhagwan ke mandir aye ho bhagwan ke darshan karlo ..ye sab to saal bhar hi laga rahta hai…”.Girish however did not let me scotch the topic by saying ,”Are I read your blogs ..they are awesome man.U can write really well.Please keep writing even when u are in IIM or any other place.”Ramji,”UBJ aaj kahani bhi leekhega na ..please…Main animesh aur girish sabka ache se ana chahiye ekdam ..Mast leekhna kahani aur daal na blog pe ..Humlogo ko bhi acha lagega …lekhega na?”
I said ,”Ok I will.”Animesh said ,”you write awesome,UBJ is the real king ,I always read your story 13,Downing Street,SouthAveneu wala pharke tha ..”.I rectified,”Saale 13,glassglow Street,South Avenue..ha ha .Ok”
We started our climb which gradually started to feel unending passing through the cascade of shops in both sides of the steep slope rising up like a python on the mountain twisting and curving around it.After climbing about 100 steps ,ramji became out of breath and began to rest .I followed suit ,with Animesh and GIrish giggling.ANimesh said smiling ,”Bhagwan ke saache bhakt sirf 100 shiri me rukh gaya??ye kaise bhakt hai phir ?”.Ramji said ,”ghutne me dukh raha hai ..kal soyunga to dard hogi”.Girish said”Kya Ramji tussi ..dudh malai khao..itne me dam khatam jo jayega to kaise hoga ?abhi to 900 shiri baki hai !”
The last thing that Girish said was something which stuck my ears too.We are no athletes and we donot even be to Gym either so Physical fitness is near about 0.So it would be a monumental task to reach the top.”are ropeway lele te to jaada sahi hota ..”,I said to Girish.Girish smiled and said ,”Baazigar ki dam khatam hogayi bas 100 shiri me ? ye kya hogaya?acha thik hai chal photo session kar lete hai ..”
We stopped and did the photo session.There were quite a few monkeys around too.Once of them came dangerously close to my thala and tried to peep into it.But my quick reflexes saved the day.
After the photo session we started out for the next part of the jeorney.Next 500 steps were easy going .We did not talk much in our bid to conserve our energy.I said inbetween that “mg cos0 component is really acting opposite towards our motion and supporting friction which is making us exert further muscular force to overcome the friction cause stress in our ankles leading to lactic acid accumulation which inturn Is leading to mascular ache.So we once we had sufficient Oxygen the lactic acid broke down into C02 and we were fresh and free again.”.Ramji nodded in appreciation and Animesh said ,”King Ubj is right again.”Ramji said “mera bhi biology strong tha ek time me “.After ascending 500 odd steps again we felt rather tizzy and we took a break trying to relax our tired muscles who were alien to this type of physical workload for years.
We stooped at a Shiva temple on the way and offered our prayers to it.The priest sitting near the idol gave a tikka to each one of our forehead.We moved on then towards our final destination.By the time we ascended 300 more stairs we were profusely sweating and even though it was winter we felt as if every step that we are making was against gravity and the entire earths pull rested on our ankles.We were laughing and looking at each other seeing each other toil profusely to reach the top.Ramji ‘s intermittent ,”Jai mata di” in periodic intervals were somehow providing some devine energy for the falling army to combat the hydra headed energy loss inform of friction and gravity which was higher and higher with height.Anyways finally we washed our hands and feet at a nearby water basin and took some break there before the final dash to the summit which we supposed approx 200 odd steps more.
One strange feeling of bonding came up amidst this towering task which we all realized.IT was that as we saw each other sweat out and laughed and made fun of each other we were actually making the task a lot easier because we were still mentally fresh after climbing 900 steps within 40 minutes although physically we were enervated.
Finally I took lead and rushed for the last 200 steps and made it moreor less smoothly.May be by this time our unaccustomed ankles were already accustomed to the load and the process was felicitated by the timely breaks we had taken.Once we reached the main temple ,the climate was reather pristine,pellucid and sanctified.There were not many people today so the queue was short .We took the queue .Girish said “I will wait outside , I have a leather jacket and I wont come in .YOU all do the prayers after that I will go and offer my prayers.”I touched the prayer bells and asked the priest to touch our offerings to the God’s feet ,which he did and passed the offerings back to us.Ramji took a few pictures and then passed on the camera to us.The camera belonged to Zigme yangchuk from Nepal (Nit Raipur 4th year mechanical engg).The power in the camera was low but still with setting sun we took quite a few pictures at the back of the temple .It was 6:30 then and the sun was setting .The sun’s rays were falling on the temple as if offering its final prayers before setting.It was truly a magical place with such sanctified ambience that pulled us all towards the bunificience and magnanimity of the supreme God.As night wore on the number of people assembling to the temple increased too.Ramji pointed out that ,”see these people they are so old yet they come here for peace ,for some devine blessings ,they want the well being of themselves and their family members.”.Girish said ,”let us sit here for an hour more,we had come here from that far and now we should sit back and enjoy the lights of the valley and how the temple looks at the night.”.I on the otherhand acted as the photographer and started to take photos for the final time.It was truly a magical climate and distilling these silent pristine moments in the camera was itself great.The sky was red with sun already set and the valley lights were coming up one after another giving it a spectacular look .There was no hurry here .Everyone was content .There was a distant lake visible too from the summit .WE had seen that while scaling the mountain too.As the lights near the lake started to comeon ,it was really really the most magical moment I had ever had.The number of temple goers had decreased now as it was nearing 7:00 and there were not many priests either.The entire climate was beautiful now.Slowly but gradually the cold was setting in .The winds were blowing and the birds were flying back to their nests.Girish took a few pictures of us three together in the setting light with the street light as the savior.Finally we started to return back to the shop where we had kept our shoes.Descending the steps were no problem ,only thing we had to look after now is that we don’t slip and we don’t make any undue haste..to climb down for in the dark there may be some glass pieces falling here and there.
Dusk gave way to complete darkness soon.We walked back to the station after taking a cup of tea at the shop .We asked the shopkeeper regarding the next train that is available for Raipur .He said ,”7:30 ko hai local train..jaldi jayoge to mil jayegi ”.Ramji and Animesh after the afternoon experience wasnot much keep on the train jeorney again because there was very little chance of a seat this time too.Girish said ,”cool pappe ,agar train nahi milegi to phir bus le lenge ..4 jan hai kya problem hai ?kuch bhi karlo pahoch to jayengi hi na Raipur tak kal subah tak..bas chill baby ..aur kya”.But Ramji was someone who loved load he said ,”Saale bahot raat ko hostel gates band ho jayegi ..tab kya hoga ?”.Animesh said ,”aha .gate uncle to wahi bait te hai bolne se ho jayega thik sabkuch..uska load nahi”.
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Now That it was 7:30 we reached the station and we did not know where to go for the ticket counter because ticket counter was not on the side of the station from where we took entrance that was the Dongargarh temple side.We searched here and there and then finally on asking a tea vendor we got to know the location of the ticket counter .We went there after taking the highway bridge. WE took tickets for Durg.Train was about to come at 7:25 but it was 30 minutes late.So we decided to have our dinner in any near by restaurant.We took two normal dishes and two special dishes and a fanta for our dinner and came back at the station at 7:50 and found the train late by 15 minutes more.However we made some space at platform number 2 and sat there chatting.Soon the train came and we boarded it .The train was empty and we got our seats easily.Three couples were seated in the train and girish and I took the upper berth.The couples were of our age and were holding each others hands.Girish was looking at the middle one and laughing.She was also passing smiles to him.I was looking at these two and laughing.Anyways soon Girish said” ye ladki meri bahen ki saheli hai..”.I said ,”main ne kab kuch kaha ?” .Girish,”Aisa kuch nahi hai jaisa tu soch raha hai ...”.I said,”ha to interrogate kaun kar raha hai?main to bhagwan ka bhakt hu (smiles)”.
At 9:30 we alighted at the durg station.It was night and cold.Girish said ,”ab yeha ahmedabad howrah ke liye wait karna bekar hoga ..lets take the bus ..bahot sare bus hote hai yeha se to raipur tak .Seedha college ke samne tak lejayega.Koi problem nahi hogi .Baise bhi train me jate hai to phir auto ka problem hogi kiu ki train saraswati nagar me to rukhegi nahi .To phir raat ko auto lena muskil parega.12 baj jayega uttarte uttarte...SO lets take the bus.”.Ramji was silent all this while suddenly spoke ,”lekin aisa na ho ki uddar bus bhi chut gaya aur yeha train bhi ..”.”Ramji tussi great ho ..aap bas humare saath saath rahiye aur koi tension nahi..baki meri jimmedari..Main aur piyush tripathi raat ko gaye hai bus me durg se raipur..ek ghante me pahocha degi dekhna ..”.I said, “hmm!lets go then for the bus”
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Bus stop pahoche approx 10 baje .IT was a long walking distance so we took a cab and it got us to the stop in time.Girish went in to get the tickets .We had already paid the resturant bills of his so it was his turn to shell our some cash.He went in and asked the bus conductor for the ticket.THe conductor said ,”are abhi bus khali hai andar jake baitho ..ticket ki tension na lo ..raipur jayoge na ? Ok jao jake baitho..”.IT was a luxury bus and with all the delicacies assosiated with it .It had a cab for sleeping too.I and animesh went and sat at seat numbers 3 ,4 while ramji and girish sat at the seat numbers 36,37 such that we were all in the same row side by side.After about 15 minutes wait the bus was about to leave.Passengers started to board the bus now.There were hardly 15-20 of them who boarded.The mostly sat at the back of the bus so we had no problems.But suddenly a tall young man came “boss it is my seat .Seat no 36 .”So girish and ramji shifted to the last row.THe bus started and moved on at a snails pace.Both me and animesh were disappointed over the viability of the choice exercised.The bus suddenly stopped near the bus stand and suddenly literally all the people of durg started to board our bus.Were praying to god that this should not happen.But this time it did happen.Me and animesh were looking at each others faces.FOr we both knew a call to go back was looming large .Soon a beautiful girl stepped up and called to his father back ,”Papa seat no 3 and 4 to bhar gaya hai ..someone else is sitting there..”.SOon after ,her papa boarded the bus and asked us to vacate the seat.We had no other alternative but to go back and sit with ramji and girish.There too there was no respite.Soon even the last row was filled.WE were left seatless and went towards the drivers seat.ANd there the conductor was sitting he took 120 rs from us as ticket and said ,”actually pahle hi book hai seats sare..aise to har roz kuch seat khali jate hai ..to isliye bola tha ki tumlogo ko jagah mil jayegi..lekin aaj mohorrum hai shayad isliye .Anyways tumlog yeha bait jayo driver ke pas”.We had no other choice so we did just that.
IN the mean time ,in our seat no 3 the beautiful girl was seated .Animesh was nonchalant initially but now that he took the seat at the corner of the bus which was just opposite to the seat no 3 ,he was consistently lookingat her .I looked at him and found that both he and her were exchanging glances.I pulled ramji's shirt he looked at them too and was smiling too.It was night and once the bus left Durg it was fast and it soon crossed 70 km/hr speed.There were very few buses and autos on road. We soon reached our destination our very own “Nit gate” .IT was 11:35 at night and the campus was looking really empty.Ramji was still annoyed he said ,”YE girish ne lagbhag latka hi diya tha ..chalo kam se kam pahoch to gaye ..to UBJ when will the next jeorney be ? And when will the story of today come up? “.Ubj said “tommorrow at the latest.”
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Central Characters -----
Uddalak banerjee(UBJ)—NIT Raipur ,computerScience engg,4th year
Animesh pant -- NIT Raipur, computer Science engg,4th year,[home state:Rajasthan]
Ramji bhai kalbi—NIT Raipur,INFormation technology,4th year,[ home state:Rajasthan]
Girish Dhawan-------- NIT Raipur ,Metallurgy ,4th year
Abhishek Chauhan---NITRaipur ,ComputerScience engg.4th year( Special appearance Durg Station)
This story is a travel account and hence is a real story. I hope that this will last the wheels of time for all times to come. I hope that Mine or Animesh or Ramji 's children or their children and grand children will one day read this story and smile. Maybe on that day i will no be no more or maybe alive in some part of the world completely unaware that our old and fantastic journey is getting read by our own children.
28/12/2009 was a red lettered day for more reasons than one.It was one of the last dates of the year 2009 and also the last days of much celebrated college life of UBj.But apart from these two reasons the day assumed great significance in Uddalak Banerjee’s life because it was the day when a completel y different facet of Chattisgarh as a state was finally revealed.Since the very starting of our college life in 2006-07 session ,the whole batch of nit Raipur had been complaining that there are no tourist destinations available near Raipur or in Raipur but finally when it was time to perhaps bid a final good bye to the state bag and baggage,it unleashed a completely different pellucid side.
The planning for the trip was rather abrupt.It was Ramji bhai kalvi(RBK) who came up with this crazy idea and Animesh acceded and Girish followed suite.Once RBk asked UBj to join ,it was only matter of schedule adjustment so that any other preoccupation did not clash with the date of jeorney.On 28th morning I had a Pt exam on mock Xat and by 10 in the morning the exam was over and our jeorney began at 12 clock in the afternoon.Girish assumed the role of the guide since he had a string of pathbreaking jeorneys to his credit.He had been part of the Nit group who visited Kanya Kumari,he had also been part of the group who participated in techfests etc and lastly and most importantly he had been to Dongargarh three times.On the other hand ,for me and animesh and ramji it was a first time experience.Span of the jeorney deduced from the experiences of Lala(vikash agrawal ) (who had just been to dongargarh few days back ) we knew it would be approx a 12 hours jeorney .We went to the saraswati nagar station and took tickets of 19.6 Rs each from Sartola to Dongargarh.I was wearing a white peter England shirt and a black colored pant ,sweter and a jacket on top.RBk was wearing a green shirt and a black pant with a jacket on top and sported a super cool sunglass .Animesh Pant and Girish were wearing a jacket each on top of a blue and yellow tshirts respectively .
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The train was bilaspur durg local and arrived at 12:45 .The train was scarcely crowded so we did not face much of problem finding our seats .Once on train and seated ,Girish broached the topic of placement saying “ Adani is confirmed for metallurgy but it would be giving the same rotten 3.4 lakhs.”.Rbk inorder to bypass the topic asked me ,”So then UBJ ,u had a test in the morning in pt ?How was it ?Top karega ki nahi ?“.I replied “ don’t know 34 ka net score araha hai .Dekhte hai ..ab age ..Cant say because I donot the scores of the rest of the candidates “.Animesh ,”you are UBJ man ..the king , baadshah .. you will rock I know ..”.Girish ,”UBJ you are going IIM ahmedabad ..if not this year then the next ..i am sure of it ..”.I replied ,”Beta mera baap ne bhi IIM ahmedabad nahi dekhi hai ..salary uski 30-60 lakh ke beechme ajati hai… it is the most prestigious school of India.You need to have the best of best profile to even think of applying for it.Xlri to chor ximb mil jaye khush ho jayunga ..Top 20 me kuch mile bas…”.IN the mean time the train passed kumhari and marched at great pace towards bhilai.
Girish started again saying ,”Are India me talent hai bahot sare lekin problem ye hai ki kuch deals aise hua hai jaise ki Indian mines wale jo do deal hua uske chalte do mine khali hogaya na ?it is upto the government to decide as to what it wants to do.The 17 navaratna’s are doing so well and maharatnas are doing well too.the provide a salary of 10 lakh easily .even in mining in our college you are getting 13 lakhs .. UBj you should have taken mining ..”.I did not want to circumlocute to the main topic of placement again so I said,”Girish ek chiz bata Fms xlri in sab college me 15-19 lakhki average package dete hai ..par qualify karna itna tough hai lekin mining jo ki last me bharti hai aieee me log 13 lakh ka package kaise le jate hai ?”.Girish said ,”yehi to baat hai na ..Psu effect ..aur kya ..6th pay commission aur kya ?bas wahi to baat hai na .Chattisgarh is reach in mines .See BSP ..it is the only major steelplant which has provided such great profits that it has singlehandedly sustained Sail.”.RBk,”rajasthan me bhi oil ki bahot khoj chal raha hai ..mera ghar ke 20 km dur me hi to OIL refinery chal rahi hai.”
In the mean time Bhilai passed we remained oblivious of everything and was talking to each other.In the mean time Girish insisted me to right him an sms to some sumeta kulkarni,plant director with full usage of English vocab . I wrote him one sms .And as we were talking of “MIT and its patents .and IIT MIT differences and how MIT created IIM C in 1960s”(favorite topic oF RBK being research) the train came to sudden standstill at Durg.One by one all the passengers alighted on the station .Girish asked,”bhaiya train age nahi jayegi kya ?”.”no !” came the answer from the fellow co passenger who was standing last in the queue while alighting from the train.We also followed suite.
On alighting from the train I and the other three moved out of the station and traveled to a “Shresthsweets” bhojanalaya.The restaurant was looking good from outside so we all took our fancy to it and hence went to visit it.Once we made our selves comfortably seated Rbk who was visibly annoyed with Girish for having taken the wrong train .said,”kya re Girish 3 bar aneke baad bhi train sahi nahi chose kiya?Idiot train to sahi sahi chose karna chaiye tha .Ab ?busstand hai kareeb 2 km yeha se…kaise jayenge?”.Girish
Was not a man to be perplexed.He was cool as always .Cool as cucumber should be the appropriate word.He said ,”galati sabse hoti hai Ramji..bus stand na sahi ..train hai 2:20 ko .usko pakrenge to 5 baje
Tak pahoch jani chaiye Dongargarh!vaise RAMJI darling ye restaurant bahot mashoor hai yeha har khana milta hai veg me .”I said ,”order to kar ..It is already 1:30,I think we should do it fast..Because if we miss the train then bus will be the only alternative and to avail that alternative we have to walk 2 km.”Animesh called the waiter to give the order.The waiter came and said ,”sir u all need to wait for 25 minutes for aloo parootha.And one parotha would cost Rss 50 each”.Rbk said ,”so which of the dishes can be done quickly ?we need to catch a train so …”.The waiter replied,”sorry sir I think apart from dosa and samosa ..nothing can be prepared at this short notice.”.Then guessing all our choices Animesh ordered ,”3 samosa,3 bara,1 dosa”.But soon after taking the order ,the waiter returned saying “Sorry dosa is not possible now..take something else ..”.Now at this RBk went mad with anger and turning to Girish,”Saale ye kaisa restaurant hai yeha kuch bhi nahi milta kya ?ye tera best restaurant tha ?agar kuch nahi mil raha hai to samosa aur bara le lete hai 4 plate aur 4 chai ”.Animesh communicated the order to the waiter and this time he did not harass.He brought the 4 plates and 4 tea at 1:50 and we finished our lunch and dashed to the station to catch the train.There at the station I met abhishek Chauhan ..who began the discussion by saying “koi company arahi hai kya ? Batana ..”.I said “if I know you will get to know ..so dont worry over that .Ek chiz bata ki yeha se dongar garh kaise jaye ?”Chauhan said ,”kafi train hai ..train me hi ja kiu ki bus stand kafi dur parega station se ..to padal jane me diggat hogi so ..take the train seedha dongargarh pahocha degi.”
Uptill now the jeorney that we had was very rather smooth as Animesh too was apprehensive of .Because both I and Animesh both knew something is wrong because wherever we go what ever we do atleast some hitch is always there.And amidst this feeling of dejavu sprouted the first major impediment.The train was to dongargarh was actually was plying to Nagpur.Obviously 28th being a weekday had a huge crowd there was absolutely no space to even stand in the train.All the daily grocers,blacksmiths,plumbers had boarded the train.In the train the hoipolloi was rather excited but it being a local train had a majority of them tribals.The stink of the sweat and absolute shortage of space made life really horrible for us all.Now the platform where I finally found shelter was near the middlw of the train where I reached after traversing or rather weaving through the obdurate crowd who just were not ready to move from the way.Here a kindhearted lady also from college finally gave me some space to seat beside her .There were 6 persons seating on the seat designed for 3 ,she was just one of them.He had kept a handkerchief on that place so as to avoid yet another intrusion.But seeing me sweat profusely and struggling to keep myself together she lifted the handkerchief and asked me to sit.
In the mean time as the first battle of Nagpur local was won by the devine intervention of this Great lady the battle my friends were fighting in the other compartment was far from over.Unlike Ramji Animesh was completely new to this supreme struggle which people from lower classes continually take to shift their luggage for business and daily living.Amidst all this a small child was crying amidst hundreds of people out of which even women were standing and few others were quarreling with the incoming force which were multiplying at every stop.”Koi decency hai inlogo ki ,kahi bhi charne ja rahe hai,jagah nahi hai kitni bar bolu ,dekh nahi rahe hai kya puri bhar chuki hai train ,toilet ke paas bhi jagah nahi hai .” said a college girl shouting towards the inrushing crowd.In the acute shortage of space In the compartment in which ANimesh was standing there were a few people who were carring bagsful of old cloths which emiting mephitic smell making life a terrible dream,in addition to these there a few people dressed in green who were lighting cigars blissfully unaware of the crowd reactions and smoking away to glory and surprisingly no one resisted.Animesh was standing just next to the toilet infront of the door so at each station he was having to endure the deep intrusive force of the newcomers who always seem to be in hurry and were ready to do anything ,no matter how insensitive it may be to just get in.Add to that the perspiration of other twenty odd people standing infront of the door with Animesh and Ramji both in jackets it was real hell inshort.It was for this precise reason Girish came up to me and after standing about half an hour beside me finally used his “jugaru “ nature to good effect.He asked the uncle sitting in the upper berth with his luggage to shift one luggage over the other so as to provide some space to sit .The uncle did just that and that provided enough space for us to to sit together comfortably.Soon there was a call from animesh,”yaar next train me chaltehai yeha ekdam jagah nahi ahi .(pause) ek chota baccha mera neeche pakar liya tha …”.I asked in surprise ,”kya!! Neeche kaha pe?”.Animesh said “saale neeche samaj nahi raha hai kya ?waha pe…main nahi jaunga .Ramji bhi bol raha hai ki next wale me chalte hai.”.I said ,”next station abhi uthrenge to phir next train ka ata pata nahi hai ..ho sakta hai raat ho jayega pahoch ne me hi ..phir ate time problem ho jayegi..phir bhi agar bahot problem ho rahi hai to phir uttar te hai aur kya ..”.Girish yelled immediately ,”Saalo ladki ho kya ?ek local train me safar nahi kar sakte ?bas aur do stop dur hai dongargarh ab yeha kaha change karenge train?bas aur bis minute me dongargarh a jayegi”.See ing no other alternative the two relented.
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We alighted at 5:30 in dongargarh.Animesh and Ramji immediately sped to the nearby purewater basin.There they rubbed their forehead with water and began to gurgle .Seeing us Ramji began to say,”Saale ganda bhaddha train tha ,chi kuch sanitation naam ki chiz nahi hai,CG gaon to gaon hi hai bas.Rajasthan me bhi local trains hai par itni bhir nahi hai .Animesh ka to chote ladke ne pakar liya..”
Girish and I were laughing.Animesh added”Superfast me ani chahiye thi ..reservation karwalete .Par ha ye kah sakte hai ki Kolkata aur Mumbai me isse bhi jaada bhir hoti hai .. Main jab Kolkata giya tha to usme isse bhi jaada bhir tha jab Nettech ki training karne gaya tha na tab..”.Girish,sir prudence added a line more ,”Delhi me bhi hai bhir bahot ,gurgaon noida ke saare log to jate ate hai ..dialy passenger bahot hai ..”.Anyways finally just the moment we came out of the station we saw the temple in the mountain with so many ropeways joining the base with the pinnacle.I solicited the groups opinion by asking ,”Ropeway me jani hai ?Bata Ramji pahle 1000+ seri honge …dekhle agar nahi uth payega to phir ropeway lelete hai …”. Ramji with the authority of the IIT 4300 ranker and AIEEE 3000+ AIR reported ,”nahi .Bhagwan ke paas ayehai padal hi chalenge.”I said ,”I also feel the same .Vaise bhi hum to bhagwan ke saache bhakt hai ..nange pair 1000+shiri to kam hi hai ..himalay charjaye agar saath sab ka ho to ..”.Animesh ,Ramji and Girish were all laughing at this comment but soon collected themselves and unanimously said “Ok,UBj rocks take the lead..”.We stopped in a shop named “Jaimata Shubhalaxmi bhandar” there we kept our shoes and brought Prasad of Rs 21 each with coconut and a few clothes.Then began our jeorney of 1000 steps.
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Ramji said “I am always with UBJ ..thora slow chal yaar .To EJ ki kya haal hai ?abhi tak baat hui ki nahi?”
I bounced the question,” Bhagwan ke mandir aye ho bhagwan ke darshan karlo ..ye sab to saal bhar hi laga rahta hai…”.Girish however did not let me scotch the topic by saying ,”Are I read your blogs ..they are awesome man.U can write really well.Please keep writing even when u are in IIM or any other place.”Ramji,”UBJ aaj kahani bhi leekhega na ..please…Main animesh aur girish sabka ache se ana chahiye ekdam ..Mast leekhna kahani aur daal na blog pe ..Humlogo ko bhi acha lagega …lekhega na?”
I said ,”Ok I will.”Animesh said ,”you write awesome,UBJ is the real king ,I always read your story 13,Downing Street,SouthAveneu wala pharke tha ..”.I rectified,”Saale 13,glassglow Street,South Avenue..ha ha .Ok”
We started our climb which gradually started to feel unending passing through the cascade of shops in both sides of the steep slope rising up like a python on the mountain twisting and curving around it.After climbing about 100 steps ,ramji became out of breath and began to rest .I followed suit ,with Animesh and GIrish giggling.ANimesh said smiling ,”Bhagwan ke saache bhakt sirf 100 shiri me rukh gaya??ye kaise bhakt hai phir ?”.Ramji said ,”ghutne me dukh raha hai ..kal soyunga to dard hogi”.Girish said”Kya Ramji tussi ..dudh malai khao..itne me dam khatam jo jayega to kaise hoga ?abhi to 900 shiri baki hai !”
The last thing that Girish said was something which stuck my ears too.We are no athletes and we donot even be to Gym either so Physical fitness is near about 0.So it would be a monumental task to reach the top.”are ropeway lele te to jaada sahi hota ..”,I said to Girish.Girish smiled and said ,”Baazigar ki dam khatam hogayi bas 100 shiri me ? ye kya hogaya?acha thik hai chal photo session kar lete hai ..”
We stopped and did the photo session.There were quite a few monkeys around too.Once of them came dangerously close to my thala and tried to peep into it.But my quick reflexes saved the day.
After the photo session we started out for the next part of the jeorney.Next 500 steps were easy going .We did not talk much in our bid to conserve our energy.I said inbetween that “mg cos0 component is really acting opposite towards our motion and supporting friction which is making us exert further muscular force to overcome the friction cause stress in our ankles leading to lactic acid accumulation which inturn Is leading to mascular ache.So we once we had sufficient Oxygen the lactic acid broke down into C02 and we were fresh and free again.”.Ramji nodded in appreciation and Animesh said ,”King Ubj is right again.”Ramji said “mera bhi biology strong tha ek time me “.After ascending 500 odd steps again we felt rather tizzy and we took a break trying to relax our tired muscles who were alien to this type of physical workload for years.
We stooped at a Shiva temple on the way and offered our prayers to it.The priest sitting near the idol gave a tikka to each one of our forehead.We moved on then towards our final destination.By the time we ascended 300 more stairs we were profusely sweating and even though it was winter we felt as if every step that we are making was against gravity and the entire earths pull rested on our ankles.We were laughing and looking at each other seeing each other toil profusely to reach the top.Ramji ‘s intermittent ,”Jai mata di” in periodic intervals were somehow providing some devine energy for the falling army to combat the hydra headed energy loss inform of friction and gravity which was higher and higher with height.Anyways finally we washed our hands and feet at a nearby water basin and took some break there before the final dash to the summit which we supposed approx 200 odd steps more.
One strange feeling of bonding came up amidst this towering task which we all realized.IT was that as we saw each other sweat out and laughed and made fun of each other we were actually making the task a lot easier because we were still mentally fresh after climbing 900 steps within 40 minutes although physically we were enervated.
Finally I took lead and rushed for the last 200 steps and made it moreor less smoothly.May be by this time our unaccustomed ankles were already accustomed to the load and the process was felicitated by the timely breaks we had taken.Once we reached the main temple ,the climate was reather pristine,pellucid and sanctified.There were not many people today so the queue was short .We took the queue .Girish said “I will wait outside , I have a leather jacket and I wont come in .YOU all do the prayers after that I will go and offer my prayers.”I touched the prayer bells and asked the priest to touch our offerings to the God’s feet ,which he did and passed the offerings back to us.Ramji took a few pictures and then passed on the camera to us.The camera belonged to Zigme yangchuk from Nepal (Nit Raipur 4th year mechanical engg).The power in the camera was low but still with setting sun we took quite a few pictures at the back of the temple .It was 6:30 then and the sun was setting .The sun’s rays were falling on the temple as if offering its final prayers before setting.It was truly a magical place with such sanctified ambience that pulled us all towards the bunificience and magnanimity of the supreme God.As night wore on the number of people assembling to the temple increased too.Ramji pointed out that ,”see these people they are so old yet they come here for peace ,for some devine blessings ,they want the well being of themselves and their family members.”.Girish said ,”let us sit here for an hour more,we had come here from that far and now we should sit back and enjoy the lights of the valley and how the temple looks at the night.”.I on the otherhand acted as the photographer and started to take photos for the final time.It was truly a magical climate and distilling these silent pristine moments in the camera was itself great.The sky was red with sun already set and the valley lights were coming up one after another giving it a spectacular look .There was no hurry here .Everyone was content .There was a distant lake visible too from the summit .WE had seen that while scaling the mountain too.As the lights near the lake started to comeon ,it was really really the most magical moment I had ever had.The number of temple goers had decreased now as it was nearing 7:00 and there were not many priests either.The entire climate was beautiful now.Slowly but gradually the cold was setting in .The winds were blowing and the birds were flying back to their nests.Girish took a few pictures of us three together in the setting light with the street light as the savior.Finally we started to return back to the shop where we had kept our shoes.Descending the steps were no problem ,only thing we had to look after now is that we don’t slip and we don’t make any undue haste..to climb down for in the dark there may be some glass pieces falling here and there.
Dusk gave way to complete darkness soon.We walked back to the station after taking a cup of tea at the shop .We asked the shopkeeper regarding the next train that is available for Raipur .He said ,”7:30 ko hai local train..jaldi jayoge to mil jayegi ”.Ramji and Animesh after the afternoon experience wasnot much keep on the train jeorney again because there was very little chance of a seat this time too.Girish said ,”cool pappe ,agar train nahi milegi to phir bus le lenge ..4 jan hai kya problem hai ?kuch bhi karlo pahoch to jayengi hi na Raipur tak kal subah tak..bas chill baby ..aur kya”.But Ramji was someone who loved load he said ,”Saale bahot raat ko hostel gates band ho jayegi ..tab kya hoga ?”.Animesh said ,”aha .gate uncle to wahi bait te hai bolne se ho jayega thik sabkuch..uska load nahi”.
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Now That it was 7:30 we reached the station and we did not know where to go for the ticket counter because ticket counter was not on the side of the station from where we took entrance that was the Dongargarh temple side.We searched here and there and then finally on asking a tea vendor we got to know the location of the ticket counter .We went there after taking the highway bridge. WE took tickets for Durg.Train was about to come at 7:25 but it was 30 minutes late.So we decided to have our dinner in any near by restaurant.We took two normal dishes and two special dishes and a fanta for our dinner and came back at the station at 7:50 and found the train late by 15 minutes more.However we made some space at platform number 2 and sat there chatting.Soon the train came and we boarded it .The train was empty and we got our seats easily.Three couples were seated in the train and girish and I took the upper berth.The couples were of our age and were holding each others hands.Girish was looking at the middle one and laughing.She was also passing smiles to him.I was looking at these two and laughing.Anyways soon Girish said” ye ladki meri bahen ki saheli hai..”.I said ,”main ne kab kuch kaha ?” .Girish,”Aisa kuch nahi hai jaisa tu soch raha hai ...”.I said,”ha to interrogate kaun kar raha hai?main to bhagwan ka bhakt hu (smiles)”.
At 9:30 we alighted at the durg station.It was night and cold.Girish said ,”ab yeha ahmedabad howrah ke liye wait karna bekar hoga ..lets take the bus ..bahot sare bus hote hai yeha se to raipur tak .Seedha college ke samne tak lejayega.Koi problem nahi hogi .Baise bhi train me jate hai to phir auto ka problem hogi kiu ki train saraswati nagar me to rukhegi nahi .To phir raat ko auto lena muskil parega.12 baj jayega uttarte uttarte...SO lets take the bus.”.Ramji was silent all this while suddenly spoke ,”lekin aisa na ho ki uddar bus bhi chut gaya aur yeha train bhi ..”.”Ramji tussi great ho ..aap bas humare saath saath rahiye aur koi tension nahi..baki meri jimmedari..Main aur piyush tripathi raat ko gaye hai bus me durg se raipur..ek ghante me pahocha degi dekhna ..”.I said, “hmm!lets go then for the bus”
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Bus stop pahoche approx 10 baje .IT was a long walking distance so we took a cab and it got us to the stop in time.Girish went in to get the tickets .We had already paid the resturant bills of his so it was his turn to shell our some cash.He went in and asked the bus conductor for the ticket.THe conductor said ,”are abhi bus khali hai andar jake baitho ..ticket ki tension na lo ..raipur jayoge na ? Ok jao jake baitho..”.IT was a luxury bus and with all the delicacies assosiated with it .It had a cab for sleeping too.I and animesh went and sat at seat numbers 3 ,4 while ramji and girish sat at the seat numbers 36,37 such that we were all in the same row side by side.After about 15 minutes wait the bus was about to leave.Passengers started to board the bus now.There were hardly 15-20 of them who boarded.The mostly sat at the back of the bus so we had no problems.But suddenly a tall young man came “boss it is my seat .Seat no 36 .”So girish and ramji shifted to the last row.THe bus started and moved on at a snails pace.Both me and animesh were disappointed over the viability of the choice exercised.The bus suddenly stopped near the bus stand and suddenly literally all the people of durg started to board our bus.Were praying to god that this should not happen.But this time it did happen.Me and animesh were looking at each others faces.FOr we both knew a call to go back was looming large .Soon a beautiful girl stepped up and called to his father back ,”Papa seat no 3 and 4 to bhar gaya hai ..someone else is sitting there..”.SOon after ,her papa boarded the bus and asked us to vacate the seat.We had no other alternative but to go back and sit with ramji and girish.There too there was no respite.Soon even the last row was filled.WE were left seatless and went towards the drivers seat.ANd there the conductor was sitting he took 120 rs from us as ticket and said ,”actually pahle hi book hai seats sare..aise to har roz kuch seat khali jate hai ..to isliye bola tha ki tumlogo ko jagah mil jayegi..lekin aaj mohorrum hai shayad isliye .Anyways tumlog yeha bait jayo driver ke pas”.We had no other choice so we did just that.
IN the mean time ,in our seat no 3 the beautiful girl was seated .Animesh was nonchalant initially but now that he took the seat at the corner of the bus which was just opposite to the seat no 3 ,he was consistently lookingat her .I looked at him and found that both he and her were exchanging glances.I pulled ramji's shirt he looked at them too and was smiling too.It was night and once the bus left Durg it was fast and it soon crossed 70 km/hr speed.There were very few buses and autos on road. We soon reached our destination our very own “Nit gate” .IT was 11:35 at night and the campus was looking really empty.Ramji was still annoyed he said ,”YE girish ne lagbhag latka hi diya tha ..chalo kam se kam pahoch to gaye ..to UBJ when will the next jeorney be ? And when will the story of today come up? “.Ubj said “tommorrow at the latest.”
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