The Unforgettable......

The Unforgettable...... Page 2

by Gopikrishna Erabati

PARTY’.

  “Dad, the whole clan is asking party” I said. “Ya, we should give them” he answered straight away without any infinitesimal delay.

  If we ask to give parties like these, It’s palpable to say ‘no’ by them at first and after so much of importunate they would say ‘yes’ halfheartedly but here the scene had happened quite differently which I wish it would go the same way with everyone!!!

  Finally on a fine dazzling weekend we arranged a gathering of the whole clan. We enjoyed unto maximum the whole night.

  A week anon another epistle reached me which said that I had to attend training for a span of six months in the business capital of India.

  I geared up myself to go to Bombay for a span of six months and I boarded on to the Kingfisher airlines to reach Bombay. I was robustly trained there for six months and I returned to my hometown Warangal.

  A fortnight later I received another communication which includes my posting details for the job. The epistle read out as my home town Warangal and I am out of the blue and they had ordered me to join on 14 February, 2023.

  At last my awaiting the date of 14 February had arrived and all of a sudden a car had been parked in front of our main gate with a cop escort before.

  I was just perplexed of all the happening at that time and a bureaucrat who is well fully clad stepped out of the car and opened the main gate of my domicile and wished me “Good morning sir!” and took the file which I was carrying then and requested me to sit in the car.

  I was just bewildered by his action and just began to follow his orders in a subconscious mind.

  Later the resonance of the cop siren regained my conscious but at that time I was traveling in the car and I just about to arrive at my bureau.

  I stepped out of the car and straight away went into my cabin although many officers wished me in-between I just paid my reverence to them instead of having a word with them.

  As I entered my cabin it looked to be a well furnished area with a desk in front of my chair, two chairs in front for the visitors to take the weight off their feet, a laptop to the right of my chair which had a good texture on it with the words emblazoned ‘VAIO ‘, an LCD television at the left corner of the room and indeed the name plate on the table in front of me which reads as “Dr.Krishhh IAS” which I ever proud to read.

  Yes, I am undeniably the district magistrate and collector.

  As my grandpa said earlier as I entered one of the esteemed and pantheon offices of Indian administration, I do think the same.

  I quite assiduously and passionately performed the duty in my office.

  A month later we all shifted to the collector’s residence which indeed was mine. I with my parents and grandpa stayed there quite gleefully.

  Six months later as I slept beside my grandpa with whom I ever does, he asked me “See my dear boy you are a magistrate of a district but whom do you think is the best, is the magistrate who gives the verdict or the proponent who argues?”

  “It’s apparently the magistrate, whose job is not so sinecure” I said.

  “It’s not that the magistrate but the dexterous job of proponent is difficult” he said.

  “Grandpa! You have changed the question, you asked me who the best is but you have stated whose job is intricate” I said.

  “Yes my boy the question itself who the best is itself indicates whose job is difficult” he said.

  “No, I won’t agree this. It’s not that the arguing on one’s behalf is difficult but judging the decision on one’s argument by perusing the witness is arduous” I said.

  “You are a magistrate I can’t argue with you but I will narrate you a story then you decides who the best is?” he proposed.

  “Yes” I said and he began to narrate the story.

  “There lived two close friends in the city of Venice in Italy which is one of the richest of the world. Among the wealthiest of its merchants was Antonio who was kind and generous man .Bassanio, a young Venetian of noble rank but having squandered his estate, wishes to travel to Belmount to woo the beautiful and wealthy heiress Portia. He approaches his friend Antonio, who has previously and repeatedly bailed him out, for three thousand ducats needed to subsidise his travelling expenditures as a suitor for three months. Antonio agrees, but he is cash-poor; his ships and merchandise are busy at sea. He promises to cover a bond if Bassanio can find a lender, so Bassanio turns to the Jewish moneylender Shylock and names Antonio as the loan’s guarantor.

  Shylock hates Antonio because of his anti-Semitism, shown when he insulted and spat on Shylock for being a Jew. Additionally, Antonio undermines Shylock's money lending business by lending money at zero interest.

  Shylock proposes a condition for the loan: if Antonio is unable to repay it at the specified date, he may take a pound of Antonio's flesh.

  Bassanio does not want Antonio to accept such a risky condition; Antonio is surprised by what he sees as the moneylender's generosity , and he signs the contract. With money at hand, Bassanio leaves for Belmont with his friend Gratiano, who has asked to accompany him. Gratiano is a likeable young man, but is often flippant, overly talkative, and tactless. Bassanio warns his companion to exercise self-control, and the two leave for Belmont and Portia.

  Meanwhile in Belmont, Portia is awash with suitors. Her father has left a will stipulating each of her suitors must choose correctly from one of three caskets – one each of gold, silver, and lead. If he chooses the right casket, he gets Portia; if he loses, he must go away and never trouble her or any other woman again with a proposal of marriage.

  The first suitor, the luxury- and money-obsessed Prince of Morocco, reasons to choose the gold casket, because lead proclaims "Choose me and risk hazard", and he has no wish to risk everything for lead, and the silver's "Choose me and get what you deserve" sounds like an invitation to be tortured, but "Choose me and get what most men desire" all but spells it out that he that chooses gold will get Portia, as what all men desire is Portia. Inside the casket are a few gold coins and a skull with a scroll containing the famous verse All that glisters is not gold / Often have you heard that told / Many a man his life hath sold / But my outside to behold / Gilded tombs do worms enfold / Had you been as wise as bold, / Young in limbs, in judgment old / Your answer had not been inscrolled: / Fare you well; your suit is cold.

  The second suitor is the conceited Prince of Arragon. He decides not to choose lead, because it is so common, and will not choose gold because he will then get what many men desire and wants to be distinguished from the barbarous multitudes. He decides to choose silver, because the silver casket proclaims "Choose Me and Get What You Deserve", which he imagines must be something great, because he egotistically imagines himself as great.

  Inside the casket is the picture of a court jester's head on a baton and remarks "What's here? The portrait of a blinking idiot... / Did I deserve no more than a fool's head?" The scroll reads: Some there be that shadows kiss; / Such have but a shadow's bliss: / ...Take what wife you will to bed, / I will ever be your head — meaning that he was foolish to imagine that a pompous man like him could ever be a fit husband for Portia, and that he was always a fool, he always will be a fool, and the fact that he chose the silver casket is mere proof that he is a fool.

  The last suitor is Bassanio, who chooses the lead casket. As he is considering his choice of caskets, members of Portia's household sing a song which says that "fancy" (not true love) is "engendered in the eyes, / With gazing fed."Seemingly in response to this little bit of philosophy, Bassanio remarks, "So may the outward shows be least themselves. / The world is still deceived with ornament." And at the end of the same speech, just before choosing the least valuable, and least showy metal, Bassanio says, "Thy paleness moves me more than eloquence; / And here choose I; joy be the consequence!" He has made the right choice.

  At Venice, Antonio's ships are reported lost at sea. This leaves him unable to satisfy the bond. Shylock is even more determined to exact revenge fro
m Christians after his daughter Jessica flees his home to convert to Christianity and elope with Lorenzo, taking a substantial amount of Shylock's wealth with her, as well as a turquoise ring which was a gift to Shylock from his late wife, Leah. Shylock has Antonio arrested and brought before court.

  At Belmont, Portia and Bassanio have just been married, as have Gratiano and Portia's handmaid Nerissa. Bassanio receives a letter telling him that Antonio has been unable to return the loan taken from Shylock. Shocked, Bassanio and Gratiano leave for Venice immediately, with money from Portia, to save Antonio's life by offering the money to Shylock. Unknown to Bassanio and Gratiano, Portia has sent her servant, Balthazar, to seek the counsel of Portia's cousin, Bellario, a lawyer, at Padua. The climax comes in the court of the Duke of Venice. Shylock refuses Bassanio's offer of 6,000 ducats, twice the amount of the loan. He demands his pound of flesh from Antonio. The Duke, wishing to save Antonio but unwilling to set a dangerous legal precedent of nullifying a contract, refers the case to a visitor who introduces himself as Balthazar, a young male "doctor of the law", bearing a letter of recommendation to the Duke from the learned lawyer Bellario. The "doctor" is actually Portia in disguise, and the "law clerk" who accompanies her is actually Nerissa, also in disguise. Portia, as "Balthazar", asks Shylock to show mercy in a famous speech , but Shylock refuses. Thus the court must allow Shylock to extract the pound of flesh. Shylock tells Antonio to "prepare". At that very moment, Portia points out a flaw in the contract : the bond only allows Shylock to remove the flesh, not the "blood", of Antonio. Thus, if Shylock were to shed any drop of Antonio's blood, his "lands and goods" would be forfeited under Venetian laws.

  Defeated, Shylock concedes to accepting Bassanio's offer of money for the defaulted bond, but Portia prevents him from taking the money on the ground that he has already refused it. She then cites a law under which Shylock, as a Jew and therefore an "alien", having attempted to take the life of a citizen, has forfeited his property, half to the government and half to Antonio, leaving his life at the mercy of the Duke. The Duke immediately pardons Shylock's life. Antonio asks for his share "in use" (that is, reserving the principal amount while taking only the income) until Shylock's death, when the principal will be given to Lorenzo and Jessica. At Antonio's request, the Duke grants remission of the state's half of forfeiture, but in return, Shylock is forced to convert to Christianity and to make a will (or "deed of gift") bequeathing his entire estate to Lorenzo and Jessica.”

  At last my grandpa ended the long story with an exciting result to note that it’s the proponent who is very much significant than the magistrate who is on par vital.

  “Most adulated story grandpa” I said. But I do believe that the job of magistrate itself is arduous, as a leopard can’t change his spots.

  “Yes my dear boy, now it’s time to sleep before that see the expiry date of this capsule” he said and handed over the capsule to me.

  “Grandpa it’s an anachronistic drug” I screamed.

  “Oh! Is it so, then throw it in the litter bin and sleep“ he said.

  I threw it off and reached my bed to sleep. But while sleeping my thinking was on the dexterity shown by the proponent in the narrated story and that always remained on my brain.

  Next day, I habitually went to attend the bureau and as I was working on some of the files a fax arrived, addressing me from the chief minister’s office of Telangana state.

  That fax was handed over to me and as I began to read, it read as “You are invited to a conference on technological advancements in the state”.

  I was perplexed to see that because I was discombobulated as I did not understand why the chief minister had called me for a technological conference on the state and not even of my district.

  Later I was struck with the point that he had ordered me to attend that conference as I was from technical milieu.

  A week later he in person phoned me and advised me to attend the conference. I replied him in his favour.

  At last the day of conference came through and I was seated among the delegates from around the world and I officialdom presented an idea on the management of technical projects and I think that I presented the idea quite better as I never wanted to go down like a lead balloon.

  The multinational companies who attended the conference were very much thrilled over my presentation and they had proposed to sign a contract with the government of Telangana.

  The chief minister was very happy as I saw through his eyes and he congratulated me on my achievement.

  I returned to Warangal a day later and attended my bureau as usually. I enjoyed the work very much.

  And then the days passed through in general.

  14th August 2023, this day had an importance to me as I ended my six months of bureaucracy. The next day was the day which every Indian will be ever proud of and I think no prologue is requisite to explain this.

  My first flag hoisting was completed successfully on the 76th year of Independence.

  That was on the 23rd October 2023, I sat before my desk pursuing some files presented on the desk with my television on.

  Suddenly, breaking news in the news made my heart to beat with a pulse rate of which even heard with a stethoscope we can’t hear that pulse as the frequency is so higher and I suspect that human ear can hear a sound which occurs at 1/10th of a second.

  That breaking news had showed me that the collector of Warangal district had made with some fraud and the ACB and CBI are arriving to his dwelling for a foray.

  As of one second I was just before the wicket of heaven and then suddenly I realised that I was in my office and I began to think why I was made to have hell in a handbasket.

  Suddenly I regained all my senses as I heard a phone ring, as expected the phone was from my grandpa from my residence who was so overwrought on seeing the news of mine and he was just wobbly in his voice.

  “Grandpa….. don’t worry at all if you believe in my duty” I said. “I am not worried on that my boy as I know your work efficiency but my fear is that this media will pull you up to the steps of CBI”

  “Grandpa, Media has its own work to do .Don’t blame it. I think they had got some wrong information on that and as we all know they are not at all concerned with the genuineness of information on par with their TRP ratings.”

  “Don’t worry grandpa I am coming to home” I said and went of my room to take a car to my home but even though I stood back of my grandpa I had a sense of moist in my eyes as why all this shit happened on my name.

  I reached my home and all my family members were awaiting me outside and they were just standing as they were standing for national anthem.

  I observed that another vehicle also came in parallel with mine and as expected that vehicle is from the department of ACB.

  I reached jus few seconds before they reached my dwelling. A group of 5 officers showed off their identity cards took the unnecessary permission from the district collector and started their raid off.

  Actually I was discombobulated what the allegation was is all about and soon latent hostility occupied my half mind. But soon I made my mind cool and asked the officer near me about the allegation.

  “Sir you had issued a major indenture to a party which has not made the requirements for the indenture to take over by receiving the bribe” He said.

  “What ……!!! Bribe…!!! No I didn’t make any such indentures “I said.

  “Sir, we have received a complaint from the other party about this, so our higher officials ordered us to raid your home “

  “Can u show me the proof of the manuscript which I had issued to the party who took that indenture?” I asked.

  “Yes sir” he said and began to take a manuscript from a file and gave to me.

  I was just bewildered to see that the manuscript was signed by me and it also showed me the proof that I only issued that manuscript to the party.

  But I began to see the manuscript completely, as I was keen at the poin
t: as I didn’t issue the manuscript personally there might be some error somewhere in the manuscript and I have to find that.

  I ever believe that my logic would never fail and as The Almighty is on my side I found that error as the date printed on it was on the day where I had gone to attend the conference with the chief minister.

  Now I believe completely that I never issued that manuscript and there was some error in this.

  As soon as I got this point, I immediately rang to the secretariat office on consent of the CBI officer present with me and made the officer concerned at the secretariat to confirm CBI officer that I was on the conference with the chief minister the whole day on the day which is printed on the shown proof of manuscript.

  Then the CBI officer was just seemed to be convinced with me but he insisted the raid to continue and I never opted to keep it off even.

  But my logic helped me an hour or two to get delayed for the cops to put manacles on my hand.

  I thought that it would be dishonour to have manacles on the hands of a district magistrate. So I immediately rang phone to my office (and all work done here in my home are done with consent of CBI officer present as it is a rule to do nothing without his consent) and asked an officer present to type a resignation letter for my bureaucracy.

  I thought this way of resignation ahead of time for the cops to put manacles on my hand is the only high-quality reverence I could give to the well esteemed and profoundly honoured post of district collector.

  So I made the request to print the resignation on my letter pad and also to bring it to my residence as I should sign it well before I had manacles on the district collector.

  My officer from the place of work reached my dwelling and after he took the acquiescence from the CBI and cops, to enter the room. He then reached me with the resignation typed in.

  As I began to read the resignation, I saw the feeling of moist in the eyes on my whole family and also I thought that my grandpa too noticed my eyes with the same feeling and I was between a rock and a hard place.

  After reading the profound manuscript, I kept it on my table to have a base to sign on that paper. But as I kept it on the table a gentle breeze itself had blown the paper off to the floor.

  The CBI officer, my grandpa and I were just perplexed to see that effect.

  Although it seems to be natural breeze blowing off the light weight paper logically, psychologically and piously it shows something that I should not keep my sign on that and make thou the resignation incomplete.

  But I think it’s too sentimental to do so and being in such a post I thought we can never be so over-romantic.

  As I thought the aforementioned way, I recollected the paper from the floor and kept it on the same table to have base to sign and as I began to open the cap of my pen and the moment I kept the pen onto the paper a voice had reflected my concentration from the paper to the door.

  As I began to stare at the door I saw a girl who was dressed in a pink Anarkali Salwaar kameez with her face totally covered with her dupatta so that we can see only her eyes rather than any other, to have an idea of who she actually is. But she seems to be Punjabi girl.

  I also examined that she had an identity card hanging down her neck but I could not make out what it was actually written on the card as I am far away from her.

  So for a moment I thought that this young lady was also a part of CBI and came to arrest me and put me behind the bars.

  “Excuse me “She said to the CBI executive down at the door who had stopped her to enter in.

  So, now I self confirmed that she was not a part of CBI, if she was so then the CBI official would have not stopped her to enter in.

  “Who are you? And you are not supposed to enter this area as the CBI raiding is going on” the executive at the door said to her.

  “I am a press journalist and I need to talk to the chief of CBI urgently” She said and shown the identity card to the executive at the door.

  Then the official down at the door confirmed her as a press journalist and said “Madam Wait here I would go and get permission from my higher official”.

  “Yes!” she said.

  “Sir, a press journalist had arrived and she wants to meet you urgently” the official said to the chief.

  “Yes allow her inside” the chief answered.

  But she had a bag with her, the executive at the door checked her bag and confirmed that there were no explosive items and sent her inside.

  “Good morning sir” she wished me and the chief in unison.

  “Good morning! Who are you” the chief enquired.

  “Sir I am a journalist and I don’t want to reveal the name of the corporation for which I am working for” She replied.

  “That’s fine and on what point you want to meet me so immediately” The chief enquired again.

  “Sir, on the case on which you are dealing now” She replied.

  “Oh! Isn’t it” I said even before the chief replied as I was so over the moon to hear those words.

  “Yes sir” she replied.

  “What’s your point on this case?” The chief enquired. Well this seems to be probing hour from CBI …….yes CBI is mean to be for that itself .

  “Sir my point is that the manuscript which you had of the indenture is a forged document” She replied.

  “What???? a forged document????!!!!” The chief perplexed.

  “Yes sir it’s a forged manuscript” She replied.

  “How could you know this? What is the proof?” The chief enquired again as he was a doubting Thomas.

  “Sir here I have the video of the forgery done by some officials in the bureaucracy of our honest collector” She replied and handed over the pen drive to the chief.

  “Sir may I have a laptop or any other device to switch this pen drive” Chief enquired me.

  “Yes sir” I said and given my tablet to his hand.

  He then inserted the pen drive in the slot and asked me to type in the password to open the tablet.

  I typed the code word in the required field and given back the tablet to the chief.

  The chief opened the content available in the pen drive and the journalist girl showed the video to be opened and the chief opened the video.

  It’s very astonishing for me to know that the official which I had very much doubt in my bureaucracy had forged my signature on the manuscript of indenture when I had gone to attend the conference.

  The picture paints a thousand words.

  But as of then I have my chip on my shoulder.

  The video had clearly shown the chief that the manuscript was a forged one and not the original.

  I took a copy of that video in my tablet on consent with the journalist and the chief and then the pen drive was handed over to the CBI by the journalist.

  CBI officials took a written consent from the journalist and from me and asked the journalist to come to the office when over she was asked for the enquiry.

  The officials held their apologise for having a wrong data and riding a district magistrate.

  After the officials left the house I felt bit comforted and unperturbed.

  The only word which I could speak after that was a thank you to the Lord who is none other than that girl in an Anarkali Salwaar-kammez.

  “Thank you sooo much, you just appeared as a blue moon. You have made me out of come hell or high water. I just crossed my fingers before your arrival. You have also made your point with the chief cut to the chase. You are just something doozy to me. I just thought as every cloud has a silver lining before your arrival. I am ever grateful to you“ I said to the girl.

  “Sir, that’s all my pleasure. It’s my duty to see that our beloved and sincere collector should not be in the bad books of one” she said with a gentle smile on her face as I can see it through her eyes as her face is totally covered with the dupatta.

  “Oh! Thank you very much” I said.

  “Sir I have to leave to my office, if you permit me to leave
now……” She said.

  “Ya why not …” I replied. And as she was about to leave I thought of asking her name.

  “Excuse me journalist” I said.

  “Sir, my name is not a journalist but it’s my occupation is. My name is Akshara.” She replied fierce fully.

  “Oh! Its fine Akshara I am sorry. Can u please tell the corporation you are working for?” I enquired.

  “Sorry sir i don’t want to reveal the name” Akshara answered.

  “It’s ok” “May i know why did you cover your face with dupatta totally”

  “Sir it’s to cover myself from knowing by other media personal and even to my corporation” She replied.

  “Ok fine. Thank you very much for the errand once again and i genially invite you for dinner in my dwelling the imminent weekend.” I invited.

  “Oh thank you sir for the invitation. Who will drop the chance of having to be a diner with district magistrate? Certainly I would attend sir” She replied with a outbreak of words to come from her mouth but stopped.

  “Come on tell what more you want don’t be diffident” I said.

  “Sir, I actually want to take an interview of yours” she replied in a contralto type of voice.

  “Oh sure, why not?” I replied.

  “Sir, then can we have that process after the dinner on the imminent weekend?” She asked.

  “Yes” I said and Akshara had left my residence.

  “To be more superstitious I think the God had sent this girl for a rescue” My grandpa said to me.

  “Of course grandpa!“ I replied.

  “It’s time for some snacks to have and then we would go to a temple nearby” He said.

  “Yes of course” I said and had a cup of tea which paves a way for me to rejuvenate.

  After having a cup of tea we all got refreshed from the happenings of that day and moved towards the temple.

  “When the CBI arrived I had prayed the God to free my son from this venture and if God makes so I would make my son to do eleven rounds around the temple. I had made this request Krishhh” She said to me.

  Oh! Then I have to perform the task of eleven rounds I said to myself and started the task.

  We all reached home and on the other day I went to the bureaucracy habitually and all were wishing me for the outbreak from the ACB case.

  As days passed the weekend had arrived and I didn’t go to the office and I started my work to cook for the arriving guest.

  I have the habit and hobby of cooking in my dwelling and I would be in a special avatar of chef when I make a meal for the special guest of mine.

  So as soon as I got up I didn’t allow my mother to enter into the kitchen and I entered the arena.

  Out of three to four hours of hard work I had made the scrumptious south Indian meal with special appetizing vegetable Biryani, potato curry, tomato dal, my favourite spicy Sāmbhar, and yummy gulab jamoon , and of course the curd with ghee and a chutney beside.

  I think you are looking for some spicy non veg items in this special meal but I am an orthodox Brahmin and am not interested in such, so any guest should acclimatize to vegetarian when dining with me...!!!

  After completing the preparation of meal I myself went to a ice-cream parlour to get a yummy butterscotch as a dessert.

  When it comes to yummy butterscotch, resistance is futile. So i ate butterscotch at the parlour itself!!!

  I returned home with the ice-cream and as I sat on the chair a tone had made my attention to pull up to the voice as it was of the same girl’s, who rescued me in the ACB raid.

  “Excuse me sir” She said.

  “Yes pleases” I said.

  She then entered my house and she was dressed in a pink churidar Salwaar kameez and not a Anarkali this time but with the same dupatta covering her face.

  I thought that how this girl would eat if she had her dupatta covered like that and this was my first question as she entered my house.

  “Akshara is it so likely to have that dupatta covering your face when you are in my residence too?” I enquired.

  “Oh sorry sir that was indeed not needed now and required only when i am outside” She answered and tried to remove the dupatta.

  When she had removed her dupatta I had seen a beautiful, gorgeous girl more than a journalist.

  “You are looking so pretty and elegant” I complimented her.

  “Thank you very much sir and it’s good to hear from your voice” She said awfully.

  “It’s fine and also this dress had complemented your beauty” I said.

  “Oh! Thank you very much sir” She replied.

  After that it continued with a row of introductions of her to my grandpa and other in the house. And then we all went to the dining room to have our dinner.

  Firstly I want to make clear to her that this meal was absolutely made by me and to eat if only good to her.

  “Akshara I had made this delicious south Indian meal this day” i said.

  “Sir Wow you had made this meal.....great ....” she replied.

  “Yes It’s me” I replied.

  “Its pleasure and I feel proud to have a meal from the boss of the district” She replied.

  “Its fine and thank you” I replied.

  And our meal continued for long forty-five minutes with small chit chats in between.

  Then she ate the gulab jamoon at last by saying that her stomach is full then.

  “You have one more item left with to eat” i said.

  “One more!!! Sir now I can’t. My stomach is already heavy with your spicy meal” She said.

  “Oh!! Don’t say like that you have to eat that’s it” I ordered.

  “Ok sir may i know what is that other item left with you?” she asked.

  “Yes. Its yummy butterscotch with what I had left with” I replied

  “Oh!!! Its butttttttterscooooootch. Sir why didn’t you give this at the starting itself? I am very eager for it” She said.

  As i always say that when it comes to butterscotch, resistance is futile .It just happened with Akshara as, even she is too heavy with her meal she capitulated to eat the yummy scotch.

  “Oh! Take it now” I said and offered a cup of butterscotch to her.

  She then had the ice-cream and then we both entered the hall, after a half an hour of relaxes she wants me to start the interview.

  “Sure we would start” I said and we both started the interview and i faced some flurry of questions with her.

  With those logical questions i thought that she might be one day become a Wall Street Journalist and i wished her the same.

  Suddenly as voice had sidetracked my attention and that voice was from my grandpa.

  A thought had gone in my mind. As my grandpa knew that i am hectic at the interview then why again he is calling me???

  Although am at the interview the call from my grandpa didn’t stop at all.

  “Krishhh........... Krishhh ........get up my dear boy it’s six in the evening” My grandpa said.

  As I got up from my bed I saw my grandpa before me and I was a bit perplexed.

  “Where is the Salwaar Kameez Akshara dear grandpa” I enquired.

  “Salwaar kameez??? What Salwaar kameez girl..??? What are you talking about?” Grandpa asked.

  “Grandpa what are you saying? Just before i had made an introduction with that journalist who had rescued me, hadn’t me?” I enquired.

  “Journalist?!!! Actually what are you talking about?” He exclaimed.

  “No grandpa that journalist in Salwaar kameez.......” I said.

  “No Salwaar kameez nothing more.....I think you have dreamt a day dream. Just go out and wash your face and return” He said.

  I was just bewildered and discombobulated by his words and I am no way in a condition to believe that it was a dream of being the district magistrate and was accused in a case and then got released by gorgeous!!! Akshara.

  I said gorgeous as I do remember that word as I said the same to her bu
t I was unable to retrieve the features of her face after having my face wash as ordered by my grandpa.

  After reaching my grandpa I could not see into his eyes in the line of sight as i held my head down with diffident.

  “What Krishhh!!! Who is that Salwaar kameez Akshara?” He enquired.

  “Grandpa!!! How do you know her name?” I exclaimed.

  “You have only told me dear” He said.

  “What I have told you her name. Ok ok. I only might have told you. Actually couldn’t remember what is all actually happening?” I said.

  “Cool my dear boy. Stay cool” He said.

  “Ya ya grandpa. Now itself i am regaining all my senses perfectly” I said.

  “Fine. Can I listen to the story of your dream Krishhh?” He enquired.

  I again held my head down to be not in the line of sight of my grandpa.

  “Why are you so diffident Krishhh? Ok don’t reveal the story if you are not interested” He said.

  “No Grandpa. I will tell you what all had happened in my dream.” I said.

  And then i started off to tell the whole story of my dream as from the mathematical modelling of the system to its design to its implementation.

  “Hahaha” Grandpa just smiled. And I too was made to smile along with him.

  “Good story dear we can make out a movie on this story” He said.

  “Grandpa don’t converse like that i would get angry if you do so” I queered.

  “Oh sorry Krishhh I am sorry” He said.

  “It’s ok grandpa and I want my grandpa to make a promise that he would not tell this story to anyone” I said.

  “Ya its ok Krishhh I would not reveal this to anyone” He said.

  Now it’s time to introduce my self ......as every one’s name is music to their ears I will start it with my name.......I am Krishhh....a sophomore in KITS Warangal perusing my Bachelor of Technology in the department of Electronics and Instrumentation.

  I then completed my college work of the day and got ready for the class work of the next day.

  As I began to browse the internet on my lappy the time on it extrapolated as 9:00pm.And as it was 9 O’ clock i heard a call from my mother for supper.

  “Ya mom.....I am coming” I too shouted from my room.

  As I began to have my meal, the thought of that delicious meal, which I prepared in my dream had struck my mind and as it got struck, I began to laugh madly.

  On seeing this I think my parents might have thought that something was wrong with me and what that it was wrong was only known by me and my grandpa.

  After we had our dinner I again went to my lappy to check out the updates on my interesting branch ROBOTICS.

  After all the searching I had made I had got an interesting event to partake in IIT Bombay and the name of the Asia’s largest Science and Technology festival is TECHFEST 2010-2011 to be held on 6th-8th January 2011 at IIT Bombay.

  When I browsed into the site of Techfest an global event had made my eyes to point at that event and that event had named as MARSMANOEUVRE and to get competent for this international event either we had to get qualified in a zone event to be held in south zone (Bangalore) to be held in November 2011 or we can directly enter into mars manoeuvre by passing out the elimination stages to be held in Techfest.

  As this event is of autonomous robotics I further looked forward into the sight to confirm whether they are providing with any workshops to get learnt about autonomous bots

  And after a few clicks i had found a workshop on robotics in the same institute conducted by Robosoft systems on AVR programming and swarm robotics.

  As I saw that I am very much pleased with the event and also with the workshop they are going to conduct for the neophytes like us to take part.

  And as I further looked into the workshop content it had shown me that each team should comprise of at most four members and the cost for each team was 3400 bucks and we had to take a DD of the required amount and send it by the post to the institute.

  And also we have to register our team online in the Techfest site and also to put the registration number on the back of DD.

  So after seeing all the related stuff I had made all the related on a paper to show it to my mates the next day and also to ask them whether they would attend this workshop.

  On the next day I had a meeting with all my mates in the break time about this matter and all of my mates had shown mammoth interest on the autonomous bots and the workshop related.

  So I thought this workshop would help many of us as we all are leading in a positive way towards it. I also made this information to other contemporaries who were available online at that moment of time.

  But here I was made to think in an idea that the teams opting to visit the workshop should be as less as possible as it would again become a mess if the number increases and also it would become a problem for the department if many in a class leaves for a workshop in class work days.

  So I made this information with just 4 teams comprising of 16 members out of 66 of my class.

  So I personally registered the four teams comprising of all the 16 members by collecting all their contact information and the other related stuff on 9th August 2010.

  The members include me, Sandeep in short as Sandy, Nagarjuna called formerly as 220 and Ashok in one team and Revanth in short as Rev, Uday, Aashish and Nithin in another team.

  Sreemaan formerly as Thiruns, Sravan, Sandeep and Vamshi in another team and Vijaysagar in short as Vijay, Manasvitha in short as Manasvi, Deepika and Bhavya in another team.

  But here I need to say something that I never left anyone unturned on this information. I might not register for them personally but I have given the information for them to get register with all the web details.

  The whole crew got messed up with this workshop in class and even the whole college. I thought all were more interested in the workshop to be held in IIT Bombay than the content in that workshop.

  Here I need to mention about one of my mates Amer who is my classmate since my 12th who is interested in this workshop but was later known and I forgot to tell him about that workshop primarily.

  I ever feel sorry for him for that act by me even though one of the projects of mine on ‘development of hydro electricity from domestic usage’ was with him.

  And I think this act had cemented a way for him to act against me for some days and semesters even. But with this I even plead apologise from him for not giving information to him formerly. Sorry dear.....!!!

  And I expect that he would in no against with me now........

  After registering some of us went to our HOD to talk about the workshop we were going to attend in IITB.

  Our madam replied in a quite positive way and ordered us to keep a letter representing that we were to attend a workshop at IITB and confirmation letters from organisers so that they can consider us when we lack in our attendance at last of semester.

  After that the plans for our trip have started, our four teams had taken DDs from the SBI bank nearby us and couriered them to the IITB within the stipulated time.

  The organisers have sent the mails to the individual team leaders confirming that they had received the DDs we had sent them in courier.

  So our payment of 3400bucks per team to the organisers was completed and the further step towards it was about the journey. As we say over prepare then go with the flow, the same we did.

  As the workshop is IITB we need to book our tickets for the round journey and we preferred the oldest n colossal transport of our India i.e., Railways.

  On 13th August 2010, we booked our tickets from Hyderabad to Chatrapathi Shivaji Terminus (CST), the former station in Mumbai, boarding at Hyderabad and the train name was Bombay express which was scheduled at 8.20pm on 3rd of September 2010 which priced around 400 bucks.

  And also the return tickets were well booked in advance boarding at CST and in the same Bombay express which was scheduled at 9:00pm on 7th of September 2
010.

  So as early as possible we had planned to book our tickets as it would be arduous to get them after when it’s close to the journey.

  The workshop scheduled at IITB was on 5th and 6th September 2010 expanding in two immense days where they were going to teach about the motors, attenuators used in robots and coding of ATMEGA16 microcontroller with the help of AVR STUDIO and also grabbing mechanisms and all other related stuff.

  So as they were about to teach new stuff to us they had asked us to have a perquisite of C language and also some basic electronics and they had provided with those materials to us.

  One day while I was discussing about this trip in my house my mother joined the conversation with me and my grandpa.

  “I am just feared how would you all go to the one of the new places of India not knowing any part of language over there?” MY mother said.

  “Mom....now it’s the time to discuss such matter...this is 2010 not 1900s” I answered.

  “Although it’s 2010 I am quite feared dear” She said.

  “Ok mom...I will take care of all that what you suspect” I said.

  Then my grandpa joined our conversation where my mom paved a way for him to express his grief.

  “My dear grandchild! Be careful with what your mom suspect” He said.

  “Ya grandpa I will ever be” I said.

  “First time you are alone leaving out with friends rather than with family. I am just afraid about your journey” He said.

  As I didn’t go anywhere with friends so far and I think he had some confidence at some point in his heart as I toured long tours to North and South India with whole clan.

  “Some birds weren’t meant to be caged, their feathers are just too bright” I said to my grandpa.

  “Oh good If you are so confident then it’s good my dear” he replied.

  “Ya grandpa” I said and left for my room to read on ATMEGA16.

  The data sheet of ATMEGA16 seemed to be of 256 pages I do remember and I just tried to read the first ten pages which comprises of basic information and pin diagram of it.

  Later 1st mid exams of our 2-1 approached and we wrote all the exams so perfectly despite of we being ready for the trip.

  Next we had to look over the accommodation for us in Bombay for those three to four days of work. So we contacted the organisers and then confirmed us that they would provide the accommodation in the institute itself for those who are attending the workshop.

  And this information was passed on to all and also to their parents. Bhavya’s father had contacted me through phone and I explained about the whole trip and the itinerary of our trip and I think that I almost convinced him with my explanation.

  “I want to meet you in person” Bhavya’s said.

  “Ya sure uncle any time” I answered.

  “Next weekend” He answered.

  “Yes uncle” I answered.

  And on the weekend uncle came to my house.

  “Good evening uncle” I wished.

  “Good evening” uncle said.

  Again I explained quite clearly about the itinerary as i prepared it on paper this time and not in air as previous time.

  “Can you give me the phone numbers of your crew” uncle requested.

  “Yes sure uncle” I said and took out a paper and wrote all the phone numbers of the whole crew who were going.

  “Thank you very much” He said.

  “That’s my pleasure” I answered.

  “Please take care of your friend. She is quite not interested about her things and she would forget all around so please take care of that” Uncle requested.

  “Ya uncle I would take care of all that” I promised.

  “I think you are taking your laptop with you so be careful with that device” Uncle advised.

  “Ya uncle we are taking them with us one per team and we would sure take special care on all laptops and I promise you that I would take special care on Bhavya’s.” I said.

  “Thank you and I wish all the best to the whole crew” He wished.

  “Thank you very much uncle and will go around safely with all your blessings” I said.

  “Ok good night” he said and left for his house.

  “It’s good if u take responsibility but be careful with all those happenings in Bombay” My grandpa said to me.

  “Ya grandpa .....I understand that it’s the psychology of every parent to tell to take care off but we kids are also reverent with parents of what they say and we would follow the same by not taking any unnecessary risks” I answered.

  “Ok my boy” He said.

  Then well before our departure for Hyderabad to catch the Bombay express on 3rd September 2010 we had a congregation in the college to discuss about the leaving procedure for Hyderabad and what all we have to do in Bombay.

  Later we had a proposal of having two bellwethers for the whole team. And the whole team supported me and Rev to become bellwethers.

  This idea of having bellwether is just for leading the team financially when required and as we have searched the content of all in Bombay about local trains and other stuff so we took the responsibility of all.

  I and my colleague will be ever grateful to you guys for giving us an opportunity like that.

  Then later that day where we kids had a congregation in college, we had a parents meet at Rev’s house.

  I, Ashish’s parents, Uday’s father, Sandy’a father and of course Rev’s attended the congregation.

  We had a long meeting at night 7 O’ clock. All asked to explain about accommodation and what we are going to do over there for 4 odd days and what is the care we would be taking off.

  Rev and I tried to explain the itinerary of the trip and tried to fully convince them that we would go safely and return.

  “You would make this trip a success so that this trip paves a way for your further trips. If this goes well then we would get a confidence that you would go well in future so that we can send you anywhere” Rev’s father said to us.

  “Ya sure uncle we would make this trip success” I answered with lot of confidence within me and shown off it with my words.

  I was just bewildered while answering, as from where this confidence had I got instead I was just a reserved character before.

  “I have all the hope on you itself Krishhh that you would make this trip success” Rev’s father said to me.

  “Ya sure uncle. I would keep your words and faith upon me held high” I said.

  “Ok fine good. All the best” Uncle wished all of us.

  “Krishhh there is a small request from me to make it out by you” Uday’s father said.

  “Ya sure uncle, please” I said.

  “Please could you make some points on pros and cons of your team to do during the trip and give them to your team, as for example as not allowing them to be at doors while travelling in train” He said.

  “Ya sure uncle I will make out the point you raised and I think it’s most important point to be noted even. Thank you for the suggestion uncle” I replied.

  “Ok its fine. Please you all take the full advantage of the workshop that IITB has providing you” uncle said.

  “Ya sure we will make it out dad” Uday replied.

  “Ya at least put your mobile phone in switched off state while in seminars over there and don’t carry it in trains. It seems a style for this youth to talk in the mobile while standing near the door of train while moving” Uncle said to Uday and all.

  The former statement has made us all smile with generosity but the latter statement has took back that smile as it’s an order to us.

  “Ok uncle we will not make such circus feats” I promised to uncle.

  “Is any one leading the team upfront” Rev’s father enquired.

  “Ya uncle Revanth and I took that responsibility on the consent of whole team” I replied.

  “All the best to all you guys, happy journey and Good night” All wished.

  “Ya thank you uncle. We would
make this trip success with all your blessings” I said and we all dispersed to homes.

  Later after reaching home I had my supper and packed my bag with some garments and lappy as we are leaving for Hyderabad the next day afternoon.

  After my packing I had made some points on pros and cons for the trip and made a set of Xerox to give them to the team as suggested by parents the day before.

  The next morning as soon as I woke up I sent messages to all to get gather around 1:30pm in Kazipet station to catch the push pull train for Hyderabad.

  “Krishhh......... Did you keep your debit card with you?” My grandpa enquired.

  “Ya.... grandpa....I kept it in my wallet” I answered.

  “OK..Fine ....also keep some hard cash with you”

  “Ya......grandpa .....I had” I shouted.

  Later on I involved in the interesting, traditional and orthodox way of blessings from my grandpa and my mom.

  “Bon voyage my dear grandson” Grandpa wished.

  “Thank you very much grandpa” I replied.

  Then I left my home for railway station in an auto.

  Firstly after reaching the station I was met by Depika’s parents waiting for my arrival and after that I had met with Uday’s even.

  Then I went up to the ticket counter to take 15 tickets to Hyderabad for us, as Thiruns was there in Hyderabad so didn’t took ticket for him.

  After that we all left to the second platform on which the train would likely to arrive and sat on a bench which is left vacant.

  Later as the time passed all my mates had reached the station, some with their parents and some without.

  Actually on beforehand we had a plan that, as one of our mates Ashok comes from Warangal and as push pull train starts from Warangal, we told him to board the train at Warangal itself and preoccupy and manage some seats for all to sit.

  And according to our plan he boarded the train at Warangal and occupied some seats formerly but later as rush progressed he was not in a way to hold back the seats for us.

  We are the geeks of technology but not management so eventually we don’t have such capabilities to manage our seats for some point of time....!!!

  Before the train had arrived we had information from college that one of my favourite subjects of digital circuits ‘Switching Theory and Logical design (STLD)’s marks of 1st mid were given and it’s bad to note that only few countable on fingers had passed the test out of 66 and in that it’s very astonishing to note that I scored the highest of 41 out of 50.I was very happy to know this as just before I was boarding the train.

  The train arrived at the station and we the boarded onto the train and there were only few seats available for us.

  We all waved our hands to the parents present at the station, who came to send-off us, until they were out of our sight.

  As there were only three seats which are available for us and which were occupied by us, were given to our only three gals.

  As Indians, we are proud to give the seats to them as it resembles our reverence on Indian women and indeed the esteemed culture of India.

  We all 12 guys made our place just beside the door to just stand and hang down for grip so that not to slip down.

  As we had boarded on a passenger train it was very slow and after long 3.50hrs of travel at last we all got seats to sit from Secunderabad station to Hyderabad station......!!!

  As our Nagarjuna had brought a video cam we started the cam while on the train and shoot some pictures of us and even planned a short film in that span of 15mts as there was no one in train and the train’s compartment was totally under our control...!!!

  But could make up the idea right within that span and left the idea of having a short film.

  And our train reached the Hyderabad station at 6:30pm and our departing time for Bombay express is 8:20pm so there is at most 2hrs of time in between to refresh ourselves.

  So as soon as we reached the station we paved our way towards the cloak room to keep our baggage safe but we held our laptops with us.

  After this we all had gone to a restaurant nearby to have some supper. And we all had gone to the restaurant named GOPI just opposite to the Hyderabad station.

  After reaching that soon we ordered 15 Biryanis in which 12 were related to non-veg and 3 to veg. As in our team I, Rev and Manasvitha were profound vegetarians.

  And as we ate the time extrapolated as 7:30pm and we soon closed the supper and we paid the bill for 1k bucks and soon reached the station by 8:00pm and took our baggage from cloak room.

  As the train starts from the Hyderabad itself the train was halted on the platform well before the time and we all boarded onto the train for Bombay.

  As one set of twelve tickets were booked in one compartment and other four which were of gals inadvertently were booked in a compartment which was three compartments ahead of us.

  So their ticket was given to them and they went to sit in their compartment and we sat in ours.

  After few minutes we personally made a request to join us in our compartment as our crew here is more than them .But they said that they were sleepy and they would join tomorrow.

  “Ok good night” I and Rev said in unison and left them and moved towards our compartment.

  Later, that night was one of the memorable nights I ever spent. Although I would be in late nights normally working on a robotic project or something related but that night was totally dedicated for enjoyment. So that night with my mates was a memorable one which i never try to forget even.

  But the two lower berths of our domicile were reserved by a family which had a new born cutie sweetie baby. So as not to cause disturbance for them, we slept early although not interested to sleep and it shows our concern with the fellow passengers.

  The next morning we brushed our teeth in the train and also outside in station where train halted for more than 10mts and i think it was a junction I suppose.

  We had a cup of tea which refreshes and even in this trip I think I had made many to have the habit of drinking tea with me!!!

  Later the train started to move off slowly as it reached one of the most beautiful peaks of India, LONAVALA and KHANDALA which were the mountain cool tourist spots with waterfalls falling just beside the train and it’s the time for our cam to work.

  So all who had brought cams had cams in their hands in those two hours of travel and the train too moved slowly in order to give good glimpses of those hill stations to its passengers.

  And also in that two hours of travel all were just beside the doors and windows and I think that’s the ideal time for the robbers to loot the belongings of the passengers as no one was caring about them despite of their line of sight towards the beautiful scenery.

  Not only the beautiful scenery which had thrilled us but also the tunnels through which the train was passing and made the train as dark as possible.

  So in that darkness all were just shouting aloud from their windows as the tunnel is close to the train it would provide echo and amplifies the voice.

  So we all shouted the slogans of “JAI TELAGANA” when the train passed through the tunnels...!!!

  This is the advantage we would get if we travel to Bombay in a Bombay express especially with friends like this.

  Later at some point of time I went to visit our gals’ compartment and as I went to see them I observed a man just beside Manasvitha and I sat beside that man.

  I think that Manasvitha and I just occupied 25% of the seat and another 25% was occupied by the air present in between us and we were only the three sitting......what are you looking for....??? Is it another 50%...???!!! I think you can guess about that remaining 50%......!!!

  “He is Krishhh, my friend” Manasvi introduced me.

  I was just perplexed that how Manasvi knew this man.

  “Hi Krishhh I am Shivaji” Man wished.

  “Hi sir I am Krishhh” I introduced myself.

  “Krishhh...... he is an alumni of Maharashtra inst of technology an
d now working on the psychology and development of human through a company” Manasvi said.

  “Oh...fine Manasvi” I said.

  I understood that Shivaji has boarded the train in a station that we have crossed and made his introduction to Manasvi.

  As the conversation continued, “Krishhh this sir would tell about oneself by reading their face” Manasvi said to me.

  “Wowww is it so?”

  I thought that this man had totally hypnotised this gal.

  “Yes” She replied.

  “Sir could you read Krishhh’s face and tell about his thinking and what is mainly interested about?” Manasvi requested Shivaji-The big man.

  “Sure” Shivaji said and turned towards my face and began to think something.

  “Krishhh is mostly interested in R&D sector” He said to Manasvi.

  I was just perplexed and bewildered to hear those words of R&D which i ever think of research and development. I was just screwed for a second.

  “Is it correct Krishhh?” He enquired me.

  I simply nodded my head to approve that as I was not in a position to regain my senses so quickly after that shock.

  Then again i had made my thought correct, even its not Manasvi but I too just hypnotised by this man and began to think off what power does he had to say so by reading one’s face. Then again recollected my senses and came to a conclusion that God’s Gift .......after all which I could conclude at last...!!!!

  After my approval of correct answer that man had got a queue behind me to read their face.

  Later chance was taken by one of the mates Nagarjuna to which Shivaji told him to remove his spectacles to read his face and after reading he said.

  “Nagarjuna You have extreme impatience and

  Those words again made me bewildered as my mate was of same type as said by Shivaji and I too observed the same within him many times.

  I thought that I could learn this face reading from him and keep it as part time job in Warangal.....!!!!

  After having the face reading program he gave demonstration of his pendent of a company which makes a man stress free and energise him when he wore that pendent.

  After all the demonstrations I was indeed not convinced with the pendent but was well convinced with the face reading act.

  “I stay at Pune and when you all come to Pune just give me a call to my number I will receive you all and make all your arrangements for lodging in my house” He said to us and gave his number on his letter pad to Manasvi.

  From that moment some of us tried to call him as Manasvi’s uncle as he was introduced to all by Manasvi and some just tried to kid with her by calling sooo...!!!

  After having all that enjoyment in the three quarter of a day journey in the train we reached the CST station, Bombay.

  Before reaching CST, which had been in the news after it had been attacked by the terrorists who encountered on Homo sapiens in Taj, Oberoi Trident, Cama Hospital, Leopold cafe and Nariman House on 26th November 2008, I thought of paying my tribute to the citizens who were killed in the attack.

  And also my tribute to the Mumbai Anti Terrorist Chief Hemanth Karkare, Vijay Salaskar, Ashok Kamte who were killed by the only perpetrator, who turned alive in the whole action, whose name is Ajmal Kasab who not only killed the above officers but also around 58 passengers in the CST.

  And also on moving on to the one of the trademark hotels of Indian Hospitality ‘The Taj’ which was also attacked by the terrorists and here my tribute to the most authoritative commanding group of Indian security ‘The National Security Guards (NSGs)’ who paved their life for the rescue of hostages in not only Taj but also other hotels.

  I think none of us ever known about this NSG group before the operation of Tag whether such group exists in Indian security system??!!!

  It’s very diffident to note that there were only two regiments of NSGs available at that time and later it was extended to all over the nation after operation Taj.

  Our special thanks to the NSG group of our nation’s security system.

  These powerful troops were available all over the world but they were not known unless some or the operation was done with them.

  ‘Seals’ who were considered as the Top and most potent commandants of the world belonging to the security of USA were only known to us after the encounter of the most wanted radical of world Osama Bin Laden.

  My special tribute to Sandeep Unnikrishnan who was the NSG, who had dared to go inside the Taj and who had made his life on par with that of hostages inside and left the country and made it an orphan.

  I think he had the hope that he might kill all the terrorists and might save the hostages but the God was not in his favour at that moment of time.

  I think Hope is the good thing to have, may be the Best of all and good thing never dies. So, Unnikrishnan will ever be in our minds when we think of Operation Taj.

  Actually the train had stopped in a station and the name of the station is not clear to us as it had stopped a long way from centre of station, some of us got down to see what station it is.

  “Excuse me sir, what station is it?” I asked a citizen walking on platform.

  “CST” He said.

  “Is this the last station” I asked.

  “Yes it is, this is the last and next to it is Arabian Sea” He answered.

  “Oh! Thank you” I said and passed the information to our team who were inside to get down as we reached our destination.

  As we were walking on the platform to reach the station, as said earlier that we were stopped well before it, I thought of that what that citizen had said to me that this station is last and next to it is Arabian Sea.

  Why is this last station, the last one?? Why our Indian engineers could construct a bridge over Arabian Sea to have the world’s longest bridge over Sea from Sub-continent to Saudi Arabia…..!!!!!!

  Seems to be a hypothetical thought but it might be possible in near future to our Indian engineers.

  Here my main thought is that not to construct a bridge like that which is of no use when having flights by which we can reach Saudi in four to five hours but it’s that our nation should be in such a developed position in technology.

  After we had reached the main station of CST on foot (from where train stooped and not from Warangal…!) we were just bewildered by the New York minute life in the station.

  As that was in the mid of day we were famished and our stomachs are running hard with hunger. So, as we tried to look for the hotels and restaurants in the station we had found a IRCTC which is a railway catering hotel.

  “Rev, Shall we get into that?” I asked.

  “Ya….y not” He said.

  “Mates …..Can we have our lunch in that hotel?” Rev asked all pointing at that hotel.

  “Yes of course” all said in unison.

  After that we all had gone into that IRCTC canteen and we were dumbfounded to see that all eatables were available there but they would give them in terms of weight as 100grams of rice was costing around 70 bucks.

  So, we ordered fried rice some with non-veg and other with veg but I thought 100 grams of rice will be nowhere sufficient with the way we were famished.

  But we were in a state in which we can’t do anything more other than having one more plate of the same. But none were interested in that so we left the order.

  And as it had happened as a curse to us in that IRCTC canteen and God will never leave anyone unturned so were happened with a boon of having a snacks store just below that canteen.

  So we all just bought some stuff to eat and as that store also contained an ice cream hoard, we all bought ice creams for us as it was very hot in after noon.

  And as I say when it comes to butterscotch, resistance is futile. So we were in a no way mood to stop ourselves from doing so as we were on a trip with friends and not with clan!!!

  After at least having something into our stomach we were patient for further plan. Our next plan was to get a local to Kanju
rmarg which is the nearest station to IITB.

  And here something about the locals of Mumbai, there are two types of locals available which were the significant transport system we found in Mumbai.

  The two types include slow moving (which stops in almost all stations and by its name it’s comparably slow) called Dheeri local by the announcer there who announces about the train and the other Fast moving (which stops in mentioned stations and by its name it’s comparably fast and it’s as fast as our express trains in South Central Railways and I was just astonished with its acceleration which was simply awesome) called Jaldi local by the announcer!!!

  And we were formerly instructed by our parents that we should be very careful while getting into and getting down of a local because as likely the rush would be heavy and not only that but also when it’s once started to move off we would be in a no way condition to catch it like the trains in our state.

  As we were formerly instructed, we divided among ourselves into groups of four to get into train safely after we had taken the tickets for it from near counter which was costing around eight bucks per ticket.

  As we include our gals so we should be very careful with them while getting into train so some of us just tried to bodyguard (not in the sense of its actual meaning but just in the sense of guardian) them while getting into and out off train.

  As the local starts from CST so we were in no state of latent hostility of getting into the local and we all boarded the train when it’s on the platform itself.

  Some of us sat and some stood near the door to have a look on the stations we were passing as we don’t know after which station Kanjurmarg would come.

  Although we had a map with us of stations but I thought it would be better to stand at door and keep any eye on the stations we were just passing because we would have an idea of all the halts between CST and Kanjurmarg.

  After 45 minutes of journey in the Dheeri local of Mumbai we reached our destination Kanjurmarg and we all safely got out of local on to the platform before the train again tended to move.

  After we all had come out of the station almost all our mobiles had been hung with lack of charging and I had taken care so that my mobile would not get into that state.

  So as soon as we reached Kanjurmarg I had met with a call from Bhavya’s mother as her mobile was in a state said above so I handed over my mobile to her and she talked with her mother.

  After my phone reached me I rang to Rituraj Shukla who was one of the organisers of IITB’s event and also Abhay Mahajan who was also one of the former team to ask them how to get to IITB after reaching Kanjurmarg as I was in constant touch with those two guys well before our itinerary had started.

  They said to take an auto from Kanjurmarg to IITB main gate which costs around forty bucks for four and as so instructed we took four autos in the down pour which just started off when we just reached Kanjurmarg.

  As reaching the main gate of IITB I was just feeling immense pleasure to put my leg (preferably right leg….!!!!) into the first Indian Institutes of Technology which I had ever visited.

  After seeing the board on which it was written IITB in bold and capital letters I had a feeling of moist in eyes that why could I stepped in this institute a year back??!!!

  After showing our identity cards and letters of conformation to round the clock central security present at gate and also taking confirmation slips of having laptops and other electronic instruments we all entered into the Indian Inst of technology, Bombay.

  We all walked on the pavement present on either side of the blackest roads of IITB following the instructions present on either side of road to lead to the hospitality section of the workshop.

  They instructed us to reach there by 5:00pm but we were well before at the School of Management (SOM) at 4:00pm at which they instructed to be for hospitality.

  As we all walked right from the gate of IITB to SOM which I think is probably around 1.5kms with our baggage on our back, it’s arduous for us to stand there for 1hr, so we all used the pavement to take the weight of our legs.

  As its evening time I had my eye around the surroundings to check for a coffee shop to have a cup of tea but I could not find one.

  And the time passed while we began to natter.

  After the clock had struck 5:00pm we all went to the hospitality centre for accommodation and we were accommodated by the organisers over there but I could not find those two guys Shukla and Mahajan.

  It is indeed to note about the deference Indian culture of accommodating gals and boys separately.

  We all boys had accommodated two in room and we were given with a bucket and other related stuff to live in and we all were given accommodation in the hostel 10 which was the last hostel and a newly built one.

  Our gals were given accommodation in an apartment which is 20 bedded if I was not mistaken but they were not satisfied and comfort with the accommodation they had been given with but neither they nor I can do anything about that.

  They three supported by other mechanical gals from our college left for their hostel where they were accommodated and to our bad luck that hostel was in opposite end to ours.

  As said earlier that we all boys were given accommodation in hostel 10, we hired a bus of IITB to hostel 10 where the buses were the only means of transport available in the institute to reach from one end to other.

  After reaching hostel 10 we showed our accommodation confirmation to the security present outside the hostel and we all entered into the hostel of IITB.

  It’s very delight to see the canteen of that hostel which was built in shape of cone.

  As our rooms were given in the third floor we took lift which was also available in hostel to reach our floor but it was not working properly and we had to give it a solid strike with our palm in order to start and later we were practiced by that act with practice…!!!!!

  As we include 13 boys we were given seven rooms (two per room) and we kept all our baggage in two rooms and all other five we had adjusted ourselves in.

  Here I should compulsorily say about the rooms, the rooms were just simply tremendous for the 400 bucks we paid for each team and on par with the money we had paid they were simply remarkable.

  I think those rooms were even better than the lounges we get in Oberoi trident or Taj…!!!

  As they were newly built the rooms were neat and clean and about the washrooms with which we were the first to use them….!!!!!!!!!!!!

  There were no one else available in our floor and that floor was even looked like boarding house of EIE 2nd year students.

  We were more than satisfied with the accommodation that IITB had provided us as we did not expected that sort of hospitality from them at all.

  We all got invigorated after having washed our face in wash rooms.

  As our parents instructed to not to leave the IITB campus and not to enter the city in any case unless required, firstly we all had agreed to the instruction.

  But later the instruction was slightly modified as we all had spent many bucks to come here so all were interested to have a look around the surroundings of IITB.

  And the instruction was already told by parents to tell others when each goes anywhere outside as it’s gruelling to find if anyone miss out in that colossal city of Mumbai….!!!

  I agree that all the team members are so intelligent that they can be return to our home town if miss out but the whole problem lies in the spirit of team if anyone miss out as it out be an unnecessary latent hostility to the team.

  After we got refreshed, some plan had made by some to move into the streets of Mumbai to have some gratification to one’s mind.

  So according to the plan we all had reached the road where our hostel meets the bus to hire but as we awaited there the bus didn’t arrived so we all took the path of pavement to reach IITB main gate.

  We further walked following the pavement to reach some or the other mall available nearby.

  As we walked further I observed a group of p
eople beside the pavement and that group formed a circle and all were concentrating at the centre as they were pulled by the centripetal force and it seemed that no Newton’s pseudo centrifugal force can separate them……!!!!!

  As I saw that group I followed further to see that if any accident had happened or something extra ordinary event like that.

  As I went and saw that centripetal force which had made all those to form a circle, I was just overwhelmed to see that there is nothing in centre, no accident had happened but it was a food related stall.

  And as we enquired about the craze of that food, we got to know that it was the legendary and traditional food of Bombikers……..which was called as Vadapav in local language over there…..

  As I am extremely passionate in making food I was eagerly watching the making of that Vadapav so that I could try it after reaching home.

  Now I would tell you the making of Vadapav ……the name seems to be odd but the making of it is quite easy….

  It would first start with making of samosa and all south Indians would be very famous with this food……after the samosa was prepared then they would take a bun which was nearly 8 by 8 by 4cms cubical shape which is then cut in along the middle of one of the 8cms side so that it forms a shape of that can be hold between fingers.

  Then along the cross section of the cut side they would apply little amount of chilli sauce and also tomato sauce and they would then keep it on a pan which is indeed kept on a stove to heat.

  After having roasted for some time then they would take it out and keep hot samosa in between this bun and they would serve.

  This is how Vadapav which is a special item in Mumbai is made…….I think you would try this the moment you read this…..!!!!!!

  After having the delicious Vadapav which had become our significant item in later days we all moved forward to a mall which was quite small after having a long walk for five kilometres odd…..!!!!!

  And in the same route without distracting even to another channel we returned back to the IITB main gate on foot and then reached our hostel 10 in the bus provided by IITB by paying 5 bucks per head.

  Uday and I moved our way to a room which had a cot, a table, a fan, two power sockets and a LAN interface for web access.

  And all other were adjusted in two rooms and all other rooms of us were locked.

  We all had a fine first night……!!!!.....sleep in the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay……This was on the 4th September 2010 and the next day i.e., on 5th September we all had to attend the opening of workshop for which we all had visited IITB. So, we all slept early to wake up earlier of next day.

  In the early hours of 5th September, as we kept alarm to wake up we woke up at 5:00am and paved our way into wash rooms to get refreshed with the daily activities.

  But I feared to do cool water bath in that early hours but IITB had even provided us with the geysers to provide us hot water.

  So, we all completed our activities by 7:00 am and had a photo session with good poses on the top floor of our hostel building.

  By 7:30 we reached the canteen of IITB which was very near to SOM where our workshop classes were to be held.

  And I was constantly in touch with our gals through phone as that was only the mode of communication as their hostel was quite far from ours as said formerly.

  So when asked about their process of getting out of hostel they said that they were getting ready.

  “Rev…order something what we are going to eat” I said to Rev.

  “Ya we will Krishhh” He said.

  “We would eat dosa” Sandy said.

  “Ya anything is fine” all said in unison.

  “Ya its fine …we would order dosa and tea to all” Rev said and he took the bill and given to the server over there.

  “Where are these gals?” Rev asked me.

  “Ya..They said that they were getting ready and may be on the way now” I said to Rev.

  “Oh!!! Fine it’s ok then what about their breakfast” He enquired.

  “If they would arrive before the time for workshop they and we would all eat and leave for workshop” I said.

  “Ya its fine” He said.

  After breakfast we went into the SOM with a book and a pen each to scribble something what they say.

  Before we had gone to the workshop we all made to sit in the classes of management of IITB where the desks were made by its own trademark of IITB and a spacious classroom with blazing lighting and a projector for presentations.

  As we all entered the class the class was almost half filled with guys and gals having their laptops in front.

  Our gals were mere beautiful than those available in that class…..!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  Our gals’ dresses complemented their beauty but those who were in the class were mere like iconoclast.

  I think the above sentence would be adequate to describe them…..!!!!!

  After they called us to register for the workshop by acknowledging that we had come up for the workshop they requested us to be seated until we were called for the workshop.

  So after they left the hall again a buzz of sound risen up even though we were in the class of IITB this would not leave any class whether it might be an IIT or any other……..

  After half an hour or so at 9:00am they called us to enter one of the halls intended for workshop out of two. So, we all 16 members in teams of four reached the hall with our books and lappies.

  We occupied four rows on the right corner of hall where the presentation screen was right before us.

  At 9:30 am odd the workshop got started by an introduction of Robosoft systems which was the company that was holding the workshop.

  Farooq, who was one of the lectures of Robosoft systems started the lecture of what is a robot? What is a machine? Analogies between a machine and a robot……and some theory related to all that stuff for almost two hours.

  Meanwhile they asked how many were from 2nd year in this hall…..and its beyond belief to see that our 16 hands were only raised and that 2nd years were from KITS WGL……!!!!!

  As they began to start the actual subject of workshop a list of all teams who were registered for workshop arrived and we had to keep a tick to our team to represent that we had arrived for the workshop.

  But I was staggered to see that my name was missing in that list…!!!!!!!.....Even though I had registered all names I thought that whether I had missed mine…???!!!!

  I again rethought about that, as my team members names were included they had missed me due to some mistake, so I wrote my name in that list and told them that my name was not included so take necessary action.

  They said its ok that’s not a problem, we would look after that.

  After that list was circulated to all, the coding process for the ATMEGA16 was started and we all opened our lappies.

  But for those laptops who had Windows 7 installed in it there was a small problem with signal driver enforcement as they have to disable that driver enforcement before they would on the lappy by pressing F8 and following the instruction prevailed.

  As my laptop was installed by Windows 7 I had to make the necessary steps involved to disable the signal driver enforcement.

  They had given us a robot kit with a robot having two wheels with two 60rpm motors, a 360degree freedom wheel in front to balance the two wheels which are behind, an array of 5 sensors used for line following, two obstacle detection sensors in front to detect the obstacles and a ATMEGA16 microcontroller to control all these components.

  The kit also included a battery (which was taken back by them at last), serial port cables, and an usb programmer (which was also taken back by them at last) to interface the microcontroller and laptop.

  They had also given us some sample coding programs and software to compile and run the code.

  So after my Windows 7 problem was solved we interfaced the microcontroller with the lappy and worked out some coding problems and got solved some line following coding examples an
d tested our work on the mock-up arena provided by them.

  Later in the afternoon they had given us 1 hour break to have our lunch.

  “How is the session?” I asked Manasvi.

  “Good ……a bit understood and a bit yet to understand” She said.

  “Ya ……a new coding topic for the neophytes like us na…..it would be like that” I said.

  “Ya...of course ….we would get to learn them” she said.

  “Ya...of course we will” I said and thought that would be the spirit one should have.

  “Shall we go for lunch to canteen?” I asked her.

  “Yes Krishhh...let us go” She answered.

  “Rev…..shall we go for canteen to have some stuff…” I asked Rev.

  “Ya Krishhh…we would go…” He replied.

  Then we all moved to the canteen and while moving we had a conversation……

  “Ash …..How is the session?” I asked.

  “Good…..but little bit actually understood” he replied.

  “Nithin….hw was the session?” Ash enquired.

  “I am thinking that how It would be if I got into IITB a year before………” Nithin replied.

  “Nothing more than you would be in class room and we would be here to attend the workshop and we all would meet here at the same place in lunch as some of us already known to you….” Sandeep answered.

  “Yes….that realistic thought na Uday” Nithin replied.

  “Of course it is” Uday replied.

  “You would include a gal with you if you were joined here and now you have neither……!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Ash replied.

  “Ya!!!!!!!…..that’s the main point to be noted Nithin……” All sounded in unison…..

  “You would have made an introduction with that gal to all of us………why didn’t you get here rey…….!!!!!” Thiruns said.

  “Why then ….now too I can make an introduction for you if you want Thiruns……..should I...?” Nithin replied.

  “No…no ….i was just kidding……!!!!” Thiruns replied.

  “But to me you would be the main batsman for the cricket team of IITB……..!!!!” Sandeep replied.

  “Ya….. That’s of course true……. He might be in any college he would be in the team……” Rev replied.

  “How is the matter changed from a gal to cricket???!!!” Nagarjuna enquired.

  “The matter was not changed dude just it was diverted from gal to cricket…that’s it…..why..?? You want to enquire anything related to combination of both???” I asked.

  “Yes …. I want to know whether he wanted to leave cricket for gal or gal for cricket” He enquired.

  “This discussion would end in a smoke” I replied and as time proceeded we entered into the canteen.

  “What should we all eat?” Rev said.

  “Dosa …..Which would take less time to prepare as it would be getting late for our next session….” Sandy replied.

  “Yesssss….dosa……” we all supported sandy in unison.

  “What would you eat Manasvi..???” I enquired them.

  “Anything which you gonna order Krishhh…..” She replied.

  “I want to eat idly preferably” Bhavya said.

  “Ok Bhavya we would order idly for you” I said.

  Rev and I went to order 15 dosas and a plate of idly…….after 15 minutes our order was called and four of us got the plates from the kitchen to serve the rest.

  After all we were very famished, that dosa had gone nowhere into our stomach but as the time for the workshop was approaching like a New York minute we just departed for workshop as we need to walk again to reach the destination.

  After the long process of walking from the IITB canteen to the SOM we were just exhausted in the bright sun.

  As we reached our hall of workshop the hall was half filled but we had our places vacant with a bench occupied by others in middle.

  “We were likely to sit in these four benches” Someone among us said to them.

  But they remained unmoved. I thought our English was not understood by them and they want Western jargon to get understood….!!!!!

  So after the class had started we turned on our lappies to get our work done.

  “Sandy, let us write the code for line following ourselves……” I said.

  “We ……code…….!!!! Are you kidding?” He replied.

  “No mate…..I am serious” I said.

  “Krishhh if you are so confident then we would write it” He said.

  “Yes dude…..aren’t you that confident?” I asked.

  “Yes……I am” He said.

  “Then what’s the problem… let us start now….” I said.

  “Ya Krishhh …” He said.

  We started to work on the code of line follower by writing some line of code and then compiling it and followed by some errors in that and again resurrecting the code by changing it.

  At last we had made some part of the code correct although the sample code was given for us but we preferred to develop our own code for the required task. And I thought that our work was not ended in smoke.

  But in the middle of the lecture it seemed to be that some of us did not understand the concept and they were sleepy even.

  But the humidity in that hall was so that my dress had got wet.

  At last they ended the lecture at 5:30pm……..

  “Did we get anything on the first day Sandy?” I enquired.

  “Ya …. A lot …….” He replied.

  “Krishhh…..today’s lecture was a bit confusing and bit well” Manasvi joined us.

  “oh!! Is it so? Where is it a bit confusing?” Sandy enquired.

  “At the process of coding……” She replied.

  “That’s okay …as we are new to that it would be like that and once we are accustomed to that it would be well” I replied.

  “Ya consummately true Krishhh” She replied.

  “Manasvi would you leave to hostel and get freshen up?” I asked.

  “Ya Krishhh we would go and we were a bit tired of the continuous lecture…” She said.

  “Okay its fine…..Be careful while leaving……Bye” I said.

  “Ya ...fine…..Bye” She said.

  “Rev... Let us too leave for our hostel” Ash said.

  “Ya dude let us leave” Rev said.

  We all had hired the bus from SOM to our hostel 10.

  And after reaching our rooms we were so tired and likely to have a bath to get rid of that humidity.

  As the bathrooms were newly made they were neat and clean and we all enjoyed bathing there with loads of fun in between which I think is very common between seal lock friends like us.

  After having freshen up we all got ready to have something as we all were famished.

  The information was very soon to be passed to all in the hostel that the visitors who visited IITB were allowed to eat in the mess of Hostel 7 with economical prices on par with that of canteen.

  But to our misfortune that hostel was for boys and gals were not allowed into that. We didn’t call our gals to have some Tiffin with us that evening but phoned them about their food and they said that they would arrange the same.

  And some information had made me personally feel ashamed of, was that they were feeling free to join in the other group but not the same with us.

  I used the word ‘ashamed of’ because that process would remain as a doubt in the minds of other people as they would think that we were not taking care of our gals……….which I thought the point which should never come on us even in the dreams……….

  Soon after we had our tiffin in hostel 7 we hired a bus to the main gate. From the main gate we again had a walk on the pavement as the day before.

  “Rev…. again to the same place as yesterday?” Thiruns enquired.

  “Yes dude and may be even more” he replied.

  “Oh …fine…..Nagarjuna what do you say dude?” Thiruns asked.

  “Nothing to say dude……
just absorbing session of workshop” He said.

  “Yes dude indeed it was” Ash said.

  “Dude we were watching these lanes for past two days but we had no glimpse of Hotel Taj, Gateway of India etc” Vijay enquired me.

  “Dude we were far away from the CST point at which, what you said was all located” I answered.

  “Oh is it so? fine…..” He replied.

  “Yes dude” I replied.

  “Would we have any plan to visit them Krishhh” Nithin enquired.

  “Yes dude day after tomorrow we had that plan in our itinerary” I said.

  “Oh fine” He said.

  As we were in the conversation our area of centripetal force….!!!! had arrived in the mean time.

  Ya…..it’s that of Vadapav area…….we had one round of Vadapav each which was very hot to eat but the craziness what we had made us to eat them…….

  As many of us were habituated with the hot panipuri what we have in South India, they easily had the hot Vadapav but I was just filled with tears in my eyes and got screwed with the hotness in my mouth as I was not familiarised with hot panipuri.

  “See the feelings on Krishhh face........Hahaha” Ash said.

  “Dude you are laughing but I am getting screwed here with the hot.........” I said with slight fury on my face.

  “Hey...what’s that outburst of tears in your eyes......?” He bemused.

  “Nothing like that dude......they are just coming without my cognisant and i cannot even impede them Ash” I said.

  “Oh....okay.....Have a glass of water Krishhh” He handed over the glass to me for which I was awaiting instead of his conversation.

  “Thank you very much Ash” I replied after having refrigerated my orifice.

  “It’s my pleasure dude” He replied.

  “Ash.....Can we move forward...?” Sandy asked.

  “Ya sure ra” He said.

  We moved further down the streets near IITB to get our time passed with every minute as a New York minute.

  At last we took a U turn to return to the main gate of IITB.

  As we reached the main gate the passage of vehicles at the main gate was intolerably high so that we can’t even cross the road to reach main gate.

  After 15 minutes of hard work to cross the road, indeed to say to cross between vehicles rather than road would be quite apt, we reached the main gate.

  As the clock had already struck 10 O’ clock there were no buses available in the streets of campus, so we all again gave ample quantity of work to our legs.

  I don’t understand why many of them spend their time in walking and other exercises to make their body fit but they would not climb their apartment through steps.

  They would indeed take a lift and reach their floor instead of climbing the steps. I think that some take it as a prestige to go in lift rather than climbing steps.

  Here too as well, we all walked to reach the hostel but our legs could not even bare the pain to climb a floor, so we took the lift to reach our floor.

  As we got tired with the hectic lecture and also with the walking process, we all were bonded with beds and not even waited for the lock to be opened.

  As I do believe that loads of work in the day would pave way for us to have sound sleep, the same happened with me and also with the rest.

  And the day, 6th September 2010 was started at dawn and we all had a hale and hearty bath with the hot water available for us in the hostel and we all prepared ourselves for the continuation of lecture that started, a day before.

  “Rev ....we should all go to hostel 7 and have our breakfast” I said.

  “Ya ...Krishhh lets go....” He answered.

  We all started for hostel 7 in the bus available there forth at our hostel.

  “Nithin....IITB has provided good facility for providing food for the visitors in the hostel mess......” Uday said.

  “Ya ra.....that’s why it’s IITB, in hospitality too.....they were so good to provide food at nominal price.....” He replied.

  “Of course.......” all said in unison.

  As the conversation got hold up our bus had reached the hostel mess and we all had a slight breakfast and took another bus to reach our lecture space, SOM.

  Meanwhile we phoned to our gals to enquire about how they passed the night and about their breakfast in the morning.

  We along with our gals reached SOM in time for the lecture and occupied the same seats as we did last day.

  The lecture started with some sample coding problems and as usually we implemented them on our microcontrollers and got our codes worked.

  As time passed we found that it was afternoon and it’s time for us to go for lunch.

  “Krishhh......at least I had got some coding work done this morning....it’s very interesting ......” Ash said.

  “Oh...Really...cool.....that’s good to hear from you” I said.

  “What about you Nithin” I enquired.

  “Ya ...its good....” He replied.

  “Then what about our master of phone.....!!!” I said.

  “Our master didn’t opened the phone this session and listened very effectively..” Rev answered.

  “Oh...Is it so???? Good...” I said.

  “Uday......I think you are more eager in writing the notes from me than to implement the code” I said.

  “Ya ra....my father would check the notes of mine......so ....” He replied.

  “Very lucky to get a father like that dude” I said.

  “What??? Lucky...!!! Are you kidding?” He asked.

  “No dude..I am serious.....it’s good to check like that even at this stage.....this shows how much he cared about you and your future dude......so I made a statement so......” I said.

  “Oh...Ya ...Krishhh....You are right” He said.

  As we were in our conversation, we reached the canteen and we ordered the same menu as we did in the afternoon of last day.

  “Bhavya...Did you get all your codes implemented?” I asked.

  “No Krishhh” She said.

  “What all were you left with?” I asked.

  “That program for detection of nodes, Krishhh” Manasvi answered.

  “Oh.... okay... Then try to complete it in forenoon only Manasvi” I suggested.

  “Ya we are trying for that itself Krishhh ...and we will complete after lunch...” She answered.

  “Ya...That’s fine Manasvi....how is the lunch” I asked her.

  “Ya...it’s okay ... But for sure it would not be as our lunch as in our homes, Krishhh” She said.

  “Ya ...that’s true...But we should do adjust ourselves Manasvi to learn something over here” I said.

  “Ya... that’s true for sure Krishhh” she said.

  “Dudes.....Can we have cool drinks” Thiruns asked us.

  “Yesssss Thiruns” We all sounded in unison and gossiped that Thiruns invited all of us to the cool drink party.....!!!

  “Party!!!.....what for...?” He shouted.

  “How can we know the reason for you to give the party” Ashok said.

  “It might be anything .........” Nagarjuna said.

  “Anything means...??? Can u please expand it Nagarjuna” Bhavya asked.

  “Anything means anything.....You ask him for the clarity” He answered.

  “What Thiruns, for what the party is ....???” She asked.

  “What nonsense are you all talking.....I just proposed......” Thiruns said.

  As he was completing the sentence Ash interfered and said “What Thiruns ......proposed..??? You didn’t even tell us a single word before that......”

  “What would you do Ash if he had told you?” Sandeep said.

  “Just shut up yar.....what’s the hell you are kidding of? I had just proposed all to have a cool drink.....that’s all....” Thiruns said.

  “Oh....That’s the matter...?” Ash said.

  “Yes” He said.

  This conversation had paved way for laughter in our team and we w
ere just laughing like that and I think no one surrounding us were able to understand what made us to laugh so much.

  After having a healthy laughter, we all moved forward towards to the SOM.

  As we reached our hall our seats were occupied by other people and we were seated in the last benches of hall and there were no seats left.

  And after ten minutes or so our lecturer had arrived and started his final topic of the event i.e., motors and grippers.

  As the topics were based on theory rather than on practical, I found that many of students were busy in their work by forming groups and had some pics and videos of their memories in the lecture hall of IITB.

  We too did the same but some of us eagerly listened to the lecture for some time as we had to make out a competition from that grippers and motors later.

  I do remember, when it was 3:00 in the afternoon we had received a message that our 1st year results were out.

  That message had been passed to our four benches like wild fire and from then our latent hostility towards our result started.

  “I was really worried about my maths paper....May God blesses me with the pass marks” Uday said and started of his first prayer.

  Later these types of prayers were done by all, to be blessed with a good percentage, by some of us and to get passed, by others.

  But as I heard that word of result, I got stricken up with the only thing that what percentage would I score now.....???!!!!

  I too prayed the Lord to bless me with the good percentage for which I was really eligible for...

  Meanwhile we got a phone call from our friend from the college that just the pass/fail listings were kept as of then and marks were not put up in notice board.

  Our friend said that we all who were on a trip to IITB had passed and only one mate got flunked in the exam and his name is Sravan.

  As I saw his face at that moment of time I can’t even know what to talk with him and get him console with that kind of message.

  As we were busy with the results, the lecture had completed on grippers and they were ready to give off the certificates for attending the workshop.

  We all took our certificates of achievement on swarm robotics from Robosoft systems and which was organised by IITB.

  But one nauseating thing to note here is that the names which were written on the certificates were written in such a way that they were given a wrong shape to the certificates.

  After taking our certificates we returned some modules which were given by the company to us during the workshop and left the hall after carrying out the workshop lucratively.

 

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