Pinto Has An Idea

by Rajeev Saxena

  In the beginning of the 20th century, various industries such as cotton mills and steel rolling mills were set up, followed by ordinance factories. Kanpur was also famous for its leather products. As these factories were old, they used labour-intensive technology. So Kanpur became a destination for industrial workers. It is also an educational hub, with several engineering, medical, and degree colleges as well as coaching institutes.

  Pinto and another of his classmates from Orai, Rahul, joined the ‘Gurukul Coaching Centre’, popularly known as GCC, for IIT Entrance coaching lessons. They stayed in two adjacent rooms located on the third floor of a house which was built as a rental property. It was the first time that both of them lived away from their parents. After spending their busy day in coaching classes, they’d often chat at night during dinner.

  ‘It was not a small amount of money for my father to send me to be coached,’ Pinto confided in Rahul one such night. ‘The fees are pretty high. And the accommodation is so expensive!’

  Rahul empathized, ‘My father is not rich either. But even students who are better off are sharing accommodation.’

  Pinto continued, ‘All of this so that we have more independence and can study well. Let’s work hard and live upto our parents’ expectations.’

  There were either six or seven rooms on every floor with one latrine and one bathing room, both shared by the entire floor. The use of one electric bulb and one fan in each room was included in the rent.

  The landlord introduced Pinto and Rahul to other tenants. ‘These two young men are studious. Please let them jump the queue for water. I want them to be successful at whatever they plan to achieve.’ The landlord also broke the news, ‘You have to fetch water from the first floor as water pressure is not enough to reach the third floor.’

  Rahul was even more inquisitive than Pinto and made some discoveries. ‘You know what?’ he whispered to Pinto. ‘There is a family with four kids in the next room.’

  Pinto would wonder, ‘How do they survive? How do they do “that”?’

  Rahul made an innocent face, ‘What do you mean by “that”?’

  ‘Of course you know what I mean,’ Pinto giggled.

  Rahul came to the point, ‘Look, they have four kids. That’s proof that they get enough private time to do “that”.’

  Pinto became serious and mused, ‘You know, one small step in your life can suddenly bring a big change. Think of the guys nextdoor. They are clerks or are doing some small technical jobs. Maybe their parents wished to have them educated but they ignored them. We are not rich but we buy half a litre of milk every day. These guys buy the same amount for the family of six as they can’t afford more. I feel like doing something for the poor when I start my professional life.’

  ‘First, you worry about yourself,’ Rahul said cynically.

  For a student coming from a small city, the JEE was not just an exam, but a mission. Focusing on passing the test in the 1980s, the kids were totally unaware what was happening in the outside word. Nowadays, the world is well connected through the Internet, so these barriers are not as prevalent.

  Mr Vyas Trivedi, the chief instructor and the owner of the coaching school, clarified his expectations on the very first day: ‘You have to perform consistently well in GCC to keep your morale high. Avoid all distractions such as watching movies.’

  Ranjan, another student, who was a native of Kanpur, was surprised. ‘Why does Trivedi sir always talk about avoiding seeing movies?’ he wondered aloud.

  Pinto smiled. ‘You big city folks don’t know anything about small cities. In Orai, there are just two movie halls and Kanpur has fifty. We can get easily distracted by movies when we have so many options available.’

  Ranjan couldn’t believe what he’d heard. ‘Two movie halls, are you kidding?’

  Rahul joined in the conversation. ‘You know, there are four shows here at a fixed time every day. The first show will start at 12 p.m., followed by a matinee at 3 p.m. and then two other shows at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.’

  Ranjan didn’t think there was anything special about that. ‘So, what’s the big deal? The whole country has show timings like that.’

  Rahul was embarrassed. ‘I didn’t know.’

  Pinto changed the direction of the talk. ‘But you know, it was fun to skip classes and watch movies. Trivedi sir won’t care if we are not present in a class and going for a movie. He has got his fee. In a small city, teachers are very caring. If a student skipped school for three continuous hours during movie hours, the teacher would inform the parents and the student would be caught red-handed.’

  Ranjan was taking interest, ‘You call them caring, I’d say they were cruel.’

  Pinto disagreed, ‘Well, I also thought so when I was in Orai, but now when I see a family with four kids staying in one cramped room, I feel my teachers’ intentions were right. They wanted us to focus on studies so that we were successful when we grew up and had careers. They didn’t get paid extra for the extra care.’

  This was the time when movies could be watched only in theatres, or once or twice a week on 50-pound, stodgy blackand-white TV sets. Nobody knew about multiplexes back then.

  But Ranjan was interested only in his conclusion, ‘So you couldn’t watch movies in Orai.’

  Pinto grinned cheekily and continued, ‘But we were taught to be intelligent after all. So I had an idea. In Jaihind Talkies, there was no cafeteria or snack bar. When people went out for snacks during interval, the gatekeeper gave a temporary pass for re-entry. Rahul and I’d split movies. On a perfect day Rahul would go and watch the first half, I’d be at the gate to collect his pass and watch the second half. Next day, we’d swap. As we were out only for one and half hours, our teachers wouldn’t catch on.’

  Ranjan burst into laughter, ‘So you are more cunning than I thought.’

  ‘Yes,’ nodded Pinto, ‘and you know what, later the concept became so popular that it wasn’t even necessary to plan it. There would be students from different schools and colleges waiting outside to buy your pass for the second half of the movie. Similarly, if you needed to watch the second half only, people would be selling their passes as well.’

  Ranjan was taken aback, ‘You guys are geniuses. But you know, there is no restriction here.’

  Pinto thought this was the right time to take the vow he had been thinking of for some time: ‘I won’t watch more than three movies till I take the JEE exam.’ Now Rahul and Ranjan could not force him to go to a movie.

  Pinto and Rahul would often talk about how to save time. ‘It takes a lot of time to eat out,’ said Pinto. Rahul was not sure. ‘Yes,’ he answered hesitantly, ‘but eating is necessary to some extent for staying healthy’. Pinto declared, ‘I’m going to cook myself something simple every day, such as tahiri—a type of vegetable biryani—on my lovely kerosene stove.’ Rahul wondered, ‘How can you eat it every day?’ Pinto was determined, ‘If we need to clear JEE, we don’t have a choice.’

  Pinto and Rahul would often be distracted by the general speculation on the JEE ranking system. Pinto noticed, ‘Ajay has been appearing for the JEE for the last three years. He speaks with so much confidence—just as if he knows everything about how the question paper is set! How is the JEE ranking decided? Why is he not being selected?’

  Rahul was a bit indifferent. ‘Why should we care? It’s none of our business. Maybe his father has a lot of money for his son to attend coaching every year.’

  Ajay would often ask Pinto what motivated him so much. Pinto would say, ‘There is nothing unique there. I have dreams just like any other student. If you want to become a big guy, JEE is the first step. Another compulsion is the constant reminder that my parents are spending so much money on me, the kind of money they would not dream of spending to improve their own lifestyles, so I feel the need to make sure that I meet their expectations.’

  One day, Pinto, Rahul and Ranjan were coming back from their sessions. There was an astrologer sitting on a street near Gol Chaura
ha, a busy intersection, in Kanpur. Ranjan was fascinated by all kinds of superstition, so he said, ‘Let’s talk to this guy and find out our JEE ranks. He charges five rupees for each question.’

  Pinto couldn’t believe that the man could do it, and asked him, ‘How can you tell me my JEE rank? It depends on my intelligence and my preparation.’

  The astrologer smiled, ‘Astrology is mathematics. God has decided already what you’ll do in life. I just convey that decision.’

  Ranjan tried to negotiate, ‘Baba, we are students. If all of us ask the same question, would it be okay if we pay you five rupees between all of us?’

  The astrologer quickly agreed. ‘It is all right this time,’ he grumbled, ‘but no discount next time. What is the question?’

  Ranjan quickly asked, ‘What’ll be our JEE ranks?’

  Pinto was thinking, ‘What if this guy says that I won’t be selected but the other two will make it? I’ll be so demoralized for the rest of the year that I won’t even study well.’

  He was in a dilemma. A lot was going through his mind. Suddenly, he picked up his bicycle and rode off without a word. Ranjan shouted, ‘What are you doing? Come back. We have your money as well.’ But Pinto didn’t stop.

  The astrologer told Rahul and Ranjan, ‘Your chances are grim as you are under the malefic shadow of Shani. Chant this mantra 108 times every day.’

  They were really worried. ‘Will it really help? What else can we do?’ they practically begged the man.

  The astrologer was smart. ‘You are students. I will not recommend complicated and expensive rituals. Take this rudraksh rosary. It increases the impact of your chanting. It would also be advisable to keep a Shani Yantra. Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. Both the items cost ten rupees.’

  Rahul shared his experience with Pinto later. Pinto laughed, ‘So, you’ll chant the mantra 108 times. I’ll finish an entire chapter on physics in that time.’

  ‘But that astrologer is a learned man,’ Rahul argued.

  Pinto was serious this time. ‘Is that why he is sitting on a street? Try this experiment. You are healthy, but just go to a doctor anywhere in this city, and he’ll find you are ailing with something, suggest some treatment, prescribe some medication—and collect his fees. Hope you get my point.’

  Apparently Rahul did not.

  One day Pinto left his notebook in the classroom by mistake and didn’t realize it until later that night. He couldn’t sleep at all, worrying about his hard work of three months being lost. The next day, when he went to the class and asked about the notebook, nobody had a clue as to where it was. Pinto was really upset.

  After class, a sweet female voice from behind said, ‘Pinto, here is your notebook.’

  It was a wonderful surprise for Pinto. ‘I’m s-o-o-o-o-o happy!’ he said with relief. ‘Where did you find it?’

  The young girl said, ‘I took it with me, well, not actually. You left it on the desk, I found it, and kept it. I could have called you, but was curious about what you write in your notebook.’

  Pinto’s exhilaration quickly turned to irritation. ‘I write physics in my physics notebook, not poetry,’ he snapped.

  ‘I didn’t mean it that way,’ smiled Lavanya. That was her name. ‘You are a topper here, so I wanted to see how you write, what you write.’

  Pinto replied, ‘Well, you could have asked for it.’

  ‘Would you have lent it? No way. I know how you are. Sid asked you once and you said no. Amit also wanted to look, but you wouldn’t let him.’

  Pinto didn’t know what to say, except, ‘But you are different.’

  Lavanya asked in a troubled voice, ‘Why? Because I’m a girl?’

  Pinto didn’t want to say so but by mistake he muttered, ‘Yes… Well, no. Wait, I didn’t mean that. What I meant was I actually compete with Sid and Amit, but not with you. I’ve some trade secrets which I don’t share with everyone, especially with my competitors.’

  Lavanya knew she was far below the level Pinto was in his studies, but she still showed an artificial anger, ‘So, you say that I’m not competition. What do you know about me? Let’s settle this today.’

  By now, Pinto had started enjoying the discussion. He agreed, ‘Yes, let’s settle it. Why don’t we sit over a cup of coffee?’

  The mood between Pinto and Lavanya changed over that coffee. They started talking about each other and forgot about their argument.

  Lavanya started the conversation, ‘Where are you from, Pinto? I know you are not a local.’

  ‘I’m from a nearby place called Orai.’

  ‘Oh! The place famous for gulab jamun? How do you find it here? How do you maintain the top position?’

  Pinto was not sure what to say. ‘Being a small-town boy,’ he swallowed and said, ‘I’m sort of struggling with the big-city lifestyle: distances, commute, home sickness, adjusting between my daily chores and studies. I also need to make sure I keep my monthly expenses under control.’

  ‘But you didn’t answer my second question.’

  ‘I work hard. I try to manage my time more efficiently.’

  ‘… such as by sitting with me at this coffee shop.’

  ‘Well! I think it’s still good use of my time. If I had to rewrite my notes, I’d have spent way more longer than in this coffee shop.’

  ‘So you don’t value my company?’

  ‘That’ll be known in the next hour,’ Pinto smiled.

  ‘Now I understand very well how you manage your time.’

  Now it was Pinto’s turn. ‘So why don’t you tell me something about yourself?’

  ‘Do you really want to know or were you just interested in your notebook?’

  ‘It’s human nature to be curious so, yes, I definitely want to know about you. Haven’t we come here for just that?’

  Layanya was confused, but rallied to the challenge. ‘Looks like Pinto is a very boring guy,’ she said slowly, as if to someone else. ‘He’s talking philosophy. Should I share anything about me or not?’

  In a swift change of mood, she said, ‘Well, I’m local. I’m taking the coaching sessions a second time.’

  ‘I’m sorry to hear that,’ Pinto said politely. ‘I’m pretty sure your experience will help this year.’

  ‘Yes, what an experience it was last year!’

  ‘What? Is this coaching not good?’

  ‘No, it was something personal.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘I don’t want to talk about it.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Maybe later.’

  ‘You are making me curious.’

  ‘How can I make you curious? You just said curiosity is human nature. That means you are already curious.’

  ‘Oh my God, you’re a philosopher.’

  ‘Life teaches you to be.’

  ‘Your parents are sending you to a coaching course a second time. You should consider yourself really lucky. I understand you must have been devastated because you couldn’t make it to engineering last year. But you should feel lucky that your parents can afford to do something about it.’

  ‘They are my in-laws, not my parents,’ she blurted out. ‘I’m in the middle of a divorce.’

  ‘I’m sorry to hear that,’ Pinto responded politely, trying not to show his shock.

  ‘Thanks for your kind words. But people in America don’t feel sorry over a divorce, so why should I.’

  ‘I agree. In fact I’m happy for you that you were able to get rid of someone who was not fit for you.’

  ‘There is nothing to be happy about.’

  ‘So I can’t be Sorry; I can’t be happy. What should I be?’ How about I’m somewhere in the middle—I think I feel soppy. Now tell me your story. Come on.’

  Lavanya giggled, ‘You guys can find something funny in anything. My father passed away when I was ten. I was the topper in my school but my mother wanted to get me married after my 12th grade as she didn’t have money for my higher studies.’

  Lavanya was h
esitant in the beginning but was slowly opening up, ‘The boy, Asim, was a Brahmin, just like me, and was posted in the Middle East in a big oil company as an engineer. Asim’s parents, Yogendra and Manisha Pandey, wanted him to get married to a girl who was from a relatively poor family. In their neighbourhood, they believed that a rich girl distanced a boy from his parents.’

  Pinto argued, ‘You can’t generalize it.’ Lavanya agreed, ‘You are right but sometimes you develop such a strong impression from an incident, it becomes difficult to erase it from your mindset. Asim’s parents also liked that I was a bright student. I personally didn’t want to get married so soon and wanted to go for higher studies, but did not have the courage to go against my mother’s wish. I wanted to see my mother happy. My mother, a single parent, made a lot of sacrifices to raise me.’

  Pinto was puzzled. ‘I don’t know whether you sacrificed your ambitions for your mother’s happiness or was it your mother who sacrificed her daughter’s ambitions for her happiness?’

  Lavanya was emotional, but she continued. ‘When I first met Asim’s family, I feebly voiced my interest in higher studies They were very nice and enthusiastically agreed to that. As I wanted to be an engineer, they decided that Asim could go for his job in the Middle East. I could stay with them in Kanpur and take IIT coaching. They thought if I got selected, I may go to IIT Delhi or Mumbai, and Asim could also find a job in the same city.’

  Pinto was taking a lot of interest but was a bit amused, ‘JEE is not a piece of cake. It’s interesting that you made so many plans around it.’

  Lavanya was not happy with Pinto’s interruption but she continued talking, ‘For me, it was a dream come true. My mother could not afford IIT coaching and books so even if I didn’t get married, chances were that I would have gone for traditional higher education like a Bachelor of Science or Arts. If I would have been selected by an engineering college, my mother could not have afforded my education.’

  ‘Everything was going great. After marriage, I took an admission for this coaching course last year, but then suddenly a bomb exploded. I had asked Asim to take me to Dubai for our honeymoon. He was working there and I wanted to visit before I started the coaching in full swing.’