Below is an old article I had written for IIIT magazine. I found it while browsing through some old archives. The article was written on July 30, 2003 and probably published a couple of days later.
What a day!!! To start with, the microsoft seminar. There was this seminar
organised by Microsft for students and faculty and they also provided
free lunch. I decided to go (of course free lunch re, how can i not go).
The seminar was not bad. But the lunch was really good – panner butter
masala, chicken (its a different matter that i am veg, but chicken was
served), strawberry icecream , gulabjamum … yummy. They had actually
organised it expecting around 3000 people but only 1000 turned up. So no
rush. Completely satisfied with lunch!!!
But the actual fun started in the evening. Seriously , it was real
torture. I came back from the seminar and took a nap for one and a half
hour. Now there are some documents which i’ve got to submit in the
police station for passport and i dont know whats the reason that
whenever i go there the concerned person isnt there. He generally sits
in the Pan dabba in front of the police station. I’ve already been 3
times to the police station and this was the fourth time i was going there
(seriously i dont think neone has gone so many times to the police station
just to hand over the documents!!!)
To start with no buses, so had to catch a seven seater. But
unfortunately, seven seater was full in the back. So had to squeeze myself
in the front. And I really dont know what was wrong with the door, after
going some distance, it opened all of a sudden. But thanks to God
Almightly, I didnt fall out (I know re Suji, u must be cursing me for not
falling out, especially after that chat session i had with u yesterday
🙂 . Anyway, i managed to reach the police station.
And guess what, the concerned person wasnt there and they said he
wudn’t turn up today. So i decided to take his res. ph. no and call him up
before coming to the police station next time. Now, our police station,
is a place where things move more slowly than the pace of a tortoise. I
was made to sit there for half-an-hour. And what did I do for
half-an-hour. I successfully solved a case. Not exactly but something of
that sort!!!
There was a man and a lady who had come there. It seems there was
a quarrel between the man’s bro-in-law and the lady’s son three days back.
The man was drunk and the lady was like the demons they draw in tinkle
digest (red eyes, long teeth, same re). The man was complaining that the
lady’s son had today gone to his sister’s house and had a quarrel with
his sister. While the lady was insistent that his son had gone to that
area only because their relatives stay there. And dont forget the man was
drunk. So like a spoilt tape-recorder he went on repeating the same
thing. Why did u go to my sis’ house ? And the lady (i wonder if she was
drunk too) went on repeating the same thing that he went there to see his
relatives.
But the important point is “Who was listening to all these
arguments?” . ME ! Who was the bakra?? ME! Who was going crazy ??? ME!!!
And they literally tortured me for half-an-hour. Meanwhie I asked for the
ph. no again. Somehow the constable there this time went in and bought a
book in which the no. was written.
Not to forget I had mentioned that I solved the case. Why? It
seemed that I was the only one literate over there. So I was supposed to
write a MOU (Memonrandum of Understanding) and get it signed by both the
parties. So, after torture for abt an hour, i finally got hold of the ph.
no.
Finally, I set back to the institute in the seven-seater. But
unfortunately, the front seat was occupied (its not exactly a seat but a
wooden box in the front). But whats so unfortunate abt that ? Because
there was too much rush, I had to carry a boy on my lap all the way back.
And to add to all this torture, the auto-driver started the audio-player.
I really dont know how cud an audio player be spoilt to such an extent.
But the songs sounded like they were remixed.
Oops! Atleast i reached institure safely. So my final decision.
Keeping in mind that i had lost my internship, i’ve decided to work in
that Pan dabba in front of insitute for two months under the assistanship
of the lady in the Pan dabba. This way, i shall be able to prepare for
GRE, do my internship and not to forget get hold of that concerned
inspector for handing over documents!!!