It is not often that a creator is limited by his creations. Yet, it happened with me. I was limited by the character I created - VISHWA! Vishwa has a much broader vision than I care to write about at this point in time. So, this time, I decided to create a new character, who is very much a student, like me. I call him Ajay. It could be Ajay Roy, Rao, Sen, Sinha, Singh, Nair, Iyer, Patnaik, Gupta - basically, he is a guy with a pan-Indian outlook. Or atleast, thats what I want him to be. While Vishwa is for the more eternal issues, Ajay is for the contemporary. So, AJAY says "HI!"
Ajay got up - from the right side of his bed, as his parents had always told him to. 'It brings good luck' they had said. Now that he was away, Ajay wanted all the luck. Or, shall we say, that he didn't want any bad-luck? Before getting out of bed, he said to himself "Right, Ajay. You are now in IISER-K. You are on your own. This is your house for the next 5-years, at least. Get up and get going". He inspired himself and went to the bathroom. He knew nobody there. Of course, it was still the first day. He said "Good morning!". He didn't get any response. Two of the guys who were there looked at him sharply. Talking amongst themselves, they moved out. The only word he could hang on to was "Boka" - he didn't know what they meant. He didn't bother himself with that either, He had other things to ponder about.
**************************
"I was in IIT-K for 25 years. I have always loved teaching. I love teaching the first years and make them love the subject that I teach...." - the very first class on the very first day was by the Director. Ajay seemed to be more interested in the people around him than what the Director was speaking. He looked around and saw people with their books and pens at the ready - to capture the pearls of wisdom from this man of experience who was in front of them, speaking. "Am I being normal? Or are these guys normal?" - Ajay asked himself. It was while looking around that he saw her. He didn't know her name, it being the first class still. Nevertheless, she got all his attention for the rest of the lecture. Ajay couldn't say why he was attracted to her. Was it her eyes - that were very beautiful? Or was it her curls that repeatedly fell over her eyes? Or was it the grace in her movements as she moved those curls back, with eyes fixed on the Director? Ajay couldn't say. She stood out from the rest, for Ajay.
Ajay walked out after class with the few new friends he had made through the day, courtesy his roommate, a Bengali. Yet, he wasn't sure if he could ask any of them the name of the girl - right on the first day. Besides, he couldn't understand their language either. What if that girl was a Bengali too? He would be in deep trouble! Moreover, they were busy discussing about the class - he figured it out by the repeated mention of the facultys' names. Ajay turned back - just to see if she was still there. She was not to be seen!
**************************
Her name was Aditi. Ajay found that out while the attendance was called by one of the faculty. He repeated the name to himself. To him, that name seemed magical! 'What a beautiful name!' he said to himself over and over again!
The seniors came to their wings that evening. All first years were called. They asked the juniors to introduce themselves. 'OK! Now, if they try to rag me, let me not give up. Let me be a sport. That way, I shall make an impression on the batch and of course, Aditi!' - this was Ajay's game plan. Unfortunately, nothing of that sort happened. The seniors were happy with the intros and went away. Ajay was disappointed!
All of them went to the canteen for dinner. Ajay carefully observed Aditi. She seemed to be alone.
"Beta! Mann mein laddoo phoota" Ajay heard somebody say! He went over to her and introduced himself. She, out of politeness, introduced herself. They dined together that night. When they said "Goodnight!", they had exchanged phone numbers and more than mere courtesy calls. Ajay couldn't believe his luck! He thanked his parents for telling him to get up on the right side of the bed every morning! He went to sleep a happy man!
**************************
It was almost a month into the first semester. Ajay had quite a few pals by now. So did Aditi. Yet, they never missed a chance to spend some time together - breakfast or lunch or tea or dinner. They somehow made time for each other. They were gossiped about in the batch. They knew it too. They couldn't help it, could they? It was just that they had taken a liking to each other.
It was a Saturday. Ajay told his roommate "Bhai, I am going to the computer center. I have some work" and left. His roommate, Sen, was puzzled. "Ajay has a laptop. What work can he have in the computer center? Surely, there must be something' he thought and hatched a plan with his friends.
Ajay met Aditi at the Computer Center. They went in and chose the systems towards the corner, so that they could talk without much disturbance. Being in the middle of nowhere, this was their choice of the first date! They planned to go out of the campus for lunch. They began talking. Aditi did most of the talking. Ajay was lost looking into her eyes and her curls as they fell over the eyes. Aditi repeatedly kept brushing them off with her hands.
Ajay didn't know how to go about it. He said "Aditi, would you mind if I hold your hand, as we speak?"
Aditi blushed and nodded her head. Ajay was about to hold her hand when Tantu, his batchmate, marched through the doors with an irritatingly innocent smile and said "Ajay, kemun acho?"(Ajay, how are you?)
Ajay and Aditi were startled byTantu's presence. They started working on their systems. Tantu came and settled beside them, asking Ajay irrelevant questions! Aditi walked out after a few minutes and took the next bus back to the hostel.
Ajay walked out disappointed, Tantu behind him, blabbering nonsense! Sen was there with other friends, outside the Computer Center, laughing at Ajay! Ajay then remembered - in his excitement, he had gotten up on the left side of the bed that day!
Ajay got up - from the right side of his bed, as his parents had always told him to. 'It brings good luck' they had said. Now that he was away, Ajay wanted all the luck. Or, shall we say, that he didn't want any bad-luck? Before getting out of bed, he said to himself "Right, Ajay. You are now in IISER-K. You are on your own. This is your house for the next 5-years, at least. Get up and get going". He inspired himself and went to the bathroom. He knew nobody there. Of course, it was still the first day. He said "Good morning!". He didn't get any response. Two of the guys who were there looked at him sharply. Talking amongst themselves, they moved out. The only word he could hang on to was "Boka" - he didn't know what they meant. He didn't bother himself with that either, He had other things to ponder about.
**************************
"I was in IIT-K for 25 years. I have always loved teaching. I love teaching the first years and make them love the subject that I teach...." - the very first class on the very first day was by the Director. Ajay seemed to be more interested in the people around him than what the Director was speaking. He looked around and saw people with their books and pens at the ready - to capture the pearls of wisdom from this man of experience who was in front of them, speaking. "Am I being normal? Or are these guys normal?" - Ajay asked himself. It was while looking around that he saw her. He didn't know her name, it being the first class still. Nevertheless, she got all his attention for the rest of the lecture. Ajay couldn't say why he was attracted to her. Was it her eyes - that were very beautiful? Or was it her curls that repeatedly fell over her eyes? Or was it the grace in her movements as she moved those curls back, with eyes fixed on the Director? Ajay couldn't say. She stood out from the rest, for Ajay.
Ajay walked out after class with the few new friends he had made through the day, courtesy his roommate, a Bengali. Yet, he wasn't sure if he could ask any of them the name of the girl - right on the first day. Besides, he couldn't understand their language either. What if that girl was a Bengali too? He would be in deep trouble! Moreover, they were busy discussing about the class - he figured it out by the repeated mention of the facultys' names. Ajay turned back - just to see if she was still there. She was not to be seen!
**************************
Her name was Aditi. Ajay found that out while the attendance was called by one of the faculty. He repeated the name to himself. To him, that name seemed magical! 'What a beautiful name!' he said to himself over and over again!
The seniors came to their wings that evening. All first years were called. They asked the juniors to introduce themselves. 'OK! Now, if they try to rag me, let me not give up. Let me be a sport. That way, I shall make an impression on the batch and of course, Aditi!' - this was Ajay's game plan. Unfortunately, nothing of that sort happened. The seniors were happy with the intros and went away. Ajay was disappointed!
All of them went to the canteen for dinner. Ajay carefully observed Aditi. She seemed to be alone.
"Beta! Mann mein laddoo phoota" Ajay heard somebody say! He went over to her and introduced himself. She, out of politeness, introduced herself. They dined together that night. When they said "Goodnight!", they had exchanged phone numbers and more than mere courtesy calls. Ajay couldn't believe his luck! He thanked his parents for telling him to get up on the right side of the bed every morning! He went to sleep a happy man!
**************************
It was almost a month into the first semester. Ajay had quite a few pals by now. So did Aditi. Yet, they never missed a chance to spend some time together - breakfast or lunch or tea or dinner. They somehow made time for each other. They were gossiped about in the batch. They knew it too. They couldn't help it, could they? It was just that they had taken a liking to each other.
It was a Saturday. Ajay told his roommate "Bhai, I am going to the computer center. I have some work" and left. His roommate, Sen, was puzzled. "Ajay has a laptop. What work can he have in the computer center? Surely, there must be something' he thought and hatched a plan with his friends.
Ajay met Aditi at the Computer Center. They went in and chose the systems towards the corner, so that they could talk without much disturbance. Being in the middle of nowhere, this was their choice of the first date! They planned to go out of the campus for lunch. They began talking. Aditi did most of the talking. Ajay was lost looking into her eyes and her curls as they fell over the eyes. Aditi repeatedly kept brushing them off with her hands.
Ajay didn't know how to go about it. He said "Aditi, would you mind if I hold your hand, as we speak?"
Aditi blushed and nodded her head. Ajay was about to hold her hand when Tantu, his batchmate, marched through the doors with an irritatingly innocent smile and said "Ajay, kemun acho?"(Ajay, how are you?)
Ajay and Aditi were startled byTantu's presence. They started working on their systems. Tantu came and settled beside them, asking Ajay irrelevant questions! Aditi walked out after a few minutes and took the next bus back to the hostel.
Ajay walked out disappointed, Tantu behind him, blabbering nonsense! Sen was there with other friends, outside the Computer Center, laughing at Ajay! Ajay then remembered - in his excitement, he had gotten up on the left side of the bed that day!
