ThIs Is WhAt I tHiNk!!!: THOSE DAYS THAT BUILT THE BASEMENT...

ThIs Is WhAt I tHiNk!!!: THOSE DAYS THAT BUILT THE BASEMENT...

THOSE DAYS THAT BUILT THE BASEMENT...

DISCLAIMER: This post is useless to those people who can completely feel the depth and get restless in the first instance. This post is useless to those who even after prolonged thinking after reading it fail to understand. This post annoys a few (see the end). This post amuses only those who feel (or can feel) the insight!!!

Well all what I would speak about here is simply a replica of what is there in my mind. These are some glimpses of my study life between June 05 and April 07. These are only SOME of them; there are a HUGE number of them. These two years have been ENORMOUSLY eventful, and I don’t think I can get away without having a write up on it.

Hmmm IIT STUDY CIRCLE, popularly known as RAMAIAHs coaching, I proudly say that I was once a student in it. Located in Hyderabad, this institute has created a tremendous amount of energy in the society. The institute is known for its renowned training and impeccable approach to the big three-MATHS, PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY. To get into one has to clear an entrance exam, which I bet more than half of the lecturers in junior colleges will see their death, and now there are many coaching institutions that popped up to train people for this test. Bizarre isn’t it???

This institute is known for its exorbitant strictness and zany rules, you could expect that from an institute like this. Every day morning and in the evenings at around 4:00 am and pm one finds LONELY and silently WALKING students with artless attire and candid expressions, few with their bicycles/mopeds beside them and others plain (everyone has to WALK from the main road). There were spies arranged to observe the general behavior on the streets, so no escape. ANYTHING attractive was denied (be it dress or watch or even spectacles). NO shoes or any fancy chappal. The most preferred footwear is plain rubber slippers. NO sweater or jerkin of any kind what so ever!!! The gate closes at 4:30 am or pm, and 4:30 is 4:30 it is not 4:29 or 4:31. I don’t think I need to tell what would happen if you face the closed gate (head back home without making the slightest of noise!!!). In between two lectures there would be the so called break time. The break (I think) is for the lecturers and not for the students. You are not supposed to talk or go around or turn around or even look at others (why would you do this??? ). You CAN however go and drink water or go to the bathroom. There are specially appointed spies to check out the class behavior. So it would be a sojourn “chor-police” game. The police may look from the rear window, the front window or from any other place anticipating for our nightmare. You can always expect the unexpectedàcops firing abuses in the most hilarious English.

We the “CHORS” did find secret ways. Spectacles can be used to get a reflection of the gazing cops from the rear window. The place outside the toilet (where generally you find half the class during the break time) is one nice chit-chat spot. Inside the classroom put your hand on your mouth and keep gazing into your open notebook, keep doing some bizarre actions (as if you were the next Einstein) and talk to your neighbor in a meek voice……and so on!!! These rules might appear to be harsh but there was an element of enjoyment, thrill, fear and what not…??? The most memorable era!!!

Amidst all these mystics there were the rule makers cum the managers cum the owners cum the lecturing Gods cum … in one word EVERYTHING for the institute. Here I speak only about the better ones in fact the great ones, there were also few other doltish people who …….er I better speak less on it!!!

KOTESWARA RAO SIR: This is a man who I feel is the best ever I faced or would face in my life. He was a renowned mathematics lecturer. His lectures would melt through the mind faster than an ice cream on the hottest pan. Time would just evaporate. There was some special radiance around him. Whenever he comes in, you could feel the rays pricking your skin. It was not just maths to me. It was more than anything. The best orator I can think of. Today I stand in this position solely because of this man. The arrogance one needs to possess, the arrogance at work, the perfect attitude, that impeccable style, all of it bottled up inside his pot belly. His anger-tremendous, his smile-the best. Unfortunately the world can no more feel his shadow. On February 7^th, 2008 he breathed his last. It might appear that I exaggerated too much, not really look into this community in orkut, you will realize.

http://www.orkut.co.in/Community.aspx?cmm=11102081.

There is an infinite amount that I can speak about this maestro……….the least that I can do to him is to pay tribute in this fashion.

MADHUSUDAN REDDY SIR (popularly called Maddy, among the students): He is the lord of this hell or the heaven (that is, the institute). His appearance is very apt to the way he behaves. His beard bears the darkest color, his eyes bear the look of a king, and his gait resembles a leopard. Look into his photo. He teaches chemistry. Personally I don’t like chemistry. But all the good notions that I have about chemistry can be attributed solely to this man. Anybody caught talking (by the mentioned spies) have to face this lord. That would not be an easy task. The way he speaks in this regard is unexplainable. His abuses get all the shit out of our a@#. In my 2 years of stay I could never stare directly into his eyes. I miss all his fantasizing tales and queer English.

RAMAIAH SIR: The founder of this institute, now a member of the legislative council of Andhra Pradesh. Dr. Chukka Ramaiah, a mathematician, freedom fighter, erudite, graduates MLC and in a word a paragon of virtues from Andhra Pradesh, India. He is also fondly known as IIT Ramaiah, given that many of his students are now in various IIT's across the country. At the age of 77 (when he taught us) he would come to our classroom chirpily, he would take 43 seconds to enter the front end of a say about 40feet classroom (I counted once ). He would always be clad in a white dhoti. His explanation bore the oldish style, not much to the liking of the students (I personally did not like him much cozz I was sent out of the class once). He had all sorts of whimsical fantasies. He was very fond of the ribbon cutting ceremony, of photos and cameras and any interviews. Nevertheless he was surely one to remember and surely the present batches miss him (he stopped teaching after he became an MLC) !!!

I would like to add a few more lecturers there (especially my dear SURENDRANATH SIR and SIVA PRASAD SIR) and also othersàmy dear DEVENDER AND ALWAL REDDY. But …

This post I think (my guess) would amuse people who studied in this temple and annoy those who haven’t for having wasted their time…

Anyway thanx and sorry…… and I really miss this place. I don’t think I will get to face any such moments again throughout my life………………………

FEEEEELING THE WEIGHTLESSNESS........

Well….this post is completely dedicated to an incident that happened to me…I made a reference to it in my first post as well… It is not some film star in a typical Indian movie performing it. But an ordinary human like me facing it. It might appear as you read along that I added some extra spice to this spicy tale, but trust me every bit of it is true…

It was 26^th august, 2007 (Sunday). At around 8am I had a call from home and hence I had to wake up. Huh! Even a Sunday was not spared. I was forced to go for breakfast… I walked hastily for breakfast with two of my friends. I really did not want to go. The sun was gazing high when we hastily walked to The Himalaya (the mess). In about five minutes we were at this building. Nice hot rava dosas on Sunday.

The Himalaya is a beautiful building. It is a three-storeyed building and we had to go to the second floor every day. It has an awesome look from outside (not so much inside though :P). It has nice shiny glasses that enhance its beauty. The floor is sparkling red granite and almost as clean as you can get. The staircase has nice beautiful railings. The top of it is made up of rounded steel which is really smooth and nice to hold on (this I would call the CULPRIT).

It was about 9:15 am when we started getting back to hostel. The railing for the stairs was really smooth and very tempting. I don’t know what came to my mind then; I sat on this railing and began sliding down. Wheeeeee!!! I went down till the first bend. At this end of the bend I felt I the first sign of the danger, I tripped a bit. Relentlessly, I sat back again. In the middle I felt a strange force pulling me back. I rotated with the railing as fulcrum. My hands were holding the rounded railing. But I could not hold on once I rotated beyond a certain angle. I felt a hand that held my leg for a brief period (I was achuth aka IPS’ hand). In about less than a second, I was on the ground floor. I was in an unconscious state for a brief period. When I got back my senses I was surrounded by a cloud of people.

About thirty anxious heads gazing at me while I lay on the smooth granite floor. My first feeling after I regained my consciousness was “Am I alive???” I pinched myself for a confirmation. Haa! It was a great feeling. It was a sigh of relief. “I am still alive…” the ambulance came in few minutes. About six people lifted me up into the ambulance. I had few questions asking myself continuously at this juncture.

“Will I be normal again???”

“Will I be able to walk again???”

“Will I be able to play again???”

And so on…

The ambulance rushed to the insti hospital (my first visit). Different parts of body were paining. My back, my left ankle, my right hip, the lower portion of my stomach, all these parts were paining at the same time (:-P) and I had a swelling on my head (hematoma as they call it). After few general things that they do, like checking your ear, setting up something for glucose (my left hand was pierced at three different places with a needle…ouch!!!. I was taken out for a CT scan and few other scans. One such scan (ultra violet…something I don’t remember it exactly) required my stomach to be filled completely filled with water, that is you must be just about to urinate. I drank nearly 2 LITRES of water, but was in no mood to urinate. This is ridiculous!!! Everybody was waiting for me and I was waiting for natures call. Fed up of the wait, I told that the golden moment arrived (:-P). The scan was done and I went to the toilet. It was not easy to walk then. My left leg could not take any pressure, but had to manage.

All the scans were done and all x rays taken. I don’t have words to describe the feeling I had when I was told that I don’t have any major injury (no fracture and no…..). I had a small bit of vomiting, the same night so had to go to another hospital outside. The doctor there played it down. He was a cool guy and said it is a normal happening. I was back to the hospital where I was greeted by many anxious faces in the form of MY MOTHER and few friends. I must thank these people. They were really helpful during my stay. We had a brief farting session before I crashed at around 10 30pm. Ooh!!! It was nice cool air conditioned single room with attached bathroom. The funny thing is that the bathroom had no bolt from inside (probably they have a reason for it).

During my stay I was attended by 4 doctors( 3 female and 1 male if I am right..:P). It was a torrid time at the hospital, absolutely no work to do, no people to talk to, absolutely lone in the midst of the desert. I don’t think I need to explain how it would be in a hospital. Finally on Tuesday at 2pm I was declared fit to leave for hostel. Call it God’s grace or sheer luck but I am safe.

Now I stand here with a sense of amazement in myself. I became really famous in the institute within a span of few days. Everyone became tongue tied when they hear about this incident. It earned me a name (nick rather…) “CR2RR”. That monthly edition of filter copy had a separate section dedicated ONLY for my incident (though they added some masala to make it spicier…). My only regret was that I could not be a part of the “freshie tournament”. It leaves a smile on my face whenever I pass into mess that I survived a free fall about 25feet with only a leg sprain and a few minor injuries.

Phew!!! Its all over now AND BEFORE I LEAVE 25^TH AUGUST IS MY BIRTHDAY. No one would have expected that I would have got such a scary gift.That was a real scary fall. Scary to hear, scarier to watch and the scariest to face it….

MY BEGINNING AT IIT MADRAS...

Well this is my first note… I started blogging after i finished my first year… this is my life in the first few days…

On august 2^nd, 2007 our classes were set to begin. My parents bid me the previous afternoon. That was a disheartening sight. They were different on that day. All this mishap was shaken away by the English diagnostic test that very day. I don’t think I should mention about this test here.

I remember this day, the sky was clear but I wasn’t. Not knowing how I would live in this place and what would the RAGGING get out of me and the bigger question mark why am I here??? The hype that ragging was given before I joined was enormous. The DEAN, parents, friends, the media and the so called well wishers gave it such hype that they themselves ragged me half way. Those were the early days, and I was never afraid staying alone (though my family members might disagree on this) but was obviously confused and had few wrong notions about “ragging” as already said.

It was ragging time and I can talk about a few incidents that took place. But that would make this really long. So paaaaacccckkk…

Ragging was not that bad, as it was shown up to be. More than me getting ragged standing beside and watching others getting ragged was more enjoyable. You want to burst into laughter when you see others bulbing, but have to control. It was fun and few sessions were slisha painful. Whatever but ragging brought me some good friends and seniors. This is where you get to know most of the things that happen in the insti and in my opinion everything that you probably do or want to do in the insti starts from here.

Then there was the freshie tournaments (a sports tournament for freshers only). By this time, the hostel spirit was flying high. It (the hostel spirit) goes deep into your blood. We were practicing hard for it. But now an unexpected turn around of events happened for me. I think I ll put that up in the next note! It is not something that I can go off by just making a mention. But it was a deadly experience and I could not take part in any of these freshie tournaments.

In the middle of all this we had “the freshie night”. We had high expectations from it. But it eventually was not so much!!! But here there is a tradition that every hostel comes dressed in a particular dress code. It was the funniest thing that u can imagine. Only a photo can give the effect.

By this time everybody lost enthu in ragging and the quizzes were getting closer…and now I think from here on it ll only be my story, that is my achievements and stuff…a bit confidential. I think I will put that up in some other note…

Giving a finishing to this, my first year was quite eventful…many experiences, many new friends and everybody was rather different in nature. I was one such guy among the freshies who left no stones unturned. I put my finger into most of the activities that took place. You name a sport I played that. There were people who do nothing but only mug and also there was the so called ‘RG’ing and I could never do that. On the whole the year ran through really quickly and before I realize that my academics has not been that good one full year is done…my first day still lingers in my mind and it looks like just yesterday. That’s the specialty of the life here…