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My trip to Surat

I am not sure how I can describe a three day long trip in a short semi-essay (yeah... I know this is going to be long), but since this is the best way of describing it, lets go ahead.

The fun began on Friday with my asking permission from my manager here to leave a bit early. Once out of the office, it was going to be fun all the way, I just knew. I met Arunimadi at Mumbai Central and talked a lot and bored each other a lot. Flying Ranee at times seemed to to crawl, while when we were talking and arguing, it seemed to fly. After landing in Surat, while we had about half an hours time, she was really very interested in getting me well fed and stuffed up because I was supposedly hungry! I mean, it sometimes makes me wonder why sisters think so much about whether we have dined or not, make you feel hungry while you may not be, dot dot dot. Anyway I managed to drink a little cold cocoa, and finally the ONGC bus streamed through the streets in Surat before dropping me off in front of the college gate.

While walking down the avenue from the college gate to PMCK (Pia-Milan ChowK, near the Staff Club, for the uninitiated), someone called from behind and said "Is that Sudipta?" I cannot really describe the feeling that one feels at that time... that you're not forgotten, that you still count and that you are still loved; it all came back at once! In case you are wondering who it was, it was Nikhil (Comps from Karnataka) along with some other of the KSA guys.

Soon after, a short call asked me to come straight to Hostel 8. For everyone who is reading this and is not sure what exactly is H8, let me assure you that it is the best p(a)lace in our college right now. Remember the new hostel just next to H1? Thats it! And imagine a room crowded with people and especially juniors!! And every one of them hanging on to your words, with all bakar, all comments and bantering happening just because everyone is together and you are the occasion. To tell the truth, I felt like a "birthday boy" once again. And the best part was the recorded farewell cassette of WBSA. If there is one place where creativity uncensored is at its highest, it is that one. I have asked Ghatak to upload it... all passouts can surely listen to that one and have a helluva time. Off we went to the night canteen, with everyone gleefully gulping down a bottle of soft drink and I was too happily giving out gyaans to anyone who would listen. We also had the famous discussion about TnP and Dr. D B Naik Sir! For all who are wondering what is the latest policy there, the simple funda is that each student can get placed in more than one company!! He he... guess we missed it, right?

The next day was another 'fun-day'. Beginning with a visit to T.B. Ghosh Sir's house, I met each of Ajay Shukla sir, DRP Sir and people at the CCC. Gamit and Yogesh were their usual selves... still as thin and yet as chirpy! DRP Sir showed me around in the department, and trust me the new project lab with 1 GB RAM machines crunching numbers at 3.8 GHz with HT technology is the one place you will want to be for all your final year projects and surfing. There was even a screened "Ladka and Ladki" section in the lab. :D

Post Lunch and post bickering at the TV room about Sourav Ganguly, I shaved and bathed. Now, before you start shouting, lemme assure you that that has become a normal event in my life. Amit Rai was there, and the net result of my discussion with him was again how his robot can be moving about with Linux driving it. He he.. anyway I was ready by six, and was eagerly awaiting D B Naik sir's arrival to be able to share all my fundas with him regarding recruitment in the college, both for and without Accenture. The venue? Good old PMCK!! Did I forget to tell you that that day was H7 Hostel Day as well? Oh, by the way, I declined any invitation :D

Now came the best of times! I went off in G J Joshi Sir's car to the Royal Resort Inn near City Plus, for our present final year job party and get together. Why G J Joshi Sir's car? Because one of the present hostel inmates, Dip Pramanik, had broken his leg and Sir had lent his car to get him to the party spot. Hats off to you, sir!! I learnt that he was given a standing ovation on H5's Hostel Day... a spontaneous roaring ovation.

Oh.. sorry, coming back to the topic! So we were there in the resort, happily cheering all and sundry. First it was the musical chair... whoever was left with the passing keys when the music stopped was to do the junta's bidding! And my... things really went into a frenzy soon. Malabika waltzed with ______ (.... guess who?), Abhishek Nag proposed to Sounak Samanta, Kaustav Majumdar tried to play the peacemaker and co-ordinator... you should have been there! Soon afterwards, we were down in the disco downstairs, and for everyone, I guess, it was a novel experience. The real party animals freaked out, while many others just watched from the sidelines. Oh.. the gurlz were there, too!

Finally, we had our dinner.. back in the same lawn. Unlimited Ice Cream was a very interesting experience for most of the people there, and I don't think I need to elaborate any further on that. I for once enjoyed shelling out gyaan again to all the first yearites in a round-table conference, and some other people who looked genuinely interested. (Back to the square one, huh?) Actually, the point is that nobody told us these things in our first year, and so I did not want anyone else to miss out what I am still repenting for! Interestingly, all that gyaan features in a poll in our group about what was the best part of the party!! Anyways, gyaan and fun over, I trodded (I mean, boarded) back to the hostel with Tridib trying to outrace the wind in that good old car.

Hostel brought me back to Biplab, Subir and Seshadri! At least because the news was new to me, let me tell all that Seshu finally has found the Miss Right for himself. She is a Gujju, and umm.... well... err...... I am sure you can confirm the rest of your misgivings with him by mail. Everybody was his usual self, with Subir's cartoons featuring in the college newsletter, and Biplab trying to lick out each paisa from his mobile phone balance. Even if for an hour, I spent a very entertaining and really heart-warming time there. Back to Hostel 5, we went on with our gup-shup till 4:00, and in the meanwhile marvelled at the net connection speed at the hostel all the time I checked mail. For everyone who has seen the net function in his/her office, you will begin to get an idea of the speed there if I say that our office's speed is just about as good as the speed there.

Day Three... quick bootup and off I went to Reshmi(di)'s house. All the usual fun of meeting her, plus exchanges of GRE and general gyaan happened. Of course the very hearty meal and the touch of warmth in behaviour that I always feel whenever I am there was present. Chayanika was still in the process of deciding whether to pass the next day's test or not, and her sister was happily accompanying her mom in giving her a piece of her mind. The usual "treat-treat" negotiations, who is going where discussions and graphology and palmistry clamours were there. And at the end of the day I was in Ahimsa express, headed towards home in Mumbai.

Good... and what else? Nothing much, except that I spent the time of 1:45 to 3:30 in the morning at Kalyan station waiting for the next local, dragged myself out of bed at 9:30 after logging of (i.e. going to sleep off like a log) at 5:30 in the morning, and finally reached office today at 11:00, all still very weary but very much happy to have gone off. Right now it is 6:50 and I am just trying to finish off this blog post (which I'll be copy-pasting in my mail) to go and catch my bus home at 7:20.

Chalo.. keep flaming
Sudipta

Comments

  1. hmmm.........bhabchi blog'er link ta group send kori.......er dekhi je tomar bhalomanushi image ta kotota bartoman thake?(don't take serious ........just joking)
    it is really interesting........to read a long blog like this........and more over i feel charmed to read it especially because it makes me remind of the fact that our seniors remember us a lot......there is no mental distance between us........the physical distance doesn't make any difference.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Man,you were one of the best guys on the campus(now that calls for a treat,nice words about you on your blog!:))

    Believe me, not only me, many guys in here hold you in high regard.(another treat?)

    And as far I am concerned,will always be in touch with you..

    P.S.But you'll remember me na??:))

    Nikhil(The Comps guy from KSA)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Whoooo!! Now you hae proved, Nikhil, that you truly belong to SVNIT! How many people would read through a complicated blog like that and yet post all the good comments just for a treat??

    Anyway, jokes apart, Thanks for your comments. Make sure you remind me of the treat at the right spot when I visit the college next time. Did that make your day? :)

    ReplyDelete

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