Mirror

It is easier to get over a heart break than getting over the addiction of tea. No matter how hard I try, every afternoon at 3 pm, I find myself at the chaiwala's place with a cutting chai in my hand. That day was almost like any other day had I not found this interesting character, a child labor, bringing the tea cup to my table. Afternoon is a time when the place finds itself a little less busy. This child, probably eight years old, malnourished and with a coat of innocence on his face was totally carefree. For him, the world was a playground and he was yet to be exposed to the challenges he had to face later.

He sat at the bench, next to me and begun playing with a rubber band. I tear opened the Parle G packet and offered him one. He took the biscuit and stared at me for probably six seconds, thirty one micro seconds and  eleven nanoseconds before making me raise an eyebrow. He smiled in response and then focused back on biscuit, clamping the rubber band on his wrist. He took little bytes of the biscuit and till he finished the biscuit, I was already done with my evening dose. It was a sheer delight to watch him eat. The innocence he exhibited somehow took me back to my own childhood days which were necessarily carefree. My heart, which continues to be a five year old, got a companion in him. 

I stood up, paid the money and then took out a butt from the pack of goldflake in my pocket. I ask the chaiwala for a match stick and lighted up the cigarette. I turned back to locate the boy and check what he was up to, before leaving. I found him staring at me. However this stare was pretty different than the one he gave while serving me the tea. He disliked the very action of smoking. His firm stare somehow made me feel guilty and persuaded me to keep the nicotine roll away from my lips. I immediately looked away from his eyes, and almost in a reflex action, dropped the cigarette down and stamped on it. I walked away from the place without looking at his reaction, perhaps because I didn't have the courage to do so. Although I wasted valuable Rs. 5 from my wallet, I somehow smiled. It was a different feeling whatsoever, to face the mirror, which on the other side contained the carefree child, who radiated a strong beam of innocence. 

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As for the record the last post on this blog was written on 4th of July,2012 and today it is 14th of October 2012. So for three months I've remained away from active blogging and I am highly skeptic that this will happen for some more coming months. Meanwhile I tried to write a lot of posts and ended up making fourteen drafts,all incomplete. Complacency I say is the biggest enemy of pseudo-creative people  Meanwhile,I'm back with a story,at least with an attempt to write one and hope this one doesn't end up being the fifteenth article in the draft's folder.

The best part about evening is that is is preceded by an afternoon nap,especially for those for whom it is an inevitable part of life. He's one of them,who prefers tea to succeed the afternoon nap. So he got up,plugged in earphones and left for the tea shop. He reached the tea shop and ordered a cutting chai  Parle G,while planning to do something which he was thinking for the last two days. Once done with the evening addiction,he reached the nearest Pan ka galla for a Gold Flake. His heart beats increased as he saw 4:35 pm on his mobile phone's screen saver. A week back,they fought,mutually committing that they won't talk to each other any more in their lifetime. But then these commitments fail to last more than the anashans. He called her last night and she,as expected,didn't pick up the phone. He was angry,a hell lot,but he managed to subdue it as the desperation of not talking to her overrode all other feelings.

He completed smoking and effectively managing to shorten his life by an awful five minutes when he saw her,draped in salwar kameez,carrying an aura of simplicity. She made him skip a thousand beats,a combined effect of euphoria and adrenaline. He instantly forgot all that he thought he would tell her,and begun following her. She too noticed him but she continued to walk,ignoring her. He touched her hand,trying to hold it,but she repulsed. "What brings you back?" she said as her facial expressions changed from that of anger to crying. "Baby,you look prettier when you are red faced" He said as he smiled. The frustrated look on her face vanished but she was not done yet. "These old tricks won't work on me,I'm tired of all your pick-up lines." She said,almost controlling her laughter. "So how can I convince you that I am dying to talk to you?" he said,venting out all his frustration. "And what would you tell me if I talk?" she said,being a bit less offensive this time. "Baby,I.. I" he stammered. "What?"  she said,as a smile appeared on her face. "Baby,I.. I feeling hungry,can we eat something?" he said,as both started laughing. "Idiot!" She said and slapped her. Her touch got him goosebumps,as he held her hand and both walked towards the nearest pastry shop. He felt a sudden ease as he felt alive after seven long days...

Welcome to engineering life

Before five months it all begun. Life got exposed to the gas burner,at the same time I made friendship with a sly enemy called complacency. And after four years,I'd become a member of the country's growing league of IT-professionals.

Learning Management
There wasn't a super-manager called "mummy" to handle things. It was the first attempt when situations forced me to learn management skills.


Normal Life
Tea Sessions
Getting up at 8'o clock and then rushing to the tea shop. Again there is no mummy to make tea and breakfast  Nylon Khamman/Samosa-chautney/vada-pav fills up our empty morning stomach. "Cutting Chai" becomes the tonic to wake up.

College Time
College is a place to sincerely show our complacency skills. If we are done with all the sleep at first bench (exactly! I never got caught) we make an effort to find out which lecture is going on,which probably drives us towards a more sound sleep.

Items
This part of college life cannot be ignored,and I won't like to elaborate much. If we looked so unexpectedly energetic,it is all due to these 'college ki kudiyaan'(girls).

Labs
Labs are what interests the engineer in me. Performing experiments,jotting down procedure and observations and then spending the rest of the time dozing off.

Eating time
Lunch breaks usually witness hungry lions coming out of their den after sleeping. (A matter of delight for the Canteen wallah).

Mass Bunking
If dozing off in class becomes boring,then we use our discretion to cut the classes and play cricket.(And eventually getting scolded afterwards)

Movies
Most of the decisions to watch movie are the spot decisions. Each time a new movie is released,we three room partners ensure that the cinema hall doesn't miss us.

Ear phones
Music is a part and parcel of life. Be it classrooms,hostel rooms,road,or tea shops,earphones are plugged and the playlist never gets over.


Abnormal Life 
Submishinzzz
Submissions are the most unwanted part of the semester. A time when we clumsily end up our files and submit it. But the torture begins there,viva+re-viva+again re-viva. Plus making silly reasons out for low attendance. Phew... sleepless nights during the weekdays over that period.

Studying Engineering
Engineering is usually studied at three occasions: internals,Mid-semester and End-semester. These study sessions lasts from 8 pm to 10 am in the morning. And then rushing to exam hall. Night outs usually witness texting+facebook+twitter(in my case).

There are times when we're under pressure and times when elated. Engineering changed my relationship status with life:it's complicated now.