Where you are called Local !!!

 

Who wouldn’t want to leave home?  At least at the age of 10 when your younger brother took a toy that you loved most, you decide to leave home. Or at the age of seventeen, you feel your parents are not agreeing to what you say, you feel like moving out so that you can live the way you want. In my case both these things happened but the reasons are different.

I was the elder son to my parents and as you know, in Indian culture the role of Elder son is very similar to the DC and marvel characters in Hollywood movies. So at the age of 10, when I received the admission offer for class 6 at Navodaya Vidyalaya, they were convinced of my intellectual powers and this was the time to say Adieu. I also accepted the offer as I felt away from home means more freedom. No early wakeup alarms or no pressure of studies. It is like jao simran, jee le apni zindagi offer. However, I was not aware of the Gurukul system until I reached the campus. It was like a timetable not only for the classes, but also for the entire day activities. Within 2 years, I said adieu to the system and came back home.

The next set of adventure of leaving home started 5 years later. This time it was in the form of engineering college hostel. In the earlier tenure, I did not have access to money and freedom, wherein the second one had those. First 3 years of Engineering, I was outside the classes than inside. Movies, Computer Games, Travel and if nothing, sleep full day in the room. Whenever I felt, all were present in the class, I silently walked out of class believing a perfect system is purely theoretical and it does not exist. Back to my DC/ marvel heroes, great power comes with great responsibilities. The 4 yrs of freedom had the responsibility of securing a decent job to survive, which made to the third adventure of leaving home, starting  in Mumbai- the city that never stops

The day I reached Thane Railways station, in Netravathy Express on a Diwali eve, my backpack was filled with polymer textbooks and expectations. I could have at least got rid of the former, if I did justice to my Engineering days. The change from village boy to a metro adult was quite difficult. As in the stories of DC/Marvel heroes here, the villain, who is my existential crisis- knew that I am the hero and I need to fight back. The initial days of Mumbai life was tough. Working 12 hrs per day for almost 7 days a week made me think whether I am staying in my 300 sqft one BHK with fellow colleagues or in the big shop floor filled with man, machines and rubber products. At one point, despite all these odds, I started to look at the brighter side. I enjoyed local train travels, had hangout with friends at Marine drive, ate tons of vada pav and pav bhaji, took trekking trips to outskirts of the city and so on. As the days passed by, the city started growing in me and I realized, you can take yourself out of Mumbai, but never Mumbai out of you.

6 years later, I moved to Bangalore. This time, it was not leaving home, but to build my own home. All these travels taught me something. It does not matter where you are born, where you are travelled or where you are currently in, it is all about where you are called local.

Also when you leave home, its all about leaving your comfort zone and exploring for new things.

However, with all the learning that I gained from my previous journeys, for sure, with the right companion I have today, I can leave home for another adventure any time.

the silver screen

Every Friday, I am having an interesting job to finish in my To-Do list. Checking out for the new Malayalam movie releases in the town especially in the multiplexes, So that I can plan for it in the weekend. Because of either less number of Hindi and English movie releases or more Malayalam movies coming out, every weekend I have a new movie to watch.

I was thinking of the scenario 20 yrs back. When I was on 1^st or 2^nd standard. My parents took me to the theatre for a movie. It was “vaishali” the bharathan flick which was running on packed houses at that time. But I was not able to finish the movie, because in the first scene itself I started crying out loudly on seeing a snake in the screen. My mom took me out of the cinema hall and later to home. After that while going for movies I was asked to give a promise that I won’t cry or abandon the movie in the middle. So when a horror scene comes I will just close my eyes and place my fingers on ears to plug out myself from the scene.

It took another 8 Years to change the scenario. Up to that my watching movies were limited to the ones coming on Doordarsan on Sunday evenings. While I was in 8^th standard, I and one of my friends planned to go for a movie. After long time I was back to cinema hall. I can count it as the “first movie” that I saw from a cinema hall. A memorable one.

Later the history repeated, in my +2 days, I joined for entrance coaching in a remote location, where my classes are on morning sessions only. So every Sunday we headed to the nearby cinema halls to watch movies. As it was away from home no one can trace me. The freedom of invisibility…

The scene was quite different in college days. I never missed a released Malayalam Movie. either we watch them in the releasing week from the A class theater or if its not sustaining that much time there, catch from the nearby C class theater in the next week. We were not dared to walk for even 8-10 Km to reach hostel after 2^nd show. In the time of movie award nominations in news papers we usually count the number of movies in last year that we “missed“. The number never gone above 10 out of 50 or 60 movies released in a year.

I still remember the first movie from a multiplex. It was “Zinda” from, PVR, New Delhi, and followed by “Rang De Basanti” from the same while our B.Tech project days. Even though while in UD we depend on the pre-dvd rip, net and DC++ downloads of new movies, I never missed the cinema hall experience. Frequently we go out for the Malayalam and Hindi movies in the nearby single screen. After 20 years, even today also I really got excited on going for a movie and at the same level, worry that whether I will get a ticket in the rush…

PS : So Movie for this week, “Palerimanikyam, oru pathira kolapaathakathinte katha”, starring Mammootti, Directed by Ranjith on 5^th Dec, 20.00 IST, Big Cinemas in R city mall. Ghatkoper….. Would you like to join me …??

Tsunami......

We were the first batch of +2 system as the government detached pre-degree courses from colleges and added to schools in new name +2. So after 10^th we were still on schools. Two more years in school left with us prior to the college entry.

In engineering college, there was a new system waiting for me. The attendance system. In schools there is no chance of class bunks. But you can bunk classes in colleges on a condition that 75% attendance to be maintaned to register for the semester exams. So on getting new freedom, I started roaming in campus without attending classes. After 6 or 7 months of 1^st year classes, in February our physics professor asked me “are you new admission?? I haven’t seen you in this class before “. That was me. As everyone expected I got my first warning for attendance shortage on first year itself. Our teachers haven’t given much attention to the problem in first year and allowed all to write examz, a smooth escape for me. They might have thought that students will be regular by second year.

But people like me will never change. The same scenario (attendance shortage) happened with me in the third semester too. But by adding tour days and some technical event days as present, I managed to get 75% - the critical limit. A narrow escape in second time too. By fourth semester we applied our mathematical and statistical skills on attaining a pass mark in attendance. Only 30 students were there in our batch. So proxy’s are not at all possible. Above that the teachers know each and every person separately. So you have to be there in the class. On continuous observations I found that some lecturers have a habit of taking attendance before starting lecture and some after lectures. Those who take post lecture attendances I entered classes too late, means 20 or 30 minutes after commencing the lecture. For those who take pre lecture attendances I made an entry along with the lecturer itself. After 30 minutes as planned, someone from outside will call me out by saying some reasons to the lecturer. So whoever be lecturer, without loosing any attendance I bunked the classes.

But the system was getting tougher. Our principal found a new way to stop class bunks. Apart from each hour attendances taken by lecturers, another marking will be taken by the office staff. The office attendance will be counted for exams. Once in morning and evening sessions the peon will come to note the absentees. There is no specific time for him to come. If he comes in the first hour, I have an option to bunk the remaining two hours. If he hasn’t come till second hour it needs to wait till third hour so that I will get counted. So the new system was named as “Tsunami”- as it comes unannounced and gave catastrophic effects on us. A solution to this problem was terrifically needed. Thus from the calamity affected students a solution derived. We made settings with the “regular” students to pass message to the people outside about the arrival of tsunami. Thus for the first time in the history of “mobile communication”, mobile phones were used for tsunami alerts. Missed calls were sufficient for us to run towards our classrooms. The impact of tsunami alerts worked well. I continued bunking classes and haven’t got any problem of attendance shortage after third semester.

PS : last month one of the professors in our M.Tech department asked me.. “Why you are starting your works in first year itself?? You have one more year left naa”

Once in a life time offer…..

“ Hey, are you using passport for a domestic travel… that too in train?“. My fellow passenger asked me while my journey to Kerala in last November. Actually I booked my ticket through irctc – a website that offers railway ticket booking. It asked my identity proof details. I gave my passport, as thatz the only thing with me at that time. I need to keep the identity proof with me while the journey. This made my fellow passenger to make a comment like that. I replied him with a smile. Actually I was thinking of the passport that I am having. How it has reached me.

While I was in the last semester of B.Tech, The postal department conducted a “passport mela” in our college. Many of us decided to apply for one. But we were having some problem. As we were staying in the hostel, it needs our hostel address to be filled in the temporary address column. And our home address in the permanent address column, given in the second page. As going for our project works, we will not be available for police verification. if I give the hostel address, along with a verification in my home the police will come to my hostels too which was unacceptable for me at any cost. But the postal department is not ready to accept the form without our hostel address filled. So an end to the controversial thoughts running in my mind, I decided to fill the temporary address column.

Two weeks later I got a call from my college saying that I was asked to come to the police station with my certificates. Actually after two days I was leaving for my project to Delhi. So the time left with me is very less. I called my friends and asked whether they got any call or not. Even many of them too filled the temporary address column with their hostel address. But except one all others told me that they haven’t got any call. The one was my classmate. And many of them added that being our applications are sent via college identity, the police verification will be done only as namesake and that too merely verification of college records. So there is no chance of calling someone to a police station or something like that. That increased my heartbeats. What may be the reason for my special call to the station. I started rewinding the incidents that happened in the college days but found none which may develop to a police issue. So what may be the problem ???. At last I decided to go.

The very next day I went to the station. My friend was also with me. We took all our documents - starting from birth certificate - with us. That was the first time we were to a police station. By 10.30 in the morning, we reached there. Except two constables and one guard at the gate, the police station was empty. We headed to a constable and told him our full “curriculum vitae”. He asked us to wait till inspector comes. I was thinking that for a simple work of checking our certificates why an inspector is needed? Or apart from checking our certificates is there anything left?? Any red mark in our service book? A number of questions were flashing in my mind.

After half an hour the most awaited person came. We were totally frustrated. We don’t know whatz going to happen. He called us to his cabin and asked to show the certificates. My friend gave his certificates first. He took one big file from the cupboard, and started searching in it for the application. Finally he took one and placed on the table. It was my friend’s. He took the SSLC certificate, ration card and checked the permanent address written in them. They were different. Ration card was having old house address and SSLC and the application has the new home address. Inspector asked him to give a certificate from village office and submit to him as early as possible. Finally he turned to me and asked for my certificates. He again took the big file and searched for my application form. He returned with one and started checking that with my certificates. After some time he asked me to spell my name. I said “R – A – N – J – I – T –H “. He showed me the application that he is having. In the name column it was written “R – E – N – J – I – T – H “…Yes it was not mine… it was some one else’s. And it was having a problem with mismatch in date of birth in application and SSLC… Actually I was expecting a problem in the address column as like my friend’s. But as it is sent via college, they haven’t given importance to that temporary address column. Mine was already sent with the label “all clear”. Neither the person from police station nor the college clerk gave attention to the spelling on my name. Thus a wrong call came to my home. The simple mistake made by them made me frightened for more than 24 hrs and forced me to enter a police station.

PS: After one month I got my passport via post. Surprisingly it’s having my temporary address - college hostel address - written in the place of permanent address…..