The Child In You...

When you are young, you wish to be older just so you get to drive a car, or get a spouse, or sport a French beard. However when you are older you wish to revert into that 3-foot tall epitome of innocence and mischief, ironical as it may sound, it is solam veritatem (ie) only the truth!! We wish to re-enter our childhood and relive those cherished memories. Much as I was reminiscing this in my mind, it struck me-“What if I am a child now??”

Or at least what if I pretend I'm an 8-year old, greeting everyone with a very bubbly and hearty smile. There is an effervescing energy that brims within, and no, people won't think I've lost it. It provides the listener with warmth and comfort and creates a friendly environment, in which he feels secure. Informality is often misconstrued as degradation of professionalism. It is indeed sad to experience this many a time. Being sombre doesn't make me perspicacious, nor does being indefatigable make me jejune. There is a difference between being childish and childlike, and I am talking about the latter. 'Why am I telling this?’ will be your next question. What I’m trying to say is there is a child in every one of us, and not expressing it does no one good. It is a sort of imprecation brought upon himself if one chooses not to. Throughout one’s schooling and college one sees vigour, passion, and an undying fire to accomplish. That really changes after you move into your later 20s!! That is as far as I have heard. I’m hardly 19, and my very own IT Training class resembles the scene of our parliament(A catnap is sure not to elude you)!!

Few days ago I saw my friend studying a book which he otherwise calls his ‘pillow’. It was called “The Companies Act, 1956”...some 600-odd sections with alphabets swarming in every page. I don't blame him calling it his pillow. The task is horrendous! The only incentive being discovery of some exquisite English. I questioned him how he studies it?? He merely shows me a notebook in which he had written some notes. “Charts, tables and boxes purport easy understanding of the subject”-he quipped. I call these charts and tables the child in us-'simple and elementary'. Once we bring them out it makes our lives easier and much, much better and uncomplicated.

I’ve often come across this situation many a time:

I was writing an exam. I was confident and started attempting the questions one after the other. One question was very familiar but the answer eluded me. I underwent an ephemeral phase of intense anxiety and self-distress, cursing myself for forgetting the answer. Finally, I remembered the correct answer and let out a loud whoop of relief.
YEESSS !!!!

I’ve vented my exhilarating feel with the whole class. No-one writes for a few seconds, All the eyes staring at me. I’m particularly proud and happy with myself and write the answer with a huge grin on my face. The others take a minute to realize the atmosphere is back to normalcy, some smiled(including the invigilator) while others took a few seconds off to observe my sudden behaviour, and others, partly disturbed continued writing at their established pace.

 I never meant to disturb anybody. I did it for my own satisfaction, and it didn’t harm others. In fact one of my exam mates told me I actually made him laugh by my action and relieved him much of his exam tension. Experiences like this make you live like a child.

Thus my dear reader-"Stay eager, stay expectant, stay excited, like a child. Be fervent and creative, but don't overdo it. There's again a difference between being enthusiastic and being hyper. The former makes you exude confidence. Never ever be callous, be phlegmatic at times when keeping your cool makes you a winner and be fresh, sportive, and keep smiling-It costs nothing !!

National University of Juridical Sciences – A Pandora’s box inside a hornet’s nest

Just as I had finished my lunch and sat down on the computer on a fine day to browse the internet and have my daily dose of Facebook, I heard a “BLOOP” sound suggesting there was a person wanting to chat with me. Reading the name I was excited to reply back and got ready to occupy myself for the next 30 minutes busy chatting about things that would best remain between close friends. But it wasn’t a “Hello”, or a “Hi” which needed reciprocation....It was a long message of around 20 lines.

I immediately sat up straightening my back thinking it must be something interesting, for he writes like a hardcore English enthusiast. But the first sentence I read got my eyebrows tilted in agitation. A very close, dear friend had dropped out of one the premier law schools in India. My friend, one of the most knowledgeable persons in the country (people who know him would agree)is a quintessential gentleman, a lad who is outspoken, and outstanding in his achievements. It would be an understatement to say that he is a stickler to discipline. He commands respect from all and is a conservative chap with rational ideas, thus making people around him both young and old admire him in an ardent manner. He is a crowd puller and a whiff of fresh air at times when people would yawn. 

As I reached the bottom of the text I had received, I was aghast, shell-shocked and clearly appalled. The reason as to why he had quit was rather unbelievable. My poor friend had experienced a sort of hell during his stay at Kolkata. Especially at the boys’ hostel where he was supposed to stay. It seems it was a veritable den of drugs and beer, where abusive language was common sight, and some boozers had turned the boys hostel into their exclusive fiefdom!! The management was hapless and the wardens were inept and lethargic.

When he embarked to report these to the Principal, he was stopped by the registrar in a somewhat bureaucratic fashion (where a people’s complaint would never reach the person to whom it is addressed to). The registrar of the university tried convincing him, even while acknowledging that his own students were lumpen and maculate. My friend could not withstand it for much longer and submitted his papers stating that he no longer wished to be a part of their fraternity. It took me some time to finish reading it. I didn’t even reply as I was speechless.

Again, I heard the “BLOOP” sound. He was asking me if I was still there. Now I replied-“Pick up your phone” while dialing his number. It had been so long since I had spoken to him and yet I could make out the familiar “HelloOo” he used to begin with during the countless other phone-talks we used to have. I reciprocated the greeting in a rush and spoke to him for a long time. He told me that he was repeatedly being asked to smuggle and buy his seniors bottles of beer, packets of cigarettes, and packets of marijuana all under the pretext of ‘ragging’!! 

How can all this happen inside the premises of the so-called 3^rd best Law school in India?? And imagine that you have to take assistance from your senior(who puffs away, does drugs and boozes to his heart’s content) to complete a project during one of your semesters for which you will be graded. And that is not all, there is a Students Association which seems to be very strong(very bad also) and it decides which students to send for extracurricular activities. So if you refuse to abet them, then sorry you’ve missed your chance to participate(let alone represent the college) in anything.

Life was as worse as hell for my poor friend who cried, shed tears, and prayed to God why this was happening to him, for he had strived and worked as hard as he could for two years and passed his Common Law Admission Test(CLAT) with flying colours securing a commendable All India Rank !! For a person such as him he deserves the best and I wish people would join me in his fight against committing crimes and acts opposed to public policy in the name of ragging!! In his own words-“There is complete Lawlessness in a Law School”!!

The Customary Toast...

Greetings Dear Readers,


To tread a new path is an adventure, an exciting and zealous feeling. Every person in this world has had some experience that he has worth rendering as a definitive, or even a life changing one. Those who can't think of one solely haven't delved much into such an experience, or hasn't the time to do so. In this fast-paced world of dynamic emotions and activity, I portray my few instances with the daily human, it being worth remembering. It would be very encouraging to corroborate my writing with your reviews providing food for improvement and amelioration. Here's to a new beginning, a new facet of my life...


Here's to a new Adventure...

 P.S: I'm very much a teetotaler...the picture is just chumma only(For an illustrative way of saying CHEERS!!)