(My class means a lot to me. Yes, It was the real place of happening of many things. I've read novels sitting in the last bench, I've texted to people sitting inside the class, I've copied from fat books for the class test, I've taken a couple of classes. I've been there with them for four years. It meant a lot to me.
Now as a token of love, I'd like to write a series of stories about people who really influenced me. The people are not in order of these stories, but I'll always have you treasured in my heart. Welcome to my class, Adriostros(ஆம் ஐ கரெக்ட்?))
We were sharing pictures through IR. He wanted pictures of Gods.
"Krishna who advices Parthan on the battle field?"
"ya.. send"
"The child Krishna who is stealing butter?"
"yes..."
"Vinayaka is Pillayaarpatti ..."
"No.."
"Why???"
"I'm a veeravaishnavaite"
This conversation happened in the first year of college.
I was at home and my father was talking, "These guys are really great. Among all the other problems in the surrounding and world, they still have their line drawn on their forehead. Vertical or horizontal". All praise the people from these top of the society group, for they have a lot of struggle behind even an engineering seat!
There are all kinds of people in the world. Some are very silly, for eg. my room-mete broke my bath tub, my 2H pencil is missing, I just got 84% in the semesters. They don't get friends easily. I had no prejudice while I started my college life. To me, all were good and some people, who faught their way to this college were very good.
He, the person with whom i was sharing photographs, was my first year hostel floormate. Once there was this b'day party of one of the other guys in my hostel floor, who was frieghtened of the events that could unfold, and went hiding in one of his friend's room - below the cot. A group of five searched the first year hostel completely twice to find him. They, dragged him to our floor, and celebrated b'day. You don't need a explanation on how b'days are celebrated in hostel. That day, it was very special and our hostel watchman(popularly known as 'thatha') came to spoil the party. Next day, warden visited the hostel. Routine.
"I could hear the sound in my house and I couldn't sleep all night. Who were all there? Tell me.."
His house is some two hundred metres away. But, all the guys on the floor were told to tell the same answer, "I slept early".
Unfortunately, 10 suspects were suspended. The talk of the hostel was that, the guy who got those pictures from me, gave a 3 page write-up on the issue. Everyone, including me had this doubt, "Did he name me?". Thus he got the badge - "Icon of Betrayal" I did not talk to him after this incident.
This happened around January of the first year. Then, days passed. We wrote environmental chemistry examination, semester holidays passed and college re-opened for the second year.
Third semester, is a good time with lot of intro functions and it is the time when we start to know our seniors. Every class in my college needs to have an IV rep, a treasurer, a secretary and placement representatives.
"So, you are the placement representative", I asked.
"Will it be 7 to 8 months since you spoke to me?", he replied. That conversation ended. Yes, I had not spoken a single word to him since that b'day party. Two days later, i asked, "I was angry because you gave it in writing to the warden!"
"How can you think that way? I just told. I didn't do anything abnormal. I know what students feel like", he spoke fastly. I knew, he was just being naive. That was because he grew up in one such atmosphere. I wanted to take off that tag from him.
He was not a very bad person. He started one of those much celebrated centence of our second year, "Do you eat rice or what they serve you in the hostel mess?" (சோத்த திங்கிறியா? இல்ல மெஸ்-ல போடுறத திங்கிறியா?). This was written on his hostel room wall just above the switch board.
Being first person in the attendance roll-call is very bad, at time. You have a big wall in front of you during exams. He was the first on attendance for our class and once this happened. The staff had some work for him and called out, "Achyuthan..."
"Present ma'am", came the reply. everyone in the classroom had a hearty laughter.
In the third year once i went to his room during the unit tests. Unit tests are the time when everyone atleast reads, and I get some browsing time as they are busy with mobile phones and books. Achyuthan used to be free because, he knows what to write or he can manage a pass mark. I was opening my blog and typing on how unit tests are conducted in my college.
He suggested some corrections and as days went by he started blogging, which is really really good. Meanwhile, he did not continue with his placement representative posts and another election was going to be held. I remember, one of my seniors who was a PRtelling me, "You will not get a better PR than him". I don't know how good or bad that was.
In the final year of college, we had the same floor in hostel again. For the third successive time, he got a room near toilet. Russel Peters became our common icon. He used to talk many accents of english language - Steve Martin, Samuel Jackson etc. negaa... negaa... Time flew by and we had the final semester. Electrical Machine Design. The paper that stood between Me and Er. Me B.E. Till the very last moment, I was sure I'd fail. But, passmark was just two days of talks away. Achyuthan did help me - not to learn but to leave worries.
He was plaed in Ashok leyland.Two people went for the final round and he got placed. The best in the class. Toppers were not placed. One told me, "you know why he got in? Its the line on his forehead". I don't believe in that. But, if that is true, that line - the reddish orange vertical line, has given him enough hardships in the past which cancels with this easy placement. From the day he got placed, till TCS-the mass recruiter came, he used to send us texts on how to face interview. Some read it, some didn't, a few deleted on seeing his name. yes, he was bad to many, even then.
He could support his family single-handedly. His dad has peptic-cancer, since we were in the second year. He had no quality of a college goer when he joined this college. One boy's slam held these golden words which Achyuthan wrote, "Thanks a lot for transforming me into a normal human-being. I hope I get a person like you in my workplace. There are lot of achyuthans in the world. Transform more Achyuthans out there in the world. They are waiting for you". The slam was not mine.
~முதல் பாகம் முற்றிற்று~
