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NOSTALGIA
Recalling the sessions that we had during the 10 weeks of FTGMP, I went in to M12 classroom.
As I entered, I saw a lot of "less familiar as well as very prominent faces". Guess who! For a change THEY were all sitting on the other side.
Dasappa followed me with his evergreen smile into the class room and was checking if the OHP as well as the Computer was on. He looked around all the smiling faces and satisfied himself that everything was alright (looked at the clock once) and then left the
room. I was to assume that all is well and the cosmic revelation can start.
"Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen", I said very cheerfully.
I could hear a chorus (coarse and soft and weak voices) reciprocating the customary wish.
Before I could talk any further, I heard one of them putting very delicately (as Vijay would throw up his hand in the classes to raise a query).
"I am going to be nasty, provocative, teasing". Very familiar, isn't it? (RN)
Another voice raised up and said "I agree" and added very softly and as if it was a whisper "Why?". I thought there was some strategy behind that question. (JR)
Then I heard someone very impatiently tapping the desk and said "lets move on sir". (YLR)
Meanwhile, around the corner of the room someone rolled up his sleeves beyond the elbow joint (giving an impression of Mallu - Reji, Chandrika, Harry to excuse) and said, "Sorry for being so crude in the morning, but i want to make an intuitive appeal to
everyone here". (LSM)
While I was watching all this helplessly, there came a louder voice but this time only it was a female voice, "Wait, wait, dont make any appeal now. Let me finish talking. I will get confused. It is brilliant because it is part of my research". (VS)
The commotion has not started yet. It was another soft voice with nasal sound tried to say something but I could not get it clearly. I could barely hear something like "Brandmaps... ". (GS)
"I don't know all that. I don't know why DELL chose to manufacture computers. May be Vijay would have something to add", this was coming from the other corner of the room (Saurabh's corner). (PDJ)
Someone was winking with little mischief in his eyes and said, "I am old now to distinguish between Dirubhai and Anil. But I can tell you that you need to use the left side as well as the right side of the brain". (MJM)
Having sat impatiently through all this conversation, the first one to have started the discussion said "Whatever side of the brain you use, make sure you forget everything that you have learned. Strip if you want, but make sure you dont have anything in the mind
- be it during coffee break or when you want to do something naughty".
Another female voice across the room blurted out, "I agree with him. I am sorry I have forgotten everything. It all vanished. I need to check everything now and get back". (PS)
"If this is what is going to continue, I dont want any theory classes. I will be happy to attend only the practical classes at the lab", said another. (RKB)
"I know. These kinds of things are happening for the past 40 years. We dont want to improve, that is our problem. But let me tell you, quality is very important thing in the world", said another. (MRG)
I requested all of them to observe silent for a while and as if my mind was read, Dasappa entered the room along with the Video man.
The cassette was in place and even the statutory warning on piracy of video was skipped and the actual video was ready to start.
"You know, I have not seen a video for sometime you know", said a voice from the middle row. (VAR)
As the video started, "Oh, it is Tom and Jerry", exclaimed the other; "I would have preferred Winnie the Pooh instead". (GNP)
"I would have preferred Art of War", came another familiar voice from the corner.
Once again, the rejoinder whispered, "But why?". (JR)
"Take down the notes, Take down the notes" said one from the first row; "Meow or Meow not, it does not matter". (NBK)
"Hey, Dont take any notes, take some supari if you want. I like monkey caps story. Some of us can go to the other M11 room and watch it, if it is okay", said the one who just finished smoking outside and entered the room. (SK)
From the cookie-cutter's corner came another soft voice, "I dont know what you people are talking about movies or serials. I know about chains, I like to talk about that over a beer in a beer manufacturing plant". (JH)
I could suddenly hear a voice (despite being not well), "Gentlemen, lets not quarrel. I am open to spend extra time if it is alright with you people. Because I feel that I have not done justice". The accent was impecabbly Oxford. (GS)
Helplessly, I kept on looking at the clock.
The movie started. There were some disturbances in the audio and hence we decided to watch the movie after the break. I could hear some of them whispering to bunk the next session.
Meanwhile, there were signals passing across the room; many of them were looking for the remotes to switch off or switch on the air conditioners, which were making the people shiver.
"It is this video or that video, micro or macro, supply or demand all are one and the same" said someone with lot of dejection. (SG)
Dasappa gave me a signal which at the first instance I failed to receive. But some of the bright others could and turned back to clock the watch, I mean to watch the clock.
Then Dasappa came and sat in Madhu's corner and made it clear that it is now or never (I mean the coffee break).
"Okay, we had covered a lot in this session. We can cover a lot in the next..." before my voice faded away the entire class was empty. The water boys entered the room to fill the glasses.
Dasappa entered with volumes of books to be distributed.
I hurriedly left the room in the side path to catch up with the queue in the rest room. It would be a long wait, as only one of the three pots would work over there. As I came out, I saw many of them talking on their cellphones and walking aimlessly in the lawn.
Contributed by - Venkataraman Ramachandran ('RV')