Reviewed by Padu & Ridhi.
I recognized him in the first sight, though he looked a little different from his picture on Orkut. Elvia and Gokul were walking side by side into our college. I was set on fire. Right from the hair on my scalp till my toes, I felt everything burning. He held her hand; I turned away at the right moment.
I couldn’t even tolerate someone holding her hands. I wondered, how I thought that I would stay with her forever as a good friend, just as a friend. Lost in agony, I walked back to our hostel.
The same person who told Manikandan about me, the same person who told me about Gokul’s proposal, called me, “Hi Preethi.”
“Hi Shantanu, how are you?”
“I am fine, how do ya do?”
“I am fine too. I called to tell you something important.” I knew she was about to, and I did know she was about to tell me about Gokul and Elvia. I waited to hear it from her.
“Today Elvia and Gokul went to a shopping mall, and he bought her some expensive gift.”
“Oh I see, ok I will ask her about it”
“Heard you are not in speaking terms with her.”
“No, nothing like that. We are just fine.”
I called Manikandan to ask him about it. His phone kept ringing, but he didn’t pick up. I knew he must have got so engrossed in his work. I checked whether he was online.
When others spent much time either programming their asses off or watching movies, I spent more time on the internet. I made a lot of friends on the internet than in the physical world around me.
That’s how I had got Manikandan’s acquaintance. As soon as I knew Elvia got her internship in that company, I searched for the company’s employees. With the subtle information and the 1 or 2 names she uttered to me on phone, I zeroed in on her team.
Step by step in a matter of a month I got to know Manikandan, Elvia’s team leader. Initially I didn’t tell him, that I knew Elvia. Later I told him like it was a coincidence, that my classmate was in his team.
But he was no dumb ass to believe my story. Right that moment he asked me, “Are you spying on her?”
I was taken aback, but before I could reply him anything, he just ignored the subject. Later on we got closer, that, he even discussed about Gokul to me, as I had said that I was just a friend.
Disturbing these thoughts my moto rang again. “Hey Mani” I would have loved Elvia to hear this.
“Hi man, wassup”
“Looks like Gokul came down to Chennai to meet Elvia. You never told me this”
“Well I didn’t know that”
“You didn’t?”
“Ya man, believe me. Anyway I am in office now so...”
“Ok fine will talk to you later.”
The cheerful hostel, which remained so even when we had a nightmarish semester exam in hours turned dark. Everything around me lost color. I felt an unknown anger surge in me. I didn’t know on whom I felt that angry or why. All I knew was I was so very angry.
The last look of Elvia flashed before me. It kept reappearing before me. I just lay down on my cot and closed my eyes, the blue eyes turned red again and again. My moto rang; I slowly opened my eyes and fumbled for my mobile phone on the table.
“Hi Anu”
“Hi na, how are you?”
“Fine dear. I am really, really sorry that...”
“That’s all fine na. I do understand the situation. I perfectly do”
“Hmm... thanks dear. At least you did.”
“Very soon Elvia will also understand.”
I knew she was about to tell me something, but she didn’t. That didn’t matter. I couldn’t stay calm anymore, after all he had done to my loving sister. ‘Avenge for Anu’ my soul kept nudging me, for my every breath.
I waited for an opportunity to make him feel the same pain as Anu. I knew physical hurting was no match to what he had done to Anu. He deserved something more. There was to be no more waiting. Opportunities are something that we create. I had made a decision.
First years had just then entered our college. My school junior Harini was one of them. She was a kind of girl, who never feared anything. She was a brilliant girl, well known for her courage at school.
I called her at once and explained everything about Anu and Kiran. She first hesitated a little, and then she acquiesced to the plan. I mailed her the picture of Kiran from our NSS albums.
I arranged for other people required for the plan. The 3rd day we were all set for the plan.
The Real Me (LVII)
Reviewed by Ridhi.
I write things that Elvia couldn’t cover namely boys’ hostel and viewing classes in the perspective of a 7 pointer. Hostel was heaven that’s what most of us will tell you at least after 2 years of staying there.
The frightful mess food, old paint withering walls, disturbances from 5.1s and other sound systems, buggers like Prabhu of our class, yet hostel life was so enjoyable. You could see all varieties of people at hostel, right from the drunkards, the chain smokers, the other sort of chain smokers who smoked out books, psychos, introverts, blabber maniacs, rumor rangers a lot of them.
And of course people who rarely fell into any category like me, or that’s what Elvia used to say I was and call me Mr.Unique. Only after she pointed out, I realized that, people who detest vodka, who feel it hard to breathe, when there is a smell of nicotine, being so deep into elections are a rare phenomenon. Not just that, the other thing was I was not from an influential family or the friend of the son of a big shot, yet I am a key person in college elections.
I hung out with a lot of people, but most relations were perfectly professional acquaintances. It would be either people who were involved in college elections or those who were part of college symposium or NSS peers or juniors. It might be because, I don’t trust people so deeply nor I rarely get emotionally attached with anyone, or because I am a control freak.
Half the college considered me and Elvia as an ideal pair, though we are black and white. We are just opposites in almost everything, right from me being a guy and she being a girl. Ya, that’s a joke, though it is an undisputed truth.
For this reason Elvia, though being a girl of the kind who would get at least a proposal a week, rarely got one. Everyone considered we were in love with each other. Mind you if I say, none would try and mess up with my girl. It became a de facto standard, that, the top guys in college elections are tuff guys.
I first saw her in our counseling. She was sitting a few rows ahead of me, when waiting for our admission letters. I wondered whether she would be in my department or if she chose ECE.
For the next ten days after counseling most of us would have dreamed of college. Even I did, but with Elvia in it. I wondered what her name might be, what department she belonged to, would I ever get a chance to speak to her.
Hence forth my college started with dreams about this girl. I knew it was stupid, love at first sight is perfectly insensible, yet I was obsessed, all my brain stopped working. I went crazy.
When I discovered that she belonged to CSE department, I don’t think I can ever explain how it felt like. You would have read that, I quit from NCC, as I wanted to spend time with Elvia by joining her NSS unit.
Many a once I saw Krishna and other smart or studious guys speak with Elvia for an entire break session, for almost 20minutes. Till date I wonder how they managed to speak so long. May be they spoke about C programming and how advanced java was when compared to C. Unfortunately I was not geeky enough in all that to strike a conversation with Elvia confidently.
I have heard friends say ‘why the hell lovely girls are often studious’, how unfortunate! Elvia turned out to be one such girl. I tried to be a 9 pointer but I never was able to be even an 8 pointer. I never love doing something I am not interested in.
At school my teachers had created an illusion that, college will be a dream world, like Utopia. They said that, I would have a nice time at college, more than all that I believed things would be more practical than theoretical. All in vain, none of them were true. I felt like doing a +2 every 5months.
I somehow managed +2 after a year of hard core schooling with, spending time at special classes and tuitions, and reaching home after 9PM. I couldn’t do that anymore. I wished, I do things that I felt were useful and the ones that made sense to me. I was bored of running behind marks or grades.
I got in touch with Elvia, thanks to NSS. Soon I learned that Elvia had more than just lovely looks. She was not just an angel by looks, but by heart and her very soul was divine. She was always honest, and she was straight forward, above all that, she did what she felt was right without pretending to be someone for the sake of others.
Days went by. I grew madder about her. I wanted to prove her, that, though I was not worthy enough to be a 9pointer I do have other skills. I got in all sort of extra-curricular or organizational activities in college and certainly I did well in all that, but I was not sure whether they impressed a good opinion in Elvia.
I wanted to open my heart and show her that she is embedded in every drop of my blood and every cell of my muscles, but I never was able to. She considered me a very good friend. In fact the best of friends, equal to Anu and Divya. I never could afford to mess it up.
I wanted to stay with her as long as I could. I didn’t want to distance her by opening up my love to her. Further, I feared, she would never love a 7 pointer and a political person. I tried my best to hide and suppress the overflowing emotions by letting her know how I felt about her.
At times it felt like I would live forever with this untold love staying by her side as a good friend. In fact that definitely was a better option, than she hating me forever for mistaking her friendship as love.
When it came to Anu, I stood by her word ‘brother’. I cared for her like I do for my own sister. On that day, I wanted to break Kiran into pieces, but how would people ever call me a good leader, if I let my personal emotions blast off all the hard earned results they had achieved.
Elections were not just my cause. It was not just my victory, but it was our victory. People had worked hard for months considering the difference between election triumph and defeat as the different between life and death. The victory was as much theirs as much it was mine.
Elvia didn’t understand all that, anger blinded her. I could see she was so very annoyed and angry at my passivity from her big blue eyes, which always had a loving look then stared at me with fury. The last look she gave me after that incident almost killed me, but I was standing there helpless. My boiling blood drained out completely at her misunderstanding. I was looking for an opportunity to prove she was wrong, most importantly to avenge for my beloved sister Anu.
I write things that Elvia couldn’t cover namely boys’ hostel and viewing classes in the perspective of a 7 pointer. Hostel was heaven that’s what most of us will tell you at least after 2 years of staying there.
The frightful mess food, old paint withering walls, disturbances from 5.1s and other sound systems, buggers like Prabhu of our class, yet hostel life was so enjoyable. You could see all varieties of people at hostel, right from the drunkards, the chain smokers, the other sort of chain smokers who smoked out books, psychos, introverts, blabber maniacs, rumor rangers a lot of them.
And of course people who rarely fell into any category like me, or that’s what Elvia used to say I was and call me Mr.Unique. Only after she pointed out, I realized that, people who detest vodka, who feel it hard to breathe, when there is a smell of nicotine, being so deep into elections are a rare phenomenon. Not just that, the other thing was I was not from an influential family or the friend of the son of a big shot, yet I am a key person in college elections.
I hung out with a lot of people, but most relations were perfectly professional acquaintances. It would be either people who were involved in college elections or those who were part of college symposium or NSS peers or juniors. It might be because, I don’t trust people so deeply nor I rarely get emotionally attached with anyone, or because I am a control freak.
Half the college considered me and Elvia as an ideal pair, though we are black and white. We are just opposites in almost everything, right from me being a guy and she being a girl. Ya, that’s a joke, though it is an undisputed truth.
For this reason Elvia, though being a girl of the kind who would get at least a proposal a week, rarely got one. Everyone considered we were in love with each other. Mind you if I say, none would try and mess up with my girl. It became a de facto standard, that, the top guys in college elections are tuff guys.
I first saw her in our counseling. She was sitting a few rows ahead of me, when waiting for our admission letters. I wondered whether she would be in my department or if she chose ECE.
For the next ten days after counseling most of us would have dreamed of college. Even I did, but with Elvia in it. I wondered what her name might be, what department she belonged to, would I ever get a chance to speak to her.
Hence forth my college started with dreams about this girl. I knew it was stupid, love at first sight is perfectly insensible, yet I was obsessed, all my brain stopped working. I went crazy.
When I discovered that she belonged to CSE department, I don’t think I can ever explain how it felt like. You would have read that, I quit from NCC, as I wanted to spend time with Elvia by joining her NSS unit.
Many a once I saw Krishna and other smart or studious guys speak with Elvia for an entire break session, for almost 20minutes. Till date I wonder how they managed to speak so long. May be they spoke about C programming and how advanced java was when compared to C. Unfortunately I was not geeky enough in all that to strike a conversation with Elvia confidently.
I have heard friends say ‘why the hell lovely girls are often studious’, how unfortunate! Elvia turned out to be one such girl. I tried to be a 9 pointer but I never was able to be even an 8 pointer. I never love doing something I am not interested in.
At school my teachers had created an illusion that, college will be a dream world, like Utopia. They said that, I would have a nice time at college, more than all that I believed things would be more practical than theoretical. All in vain, none of them were true. I felt like doing a +2 every 5months.
I somehow managed +2 after a year of hard core schooling with, spending time at special classes and tuitions, and reaching home after 9PM. I couldn’t do that anymore. I wished, I do things that I felt were useful and the ones that made sense to me. I was bored of running behind marks or grades.
I got in touch with Elvia, thanks to NSS. Soon I learned that Elvia had more than just lovely looks. She was not just an angel by looks, but by heart and her very soul was divine. She was always honest, and she was straight forward, above all that, she did what she felt was right without pretending to be someone for the sake of others.
Days went by. I grew madder about her. I wanted to prove her, that, though I was not worthy enough to be a 9pointer I do have other skills. I got in all sort of extra-curricular or organizational activities in college and certainly I did well in all that, but I was not sure whether they impressed a good opinion in Elvia.
I wanted to open my heart and show her that she is embedded in every drop of my blood and every cell of my muscles, but I never was able to. She considered me a very good friend. In fact the best of friends, equal to Anu and Divya. I never could afford to mess it up.
I wanted to stay with her as long as I could. I didn’t want to distance her by opening up my love to her. Further, I feared, she would never love a 7 pointer and a political person. I tried my best to hide and suppress the overflowing emotions by letting her know how I felt about her.
At times it felt like I would live forever with this untold love staying by her side as a good friend. In fact that definitely was a better option, than she hating me forever for mistaking her friendship as love.
When it came to Anu, I stood by her word ‘brother’. I cared for her like I do for my own sister. On that day, I wanted to break Kiran into pieces, but how would people ever call me a good leader, if I let my personal emotions blast off all the hard earned results they had achieved.
Elections were not just my cause. It was not just my victory, but it was our victory. People had worked hard for months considering the difference between election triumph and defeat as the different between life and death. The victory was as much theirs as much it was mine.
Elvia didn’t understand all that, anger blinded her. I could see she was so very annoyed and angry at my passivity from her big blue eyes, which always had a loving look then stared at me with fury. The last look she gave me after that incident almost killed me, but I was standing there helpless. My boiling blood drained out completely at her misunderstanding. I was looking for an opportunity to prove she was wrong, most importantly to avenge for my beloved sister Anu.
My Part
I am Shantanu Reddy
Thanks to Elvia and all those who voted in favor of me writing here. I m borrowing Elvia's keyboard for 3 chapters, after which she will have her keyboard all for herself. Please bear with me.
P.S. U can comment in this post regarding your approval or disapproval of me writing 3 chapters. Despite the poll results, if we find the reasons sensible, we will undo my writing.
THANK U
The Real Him (LVI)
Reviewed by Ridhi.
I overheard, what Ramesh was replying, keeping my ears close to Anu’s. It’s a fact that even Devil can’t say ‘no’ to a girl’s tears especially when that devil is male. Certainly Ramesh couldn’t say ‘no’. He agreed just for the heck of it, but he clearly sounded skeptical.
I called Shantanu and told him about this. He was standing right before the entrance of the ballot room where the representatives of various classes were to vote for the president. He overheard some conversation and told me that, Ramesh just lied to us.
I had no intention of making Anu cry anymore, and it served no purpose. Anyways the truth can’t be hid forever. The results will be out in half an hour. At least let her be happy till then.
Not just Anu, I myself felt so very broken. Something made me feel very bad about getting into elections. Though not for Shantanu, at least for Anu’s sake I had to be.
Lost in this thought mesh I just leaned over the wall with Anu lying with her head on my scalp.
Time passed by. Every second moved like a year. Minutes turned to be centuries and I spent a dozen of lifetimes in those few minutes. Good or bad, I wanted the results to be out soon. There was no hope. It was almost sure that they will win, but somewhere in a corner, my killer instinct kept saying that there was a chance.
After some half an hour, I got a call, I guessed it must be Shantanu, but it was a junior. I had no mood to advise any junior on Algorithms or Data Structures. I ignored the call. The phone rang again. I got irritated, yet I picked up.
“Hello….”
“Akka we won, we won” Anu’s mobile, Diviya’s mobile almost every mobile in my audibility range rang. Another friend came dashing through our doors shouting, “we won”
I could hear the loud cheer from the direction of the main building. The cheer spread to all parts of the college. I wondered whether Anu’s tears worked, or did some supposedly sold off junior changed his mind at the last moment. I wanted to know whether we just won by 1 vote.
I called Shantanu, “:Hey..”
I could only hear loud noises and cheer. Full of distinctive voices, he hung up.
I called again, no response. After some ten minutes he called me back, there was still the background noise. “Elvi Elvi we won! we won!”
“I know that, by how many votes”
“By 3 votes that’s the best part. Hey I..”, his voice broke.
”Hey one sec, one sec don’t hung up.”
“aaa, ya ya tell me soon”
“Can we come down now. “
“Sure, sure come on here. I will bust their asses if someone bug you. Come onnn…” he hung up. Anu was on cloud 9. She thanked all the numerous Gods she had been praying all this time. We couldn’t wait anymore, we ran down to join the cheering.
Every road every place, everywhere we could see there was cheering and teasing the losers. I personally don’t approve of winners teasing the losers. But for all Kiran had done, I wished at least Anu made a ‘thumbs down’ gesture at him.
We rushed to join Shantanu, who was in cloud 9Ks. Most of our juniors were there. People rushed from all sides to congratulate us as if we won the presidency. The pleasant quiet breeze of our campus was now filled with bliss in every bit.
We finally reached Shantanu. He almost hugged me, even I wanted to, but the cultural constraints of India stopped us. Still he hugged me and Anu catching our shoulders. We hugged other girls there. The air was filled with the smell of triumph.
After almost an hour of cheering and hugging and everything, we walked our way back to our hostels. Shantanu, Anu and I walked on the road to our hostel. At a distance I saw Kiran walking towards us. I prodded Anu to tease him. She remained silent.
‘Why on earth some girls are so weak?’ I cursed her, and continued to walk ignoring him. Kiran came near us and before anyone of us could say something, if at all we wanted to, he, “Hey bitch, you won with your street girl charms…”
He abused Anu and me with such terms and called Shantanu a pimp. I could feel my blood boil with all his abuses, and I wanted to give him a strong kick, but I had to catch Anu who almost collapsed.
Shantanu coolly asked me to stay calm, as any violence or anything of that sort that day will affect the election's credibility. He was so concerned about his post and his position in the college committee. He remained was cold, numb and never showed any signs of annoyance.
We walked away from him. More than Anu’s sobs, I felt very bad, about falling in love with such self centered, power greedy monster.
Anu’s cloud 9 dissolved in her tear rain. As dad’s advice I satisfied myself with optimistic thoughts, that things would have been worser if Kiran won. I started hating Shantanu, more than I hated Kiran.
I believed, I had learned the real Shantanu, but I was soon proven wrong.
I overheard, what Ramesh was replying, keeping my ears close to Anu’s. It’s a fact that even Devil can’t say ‘no’ to a girl’s tears especially when that devil is male. Certainly Ramesh couldn’t say ‘no’. He agreed just for the heck of it, but he clearly sounded skeptical.
I called Shantanu and told him about this. He was standing right before the entrance of the ballot room where the representatives of various classes were to vote for the president. He overheard some conversation and told me that, Ramesh just lied to us.
I had no intention of making Anu cry anymore, and it served no purpose. Anyways the truth can’t be hid forever. The results will be out in half an hour. At least let her be happy till then.
Not just Anu, I myself felt so very broken. Something made me feel very bad about getting into elections. Though not for Shantanu, at least for Anu’s sake I had to be.
Lost in this thought mesh I just leaned over the wall with Anu lying with her head on my scalp.
Time passed by. Every second moved like a year. Minutes turned to be centuries and I spent a dozen of lifetimes in those few minutes. Good or bad, I wanted the results to be out soon. There was no hope. It was almost sure that they will win, but somewhere in a corner, my killer instinct kept saying that there was a chance.
After some half an hour, I got a call, I guessed it must be Shantanu, but it was a junior. I had no mood to advise any junior on Algorithms or Data Structures. I ignored the call. The phone rang again. I got irritated, yet I picked up.
“Hello….”
“Akka we won, we won” Anu’s mobile, Diviya’s mobile almost every mobile in my audibility range rang. Another friend came dashing through our doors shouting, “we won”
I could hear the loud cheer from the direction of the main building. The cheer spread to all parts of the college. I wondered whether Anu’s tears worked, or did some supposedly sold off junior changed his mind at the last moment. I wanted to know whether we just won by 1 vote.
I called Shantanu, “:Hey..”
I could only hear loud noises and cheer. Full of distinctive voices, he hung up.
I called again, no response. After some ten minutes he called me back, there was still the background noise. “Elvi Elvi we won! we won!”
“I know that, by how many votes”
“By 3 votes that’s the best part. Hey I..”, his voice broke.
”Hey one sec, one sec don’t hung up.”
“aaa, ya ya tell me soon”
“Can we come down now. “
“Sure, sure come on here. I will bust their asses if someone bug you. Come onnn…” he hung up. Anu was on cloud 9. She thanked all the numerous Gods she had been praying all this time. We couldn’t wait anymore, we ran down to join the cheering.
Every road every place, everywhere we could see there was cheering and teasing the losers. I personally don’t approve of winners teasing the losers. But for all Kiran had done, I wished at least Anu made a ‘thumbs down’ gesture at him.
We rushed to join Shantanu, who was in cloud 9Ks. Most of our juniors were there. People rushed from all sides to congratulate us as if we won the presidency. The pleasant quiet breeze of our campus was now filled with bliss in every bit.
We finally reached Shantanu. He almost hugged me, even I wanted to, but the cultural constraints of India stopped us. Still he hugged me and Anu catching our shoulders. We hugged other girls there. The air was filled with the smell of triumph.
After almost an hour of cheering and hugging and everything, we walked our way back to our hostels. Shantanu, Anu and I walked on the road to our hostel. At a distance I saw Kiran walking towards us. I prodded Anu to tease him. She remained silent.
‘Why on earth some girls are so weak?’ I cursed her, and continued to walk ignoring him. Kiran came near us and before anyone of us could say something, if at all we wanted to, he, “Hey bitch, you won with your street girl charms…”
He abused Anu and me with such terms and called Shantanu a pimp. I could feel my blood boil with all his abuses, and I wanted to give him a strong kick, but I had to catch Anu who almost collapsed.
Shantanu coolly asked me to stay calm, as any violence or anything of that sort that day will affect the election's credibility. He was so concerned about his post and his position in the college committee. He remained was cold, numb and never showed any signs of annoyance.
We walked away from him. More than Anu’s sobs, I felt very bad, about falling in love with such self centered, power greedy monster.
Anu’s cloud 9 dissolved in her tear rain. As dad’s advice I satisfied myself with optimistic thoughts, that things would have been worser if Kiran won. I started hating Shantanu, more than I hated Kiran.
I believed, I had learned the real Shantanu, but I was soon proven wrong.
Power of a Girl’s Tears (LV)
Reviewed by Ridhi.
I was lying on the bed, when Anu called Shantanu, “Hi na, what’s the status?”
Anu addressed Shantanu as Elder brother. She always wanted someone to love her and care for her. She, who lived with minimal relations, would have definitely fell for Shantanu’s charms, and I bet she would have had even given half her father’s savings as his share as a hire.
I came back to the outside world, “So the fate lies in the hands of 4th year mech.”
I didn’t hear the other side of the conversation. I eagerly waited for her to hang up.
“Hey..”
“They are leading by one vote. 4th yr mech classes have decided, that, they will go for voting for the same side. So only if both of them vote in favor of us, we would win”
“Initially one of them was on our side, right?”
“Ya, looks like they don’t want their department’s integrity to be disturbed by elections. So they have decided to stay together.”
“But how will they decide on which side both of them will vote?”
“He said something which I couldn’t make out. The elections in their classes must be going on now”
“Guess their classes must be in their department itself”
“Ya, but the elections are going on in the humanities block as it is closer, when compared mech dept.”
Speaking this, we got ready to get down. ‘Even if there is an earth quake, girls will never come out of the building without a few layers over their façade.’ Recalling one of our seniors, Mohan’s words, I came out of our room smiling.
Anu and I leaped for every step, but didn’t run, though we badly wanted to. Shantanu and Co were standing there before the building waiting for the results. Similarly the other side guys and girls were also there. Almost half the college waited there.
The road separating the CSE department from the Humanities block was completely blocked for traffic. We fought our way to Shantanu, but couldn’t get there. So we asked a nearby 4th year of our side, “What’s happening?”
“Mech dept elections”
“Oh we know that.”
“Then why did you ask?”
“I mean, have they decided on what side they are voting for.”
“Looks like they will count the total number of votes in both the classes, and if the net count of votes in a side is well ahead of the other, what then that side wins this election”
“Oh my God”, Shivering I punched a few alphabets in my mobile. “Divi divi where are you?”
“I..”
”Forget it. Now listen, in mech dept they have decided.” Gasping for breath, “that they will vote, based on the total number of…”
“Hey hold it, hold it, I am standing before the block under the Neem tree near physics dept. I have heard of all that.”
”Oh well fine. Now listen, your school mate, who is he? Praa..”
“Prabhakaran”
“Ya him. You said that he is voting for the opposition only because his class will win on the opposition whether or not he voted for them. So..”
“Ya got it. Now if he votes for us that will count”
“Ya, now you…”, she hung up. She must have cut my call to call him.
I saw her speaking over phone near the Physics department. I walked past the crowd pulling Anu. A guy was praying, looking straight into the sky; another was biting his finger nails. We came off the road near the physics department. I engulfed the pleasant breeze of the fauna of our campus.
Running to her, “hey what did he say?”
“Hmmm.. he is just prattling over some non-sense. I am not sure of him”
We waited and suddenly the murmurs rose too loud. Sensing the meaning of it, we ran towards the entrance of the block. It was jam packed. People were speaking a lot of things. I was unable to make out anything.
But one thing was sure, the battle was not over. If either of us had won, there would have been heavy cheering and teasing the others. I called Shantanu, the line was busy, after some few minutes he picked up. “Hey what’s happening?”
”I am kinda busy talk to you later. Where are you?”
“Near the block”, I could hear background shouting and arguments.
“What the hell! Get out now. Go back to your hostel. Things will get dirty here. Get out now”
“But..” he was no more on the line. Before I could say anything, Divya, “hey guess we gotta get out of here”
Back in our hostel, a 4th year girl told us that the vote difference was so close. “Our side was just 4 more votes than theirs. Our side guys are arguing that they stand by their words. The others are fighting that the difference is so small and so they will have one vote for them and the other for us.”
Finally, the case came to a conclusion, that, one of the classes will vote for us, and the other will abstain from elections. This left the result hanging, and if they managed to convince Ramesh, the Printing dept representative, they will win.
“They have almost done with Ramesh”, someone said.
Hearing this, Anu almost fainted. I called Aiswarya the senior whom I knew in that dept. I tried to convince her, but in vain, she said she is helpless.
Finally, I zeroed in on the final desperate attempt, which had some probability of victory. I said, “Kiran would be cheering by now. For another year we are going to live with this.”
Anu broke out. I immediately called Aiswarya and put the phone near Anu. I knew that was dirty, and may be even cruel. I cursed myself to have got influenced by Shantanu’s political sickness. But in the long term, if it worked, Anu will definitely be very happy. Consoling myself with that thought. I waited for Anu to hang up.
She cried for some time. Aiswarya, a soft natured girl, got her heart dissolved in Anu’s grief.
Finally, “I will try my best dear. I will speak to him right now.”
We hugged Anu and consoled her wondering, whether Aiswarya will mange to influence her boy friend.
By 3.20PM we got a call from Aiswarya, “Hi ka” I stopped from going further. I didn’t want to sound desperate. The polling will start by 3.30PM
“Hi dear, is Anu still crying?”
“Yes ka, she is lying on her bed. We tried to console her, but in vain”
“Hmmm.. I tried but Ramesh was not convinced.” I could hear all my insides crash.
She continued, “But if Anu speaks to him, may be he will acquiesce. I know him. He is kind hearted. If Anu speaks to him, there is a good chance. Meanwhile I will speak with other girls in my class and try to thrust him in voting for you.”
Almost all hope is lost. “Thanks ka”, I meekly replied, and hung up.
Just for the heck of it, I dialed for Ramesh, and gave the mobile to Anu. She started to speak with tears in her eyes. Sobbing she fumbled for words.
I sat near her, wondering whether these tears had the power to change the future.
I was lying on the bed, when Anu called Shantanu, “Hi na, what’s the status?”
Anu addressed Shantanu as Elder brother. She always wanted someone to love her and care for her. She, who lived with minimal relations, would have definitely fell for Shantanu’s charms, and I bet she would have had even given half her father’s savings as his share as a hire.
I came back to the outside world, “So the fate lies in the hands of 4th year mech.”
I didn’t hear the other side of the conversation. I eagerly waited for her to hang up.
“Hey..”
“They are leading by one vote. 4th yr mech classes have decided, that, they will go for voting for the same side. So only if both of them vote in favor of us, we would win”
“Initially one of them was on our side, right?”
“Ya, looks like they don’t want their department’s integrity to be disturbed by elections. So they have decided to stay together.”
“But how will they decide on which side both of them will vote?”
“He said something which I couldn’t make out. The elections in their classes must be going on now”
“Guess their classes must be in their department itself”
“Ya, but the elections are going on in the humanities block as it is closer, when compared mech dept.”
Speaking this, we got ready to get down. ‘Even if there is an earth quake, girls will never come out of the building without a few layers over their façade.’ Recalling one of our seniors, Mohan’s words, I came out of our room smiling.
Anu and I leaped for every step, but didn’t run, though we badly wanted to. Shantanu and Co were standing there before the building waiting for the results. Similarly the other side guys and girls were also there. Almost half the college waited there.
The road separating the CSE department from the Humanities block was completely blocked for traffic. We fought our way to Shantanu, but couldn’t get there. So we asked a nearby 4th year of our side, “What’s happening?”
“Mech dept elections”
“Oh we know that.”
“Then why did you ask?”
“I mean, have they decided on what side they are voting for.”
“Looks like they will count the total number of votes in both the classes, and if the net count of votes in a side is well ahead of the other, what then that side wins this election”
“Oh my God”, Shivering I punched a few alphabets in my mobile. “Divi divi where are you?”
“I..”
”Forget it. Now listen, in mech dept they have decided.” Gasping for breath, “that they will vote, based on the total number of…”
“Hey hold it, hold it, I am standing before the block under the Neem tree near physics dept. I have heard of all that.”
”Oh well fine. Now listen, your school mate, who is he? Praa..”
“Prabhakaran”
“Ya him. You said that he is voting for the opposition only because his class will win on the opposition whether or not he voted for them. So..”
“Ya got it. Now if he votes for us that will count”
“Ya, now you…”, she hung up. She must have cut my call to call him.
I saw her speaking over phone near the Physics department. I walked past the crowd pulling Anu. A guy was praying, looking straight into the sky; another was biting his finger nails. We came off the road near the physics department. I engulfed the pleasant breeze of the fauna of our campus.
Running to her, “hey what did he say?”
“Hmmm.. he is just prattling over some non-sense. I am not sure of him”
We waited and suddenly the murmurs rose too loud. Sensing the meaning of it, we ran towards the entrance of the block. It was jam packed. People were speaking a lot of things. I was unable to make out anything.
But one thing was sure, the battle was not over. If either of us had won, there would have been heavy cheering and teasing the others. I called Shantanu, the line was busy, after some few minutes he picked up. “Hey what’s happening?”
”I am kinda busy talk to you later. Where are you?”
“Near the block”, I could hear background shouting and arguments.
“What the hell! Get out now. Go back to your hostel. Things will get dirty here. Get out now”
“But..” he was no more on the line. Before I could say anything, Divya, “hey guess we gotta get out of here”
Back in our hostel, a 4th year girl told us that the vote difference was so close. “Our side was just 4 more votes than theirs. Our side guys are arguing that they stand by their words. The others are fighting that the difference is so small and so they will have one vote for them and the other for us.”
Finally, the case came to a conclusion, that, one of the classes will vote for us, and the other will abstain from elections. This left the result hanging, and if they managed to convince Ramesh, the Printing dept representative, they will win.
“They have almost done with Ramesh”, someone said.
Hearing this, Anu almost fainted. I called Aiswarya the senior whom I knew in that dept. I tried to convince her, but in vain, she said she is helpless.
Finally, I zeroed in on the final desperate attempt, which had some probability of victory. I said, “Kiran would be cheering by now. For another year we are going to live with this.”
Anu broke out. I immediately called Aiswarya and put the phone near Anu. I knew that was dirty, and may be even cruel. I cursed myself to have got influenced by Shantanu’s political sickness. But in the long term, if it worked, Anu will definitely be very happy. Consoling myself with that thought. I waited for Anu to hang up.
She cried for some time. Aiswarya, a soft natured girl, got her heart dissolved in Anu’s grief.
Finally, “I will try my best dear. I will speak to him right now.”
We hugged Anu and consoled her wondering, whether Aiswarya will mange to influence her boy friend.
By 3.20PM we got a call from Aiswarya, “Hi ka” I stopped from going further. I didn’t want to sound desperate. The polling will start by 3.30PM
“Hi dear, is Anu still crying?”
“Yes ka, she is lying on her bed. We tried to console her, but in vain”
“Hmmm.. I tried but Ramesh was not convinced.” I could hear all my insides crash.
She continued, “But if Anu speaks to him, may be he will acquiesce. I know him. He is kind hearted. If Anu speaks to him, there is a good chance. Meanwhile I will speak with other girls in my class and try to thrust him in voting for you.”
Almost all hope is lost. “Thanks ka”, I meekly replied, and hung up.
Just for the heck of it, I dialed for Ramesh, and gave the mobile to Anu. She started to speak with tears in her eyes. Sobbing she fumbled for words.
I sat near her, wondering whether these tears had the power to change the future.
The E Day (LIV)
Reviewed by Nathan, Ridhi, Ironmonkey and Padu.
“What’s the 1st hour?”
“Never mind, I am not attending”
I called Shantanu, “Hey, when will we have the results?”
“Hope you know the election procedures”
“Hmmm.. first the representatives for all the classes have to be elected. Then, the class reps will vote for the president.”
“Yup, so first of all the class reps have to be elected for all the classes of all departments of 2nd, 3rd and 4th years. This will be completed at the earliest by 5th hour i.e. around two. So the earliest time we would have the final result is by 2.30”
“How are the hopes?”
“4th years we have 5 sure for us, 6 for them and 1 in dilemma. Our years, it’s 7-7, neck on neck. 2nd years, we don’t have an exact estimate, possibly our department and IT, with you in our side we have them with us so 4, Divya influenced 2 classes in ECE, similarly in mech we have 2, but the other departments we have no clue.”
“So if only we have second years we will win.”
“Absolutely. Our seniors are working on the 4th year printing department. People say they are abstaining from the elections. Looks like we are almost neck on neck in 2nd years, if we lose to them in 4th years, we are gone.”
“Printing? I know Aiswarya akka, she might help us influence them”
“I personally do know the ‘would be’ class rep. Even then we are still unable to convince them. Lets see, if you want to give a try, very well, go ahead.”
“Update me on anything you get to know”
“Sure, keep track of the second year girls. You even know a few ECE and CSE guys, just keep in touch with them. Though they count as sure, we gotta be careful.”
“Get the car. Keep him safe”
“What?”
“Ha it’s here. Hey I am getting a bit busy. Will update you. Remember what I said. Bye”
Now, I had no intention of attending the classes. I walked with Anu to junior’s block. Our juniors seemed excited. We had a warm welcome, with them firing their election queries at us.
We influenced a few girls to influence their friends in other departments. I made an analysis on second year possibilities. In 3 departments the class rep election was neck to neck. In just 2 or 3 votes the fate of those classes may vary.
I sketched a plan, we decided on using girls’ power and guys’ weaknesses. I focused on those 2-3 dilemma votes in those departments. We looked for girls, who were friends with those people.
The girls brought them to meet me personally, and what else, I used all my charms to canvas their brains. Most of them did nod their heads well, but I didn’t think they were really convinced. We saw to that, we get some people, who supported us from that class, to encircle these dilemma guys so that, they were not approached by the other side.
Time was then 10.15AM. Anu, Divya and I were in our morning break rounds to our juniors. We tried, if we could pull in one or two of the opposite side’s 8 in our years, but as Shantanu said, they proved as sure as the 8 on our side. So, we decided, that, we would better work on 2nd years.
We walked in the corridors, crossing age old pillars and classrooms. We reached the main door of a 2nd year CSE class room. I climbed up the dais with a serious expression, with Anu and Divya waiting near the dais with similar expression.
“Friends, who are we voting for?”
“You”
“Well, well, we are voting for the good people. Fine…”
The would be class rep interrupted, “Akka, we are sure ka, there is nothing to worry about. You better concentrate on other departments.”
“I know that dear, I know that for sure. But now I have come only in regards with the other departments. Our victory lies in the verdict of the second years now”
Anu joined me, “2nd yr votes are going to be the deciding factor. Not just this year elections, even for the forthcoming years, if we have to win we have to make sure we have the other 2nd years also with us.”
I, “So, we want you to talk to your friends in other departments. We have to work fast, and work now. I am not asking you to cut classes. Classes are important, but something can change our future…”
“Akka, if you can tell us the departments to work on we will work more focused.”
“Most of the departments are in dilemma. Every single person you pull, in we would be at a vantage point.”
“But hasn’t Divya akka made sure of ECE?”
“Ya she has, but one class is still dangling. So friends we need to go now. Our hopes, now lie in your hands. All the best.”, I stepped down from the dais, and we repeated this for all the other ‘sure on our side’ 2nd year classrooms.
It was 11.00AM then, elections had got over in most of the 2nd and 3rd year classes and the results were very much as predicted. The dilemma printing rep had been elected, but he hadn’t voted till then. Out of the 6 classes, that had elected their reps in the 2nd years, 3 were ours and 3 theirs, and 1 unsure.
By lunch break, the overall result was, 13 for us and 14 for them.
I called Shantanu, “Hey”
“ya tell me”
“How is it going?”
“Nightmare. They are buying out the reps, who were supposed to vote for us.”
“What?”
“I gotta go”
I prayed like I had never done before. We had done everything in our power. There was nothing more we could do. We sat in our room in silence. I just rested on my bed, thinking of the elections. More than elections, I was deeply concerned about Anu and Kiran.
“What’s the 1st hour?”
“Never mind, I am not attending”
I called Shantanu, “Hey, when will we have the results?”
“Hope you know the election procedures”
“Hmmm.. first the representatives for all the classes have to be elected. Then, the class reps will vote for the president.”
“Yup, so first of all the class reps have to be elected for all the classes of all departments of 2nd, 3rd and 4th years. This will be completed at the earliest by 5th hour i.e. around two. So the earliest time we would have the final result is by 2.30”
“How are the hopes?”
“4th years we have 5 sure for us, 6 for them and 1 in dilemma. Our years, it’s 7-7, neck on neck. 2nd years, we don’t have an exact estimate, possibly our department and IT, with you in our side we have them with us so 4, Divya influenced 2 classes in ECE, similarly in mech we have 2, but the other departments we have no clue.”
“So if only we have second years we will win.”
“Absolutely. Our seniors are working on the 4th year printing department. People say they are abstaining from the elections. Looks like we are almost neck on neck in 2nd years, if we lose to them in 4th years, we are gone.”
“Printing? I know Aiswarya akka, she might help us influence them”
“I personally do know the ‘would be’ class rep. Even then we are still unable to convince them. Lets see, if you want to give a try, very well, go ahead.”
“Update me on anything you get to know”
“Sure, keep track of the second year girls. You even know a few ECE and CSE guys, just keep in touch with them. Though they count as sure, we gotta be careful.”
“Get the car. Keep him safe”
“What?”
“Ha it’s here. Hey I am getting a bit busy. Will update you. Remember what I said. Bye”
Now, I had no intention of attending the classes. I walked with Anu to junior’s block. Our juniors seemed excited. We had a warm welcome, with them firing their election queries at us.
We influenced a few girls to influence their friends in other departments. I made an analysis on second year possibilities. In 3 departments the class rep election was neck to neck. In just 2 or 3 votes the fate of those classes may vary.
I sketched a plan, we decided on using girls’ power and guys’ weaknesses. I focused on those 2-3 dilemma votes in those departments. We looked for girls, who were friends with those people.
The girls brought them to meet me personally, and what else, I used all my charms to canvas their brains. Most of them did nod their heads well, but I didn’t think they were really convinced. We saw to that, we get some people, who supported us from that class, to encircle these dilemma guys so that, they were not approached by the other side.
Time was then 10.15AM. Anu, Divya and I were in our morning break rounds to our juniors. We tried, if we could pull in one or two of the opposite side’s 8 in our years, but as Shantanu said, they proved as sure as the 8 on our side. So, we decided, that, we would better work on 2nd years.
We walked in the corridors, crossing age old pillars and classrooms. We reached the main door of a 2nd year CSE class room. I climbed up the dais with a serious expression, with Anu and Divya waiting near the dais with similar expression.
“Friends, who are we voting for?”
“You”
“Well, well, we are voting for the good people. Fine…”
The would be class rep interrupted, “Akka, we are sure ka, there is nothing to worry about. You better concentrate on other departments.”
“I know that dear, I know that for sure. But now I have come only in regards with the other departments. Our victory lies in the verdict of the second years now”
Anu joined me, “2nd yr votes are going to be the deciding factor. Not just this year elections, even for the forthcoming years, if we have to win we have to make sure we have the other 2nd years also with us.”
I, “So, we want you to talk to your friends in other departments. We have to work fast, and work now. I am not asking you to cut classes. Classes are important, but something can change our future…”
“Akka, if you can tell us the departments to work on we will work more focused.”
“Most of the departments are in dilemma. Every single person you pull, in we would be at a vantage point.”
“But hasn’t Divya akka made sure of ECE?”
“Ya she has, but one class is still dangling. So friends we need to go now. Our hopes, now lie in your hands. All the best.”, I stepped down from the dais, and we repeated this for all the other ‘sure on our side’ 2nd year classrooms.
It was 11.00AM then, elections had got over in most of the 2nd and 3rd year classes and the results were very much as predicted. The dilemma printing rep had been elected, but he hadn’t voted till then. Out of the 6 classes, that had elected their reps in the 2nd years, 3 were ours and 3 theirs, and 1 unsure.
By lunch break, the overall result was, 13 for us and 14 for them.
I called Shantanu, “Hey”
“ya tell me”
“How is it going?”
“Nightmare. They are buying out the reps, who were supposed to vote for us.”
“What?”
“I gotta go”
I prayed like I had never done before. We had done everything in our power. There was nothing more we could do. We sat in our room in silence. I just rested on my bed, thinking of the elections. More than elections, I was deeply concerned about Anu and Kiran.
Final Phase Campaigning (LIII)
Reviewed by Ridhi and Padu.
Campaigning inside the hostel continued throughout the weekend. I was so sucked into the elections, that, I even forgot the 2 weeks of my absence from the classes. Anu spoke with our representatives in various departments, and arranged for mini meets, micro meets and the likes within our hostel blocks.
Time just then passed 9.30PM. We ensured that the Resident Councilor finished her round of night attendance and then we moved in. After some 15minutes Anu, Divya and a couple other girls from other departments collected 23, 2nd year girls, and assembled them in one of my junior’s room.
I sat near the window, which was just opposite to the door. On the cot right to me 6 girls sat, and on the cot to my right 7girls crushed themselves. A few others sat on another cot near the door. Anu and Divya sat on the chairs near the door. The rest were standing. I started my usual, yes it had become my usual political talk.
The talk continued for more than 10 minutes, followed by a Q&A session. I gave out promises about things, that, I never knew existed in our college. I talked about their profanation towards college, which again I never knew they did. All I wanted was their votes.
At the end most of them were convinced, which again was, as usual. Not just my department girls, but even other department people had some respect for me. Thanks to the computer basics classes, which I took last year for the first semester students.
I had become a social figure, a charming leader and one of the top class female politicians in college. It did make me feel good. I tried to control myself from being a victim for power temptations. Nevertheless I wished, I had a post. Shantanu promised me something powerful next year.
Monday morning, after munching in some mess food, we ran to our classes. I sat in my usual place in the second bench next to Anu. The first hour was the class of Dr.Sushma our Distributed Systems faculty. She entered the class with her ever lasting cute smile.
She had this habit of questioning the absentees of the previous class about what had happened in the last class. “If you missed a class, well it’s alright. It’s not possible to attend all classes. But you should ensure, that, you have learned, what you missed, if at all you want to attend my next class.”
She started calling out names, “Abitha Vijaykumar, Anusuya, Arvind…”. “Elvia, absent for all the previous classes”.
“Mam I had been to internships at Bangalore. I came back last Friday night”
“Well, so, have you learned, what has been taught in the last six classes?”
I shuddered, “Mam I started learning, mam, but haven’t completed everything”, I lied.
“In two days, can’t you learn what happened in six hours?” I cursed myself for saying Friday night.
“Mam there are other subjects too. I gave my time equally to all subjects.” I managed.
“Hmm.. anyway this is your first class in Distributed Systems. So this class you are excused. When is your next class?”
“Tomorrow 4th hour mam”, other people replied.
“Hmm.. by then I want you to cover all that has been taught”
I obediently nodded. The class went on. She drew boulder like circles in different fashions, and called them nodes. Drew lines between them, and called them connections. “As we have already seen a single way connection is prone to break up, and leave the entire system idle. So what do we do?”
“Back up connections”, Shantanu and a couple others answered. It’s not the very first time Shantanu answered, yet I was a little petrified.
“So what shall we do?”
“We make it…”, Shantanu again. I was thoroughly annoyed. ‘How the hell?’ Looking at my puzzled expression, Anu, “Hey he has been doing well at DS classes. In fact he is kinda fave to mam”
“But besides the elections, how does he do all that?”
“I have no idea.” The lecture continued for another half an hour, and he had answered at least half a dozen times. In spite of my absence, I understood a few concepts, and I even answered a question near the end of the class. Mam gave a smile, which comforted me.
The next class was math, ‘Wow Padma mam’ my insides cheered. She never failed to identify me, “Hey Elvi you are in this class”
“Yes mam, I had been to internships..”
“Ha, I remember reading your name in the attendance. So how was the internship?”
“It was good mam. I learned a great deal”
Smiling, she completed the attendance and started teaching. Discrete mathematics I heard was interesting. But I had no clue on what she was teaching. After sometime, reading my petrified expressions, “Dear, you missed some classes. Don’t worry, you will make it up. Meet me this evening after classes”
Anu reminded, what was running in my mind too, “We gotta do a lot more campaigning this evening”.
The other classes moved similarly. In the evening forgetting Padma mam, we continued campaigning.
Tuesday morning first hour, Dr. Arundati Palaniswamy, the most popular AP ma’am had some important work, possibly related to the fair play of elections, and she abstained from classes. We used every gap every opportunity for election campaigning.
Wednesday morning, I got up. Dresses to be washed were in the dirty dress basket, hand key of a junior who was an active person in elections, was lying on the floor. She must have missed it last night.
Rubbing my eyes, I walked to the bathroom, thinking about the fate of the elections.
On my return, Anu, who had just then woke up, “If we lose, I would rather die, than facing that bastard.” This set my heart on fire. I grew more anxious about elections.
Campaigning inside the hostel continued throughout the weekend. I was so sucked into the elections, that, I even forgot the 2 weeks of my absence from the classes. Anu spoke with our representatives in various departments, and arranged for mini meets, micro meets and the likes within our hostel blocks.
Time just then passed 9.30PM. We ensured that the Resident Councilor finished her round of night attendance and then we moved in. After some 15minutes Anu, Divya and a couple other girls from other departments collected 23, 2nd year girls, and assembled them in one of my junior’s room.
I sat near the window, which was just opposite to the door. On the cot right to me 6 girls sat, and on the cot to my right 7girls crushed themselves. A few others sat on another cot near the door. Anu and Divya sat on the chairs near the door. The rest were standing. I started my usual, yes it had become my usual political talk.
The talk continued for more than 10 minutes, followed by a Q&A session. I gave out promises about things, that, I never knew existed in our college. I talked about their profanation towards college, which again I never knew they did. All I wanted was their votes.
At the end most of them were convinced, which again was, as usual. Not just my department girls, but even other department people had some respect for me. Thanks to the computer basics classes, which I took last year for the first semester students.
I had become a social figure, a charming leader and one of the top class female politicians in college. It did make me feel good. I tried to control myself from being a victim for power temptations. Nevertheless I wished, I had a post. Shantanu promised me something powerful next year.
Monday morning, after munching in some mess food, we ran to our classes. I sat in my usual place in the second bench next to Anu. The first hour was the class of Dr.Sushma our Distributed Systems faculty. She entered the class with her ever lasting cute smile.
She had this habit of questioning the absentees of the previous class about what had happened in the last class. “If you missed a class, well it’s alright. It’s not possible to attend all classes. But you should ensure, that, you have learned, what you missed, if at all you want to attend my next class.”
She started calling out names, “Abitha Vijaykumar, Anusuya, Arvind…”. “Elvia, absent for all the previous classes”.
“Mam I had been to internships at Bangalore. I came back last Friday night”
“Well, so, have you learned, what has been taught in the last six classes?”
I shuddered, “Mam I started learning, mam, but haven’t completed everything”, I lied.
“In two days, can’t you learn what happened in six hours?” I cursed myself for saying Friday night.
“Mam there are other subjects too. I gave my time equally to all subjects.” I managed.
“Hmm.. anyway this is your first class in Distributed Systems. So this class you are excused. When is your next class?”
“Tomorrow 4th hour mam”, other people replied.
“Hmm.. by then I want you to cover all that has been taught”
I obediently nodded. The class went on. She drew boulder like circles in different fashions, and called them nodes. Drew lines between them, and called them connections. “As we have already seen a single way connection is prone to break up, and leave the entire system idle. So what do we do?”
“Back up connections”, Shantanu and a couple others answered. It’s not the very first time Shantanu answered, yet I was a little petrified.
“So what shall we do?”
“We make it…”, Shantanu again. I was thoroughly annoyed. ‘How the hell?’ Looking at my puzzled expression, Anu, “Hey he has been doing well at DS classes. In fact he is kinda fave to mam”
“But besides the elections, how does he do all that?”
“I have no idea.” The lecture continued for another half an hour, and he had answered at least half a dozen times. In spite of my absence, I understood a few concepts, and I even answered a question near the end of the class. Mam gave a smile, which comforted me.
The next class was math, ‘Wow Padma mam’ my insides cheered. She never failed to identify me, “Hey Elvi you are in this class”
“Yes mam, I had been to internships..”
“Ha, I remember reading your name in the attendance. So how was the internship?”
“It was good mam. I learned a great deal”
Smiling, she completed the attendance and started teaching. Discrete mathematics I heard was interesting. But I had no clue on what she was teaching. After sometime, reading my petrified expressions, “Dear, you missed some classes. Don’t worry, you will make it up. Meet me this evening after classes”
Anu reminded, what was running in my mind too, “We gotta do a lot more campaigning this evening”.
The other classes moved similarly. In the evening forgetting Padma mam, we continued campaigning.
Tuesday morning first hour, Dr. Arundati Palaniswamy, the most popular AP ma’am had some important work, possibly related to the fair play of elections, and she abstained from classes. We used every gap every opportunity for election campaigning.
Wednesday morning, I got up. Dresses to be washed were in the dirty dress basket, hand key of a junior who was an active person in elections, was lying on the floor. She must have missed it last night.
Rubbing my eyes, I walked to the bathroom, thinking about the fate of the elections.
On my return, Anu, who had just then woke up, “If we lose, I would rather die, than facing that bastard.” This set my heart on fire. I grew more anxious about elections.
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