day3: My Escapade to Nandi hills

Day 3: 10th June 2010


My Escapade to Nandi hills.

Anger is something embedded in my genes. It controls my blood pressure, behaviour, appetite and even critical decisions in my life. I don’t know whether its gud or bad but I know it has long lasting impact in my surroundings as well. Whether I was angry with these IISc people or myself,it is difficult to conclude but I just wanted a break…[sometimes these breaks being dangerous!!! ]
Time : 6.14 am
A half asleep Aneesha : ritu…ritu…..kire jabina???
Fully asleep Me: hmm…
As I told u guys before….geting up in the early morning is not me at all. I missed a lot of 10’o clock classes [no wonder…my frnz know] n always had excellent excuses to provide to the proffesors….[its been 5 yrs I am always late n I really cant care more ]…I love sleeping…be it a noon nap or the night’s beauty sleep!

Ritu….kire??...uthli???...........aneesha called out…
Now completely in the real world ,it took some time for me to understand the settings.
Ok…this is Bangalore…hotel room…I was ditched by IISc yesterday n ..oh yes…m angry..!!!
Back to form…..i called up linz
Zaalim bsnl toh yahan chalta hi nahi hai…..damn it…no tower!
I texted her…thinking she is lying lazy at bed…[we shared this not-so-gud habbit  ]
An instant reply stunned me…” get ready n reach campus by 8. bus 2 leave for Nandi hills at 8.30. We need to reach KRSTC bus stand”
I washed n dressed . aneesha got up too. Really dint want to disturb aunty.suddenly another call…..linz
Listen it wud be hell cold over there…carry winter clothes…!
Winter clothes???...........i don’t hav any!!!
I don’t want to die of cold at nandi hills..but I also wanted 2 go…
I stared at my 4 sets of clothes that I had brought 4 the 5-day stay…n tried 2 permutate n combinate sumthing….
At last a solution was found… I wore 2 sets of clothes.
According to primary physics ,air is a good insulater of heat n wearing 2 thin clothes can prove to be more effective than a sweater…!
A black top [black absorbs heat] covered by a silver one!..a Capri covered by a cargo!!
This was my mix n match attirement. I was looking funny n had 2 abandon the thought of being gazed ……,if not gazed for my abnormality!
Have u guys seen foreigners?...horribly dressed!! I often used 2 laugh to myself as I spotted them in kolkata streets. Carrying pouch bags n eye-piercing combination of clothes?? Today I wud be payed for making such fun…
“How am I luking?”...i asked aunty n aneesha with a sad face..
Nice…smart…!!!..was all they said..
I knew I was luking like a hippy! ….its better I don’t scrutinize myself in the mirror…I walked out of the hotel .it was already 7.45.who would notice?..
Luckily I met an auto downstairs…..
Madam, rs.40 to KRSTC….
No way….i came by 25 yesterday.., “I lied blatanly
No madam….rate is rs. 40
It cant be. You people charge tourists so much extra. Leave it I will take a bus…
Attitude was a characteristic I used as weapon till date n guesss wot??...it worked wonders.
Ok madam…rs. 30…
After making faces, I got into the auto. It took 10 mins from there to KRSTC. I felt cheated. The fare shud have been no less than 20 bucks. When I got down I shouted at him again n made peace with Rs. 25. He fled ,in case I create more scene n people consider him sum tourist-kidnapper. I waited for linz n swapratim. We three were supposed to go.
Swapratim’s intro:
A presidensian ,zoology dept. I knew him since graduation days..now at molbio dept. here came for interviews n is as unlucky as me…!
There were more people but it has now summed up to 3 of us. Linz called me b4 n told me 2 be at KRSTC as it wud be more late if I go 2 campus. I went 2 the bus stand and enquired about the buses. All they spoke was kanada. I spotted a policeman with a cowboy hat.
“which bus goes to nandi hill?”
There r some buses. You have to ask madam.i think 1 bus has already left.
“Ok.”
Then I met with a disaster……
I just turned around to return to the stand when a voice called me from somewhere nearby… “Rituparna…rituparna..!”
I stared everywhere…even upwards…! N then spotted to my shock….
A dimpled lad of about 23 or 24,tall enuf, shortly copped hairs, non-bengali guy…with a rucksack sumwot running towards me…he was dressed in a red T –shirt n three quaters
Oh no…shit……….its Rishaan Rastogi…!
Rishaan’s intro: we studied in the same tuition in std 11. During AIEEE counseling, he proposed me [ maybe solely due to my rank].its been 5 yrs I rejected him. Now he is aVIT passout and must be working sumwhere as fresher..!

I thanked my stars coz I was dressed like that. No make up ,no jewellry ..nothing …n to add spices, my peculiar dressing sence…,Looks enuf to drive away any male species. I tried to smile.
He reached me n smiled back. “how r u??...n wot r u doing in bangalore??”
Me : I had come for an interview at IISc for PHd. I dint get selected..!
Ris : Wow….u got thru the written?....gr8!...
[ jale pe namak chhirak diya bande ne subah subah…..i tried 2 remember all the slangs I knew n then murmur it 2 myself]
Me: Yeah…I mean…that’s not the difficult part…I guess!
Ris: c’mmon rituparna…u were always a better student…So…?...u’ve completed ur MSc??..
[another filling if salts…my mercury rising the limits in this cool fresh morning!]
Me: Yeah…almost…waiting 4 the 4th sem results…
Ris: Looking cool!
If this was not an outstation bus stand n the time gap was not 5 yrs, I wud have slapped him for such cruel mockery…!
I held myself n answered politely ,….thanx…actually m going to nandi hills with frnz…!
Ris: boyfrnd?...no boyfrnd?...or u dint inform him?
Me: umm….I am single.
Ris: what???....cant be….! U cant be so cruel 2 this world…! Still sticking to ur principles n ideas …plz….well…,,.am single too!
[suru hogaya Bandar ka firse line marna!!]
Me: oh… bad luck!
Ris: what?
Me: nothing…! N u?...kaha jaa raha hai?
Ris: arre yaar baap ne ghar se nikaal diya. I work here. Right now going to mysore for some office work.
[I forgot what he said the name of his company….sum Canter… sumthing like that…wotever…who cares!]
Me: well rishaan…my frnz r waiting….[thank god… linz called] I shud be leaving…tata cya again…
Ris: arre suno…ur phn no. ?
Me: This is not my phn…I will mail u.. take care dear…tata…
I ran out of that place….pagal hu kya??...who will give him phn no…!!
He looked depressed as I left. But the words “take care” n “dear” sounded soothing to him. I fled to the other side of the bus stand where linz n swapratim was waiting…n made sure not 2 utter a word about this incident 2 anyone.