stay at bengaluru

DAY 1: 8^th June 2010

“om bhu bhuvaswaha tatshavitur varenyam,vargodevasyadhimahi dhiyoyonahprachodayaa…..”rang the alarm….Oh my God…I have 2 catch a flight…I jumped out of the bed…it was 3 in the morning.last nyt I went 2 sleep at 12.just 3 hrs of tension[wont call that sleep]….washed n dressed by 4…mom was already up. The first streak of dawn welcoming the new day n wishing me luck b4 I leave kolkata….the car whizzed away through the road…hardly a life cud b noticed. as the sun rose slowly I realized the beauty I miss everyday as I lie lazy in my bed till 8. muching few biscuits n a bread I headed 2 the airport. Till I entered the main gate their were showers of advices from maa especially…”check ticket..pan card…voter I card…take care of ur hand bag….dont talk 2 strangers…drink water…don’t eat cold food …don’t stray away from frnz..stay in a group…keep calling…don’t stay awake late nyt….dont keep the phn switch off…n so on n on n on…..[mothers u know!]…I checked in…..

People were staring at me in the Dumdum airport. God knows y…maybe coz I ws traveling alone.. especially those newly wedded gals who were heading off 2 their honeymoons…..[sorry…no tym 4 luv….i said 2 myself]…n moved ahead…………………………………………………………….

“I wud like 2 have a window seat”…

“sorry ma’am…they r all filled, m arranging a middle seat. I hope sum1 wud adjust with u..”

Adjust with me???...i thought 2 myself…who???...

I took the boarding pass n headed 2wards the security check..

2 scissors n a penknife was found in my handbag….!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Plz step aside ma’am…r u carrying restricted items?

Whattttt?????????kya restricted items?...........................2 my shock..

I had 2 leave my “restricted” things behind imagining ke shampoo r packet kise kaatbo…!!!!...hay rabba…. LL!!

Waiting in the boarding lounge I felt sleepy…..floated into past …memories of childhood when I hated going 2 school..i hated teachers..homework…just 30 mins of break…n all that has swept me away of wot I wanted 2 be…n wot m I 2day…!!

“Passengers for JET AIRWAYS flight no. 9W 2451 plz head towards gate no 4 for boarding…”…My phn rang…oh God…maa again…

“take care…remember wot I’ve said…don’t fall asleep in plane…be alert…”…ok..ok..ok…fine..gr8 ofcoures…n so on..

I grabbed my handbag n headed 2 wards the boarding gate 4 the 14^th time in my life….”oh no…I hate flying….i feel nauseatic….but I had to…don’t ask y..!

Plz switch off ur mobile phones n all other electronic items for safety during the take off….

I called my dad n switched off b4 leaving kolkata’s soil…as I flew above,my heart raced faster than the speeding aircraft…aasata ki thik holo? is this a correct decision?...still in dilemma..,I fall asleep..[without tying the safety belt..],only 2 be woken up by sum vibration[airbumpers]… I opened my eyes n 1^st thing I saw was clouds….like huge icecreams…I smiled…is this heaven?...then y am wasting tym on earth?...

I looked at my fellow passengers….a cute chinky couple lying on each other’s shoulder asleep…”Love is in the Air”..i remarked..!

“We have reached a place 90 kms from Hyderabad …10,000 metres above sea level n the outside temperature is 3 degrees…hope 2 reach Bangalore in an hour. This is Proloy Sen ,Senior Pilot reporting…thank u”….

After hearing the announcement..i called 4 an airhostess…”do u serve cookies?..”…yes ma’am..

She got me a packet…

Oh shit…chocolate cookies…!!.i put it inside my bag thinking of handing it over 2 swadhin when I meet him….instead I handed it over 2 a kid behind my seat..

Closing my eyes ..i listened 2 MP3…..Enrique n Ride it..

I layed awake..n alert…sum evil thought of plane crash came 2 my mind…n suddenly there were more bumpers…

“Passengers plz be seated.The weather outside has thundery development so we need to change route..Plz bear with us n do not panic…’

Bear with u???ofcourse…what else cud be done?…..in the middle of the air…no idea of how far we were from earth…where wud we land up even if we jumped…outside temperature wud be sufficient enuf 2 kill us…leave apart the oxygen scarcity n height phobia….

After reaching the airport…I received a cal immediately as I switched on my phone…Swadhin…:”pouchhechhs…?

M waiting….’

Swadhin’s intro:

My school frnd…now working at Infosys, Mysore,started at 4’o clock from offc jus 2 receive me at Bengaluru airport…[NB: his gf used 2 b my best frnd]…J JJ!!!.....wotever…He proved a real frnd..

Swadhin received me at the airport n we headed 2wards Majestic in a cab.. I offered him the left cookies…he hadent had food…he busily munched inside the cab n enquired about the whole WPA students…ppl whose faces I have even forgotten J…5 yrs n wot do u expect?

Had brkfast there at Volga…n he vented his heart out 2 me…all that was trunked n lockered for 5 yrs…”huh…love’s labour lost”….hope he gets his love..!

Then we headed 2 IISc campus…wot a campus…??

I thought it was some restricted forest area from outside…the campus temperature was 5 degrees less than the main city becoz of its uncountable trees…..

Aneesha greeted me near the MCBL dept.. I was 2 stay with her at Bangalore. She had already had an interview that day. 4 of us[me annesa swadhin n aneesa’s mom] had heavy brkfast at the campus canteen… dosa samvar chutney..at ‘admura’ [that’s Rs.13 in kannadiga]…waving goodbye 2 a sad swadhin who had 2 catch a train 4 pune at 8 that evening,I came bak 2 the campus…met my frnz who has already arrived b4…went 2 departments 2 library…my God, wot collection of books they had….pages like papyrus…n librarians like warriors…I dare not enter again!

In the evening I came 2 the hotel where they stayed..Hotel swathi, sheshadripuram near swathi gardens n mantri mall.i was 2 put up there…spacious rooms…there was sum bedding prob which was sorted later.. in the evening we went out 2 look around…at the back of my mind I knew I had my interview the next day…tensed to the D….,I hardly noticed anything! L

Aneesa’s intro:

She studies MSC with me in the same colg..biochem department, agni’s frnd…n I talked with her hell lot of times..she too qualified 4 written IISc n is here 4 the interviews..

I had a sound sleep that nyt…I felt so gud as if this place was mine…as if returning 2 motherland after a long tym…b’ful weather n emotional people…closing my eyes I thanked God 2 bring me here by fate.. J

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DAY 2: 9^th June 2010

THE D DAY…..

Interview was scheduled at 2 in the afternoon but I left early along with aneesha coz she had an interview in the morning. Scarcity of sleep made me feel sleepy even after a warm bath n I wished I cud cuddle in my bedroom at kolkta. Aneesha entered the MRDG dept at 8.30 n I n her mom[aunty] waited 4 her 2 return…me revising through Chapmann n reiss[ a book as new as it was when sold]….

Note: I am completely unfaithful 2 books. All I study is from internet. This has already landed me up into trouble n will keep doing so in future…..but I will remain as I am….!!!!...hence cut it out..no point discussing.. !!!

I flipped through the books n collected facts…made up my mind how to chanellise my interview questions n how cunningly 2 answer them…

Man…I was planning a battle…’ felt like Alexander huh!!

Free tea was served n I felt warm n fresh….It was a cold morning.

I already got a good idea about the bulls roaming inside the campus..n me a butterfly…!!!

Bulls: Mtech in production engineering from Nagpur ,Mtech in Biotech from Maharastra university, some more Btechs from kerela…some pune university toppers, Delhi University toppers ….n so on…even some MBBS were also spotted...most of them seniors by age n experience…

CONCLUSION: MY GOD………………I shudnt hav come…!!!.........

Kya yaar….itne paise mein ghar mein ek split AC lag jati….wot a fool am i!!!....now I hv 2 fight with bulls… no weapons no training…nothing…!

I gulped down my fear n waited plainly for me 2 be beheaded…

Time: 12.23 pm

“wot do u serve in rice?...”…I fumbled at the south Indian mess counter .

A dark fat girl hair adored with marigold looked down n answered..’plz chek the board” n then she uttered sumthing in her native tongue…who cares?....but I dint get her idea of using marigold for adornment…!!!???!@#$%

“next”……

I stepped aside…

“may I help u?’…sum1 one called from behind…

I turned around 2 see a south Indian fellow with a receit pad in his hand…[he reminded me of R Madhavan]

“wot do u want 2 hav?”

Rice…I replied…”can I get rice here?”…any kind of rice chalega!

“u can hav pongal rice…

“wot is pongal rice?...i mean …constituents???”………..i asked with hope n hunger…

He thought for a while …………”khichdi”….his bulb glowed!

Wow….i love khichdi….that will do…how much?

“admura…I mean 13 rs…”

By then I already know wot is admura…..almost all the items cost admura….!

I collected my “pongal rice” n ran 2 a table where aneesha n aunty was sitting…

It was a heavy atmosphere…..aneesha was sad n I was tensed….she dint hav much luck with the questions…sum immunoflorescence flaw she had!

I gobbled down the rice…it was wow….or maybe it tasted so at that moment….

I beliv homemade food has sumthing 2 do with my luck thing….i felt uneasy n nervous…

Rice I chose 2 make me feel at home…being a bengali,this was a way 2 make myself at ease…

Thank God I dint puke…..tension almost killed me…

I reached CES dept….5 ppl had already arrived…we signed the register n I was the 1^st 1 to be ragged..sory interviewed…!

A guy from Indore MSc Biotech spoke abt his colg n syllabus…my heart sank all the more..

Then like a warrior I collected all courage n said 2 myself…”Do or Die”

“Rituparna Mandal…..shouted the receptionist…

“Its me…..”

“plz go inside..”

As I entered the room ,I felt so light n carefree…2 sikhs n a Christian lady were seated…

They were in a holiday mood…

We were served tea…

Renee M. Borges…the lady n the head…started…

“ritu…rituparna??...thats ur name..

Dressed in white kurti n just kaajal as make up…I beamed…”Right ma’am…”

U r from Bengal?

Yes ma’am…

From the land of rassogollas n beautiful women…..

….arre yaar ….wots going on?........patri dekhte eschhe naki?

Yes ma’am…..i answered [ ofcourse bong gals r the best]

She asked more such light questions n then entered for critical bowling….

The 1^st one was a spin : ecological sciences is indebted 2 physiology…why do u think so?

…<<

“Well ma’am….physiology is a more denser platform n is serving ecology at some higher level. But the basic balance is surveyed and decided by ecology itself…everything needs 2 be equally balanced in nature..that’s the main criteria goverened by ecology but physiology is an arena working according 2 ecological criteria and magnifies certain aspects of ecology.”

Her eyes beamed with my sentence construction power…I bet she wud have appointed me her child’s English teacher if we had not met the way we did…

Gaana yaad aya….

………….soche ye …hum the mile ,tum se najaane kyu?…anjaane hain silsile tumse najaane kyu?”

“ok…ritu…..wot do u like?”

Without even thinking for a split second I answered..”chocolates!...shit….!...i murmured..

No ma’am….i mean phylogeny is an an area of my interest…

They heard me n had already started laughing at my former answer…oh God ,wot was I thinking…

“aha…chocolates???...i will arrange sum 4 u…”

‘no ma’am…its fine…

Ok …phylogeny…….

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…………………..wot?? u guys r waiting 2 read the whole ragging session???...no way…!!!

But things worked out roughly according 2 my plan…

Sudhu last questionta boli…

“suppose ritu…u r going 2 get married in a family n u have heard that ur wud-be-husband’s family has a X- linked recessive genetic disorder….how wud u prefer 2 find out theoretically”…I want u 2 use the board….

Bassssss!!!!...................raam naam satya ho…!!!

These ppl[my parents, interviewers ] has no other job but 2 discuss about my marriage n bury me alive with related topics…!!

I took up a new fresh chalk n started drawing a pedigree chart…

My darling husband had an asteric mark in his X-chromosome[diseased] n I was normal[witout disease]…!!!....solely according 2 the question…

I drew the possibilities n then gave 3 options of my answer….

Renee. M Borges wanted me 2 have sum tea….

I returned 2 the table….

1 of the sikh asked…wot did u decide?

‘about wot sir?

About marrying this guy?...”..interviewers broke into a laughter!

I was bewildered………n gave a fearful look…pulling my biodata file 2wards me.

…”no no…..oh ragavendra….no dear u don’t have 2 marry such a man with X-linked disorder…”..renne borges assured…

That’s it…u can leave….

“thank u ma’am thank u sir…

I flew out from there….

2.10 I entered n 3.05 I came out…

Topics that I was chaatafied on:

Phylogeny…maps…relations..sequence arrangement…database…software…genbank…Physiology…endocrinology..signalling…neuroscience…brain dieseses…congenital disease..placental differences…reproductive biology…altruism…scientific names…heredity…genes affected n detected..candidate gene approach…mapping…markers n genetic query based questions…

“tide ki dhulai was done…”

I felt as if my weight was lessened by kilos….

I felt hungry again……the sky was thundering n it was a pleasant weather….i walked 2wards the biochem dept where aunty was waiting 4 me…

I called linz n met her…we were eating at the canteen when it began 2 pour down…

An open canteen made us gobble down our food n run till sum shade..

It began 2 rain cats n dogs….its beautiful when it rains in bangalore….especially at IISc ‘forest’….

‘barso re megha megha….’

I felt the need of winter clothers which I haven’t brought at all…

Baba rebuked…he was also worried thinking if I get through wot wud he do alone at kolkata with maa!!!

The cold air pieced my bare arms n I don’t know y …I felt sad….sad as it rained more heavily…!...i looked at the dark sky n really wanted 2 see the sun…that streak of light when I left kolkata……I felt nostalgic..and the absence of a warm shawl made me more lonely and miserable…

We left the campus at 6…rain had already stopped n sum emotional auto driver wud not listen coz aunty dint pay attension 2 him…

After aneesha’s request..he gave in…

Before leaving I went 2 see my selection list…

“interview candidates for 9^th june for 1^st round”

“NIL”

I felt devastated………I cant take failures…I just cant take it…………in the same way I cant handle happiness………………

I felt worst…………I cant explain how exactly……………

Returned 2 the hotel quietly n lay cursing IISc….aneesha was a good companion…

She too suffered the same fate…

Frustrated…I headed 4 shopping…………….n ended up buying some raw silk from a nearby shop…..”its another thing that now I hate the colour “

Common ritu…get up…they don’t deserve u…1 damn interview cant brk ur confidence u’ve nurtured for years…u’ve fought a lot..there r more to fight…gear up..…--I said 2 myself….i got up from the bed n called up linz…”kal jabi ghurte kothao?”

Hya….mane oi swapratim bolchhilo…ami sure na…toke rate Janie debo..”

Ok…

So we planed 4 sum adventure journey the next day…nandi hills was the place!

Curd rice in dinner felt more sour…..i returned 2 the bed n fell asleep immediately…

I dint inform my family nor swadhin….i myself needed time 2 digest it…

If they dint want 2 take me…y did they asked me so many questions n held me for an hour?

May god deal with the sinners…was my prayer 2 bed!!!

Coming up…day 3,4 n 5……..!!

• correction: in my last mail I wrote Enrique: ride it…[a grave mistake I suppose 2 music lovers]
• it will be…enrique[may be I m addicted] & ride it[jay shaun]