BAPTISM
Switzerland was the name given to our campus not only because it was beautiful , but also it was like a small Island away and almost cut off from the main land. the campus was sorrounded by farms and villages. When we entered the college, there were only three more student batches in the campus. Our campus thus was a small village. whether you like or dislike,any Campus buzz used to spread like fire in no time!
For entertainment, there was nothing nearby. There was one open air theatre, especially for people of nearby villages, at karamsad which used to show typical gujarati films. Good theatres were at anand, about 8kms away from our campus.
I and tapasvi both never liked hindi masala movies. But when college friends ask you to join, it is really difficult to resist.
On one fine evening after the sunset, I and tapasvi decided to join other friends on their way to anand to a movie theatre. There was some action movie somewhat of our taste. As we went to the gate of our shri Krishna hospital, we found our friends jumping in a big truck of amul dairy!
“hey ! what are you doing? Can’t we get any rikshaw?” one of my friends asked the other.
“forget it! Just get in!”
It was a big tata truck full of milk canes. We all climbed rapidly onto back of the truck to discover a new way of transport! Truck started. The noice of the engine was hardly heard at the back. We felt like flying on alladin’s carpet! We were free to walk on the milk canes. It was about 20min journey. The charges were cheaper too. We reached our destination soon.
After this ride, to go for a movie became triple enjoyment for us: ride the truck, watch the movie and forget the vivas and texts back at campus.
On one such ride, I remember, I sat On the top of the driver’s cabin. It was winter and the air was so cool that I developed numbness and tingling on all of my face.
There was never any bad accident, as far as I remember, with any one only because of sheer good luck. However, One of my classmate jani had fracture femur while traveling sitting aside the rikshaw driver.
One day, I and tapasvi were bored enough and we desided to go to anand for a good action English movie. To choose the movie, we were asking our friends their reviews. Because when you spend money for entertainment, you ought to get full return!
“planning to go to a movie?” suddenly a voice interrupted us. the voice was of a famous figure from our senior batch (mail me and I will tell you the name!).
“yes…we want to see a good action movie..” we revealed our choice.
“ hmmmm….” Taking his fingers close to his chin, in his typical style, he gave a thought to our choice. “Why don’t you choose sirocco today?” he suggested ultimately.
“ Is it a good action movie?” we wanted to confirm
“ oh sure. Marvelous.” He gave final assurance.
We both took joy ride from the main gate and reached the theatre in hope of entertaining ourselves with a good action movie.
As soon as we entered the main gate of the theatre, we saw stunning hoarding of the movie.
“ Loook tapasvi this isn’t any action movie…it appears an adult movie.” I exclaimed to tapasvi as we never had seen such thing in our lives! For a moment, we stared each other probably waiting for the other to say ‘let us go back’. But it did not happen! Probably in back of our minds we were searching justification to go in the theatre to see the unseen and the forbidden. few second passed.
“ we have come this far…we can not go back.” Tapasvi had the courage to follow the instinct. we went to box office with beating heart. Both of us constantly looked around fearing some known persons noticing us.
This was very first time we saw such a movie!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Tuesday, September 07, 2010
chapter seventeenth :WE DID START THE FIRE......!
WE DID START THE FIRE
“Groupism” was a word that triggered feeling of dislike in general amongst most of us. But as the time passed, students of our batch started recognizing other students of their match. Formation of formal and informal groups started. Some groups were based on native place; some were based on like mindedness, while some were based on economical status.
Since bimal believed in equality of all human beings, he was heavily against formation of any group and he had very strong feelings against any "groupism". He was a strong critic of group celebration of events like bithdays. So his was a kind of “no group” group!
Principally, it sounded good to believe in equality and no group theory. But on long run, groups were inevitable like anywhere in society. Not only it gave sense of belonging but also it gave social security and educational support in some cases.
So within a few months, our batch subdivided in small groups.
One group was of students from north Gujarat consisting of sandeep, paresh and friends. That was one of the most mischievous groups. Other one was of students from saurashtra consisting ketan, vimal, kapil, vivek and friends. Then we had biju, samir, pragnesh, ketam dhabu’s group. Kintur, sanjay, saddam (sorry for forgetting true name of the good friend!) and friends formed another powerful group.
As far as girls were concerned I remember ripal -jayashree and friend’s group; kama and nilam’s group; jasmine anu beji’s group; nilpa-zarna’s group.
We, I and tapasvi, were probably in “no group” group! However, hemant, tapasvi and I became very close friends soon and ours was informal group.
Thus almost all got settled after initial few months.
One day kapil came to us and suggested “friends let us celebrate 31 dec!” It was a welcome idea. Everyone agreed. The venue of the party was the old boys’ hostel that was actually a nursing hostel previously. All were invited to the boys’ hostel including the girls!
Kapil, vimal, bimal, anis, bau, sandeep, paresh, mines, ketens etc all friends really worked hard to make the event memorable.
They did not have any fund for decoration. I still remember the boys used their table lamps to create lighting effects. I really can not say why they looked so gorgeous. The glamour of the first party of our batch was in our hearts and minds, I guess.
That night of 31 dec was cool and chilling. we needed sweaters. The enthusiasm of the party was in full swing. Table lamps were fitted on the windows of the rooms of the round hostel giving a very special hue to the party.
Boys from the other hostel, including me , hemant, biren and tapasvi reached early. When everything was ready, our special guests arrived—girls of our batch!! They walked in the boys’ hostel like little brook with all the beauty but minimal sound….
Anish was the uncontested anchor of our batch and so was jasmine! Soon the party started. First, there was presentation from the students. I was an average stage performer and this was very first time when I decided to speak in front of whole of my batch. Naturally I was a bit nervous and my heart rates were high. Despite low temperature of the atmosphere, I was sweating. Soon, anish announced my name and I stood up gadhering all the courage I had! I presented a comedy poem written by me “darling baarmi pass chhu” . The poem compared a girl with scientific gujarati terminology jargon of 12th std's various subjects. I remember only a line “wal lolak jewi tari chaal chhe!” but jasmine has contributed following from her robust memory…
Darling, baarmi pass chhu….
Mithiline blue jewo tari ankho no rang chhe’
Pan hay! Sathe sefrinine jewo gusso pan sang chhe!
Hay mari jau aa kasherukao ne mekhlao(sanskrut name for spine, shoulder and pelvic girdles) par,
Wal lolak jewo taro chalwano dhang chhe!
Shunya watawaran na dabane ne 25 ansh tanpane,
Sodium ne pani ni prakriya sho aapno aarambh chhe…(when water and sodium are mixed at room temparatue and at normal atmospheric pressure,their chemical process gives blast!)
My poem was hit. (or still i wish to believe that!).
Kamlesh had hidden skill of break dance.he gave superb performance.
Many other students gave their performance. but I really do not remember at this moment.[can any one add ?]But the item that swept our hearts was a song by vivek jagat vimal pragnesh and friends… “we didn't start the fire…!” ( the photo is recently uploaded by jayshree on facebook). We all were moved by the rhythm and words of the song. It really touched our hearts.
Sharp at 12night lights were turned off to mark arrival of the new year. Spell of darkness mesmerized all of us. The new year at last arrived. Immediately after a few minutes lights were on. Few students danced….but most of us were just observers, like me.That was because such type of party, especially of new year was a complete new experience for most of us.The black out for a while at mid night was unknown experience for a pure gujju student like me. However girls made themselves safe knowingly or unknowingly, by gathering in their bunch closely, as clock approached 12.yet, I am sure that black out must be exciting for all by just knowing presence of girls in vicinity, at midnight, in total black out.Except for twinkling presence stars above…
The party was a milestone for our batch. The photo of “we did” was said to be hottest one to be sold after the party both amongst the boys and the girls. (There were no girls in the group that sung “we did” but still many girls bought the photo. There was rumor that many girls had their dream boy in the photo!)
detail info on the song... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Didn%27t_Start_the_Fire
you can play the real song by billy from above link
“Groupism” was a word that triggered feeling of dislike in general amongst most of us. But as the time passed, students of our batch started recognizing other students of their match. Formation of formal and informal groups started. Some groups were based on native place; some were based on like mindedness, while some were based on economical status.
Since bimal believed in equality of all human beings, he was heavily against formation of any group and he had very strong feelings against any "groupism". He was a strong critic of group celebration of events like bithdays. So his was a kind of “no group” group!
Principally, it sounded good to believe in equality and no group theory. But on long run, groups were inevitable like anywhere in society. Not only it gave sense of belonging but also it gave social security and educational support in some cases.
So within a few months, our batch subdivided in small groups.
One group was of students from north Gujarat consisting of sandeep, paresh and friends. That was one of the most mischievous groups. Other one was of students from saurashtra consisting ketan, vimal, kapil, vivek and friends. Then we had biju, samir, pragnesh, ketam dhabu’s group. Kintur, sanjay, saddam (sorry for forgetting true name of the good friend!) and friends formed another powerful group.
As far as girls were concerned I remember ripal -jayashree and friend’s group; kama and nilam’s group; jasmine anu beji’s group; nilpa-zarna’s group.
We, I and tapasvi, were probably in “no group” group! However, hemant, tapasvi and I became very close friends soon and ours was informal group.
Thus almost all got settled after initial few months.
One day kapil came to us and suggested “friends let us celebrate 31 dec!” It was a welcome idea. Everyone agreed. The venue of the party was the old boys’ hostel that was actually a nursing hostel previously. All were invited to the boys’ hostel including the girls!
Kapil, vimal, bimal, anis, bau, sandeep, paresh, mines, ketens etc all friends really worked hard to make the event memorable.
They did not have any fund for decoration. I still remember the boys used their table lamps to create lighting effects. I really can not say why they looked so gorgeous. The glamour of the first party of our batch was in our hearts and minds, I guess.
That night of 31 dec was cool and chilling. we needed sweaters. The enthusiasm of the party was in full swing. Table lamps were fitted on the windows of the rooms of the round hostel giving a very special hue to the party.
Boys from the other hostel, including me , hemant, biren and tapasvi reached early. When everything was ready, our special guests arrived—girls of our batch!! They walked in the boys’ hostel like little brook with all the beauty but minimal sound….
Anish was the uncontested anchor of our batch and so was jasmine! Soon the party started. First, there was presentation from the students. I was an average stage performer and this was very first time when I decided to speak in front of whole of my batch. Naturally I was a bit nervous and my heart rates were high. Despite low temperature of the atmosphere, I was sweating. Soon, anish announced my name and I stood up gadhering all the courage I had! I presented a comedy poem written by me “darling baarmi pass chhu” . The poem compared a girl with scientific gujarati terminology jargon of 12th std's various subjects. I remember only a line “wal lolak jewi tari chaal chhe!” but jasmine has contributed following from her robust memory…
Darling, baarmi pass chhu….
Mithiline blue jewo tari ankho no rang chhe’
Pan hay! Sathe sefrinine jewo gusso pan sang chhe!
Hay mari jau aa kasherukao ne mekhlao(sanskrut name for spine, shoulder and pelvic girdles) par,
Wal lolak jewo taro chalwano dhang chhe!
Shunya watawaran na dabane ne 25 ansh tanpane,
Sodium ne pani ni prakriya sho aapno aarambh chhe…(when water and sodium are mixed at room temparatue and at normal atmospheric pressure,their chemical process gives blast!)
My poem was hit. (or still i wish to believe that!).
Kamlesh had hidden skill of break dance.he gave superb performance.
Many other students gave their performance. but I really do not remember at this moment.[can any one add ?]But the item that swept our hearts was a song by vivek jagat vimal pragnesh and friends… “we didn't start the fire…!” ( the photo is recently uploaded by jayshree on facebook). We all were moved by the rhythm and words of the song. It really touched our hearts.
Sharp at 12night lights were turned off to mark arrival of the new year. Spell of darkness mesmerized all of us. The new year at last arrived. Immediately after a few minutes lights were on. Few students danced….but most of us were just observers, like me.That was because such type of party, especially of new year was a complete new experience for most of us.The black out for a while at mid night was unknown experience for a pure gujju student like me. However girls made themselves safe knowingly or unknowingly, by gathering in their bunch closely, as clock approached 12.yet, I am sure that black out must be exciting for all by just knowing presence of girls in vicinity, at midnight, in total black out.Except for twinkling presence stars above…
The party was a milestone for our batch. The photo of “we did” was said to be hottest one to be sold after the party both amongst the boys and the girls. (There were no girls in the group that sung “we did” but still many girls bought the photo. There was rumor that many girls had their dream boy in the photo!)
detail info on the song... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Didn%27t_Start_the_Fire
you can play the real song by billy from above link
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