School, Friends, Memories: Ankita Agrawal

Ankita (CS-AB) takes a trip down the memory lane and recalls her school adventures and friends with whom she learned to be herself.



IT WAS 27TH JANUARY 2007 EVENING.COOL BREEZY WINDS WAS BLOWING AND BIRDS WERE CHIRPING. OUR FAREWELL FUNCTION HAD JUST ENDED INSPIRING IN ME A PROUD FEELING OF BEING A PART OF SUCH A FAMILY, FAMILY OF “MAHARAJA SAWAI MAN SINGH VIDYALAYA”.I FEEL SO RESPLENDENT IN CALLING MYSELF A “MANSINGHITE”.

AFTER THE FUNCTION WE ALL THAT IS ME AND MY FRIENDS ROSHNI, VRINDA, BAHULA, SHIROMI, ADI, ARCHIT AND ARJUN WERE SITTING IN THE SCHOOL CANTEEN REMEMBERING OLD TIMES AND PLANNING ABOUT OUR FUTURE. ACTUALLY WE WERE SO ENERGIZED AND EXCITED AFTER LISTENING TO THE INSPIRING SPEECH OF HERR HIGHNESS RAJMATA GAYATRI DEVI, GUEST OF HONOUR OF OUR FAREWELL THAT WE WERE NOW READY TO FACE THE WORLD OUTSIDE.
BUT FROM INSIDE WE ALL HAD AN EMOTIONAL BREAKDOWN, AS WE ALL KNEW THAT THIS ID PROBABLY OUR LAST MEETING IN SCHOOL AND THAT NOW WE WILL NO LONGER BE CALLED “SCHOOLITED”(IN OUR SCHOOL LANGUAGE) AND THAT FROM TOMORROW THERE WILL BE NO WAKING UP EARLY FOR SCHOOL, NO STANDING OUT FROM LINE FOR DIRTY SHOES AND UNIFORM, NO CLASS.

NOW SITTING ON THE ROUND TABLE WE ALL STARTED REMEMBERING THE TIME 12 YEARS BACK, WHEN WE ENTERED AS TINY TOTS IN CLASS 1ST. I STILL REMEMBER THAT DAY WHEN, WITH MY LITTLE FINGER IN MY FATHERS HAND I STEPPED IN THE BIG GATE OG THIS SO CALLED “BIG” SCHOOL. MY FATHER KNEW MANY PEOPLE AROUND BUT I KNEW NO ONE JUST MY FATHER.

NOW STARTED CLASS DISTRIBUTION PROCESS. EACH STUDENT WAS ALLOTED A SECTION EITHER A, B, OR C. I WAS GIVEN SECTION A AND WAS SENT TO A LADY – FAIR, SMALL, AND SWEET FROM FACE. SHE WAS AVIS MAAM.TODAY SHE IS JUST LIKE MY SECOND MOTHER.

AND THEN BEGAN MY JOURNEY IN MSMSV.CLASS 1ST WAS REALLY FUN – NO TENSION, SOME FRIENDS, SOME FIGHTS, LITTLE CRYINGAND OFCOURSE A “LITTLE” STUIES.

IT WAS A BIT DIFFICULT FOR ME AND I BELONGED TO A HINDI BACKGROUND FAMILY WITH JUST MY FATHES SPEAKING ENGLISH. FOR A GIRL LIKE ME TO ADJUST IN AN ENGLISH MEDIUM SCHOOL WAS A BIT DIFFICULT. THIS EVEN REFLECTED IN MY RESULTS. THOUGH I, WITH THE SUPPORT, HELP AND DETERMINATION OF MY MOTHER I MANAGED TO GET “A” AS AN AGGRGATE. BUT STILL I WAS WEAK AND THUS MY TEACHERS WITH THEIR MUTUAL AGGREMENT DECIDED TO SEND ME TO “LEARMING CENTRE”. IT WAS A PLACE WHERE ACCORDING TO MY TEACHERS THOSE STUDENTS WHO HAVE A BIT OF DIFFICULTY IN STUDEIS ARE HELPED AND TAUGHT BY MIXING STUDIES WITH FUN BUT ACCORDING TO US IT WAS A PLACE WHARE THE DUMBEST STUDENTS WERE SENT.IT WAS A PART OF MY LIFE AND I GOT THROUGH THIS PHASE ALSO. I MADE FRIENDS WITH DEEPANSHI, DHANSHREE AND ROSHNI.ACTUALLY WE WERE SAME IN HEIGHT, MAY THAT BECAME A REASON WHY WE WERE FRIENDS. NOW WHATEVER BE THE REASON, WE ENJOYED EACH OTHERS COMPANY. WE USED TO JUST RUSH THROUGH THE GROUNDS IN RECESS WITH OUR TIFFINS FOR SWINGS. WE USED TO SHARE, CARE AND PLAY TOGETHR.

THE TIME FLEW AND WE WERE IN CLASS 3RD. I STARTED THINKING; I WAS BIG AS NOW I STUDIED BIG SUBJECTS LIKE SCIENCE, SOCIAL STUDIES EXCEPT FROM MATHS, ENGLISH AND HINDI. THAT YEAR ALSO BROUGHT WITH IT A SWEET GIFT FOR ME, MY BROTHER. THAT WAS THE BEST MOMENT OF MY LIFE. I SHOULDERED ALL THE DUTIES AND OFCOURSE THE RIGHTS OF BEING A BIG SISTER. AND IN SCHOOL THIS NEW YEAR GOT WITH IT A NEW FRIEND PURVA. SHE WAS IN MY FATHERS KNOWN AND THUS WE CAME REALLY CLOSE. OLD FRIENDS WERE THERE BUT SHE BECAME MORE IMPORTANT TO ME. WE USED TO SIT TOGETHER, TALK A LOT IN CLASS AS WELL AS ON PHONE WHEN AT HOME. THOSE WERE REALLY NICE MOMENTS.
WE WENT TO RANTHAMBORE TRIP, AN EDUCATIONAL TRIP FROM SCHOOL. IT WAS FUN. WE PLAYED TOGETHER, EXPLORED NEW AND ADVENTUROUS PLACES THERE, MADE NEW FRIENDS. IT WAS 5TH STANDARD; WE HAD SHARED 3 YEARS OF FRIENDSHIP. OUR TEACHERS USED TO CALL US BEST PALS. EVERYBODY ADMIRED OUR FRIENDSHIP. IN THIS CLASS BOTH OF US WERE REALLY LUCKEY AS WE GOT OUR FIRST BREAK IN OUR SCHOOLS ANNUAL FUNCTIONS STAGE PERFORMANCE. IT WAS LIKE AN HONOUR TO HAVE THIS IN JUST 5TH STANDARD. EVERYBORY IN SCHOOL THATIS TEACHERS, SENIORS STARTED KNOWING US. BOTH OF US TOOK THIS OPPORTUNITY SINCERELY AND USED TO PRACTICE A LOT. THE ANNUAL FUNCTION TIMES ARE THE BEST TIME AS DURING THIS TIME IF YOU ARE ANYWAYINVOLVED IN THE FUNCTION THEN YOU CAN EASILY BUNK THE CLASS. IT WAS LIKE AN OFFICIAL OR LEAGL BUNK AND BOTH OF US, THE FISHY MINDS, USED TO DO THIS A LOT.
GRADUALLY 5TH STANDARD PASSED AND WE CAME IN 6TH, THE JUNIORS OF OUR SCHOOL. SHUFFLING OF SECTIONS TOOK PLACE AND ME AND PURVA WERE SEPARATED. NOW AGAIN I WAS IN A NEW ENVIRONMENT WITH NEW PEOPLE AROUND BUT DEEPANSHI WAS THERE. SHE HELPED ME A LOT TO ADJUST. I MADE NEW FRIENDS AND MY FRIENDSHIP WITH PURVA FADED AWAY. I WAS A KIND OF A MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN BOTH OF US AS BOTH OF US NOW HAD A DIFFERENT GROUP OF RFRIENDS AND WE WERE HAPPY. OUR FRIENDSHIP WAS STILL THERE BUT THE INTENSITY, BONDING WAS WEAK.

NOW I HAD A GROUP OF 6 FRIENDS. THE BEST PART WAS THE ONE OF THEM WAS CHRISTIAN AND ONE MUSLIM. IT WAS REALLY ADVENTUROUS AT LEAST FOR ME TO EXPLORE THESE NEW RELIGIONS. WE ALL USED TO ATTEND ALL THEIR RELIGIOUS AND FAMILY FUNCTIONS. IT WAS A KIND OF NEW FEELING FOR ME.I REALLY ENJOYED GOING TO CHURCHES AND DARGAHS.

NOW SINCE WE WERE IN 6TH STANDARD WE ALL USED TO BEHAVE AS MATURE TEENAGERS THOUGH CHILDLIKE SOMETIME. WE USED TO HANGOUT IN DIFFERENT PLACES OF JAIPUR. THERE WE USED TO SEE GUYS STARING US AND I ALWAYS USED TO WONDER WHAT AND WHY WERE THEY STARING? AS IN SCHOOL ALSO THERE WERE GUYS BUT THEY NEVER USED TO STARE US. WHATEVER, WE DIDN’T CARE, WE JUST USED TO ENJOY.

AT THIS POINT, TDS, TRUTH DARE N SITUATIONS BECAME AN INTERESTING GAME OR BETTER CALL IT A PASSTIME FOR US. TRUTH WAS A LITTLE BORE AS WE KNEW EVERYTHING ABOUT US. DARE WAS FUN AS WE LIKED PLAYING PRANKS ON EVERYBODY AROUND.

TIME FLEW SMOOTHLY. STUDIES WENT HAND IN HAND WITH FUN. AND NOW CANE 7TH STANDARD WHERE WE REALLY DISCOVERED WHY GUYS SO CURIOUS TO KNOW ABOUT US AS INSIDE US EVEN WE FELT THE SAME FEELINGS.

WE FELT THAT EVEN WE WERE BEING ATTRACTED TOWARDS THEM. THE AURA WAS CHANGING. THIS WAS A SIGN OF MATURITY ACCORDING TO US. HOW KIDDISH WE WERE NOW I THINK. THIS WHICH WE THOUGHT AS A M ATURE THINGWAS THE MOST IMMATURE THING I COULD HAVE EVER DONE. BUT AFTER ALLWE WERE GIRLS. THEN STARTED THE LONG LIST OF PROPOSALS, REJECTIONS, CRUSHES, BOYFRIENDS, AND AFFAIRS.

I IN MY LIFE I HAD NEVER THOUGHT THAT I WOULD EVER FALL INTO A RELATIONSHIP BUT IT HAPPENED. I WENT INTO A RELATIONSHIP. THIS I DID NOT BECAUSE I LACKED SOMETHING OR I WAS EMOTIONALLY WEAK BUT BECAUSE HE GARNISHED MY LIFE.

HE TAUGHT ME HOW TO HANDLE SITUATIONS, HOW TO REACT TO SOMETHING AND MOST IMPORTANTLY IT TAUGHT ME LESSONS LIFE. I WITH HIS ADVICE BECAME INDEPENDENT AND AT THE SAME TIME IT ALWAYS REMINDED ME OF MY LIMITS. AT THIS POINT, I NEVER THOUGHT THIS PERSON IS RIGHT FOR ME OR NOT OR CAN I SAY FOR THE WHOLE LIFE WITH HIM OR NOT BUT IT WAS JUST THAT HE UNDERSTOOD ME, CARED FOR ME AND THE SAME WAS WITH ME.

HE BECAME ONE OF MY BESTEST FRIEND. THOUGH WE ARE NOT INTO RELATIONSHI TODAY BUT STILL THAT BONDING REMAINS. THE BEST PART I LIKED ABOUT HIM IS THAT THERE HAD BEEN NO DIFFERENCE IN OUR FRIENDSHIP EVEN AFTER BREAKUP.THIS I THINK IS THE TRUE RELATION. BREAK UP WAS OUR MUTUAL DECISION BUT THE TENDERNESS REMAINS.

MY FRIENDS SAY HOW I OVERCAME BREAKUP BECAUSE ACCORDING TO THEM ITS EASY TO ACT AS LOVING THE ONE WHOM YOU REALLY MIGHT NOT LOVE BUT ITS VERY VERY HARDER TO ACT AS HATING THE ONE, WHOM YOU REALLY LOVE.
BUT THEN I TOLD THEM – STAYING FAR NEVER BREAKS RELATION, STAYING NEAR NEVER BUILDS UP RELATIONS. IT’S A LINK BETWEEN HEARTS WHICH NEVER ALLOWS YOU TO FORGET EACH OTHER.

THIS FOR PEOPLE ONE OF THE MOST DISASTEROUS MOMENT OF MY LIFE BUT FOR ME IT WAS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL EXPERIENCE.I TRUSTED THAT PERSON AND FOUND A PRECIOUS FRIEND. SO ULTIMATELY I WON A FRIEND NOT LOST A PARTNER.

NOW ALL OF US DECIDED TO FOCUS ON STUDIES AS IT WASW HIGH TIME. 10TH BOARDS WERE APPROACHING. I HAD TO FULFIL MY PARENTS EXPEXCTATIONS BECAUSE THEY WERE THE MOST IMPORTANT PEOPLE IN MY LIFE. I STUDIED FOR THEM AND I FELT VERY HAPPY AS THE RESULT WAS AWSOME AND MY PARENTS WERE PROUD OF ME. I HAD ACHIEVED ONE SUCCESS OF MY LIFE.

NOW EXPECTATIONS GREW. EVEN MY CONFIDENCE IN ME GREW. I TOOK ADMISSION IN ONE OF THE COACHING INSTITUTE FOR THE PREPARATIONS OF IITJEE . AGAIN SOME OF MY FRIENDS LEFT ME AS THEY CHANGED EITHER THEIR SCHOOL OR THEIR CITIES FOR BUILDING UP THEIR FUTURE, FOR PREPARATIONS.

LIFE TOOK ME TO THESE PEOPLE WITH WHOM I AM SITTING RIGHT NOW ON THIS CANTEEN TABLE AND SERIOUSLY LIFE BECAME MORE BEAUTIFUL. THESE FRIENDS HAVE BECOME AN ETERNAL PART OF MY LIFE . THERE IS SO MUCH WARMTH AND LOVE BETWEEN ALL OF US THAT TODAY WHEN WE ARE MILES APART ALSO I FIND EVERYBODY VERY NEAR TO ME. THIS I CALL FRIENDSHIP. AN IMPORTANT PART OF MY SCHOOL LIFE.

Poornima Chahar Remembers Her Father

A daughter's sad, fond and moving remembrances of her father.

Many a times such incidents or I must say accidents occur in our life that make us wonder “why the hell this happens to me always? ”... ……The incidents - which we can never forget, which we can’t imagine even in our wildest dreams. But as the time slips through our hands like grains of sand. The memories of that instant grow stronger and stronger. What I am talking about here is the incident that left a part of my life empty forever – that can never be refilled by any other person ……yes, the place of my beloved father.

So without wasting any more time I take you down the memory lane to the unforgettable day of my life.

“Who knows what tomorrow is going to bring when we have no idea what the next moment has in store for us”– anonymous.

I can’t elaborate exactly, how it happened but I’ll try my best to present even the slightest possible details of that black day of my life. The day traces back its existence to the year 1996. It was 13th august 1996 when I lost my father forever. The afternoon is still fresh in my mind. It was around 1 o’clock in the afternoon when the three of us –me (7), my elder brother Abhi (11), my younger brother Shantanu (5) came back home after school. My father was at home on that day waiting for us to be back from school. I ran towards him and started telling him about my day at school. At that time my mother was out of town, to my granny’s house at the funeral of her grandmother. In her absence my aunt was there to look after us. Around 1:30 we all joined at the dining table for lunch my cousin brother Narender also joined us for lunch. He was living with us as he was doing his graduation. We all were having great fun. After finishing with the lunch my aunt and Narender went for a small nap. And the remaining three of us agreed to watch movie and my father also came along with us. We all were sitting in the T.V hall and my father was lying on the cot. When around 3 o’clock he experienced some sort of pain in his chest but he did not paid much attention it. But it was not what he thought as just after 10 minutes he felt that the chest pain was increasing rapidly. He asked Abhimanyu to wake up Narender and if he doesn’t then pour a glass of water on him. But Narender did not arouse from his sound sleep. My father actually wanted him to search the phone number of Dr. V.P goyal (our family doctor) and call him because the intensity of pain in his chest had increased so much that he was unable to get to the phone. But after seeing that Narender was in no mood of waking from his sound sleep, he made an attempt to reach the phone and call the doctor but just before reaching there he suddenly collapsed. Actually he got a heart attack. Shocked by the sudden collapsing of my father Abhimanyu ran to my aunt to wake her up and aroused her immediately. Then she woke up Narender and then he called our neighbors to lend us a car. Within few minutes one of the neighbor came with the car and two-three of our neighbors lifted up my father to get him seated in the car. My aunt with my two brothers also went with them to see the doctor. Meanwhile my younger brother and I were unaware of the incident as we busy in watching the movie in other room. Around 3:45 I started to get ready for my tuition when I realized that nobody was at home except me and. But I didn’t gave it any serious thought and asked Shantanu to get ready for tuition, but he denied to go to tuition after seeing that nobody was at home to compel him. In spite of all my efforts he did not go to tuition. So I went to tuition alone. My tuition teacher was our next to next-door neighbor. When I went there she inquired about my fathers health I replied that he was absolutely fine but she told me that she saw him lying unconscious on the front seat of the car alone with my aunt my brothers. I came back from tuition and was wondering what might have happen to my father, as he was absolutely fine just a short while ago. Suddenly a thought struck my mind what if my father was dead???…. But my heart denied this wild thought. When I reached home I noticed that nobody was present there except my brother Shantanu who was watching cartoons. I also joined him till the other people come back home. Mean while on the other side within 10 minutes my relatives took my dad to the hospital. On their way to hospital everybody in the car made attempts to bring my father back to conscious but all was in vain. After arriving at the hospital he was immediately taken to the emergency ward where doctors made every possible efforts to save him, but suddenly he got another severe heart attack and his struggle for life ended half an hour the emergency ward. Every body standing outside the ward was praying to god for his safety. When the doctors came out with expressionless faces. One of the doctors informed my relatives that they fail to save them. Everybody busted into tears at this unfortunate news as nobody had ever imagined that he would leave us in such an unexpected manner. After completing the formalities of the hospital all the people come back with my father’s dead body. My aunt suddenly came inside the house continuously weeping and stated to pack our clothes and other such stuff. When I inquired what happen the she told me that we were went to grandfathers house then locked our house. When we came out of the house I saw some one lying in a very unusual manner on the front seat of the car and when I went near I saw that he was none other then my father his mouth filled with white effervescence and there were cotton buds inserted in his nose. But suddenly somebody covered his face with a white cloth. That was the last time I saw my father. When I sat in the car observed that everybody was bewailing. Being a child I was unaware of the fact that I have lost my father forever. My aunt was hugging me and weeping constantly. I was not able to understand that had happen and why everyone was crying. After half an hour of journey we reached our grandfather’s house and there also I heard the mourning of relatives after some times a dead body wrapped in white cloth was placed in the middle of the “aangan” of the house and my relatives started crying even more louder then before.

The news of my father’s death started spreading and reached to my mother and my maternal relative. As soon as they heard it they left for our hometown and they arrived at 3 o’clock in the morning. I just cannot imagine now what was her condition at that moment her grief was immeasurable. My younger brother Shantanu, unaware of the whole incident was playing with my younger cousins. I joined them to but suddenly all of us were locked in a room with my aunt as the cremation ceremony was going on. After this when I inquired about my father from my mother she said that he had went to meet god and would return back soon. This statement was carved on my heart forever and I am still waiting for him to come back. I always requested god to send my father back to me but I never got any reply.

It is often said that you don’t know what you have until you loose it! But I its actually like …….. You always know what you have you just never thought you would loose it. That is the case with me now. As a grown-up I wonder if I have ever imagined my life without my father. I never thought he would leave me at such in early stage and in such an unexpected way.

Memories of My Beloved Father

I shared some special memories with my father. I was his favorite. He loved to have a daughter. When I was born my father was on the seventh sky after hearing that he has become the father of girl child. It was he who named me ‘POORNIMA’. He loved me more than my two brothers. He always brought gifts for me whenever he went out of the town. Due to my father’s excess love I had become very stubborn. One day he scolded me for something, which I can’t recall, I started crying and when I was crying my breath got stuck and I was not able to breathe. My father poured water on me to bring back my breath. After two minutes I was able to breathe a little and turned fine after few minutes. After that my father took me in his lap and kissed my forehead and said – “ I could have lost my daughter”. After that he never scolded me.

My father was the one who taught me to put trust in God. He taught me a small prayer, which I offer to God every night. I still remember that I use to keep an empty bowl in front of God every night and then every morning rushing to check it and finding the bowl full of sweets. For me it was God who kept the sweets. But it was my father who filled the bowl with my favorite sweets just like he filled my life with beautiful colours. At times when I use to find the bowl empty I asked my father – “Papa what happened, where did my sweets go?” My father replied – “ don’t you remember you fighting with Shantanu last night”. Actually he uses to say this when he forgets to fill my bowl with the sweets. This practice turned me better. I reduced fighting with Shantanu.

One more incident, which I can’t forget, is “the daily Ice-cream treat”. The ice-cream seller use to come in our colony every night. My father and me loved ice creams. It was usual for us to have ice cream after dinner. We never missed it.

I have few such unforgettable and lovely memories of my father deep inside my heart. I feel proud when people say – “ She is just like her father”. His memories, his love, his teachings, his deeds are with me forever. I love him today and ALWAYS………..

Tragedy Knocked Out by Pratibha

For Pratibha, getting to MITS/Lakshmangarh was a 'tragedy'. She writes about how everythings has changed since then and the wonderful times she has had in her very first year here.

After wasting (my present perception!), a whole, long year and my parent’s valuable money at Resonance Coaching Institute, Kota after XII, I was left with two alternatives in my bag ,out of which only one was going to decide my future –counseling letters from SRM University ,Chennai & MITS, Lakshmangarh (although RPET Counseling was also there but I had sidelined it a long ago!). As my hopes of making it through IIT died a long and all the high spirits faded away slowly from my mind ,I was still damn sure to get admission at SRM University irrespective of whatever stream was assigned to me according to my eligibility(after all it was all about staying in a metro city!!). And thus I was there at SRM campus(yippy!!!) and to my utmost satisfaction I gladly ended up getting entrance in Bio-technology branch, instead of my zero interest in biology ,along with my cousin sister who was awarded with Electronics and Communication Engineering.

The college was such that the students were dying to get in -the enviable infrastructure...fascinating laboratories ...pollution-free environment ...alluring placement packages...And what not!! You just name it and they have it .I was overflowing with joy .It was like a dream come true .We had a great time there.

After returning from Chennai I came to realize that the stars high in the sky were writing a totally different chapter for me...family discussions ,well wishers’ advices, granny’s pressure, destiny ,chance ,luck ..all ended up dumping admission at SRM University and my dreams shattered like anything!!

Moreover, call it my bad luck or simply my fate...I was here...at MITS...in the small sleepy town of Lakshmangarh. Believe me, even in my wildest dream I never thought that such tragedy would happen to me...I would end up taking admission in an all-girls-college!!! However, that is life dears and that is how it goes on…

To tell you the truth the only thing that was in my mind when I came here(MITS) for the first time was that what the hell was the use of dropping a whole crap year when I could have made it here the previous year without wasting my precious time and money!! Nevertheless, such nonsense talks were of no use now as the time has flown away with its wings.

At that instant I really regretted coming to such an isolated place which seemed to me as a hub of different buildings –hostel buildings, school building, college buildings, a splendid mess and cafeteria, and many others which I could not specify .The infrastructure was not that bad and the counselling session also went nicely .So at last I made-up my mind to spend the four glorious years of my life here at MITS.
Thus my college life began in August-07 .the days were simply passing by when one day I came to know about the sports society of MITS and the sports in which the girls were trained here...and naturally volleyball lured in my interest as I had played a little bit of volley in my XII std. (that too as physical education was one of my electives!!) .So to make some constructive use of my time and to remain physically fit I started to play Volleyball regularly. It was great fun there –Ramesh Sir, Ram pal Sir, our so-called bosses who were more like our pals, some batch mates…I was enjoying each and every moment. Other essential stuff (quizzes, practicals, sessionals, proxies, mass bunks) went side by side…after all we were pursuing engineering. here.

All was going well –it seemed not to me but all others as deep inside my heart there was still a lot of pain for getting through any IIT or NIT but one day when our bosses told us that we were going to take part in UDGHOSH’07 (annual sports meet of IIT-K!!) then I was in a kind of state of relief as the thought of visiting the IIT-K campus comforted my healing soul…and thus it was UDGHOSH’07 –the awesome event loaded with lifetime memories.

After the splendid success of MITS sports team at Udghosh’07 then came the turn of SPARDHA’08 ,the annual sporting festival of IT-BHU gymkhana…that also proved to be another gem in the crown for MITSIANS as it also showered loads of medals and trophies…

So here are the two major events of my very first year at MITS….




UDGHOSH’07: mayhem for victory

On 19th of September 07 a group of about 37 girls headed by our faculty members: Anil J B Sir, Ramesh Sir and Neha ma’m, boarded a bus to Jaipur railway station and from there a train to Kanpur. The journey was full of fun.

We reached there on 20th morning and went to the campus on a college bus. After reaching the campus, we headed straight to the registration counter SAC (Student Activity Centre) to get our room allocated and that came out to be
the common room of the girls’ hostel.

On our way to the hostel, we could not help appreciating the color and excitement all around. The wall paintings at the SAC were definitely masterpiece of their own kind and were truly eye catching and so was the crowd there. As it was my First experience of an inter-college sports meet, I was feeling fantastic.

After getting fresh, we all headed for the canteen with our empty stomachs, as all of us were damn hungry. From there we went to explore the campus and came to know that the campus consisted of four playing grounds out of which two were cricket grounds, one football and last was hockey ground. Adjoining the main ground were two volleyball courts and on the opposite side were two basketball courts complete with night-lights and seating facility. There was also an indoor compact stadium with two badminton courts and opposite to it was an up-to-date gymnasium. A tennis complex with four tennis courts equipped with central lightening was also there. Then I realized the big difference between being an IITIN and not being the one.

After that short visit, we went to the central ground where the inaugural ceremony marked the official beginning of the sports fest. There were around 800 participants from different colleges across the country and all were so much excited to participate and win in their respective sports...

At the end of the sports meet, awarded with the most prestigious trophy of “The Best Outstation Team”, along with “the best athletics team”, and “the champion’s trophy" in lawn tennis and badminton, the girls really had enough reasons to cheer for!

The girls bagged 33 medals in total with 14 gold medals and the remaining silvers and bronzes. The Basketball team emerged as the runner-up after giving a worthy fight to the competitors in the finals. Two girls also bagged silver medals in the informal events (slow cycling and chess).

The MITSIANS left an everlasting impression not only on the referees but also on the audience, so it hardly comes to a surprise that even the hosts outstretched their continuous support against their home team. All the surroundings echoed with hoots like “MODEEE……MODEE!!” and many more.

The days passed with a blink of an eye and the nights with a flash and thus the journey ended as we headed back to MITS on 23rd (tough none of us wanted to!) capturing the unforgettable moments we spent there in our hearts forever…

Even today, when I think about those wonderful days I just cannot resist remembering our so dear Anil JB Sir who was always so nice to us during the whole trip and even at the college… We really miss you a lot, sir!


SPARDHA’08 : reckoning tracks, awaiting glory

The memorable journey began at the meeting point of Jaipur railway station on fifth march when a group of 35 girls along with Ramesh Sir, Paras Sir, Subhash Sir, and Alpana M’am boarded a train to the holy city, Varanasi.

The journey was a great fun. While I was quite busy with my novel (though our mid-terms were scheduled on 15th!), others were busy playing antakshari (or call it a cacophony competition!) and chatting with our faculty members who lately became our gang members. It was so wonderful knowing our teachers so closely!

We reached varanasi on 6th noon. It was then that I came to know that the campus spread over unending greenery was one of the biggest campuses in Asia land wise...

After waiting for an hour or two to be registered, we headed to our allotted accommodation that was some sort of staff quarter. After placing our luggage we rushed to the mess as all of us were so much hungry but we were very disappointed to know that there was no food for us in the stores and we ended up eating maggie!!

Then it was turn to line up for the bathrooms, as we had to get ready quickly for the basketball match scheduled in the evening. After that we went to the basky court to hoot for our team and meanwhile we came to know that the campus had seven or 8 different playgrounds, an indoor stadium, one basketball court, two volleyball and tennis courts each... Moreover, the campus also had the Vishwanath Temple, which we visited on our last day at the campus...

With the arduous efforts of the sports team, the girls managed to get an attractive cluster of 49 medals with 28 gold, 20 silver & 1 bronze medals. To add to the laurels to MITS the sports team bagged the fascinating “The Best Outstation Team” trophy along with “the champion’s trophy” in volleyball, tennis & badminton. To get the adrenalin rushing, our sports queens also bagged the trophies for best athlete, best volleyball player and best badminton player.

The basketball team stood at second place after being defeated in the neck-to-neck finals. The athletics team also bagged 17 medals and proved their worth.

Thus, MITSIANS have outdated their forerunners in terms of surpassing all the previous records... The days passed in nanoseconds and before we realized it was the last day of our trip. During our journey back home, we realized that we were out of time to prepare for the upcoming sessionals!

The workload seemed never-ending to me and I was in no condition of studying after such a tiring journey. Thus, days passed by and so the exams that went worst as hell…and such were the marks obtained!!

Now, worries apart. In nutshell, I am going to cherish these experiences forever and I hope I get similar chances in the following years…………..

An Unborn Child's Witness: Aastha Arora on the Day Gas Tragedy Hit Bhopal

Many a times such incidents or I must say accidents occur which we can never forget and they form an inseparable part of our lives. With each passing moment the memory of that instance grows stronger and stronger. what I m going to tell u, is not my personal experience that is I have not experienced it but still it is related to my life.

You must have heard about the BHOPAL GAS TRAGEDY which took place on the night of December 2,1984. It happened at Union Carbide-a chemical factory which used to manufacture carbyle pesticide using Methyl Isocynate (MIC). About 40 tonnes of MIC leaked into the atmosphere from the tank due to accidental entry of water into the tank which overheated the reaction mixture and exploded the tank. It killed about 5100 people(about 2600 due to direct exposure of MIC and 2500 due to after effects)

My parents, my brother and my uncles (mama and chacha) were there at that moment in the same area where this incident took place. Now you must be thinking that where was I???I was with God. Couldn't get it??? I wasn't born till that time.

I didn't even know about this. When I studied about this tragedy in class 6th,I used to think that how the people would have managed and I didn’t know why ,but very unusual questions used to disturb me.

I used to talk about this to my mother but she never told me anything because she knew that it would be very shocking for me. But one fine evening when I was on the playground and my mother was talking to our neighbor regarding this tragedy, I suddenly appeared unknowingly to her. I heard the whole incident.

My mother told but it was a fine day and my mama and my chacha had come to meet them. They were all having a great time when suddenly the gas leaked into the atmosphere. The air around was very irritating and people had difficulty to breathe in. They ran here and there. My family members also came out of the house and started moving out from that locality when my father realized that his brother was missing. He asked his brother-in-law (my mama) to take my mother and brother out of that area and he would go and find his brother by the time.

Obviously, my mom refused to do so, because where would they go at midnight and where will they find him (father).At that time their were even no mobile phones available and my mom was worried where will they find him but my father forced them to do so.

My mama, mumma and my brother started moving and my dad went to search for his brother. Now my mumma, brother and my mama were on a scooter when suddenly they met with a road accident, in which my Mom got her right hand fractured, her brother got an injury on his leg and my brother got his chin injured. Three of them injured, took shelter in a house in which the family members were extremely helpful. They provided them with first aid and asked them to stay there at night so that they can get some rest. It was very cold that night and that unknown family provided them (my family members) with new and clean beddings and took proper care of them.

My mother was much tensed about my father and his brother. My father was still in same area searching for his brother, when he found him hidden under some dry grass and straw (so that he could breathe since the gas being heavier remains in the upper atmosphere).

Now both of them (my mom and my dad) were far apart and both of them didn't know anything about each other. And guess what happened?? Fortunately and surprisingly, By God's Grace, my father took shelter in the same house. This was the most surprising event that took place that day. Because, otherwise, what could have happened that day, I still get my heartbeat faster when i think about this.

Then they came to Agra and underwent the treatment. My mama had infection in his lungs, mom got her right hand fractured, Father got his eyes infected and my brother got a few stitches on his chin.

After the treatment, my parents went back to Bhopal mainly to visit that family that helped them. They wanted to thank them. But there was a lock in that house. Then since my father has visited that house so many times but always has seen a lock there. The house is still there, but God knows where the family members are. Nobody could know who they were, and where they are now.

After listening to the whole incident I had tears in my eyes. I really thank God for everything he did and truly believe in my parent's saying-"THAT FAMILY WAS THE SAVIOUR SENT BY GOD!!!!!"

MADE FOR EACH OTHER by Ruchi Singhal

Ruchi is an Engineer-in-making (E 7/III yr) but with a lot of other things on her mind. One such thing has taken form of this little 'love story'.

Getting up early is the hardest job for me, but as usual Johnny woke me up early this morning too. I don’t know what pleasure he gets in going for those mundane “morning walks”. Moreover the nefarious fellow always tricks me into accompanying him. He always says that there is a beauty in the nature, but oh! what beauty, the vicinity is the same everyday.

Today again we are here on the grounds of his beloved ‘exotic’ park. I was trying to keep myself from dozing off when all of a sudden a whiff of breeze with actual ‘exotic’ air stormed me. In order to find the source of that calling aroma, I turned around.

What I saw was beyond imagination. There stood before me the best creation of God. The words ‘glorious’ and ‘attractive’ seemed Lilliputian in front of her. Her fur coat & open curly hair made her look like an angel. Overwhelmed by her beauty I somehow gathered courage to go near her. Although speechless, I was somehow able to convey my words of appreciation to her. Seemingly glad she gave a million dollar smile.

Convinced by the Hindi saying ‘hansi to fasi’, I almost jumped with joy. I even started making plans of our marriage. There will be a huge list of guests, delicious food items and a lot of melodrama. And the title would read “Tommy weds laika”.

So what if dogs don’t marry. I really hope our puppies will be as exquisite as she is.

A Reading of Joyce Cary's Growing Up by First Year Students

Apoorva Srivastava, Chandani Jain, Apurva Agrawal and Devanshi Tiwari's presentation was the best classroom presentation (CS-AB). Here, we produce the full text and invite comments from all B.Tech students. To know more about Cary go to his son composer Tristram Cary's page http://users.senet.com.au/~trisc/JCBiog.html and

ww.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joyce_Cary.

This is a presentation on ‘Growing Up’ by Joyce Cary.

We are presenting the outlook of father, a preteen kid, a teenager and the decision maker- the society.

The situation is seen through their respective eyes.

TEENAGERS AT PRESENT by Apoorva Srivastava

Jenny and Kate have just entered the teen age. According to me, children can turn out wild only when they are not taken care of very well. Here is this family, the parents hardly gave any time to their children, mother remains busy handling the social responsibilities and father remains busy with office, he spends long time out of town. They hardly ever took out time to sit with their children to point out their mistakes and judge their development due to which they turned out to be complete freaks. They failed to teach their kids about discipline and cleanliness.

Now the girls are not so intimately involved with their father as they were earlier, they are into their own world. Maybe these are the changes involved when someone enters the teenage.

But they have grown up, they have become practical and are also worried if their father is hurt, at the same time arranging for his ointment. The two sisters are very much concerned about each other.

All this shows that they have crossed that age where family is the only world. Now they have grown up to realize that there is more than just a family.

Now have a look at the same kids two year back……

THE PRETEEN KIDS by Chandani Jain

The kids before two years adored their father and mother. They had no grudges against their father. They totally depended on them for everything. They expected an emotional support from them. For them, their parents were the world.

They used to plan surprises very enthusiastically. One fine day, when their father returned home after being away for a long time, they planned a welcome surprise for him but as their secret was discovered, they were disappointed and felt humiliated.

So we see there is a lot of transformations from preteen to teen. The contrast between their ages is quite clear.


THE FATHER’S VIEW by Apurva Agrawal

Mr. Robert Quick, the father of the little kids, Jenny and Kate, really loved his daughters. He is the sole bread earner of the family and thus stays busy with his work but he takes out time for his family, his children since they are his responsibility and he loves them. He wanted his children to grow up as independent and wise young individuals, therefore, he gave them full freedom. He greeted them cheerfully even when he was tired and so he expected the same from them. He cared for his daughters and loved their pet too.

He had been away from home because of work and during this time he had missed his family terribly. He was eager to be with his daughters again. But he notices that the scenario has changed, his daughters have changed. They used to be innocent but now they have become wild and ruthless. Seeing the behavior changed of his daughters, he gets sad and shocked. When his daughters call him names and their bitch bites him, he gets afraid of their actions. H e Is feeling like a stranger, as if, he has just started knowing them. He feels lonely since his wife stays busy socializing and is daughters have abandoned him. At last he decides to go for a pool game but again he is in for a surprise from Jenny who is worried for his injury. He learns he has to grow up and change with them as they have changed while growing up.

Conclusion by Devanshi Tiwari

SO here we heard the story of ‘Growing Up’ through a father’s heart full of love for his daughters but definitely jammed by confusions at behavior of growing teens. A teen’s frustration at the flowing hormones and hopeless elders. The decisive eye of society, commenting on girls.

Its quite vivid from condition of the garden that in the Quick’s household, children were the conquerors. It was designed rather groomed for their taste.

They have a devoted mom and a loving father. They too love their parents but situation becomes complicated as they grow into their teenage. They dislike being questioned or instructed and generally overreact to situations. They have swings in mood from loving child to aggressive heroines to responsible daughters.

The chapter simply teaches us that even parents need to grow up with their growing kids. They have to adjust to their growing needs and swinging moods.