As i got ready to doze off at the Easter mass last night, i saw something that made me suddenly sit up in attention..i saw the man i had dreaded for 3 years at St.Xavier's Ahmedabad..the man who gave me nightmares even in the midst of the most blissful sleep..the man in whose hands lay my future and career..the man at whose sight, students ran in every direction in fright..
Fr. K Raj-the attendance in charge at Xavier's..also vice principal.
STRIKE ONE-
i remember my first year..i was a shy timid kid just outta school..and as luck would have it, i landed up in the "black list" of those with a low attendance (i.e.below 75%)as i stood outside his office in the looooooong line, i realised that it was not gonna go well..for one, i was most inappropriately dressed to be in the vice principal's office- a short sleeveless top that showed off my trim waist( not something to be proud of when you're in trouble)as i stood in line pulling my t-shirt lower and lower, i knew i had it coming my way..i'd been terribly irregular in college cuz i'd taken way too long to adjust(the first 6 months were spent at home in Baroda with an invisible and incurable "fever") as i slowly and softly entered his office, he took one look at the papers, read my name, saw my attendance and screamed-"get out of my office NOW!!!" i dint know whether i was supposed to obey or would it b rude if i left..i hung around..drawing circles with my foot.. he eventually told me to leave the college and get admissions elsewhere.. i apologised over and over until he agreed to lemme stay with an apology letter signed by the warden of my hostel..piece of cake! i left his office, wrote a letter and signed it myself!
STRIKE TWO-
second year at Xavier's i once again found myself somewhere in the middle of that dreadful black list.. my excuse this time? being in the Core Committee (a student body of the college)i'd been busy with alot of activities throughout the year and i had evidence and witnesses to prove it..luckily i had the rest of the Core Committee also in the office for the same reason.. so this time, all k raj could do was grunt and let me go.
STRIKE THREE-
third year was a not so pleasant time as far as k raj was concerned.. surprisingly and with no fault of mine this time, i was-undoubtedly- on the black list.. this time as i made my way into his office, one word is all it took for my world to crumble- "PARENTS" i left his office and cried my head off..i had to call my parents before the 23rd of December..it was somewhere in the beginning of the month..i had to find a way to somehow let my parents know of the situation, convince them it wasn't my fault and bring them here.. it all happened. Mum wasnt happy at all..but i told her how regular i'd been this year especially and that i could have any professor vouch for me.. it somehow made Ma a lil ok..and we sat outside the office cooking up stories to tell k raj.. inside, he ranted on and on about how i'd been bunking classes and crap..and how its impossible to let me stay with such a low attendance.. since Ma knew i was telling the truth, she demanded to see my record. and k raj softly said ,"actually its not so low..just above the limit..but its my duty to inform parents,na? u understand." my Mum simply nodded, smiled and we left.
never again have i let my attendance be taken so lightly. and proof is my first semester record at MSU that shows i have a 93% attendance in class, 3rd highest!!!
no more nightmares
no more threats
no more new colleges
No comments:
Post a Comment