Recollections of Life - Engineering (Part 3)

Continuing our tradition of harassing the teachers and making fun of them, we were heralded into the 2nd semester. The first day was, as usual, a laughter riot!! One of our teachers came in and said "Hello..im Mr. Rajan!!" and we collapsed. I made a comment about her having a gender-identification problem which she heard partially. She threatened to kick me out of the class if i did not stop laughing. But the worst part was that even when she was scolding me, i was smiling and trying my level best, not to laugh. That was a bad experience. But little did i know, the worse was yet to come..in the later years!

'Result time' approached and every day we heard rumors about the results being declared. Everyone was shitting bricks! People were really scared. Our first results!! And our seniors had already traumatized us by saying that the results are never good. Many of my friends lost their nails, owing to the constant chewing!! I tried to think what would happen if people start chewing others' nails ..hahaha ...would that be a sight!!

I remember the day of the results vividly. We were attending a maths lecture when one guy came and shouted "Results mil gaye!!" (The results are out) and without sparing a thought for the teacher, all of us left and the poor teacher was left standing alone in the class. After that it was assumed by one and all that the remaining lectures need not be conducted!

Some students came out smiling, some weeping, some totally devoid of any emotion and a few of them came out leaping and screaming that they had flunked only in 1 or 2 or 3 subjects. I got my marksheet and saw the marks. I expected my percentage to be mentioned...but there were numbers scribbled on it. Due to a total lack of skills required to calculate my marks (skills required = Maths!), i was blank and had no expression on my face!! I asked my friends to calculate my marks and got to know that i had done reasonably well. I was happy. The day ended in Pizza Hut with all of us fooling around and celebrating. Everyone had done well.

Second sem was to see many more incidents like that one i described earlier. This time too, it would be Ankit initiating the riot of laughter. We were on our way back to the classroom after eating a little more than was required. We were pretty late and wanted to reach as soon as possible. There were a lot of people on the stairs. Ankit decided that it was up to him to make way. There was a girl in front of us who refused to move. She was definitely going to be Ankit's victim, i thought. And she was. As soon as we approached her, she turned around. And Ankit being what he is, loudly burped, right in her face! The look on the girls face was prize winning. She shrieked "Eeeeeeek...YUCK!!" and moved away...making way for the kings...as Ankit put it. And we, the kings (of the empire of 'Belch'istan) went up the stairs laughing and guffawing. I have never been involved in any incident like that ever since. But, these incidents made engineering what it was, as Barney in 'How I Met Your Mother' would have said "Legendary!!"

The sem passed by in 2 months, the shortest FE 2nd term till date and it was exam time. Our routines changed from doing tomfoolery all day long to studying throughout the day (and night). It was time for all of us to slog our butts off which would prevent us from being in FE again. After a gruelling sequence of exams, thanks to the likes (or dislikes) of M-2, App-Mech, Graphics, Elex and App-Sci 2, i did not know if i'll clear or not. But nonetheless, the exams being a thing of the past, all of us started meeting again and fooling around even more. But we knew that after FE, all of us would be in different streams and classes and meeting each other would be infrequent.

The end of FE gave rise to ambivalent feelings in me...Happiness for stepping into the world of Computer Engineering and sadness for knowing that i wont be able to meet all my friends from FE as frequently. So, with a heavy heart i stepped into Second Year, not knowing that i would find friends who would change my life forever. But still, i maintain, 'FE IV Rocks!!' And on a more general note 'FE Rocks!!'

to be continued...