.....a Day finally....!!!

....the  grass topped  glade  is  moisture  laden with  the  latest  onslaught  of  a   nascent  Monsoon  footfalling: May  the 9 th.instant...with  Cyclone  "Roanu".....recently not  very  far.....the torrential downpour  &  gail  speed  winds  shaking up  the 6  th floor  as  never before.....a  few  speed boat &  ship  struggle to  make  it  fast  to  the  shore....tormenting  waves  &  blinding  rain.....the Sun : The "IRU" peeps  today  as  if  teasing  , at  ur vulnerability  &  misery....no wonder.... today  the  hibiscus  bloomed  &  the  sacred basil  turning  &  twisting  to capture  as  much  of  the  Sun....the  Pigeons , faithful  as  ever  shivering  &  trying  to  keep  warm : their  rice  morsels  on  the  window  sill  washed  away.......Doel's Term   & Nanu's Routine Exams  r  on.....the  outdoor  activities  little truncated  on  account of  both  these  onslaught....to  live  in the  midst  of  sea ......on  a land  exposed  to  the  vagaries of nature  since  times  immemorial....!!!.....as Ramaadan  is  round  the  corner  ,  the mkt  place  is  agog  with activities...bracing up  for  the  Holy  mnth....!!!....the island  routine  is  fast  & gripping ....as  the  days  hurtle  past.....!!!....  :  a  high  speed  train .... halting  on  a  Friday  holiday : much  needed for  Overhaul....!!!...  catching up &  driving ur car : hearts  out.....!!!!  in  circles  along  the  marine  drive &  city  "Goalhis" & street, may be  later  frm  Male'  to  Hulhule(airport) Island &  upto  HulhuMale' Island : the  satellite  township  al  to be linked  up  , if  the  Dragon  is  to  be  believed  , fast  progress :  On  the  Sino - Maldives  frndship bridge ,  across the  mighty  sea  linking up these islands....goin  to  the  wrk place &  back Morn , Aftnun  &  Eve  is  a  mandatory  stroll now  ,  all  for  Gud  Health....!!!....believe  me,  Male' is  one  hell  of a  place  for  fitness  freaks  with  high  levels  of  awareness.....the  grounds , the  streets , the  marine  drives  r  a fabulous  fitness  freaking  points.....no  wonder it  catches  up with  u....!!!...the  fine  spray of  rain ,  return  home,  late  Eve, soothening every  nerve  as  u  hurtle  down  like  a  cascade of  a  brooklet , calling  it  a  day  finally.....!!!!!  

....Its Never too Late ....Never too Never....!!!!

....Never knew abt  MK Gandhi , until,  I read  his  autobiography  "My Experiments  with  Truth"....as  Doel is reading  "The  Phantom  Toll  Booth"  &  "The Tempest "  in her  curriculum .....I feel a  strong  urge  for  her  to  read   M K Gandhi's :....." My Experiments with Truth".....purely its lucid  reading & the  translation to  English  by Mahadeb  Desai frm original Gujrati  is  Tell  tale......the  chapterwise  contents r free  flowing  as  tht  of  the  Ganges  cascading.....now  tht he is back to Natal (South Africa) with  his  children & nephew &  wife, in tow,  to  settle  amidst odds....his  confusions, traumas  & tribulations & his reformist  experiments with  the Truth....I  cannot describe  the  Joy of reading , this  week goneby.....here, thr is  Daniel  Defoe's  "Robinson Crusoe " with  Crusoe  completing  one  yr  in the Island  as a Castaway....his faith  in Prayers & his experiments  to  grow  Corn  & weave  a Basket......his  experiment  of  drying grapes for  Raisins  paying  smartly  as  he  fills  up  his  pockets  , Gun  in  hand  goes on  a  reconnaissance  mission .....his  recent  bout  of  fever  notwithstanding....!!!....today's  day  is  wel  made  as  in the National Library , post  Clinic  , in  the  aftnun  I  stumbled  on  some books  for  sale at  throw away prices....today  was  the last  day & I  the  Lucky  Devil.....!!!!...."The Balkan Trilogy" &  "The  Secret  of  the  Code"(Da Vinci Code) fell  into my  kitty  for as  paltry  as  just  over  a  Dollar  a piece....though  Calvin & Hobbs  Comics  anthology for  the Children  a  Two  dollar....!!!!!....with  sickness  al  around  the wrk  place ...these books  hv definitely  soared  the  Spirits.....to  morrow  is Friday  a wel earned  rest  day....This  post  is dedicated  to  Mithudi  &  Tituda    cousin  elder sister & elder brother @ Kolkata whom I discovered  accidentally  yesterday on Fb.........hving shared  many  a  childhood  moment with  thm...still  fresh  in  memory....!!!!!

....a Trust to Keep....

.....sporadic Smart  showers  ....overcast....&  its raining  patients.... with  hands  totally ful...these pre monsoon mnths  herald  spurt in cases....in tht  my OP & IP r ful... home v  late   indeed....."A  Trust  to  Keep"  is  the  Mantra for me....for  goin  on &  on  here....as  people  make an entry  frm  all  islands  & atolls...pleasantly surprised  today ..... as  the  return  stroll is  interrupted.....nd  a  wrk  force  clientele gently  whisk  me away to  their  Kiosk  of Fresh  tender  Coconut....offering  me out  of love  &  respect....& I  acquiesce  to their demand ....they, feeling honored  &  I  feeling  their Pulse  of  Warmth.....this  shud  keep me  goin & goin ....the  service rendered  &  the Immeasurable  Joy, tht ,

of the Service  Provider....!!!!

....the weather last couple of days is cool with incessant rains & overcast condition thru out....as tomorn is holiday, thr is a sense of abandon....too far ....yet so near has been the week with steady connectivity with frnds nd fmly....."My experiments with truth " by the Mahatma swept me off my feet.....glad I discovered ....a trifle late though......as the Emblem of Positivity inches ahead : The Male' Hulhule Bridge over the Indian Ocean ...another book gifted to my children ...& I am head over heels again.....Trending now is "The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe" unfolding page by page of a superlative treatise on Human Vulnerability , Indomitable will & Finally Conquer......lapping it up fast ,........ the Children r at their wits end as to why I am reading a gifted book meant for the Children.....the adventure is too tempting to be resisted......as the Ship wrecks & Castaway Crusoe is marooned.....a superb Life time read Over & Over again Collection.....!!!!

.....Saidpur Medical Hostel......the tale of a nascent journey....!!!

.....The Saidpur campus of Patna Univ was a massive block  of  hostels ..adjacent  to the Moinul Huq stadium .....it must hv been  a shining piece ,whn it  must  hv been  innaugurated.....the Saidpur Medical Hostel had  3 floors with  probably , if  memory  doesn't  fail : 1g, 2g , 1f , 2f   & 1s , 2s  accordingly upto 35 single  rooms  per  floor...a badminton court  within  ...a sprawling  mess  & dining & a Common Room.....the rooms  were cosy , with  furnitures  leased frm the  Medical college  Campus underground  cellar, of a  store ,in Obs & Gynae  bldg.....this particular  cellar  was  straight out frm an Agatha Cristie thriller.....eerie.....  with  perennial  water: ankle deep , lodged , with naked  Light Bulbs dangling  frm  the  ceiling, a  damp  soaked  smell   greets  you  as  you venture  underground ,to  req for  any  furniture  for  your room in  the hostel.....the  steel  almirahs lodged  records....the  babus well  entrenched  in their seat  & tables , propped  up  by  bricks  frm  the  collected  water  on  the  floor , with spotless dhotis & Vermillion smeared  fore  heads ...a  mouth  full of  Maghghi Pan( Betel leaf) , duly assisted  by  the Peons in their khakis  with  bored  expressions....the  effort was  herculean......issued furnitures  of a cot, chair , tables had  to be carried & returned  as  the case may  be....the cellar  was  cool in the  summer  mnths  & probably  it  stocked Medicines  & linen too....in  the SMH as the Eve study wud be over ....  the winter fog  greeting us as soon  as  we  stepped  out of the rooms for  dinner....a  welcome  brk , dining  with classmates , juniors & seniors.....seniors always evoked  respect...particularly remember  Hemant Verma & Pramod Ojha Boss, Sanjay & Pradip  Gupta Boss, Obaid Iqbal & Kariwal boss, who  were very kind to  us & truly respected.....I  sometime wonder  how  well  established  the  hierarchy system  of Seniors  ran in  the  Medical college  Campus....it was not forced  ...it was truly  as if  they  were the pathfinders & we looked  forward to  thm.....nd  were  our "Boss" unquestionably....giving  us a  sense  of security......as  the  fog  wud  envelop the  campus  & the Medical Hostel we  wud  be  snugly  placed  in  a  warm  hearth  of  our  Mess  Kitchen  partaking  freshly  prepared  food, served  tirelessly  by  the staff..... the  fud real  tasty   &  the  menu  very  comprehensive.....with  tireless  efforts  of Hemant Boss a  Color  Tv  had  already  been  installed before our entry  to the  hostel  .....with  Tick Tock Table  Tennis  in  the background  &  listening  to  the News cast  regularly.....Wed  & Fridays were special : as Chitrahaar  a programme  of Hindi Music Videos  wud be aired  &  come  wht  may : Exam or  no  Exam , it  ran to  packed  houses for  30 mts of wholesome  entertainment.....the Requirement  small  &  the Means equally  small  ....such  was the  level  of  Contentment  & Happiness  in those  times..Sidhdhartha Basu's Quiz Time....Buniyaad & HumLog  were  the  Mughals  of  the  Soaps  & Ramayan was  a  must  see  probably Sunday....in  tht  thr used to  be  tiffs with  Neighbouring  Hostel inmates    gate  crashing  to take  advantage  of  our  Color TV....nd the neighbouring  hostels  harbouring  the  inmates  of  other P U colleges  had  a name  for their notoriety......wading  thru  the  thick fog with  full  beam of  the brand new  LML 150 NV  BEA 2907 the hostel  cud  only  be  discerned upon  climbing  the  ramp & parking  the  bike beside  your room.....the warmth  of  your room  with porcelain  heaters ...the TV Tower  with  its  Flickering Red light playing  hide  & seek   with  the  Fog .....it  was  one  cosy destination....with  all  the  rooms sealed  up  as unquestionably,  silently  the Medicos  were burning  Midnite  Oil  for professional  excellence....!!!!

....Love is all abt Unquestionable Trust: be it a V salty omlette or a Sugarless Milk....!!!

.....as the day  was  spl ....yet a wrkin day,   both Archana &  me exchanged  & reiterated  our Vows...exchanged pleasantries  with Kids  nd  set  thm  off  to  School....further  to  it Archana dashed  off  for  Yoga Classes @ ICCR Male', which  she  wud diligently  follow  seldom  giving  it  a miss.....Clinic bound lastly after grabbing  the  Brkfast ,I was unpleasantly  surprised  to  find a Very salty Omlette &  a Glass of Sugarless  Milk in  the  morning fare....Spl day Brkfast...hmm.....I thought....as I gulped  down  the  Milk  &  finished  the  fruits....I realised  how hurried  her departure was today  as the  Children posed  lots  of  query  as  to  our  Anniversary, wasting  precious  morning  time....gently placing  the  Salty Omlette in  between slices I concluded  the hurried  brkfast  prepared  in Equal  hurry......given  her  strict  abhorrence  to wastage......Sometimes  U  hv to  Take  Things "with  a Pinch  of Salt" for  the better....!!!!...since, .....the attached slip  which  I  placed on  the  Table  mat before departure  spks  it all....!!!!

...The Dragon & The Peacock...!!!

......to stay  away  frm  Writing is  well nigh  impossible...nd wht  best  than  to  pen  memoirs , whn  the Weather is  Cool & the  sky  drizzling .... whole  day....the  Deep Blu is  at  its  turncoat  best  again , changing  its  color  as according  to  the "Iru " : The  sun..... playing  hide  &  seek....  the  day  clinic  nearly  over , embarking  on the  stroll  back  home...witnessing the tug  of  war  of  taming  the  sea, akin  to  the epic "Bridge  over  the  river  Kwai....!!!!"....the Maldives  China  frndship Bridge initiated....    inching  with  full  might  &  steam....linking  the two  Isles  of  Male' City  & Hulhule airport......but  will  this  new  found  camaraderie  affect  India.... don't think  so  ...Gone  r  the  Days of  Isolated Diplomacy....The Globe  is far  too  open  now    & China  is  our  near  Neighbour , we ,  hv  to acknowledge  nd  a wrking  relationship  established ...... post  62 debacle , both countries  hv  forged  ahead together being   Major Trading Partners....thr  is  no  reason to  believe  the  Dragon  & Peacock  can't  dance  together.....the sooner  we  brk  into  a tango  the  better.....as  history  wud  hv  it  these  two  Asian giants  of India &  China  had  a long  mutually  beneficial  exchange  of  ancient  learnings ,  tools  &technology .....We  r  no  difft. nd  the  secretive  dragon need  to  be  Engaged, unraveled  & understood....!!!! 

.....Prince Of wales Medical college....Patan devi & Harihar Chhetra Mela....!!!

....a parallel  road often called  the Lower Rd, ran ,to  the main arterial  Univ  Rd  of  Ashok Rajpath, upto the "Lawn" or Gandhi Maidan , linked  by KunKun singh lane, Ramna Rd ,Annie Besant rd , BM Das rd, KhazanchiRd, Makhania Kuan , Govind Mitra rd, Sabzi Bagh rd...this  oldish  particular street hosted some  old  Mohallas like  tht of Bhikna Pahari,Nayatola , LangarToli  , Machchuatoli....full of old residences , lodges for  students who  wud  come  for  Coaching Institute admissions...On  this  street "The Mahangu" specialised in Mutton preparations ..."The Mirchchu" only Fish...."The RimJhim" at BhiknaPahari  served  clean , mostly  Vegetarian Thali meals...Sundays  were the designated  days for visit  to these eateries in addition  to  the  Marwari Basa of Makhania Kuan, as  Mess  were  closed  for  the  evening, for a  much worked Mess  staff.... The Saidpur rd led  to  the Saidpur hostel campus of the  Univ  & the Machchuatoli  Rd  led  to  the  RK avenue  -Nala Rd Roundabout....lured by  the  single room accomodation I opted  for  the Saidpur medical Campus , not  before  a stint  @ Bahadurpur Rly crossing area whr  we  had  to  put  up  in  a pvt  accomodation for  few  mnths....Mahendrughat was fast  losing its  importance  as a  transit  pt  by  Ferry  across Mighty Ganges  to  Pahleja ghat  of North Bihar , since Gammon India's massive Mahatma Gandhi Setu  had seen the light of the  day  during 1982 the  yr  of my passing I.sc, so the  Medical college  stint  began  in Post Mahatma Gandhi Setu era which  transformed significantly the  traffic in the region.....as  elder brother had gained, in 1980,suitable  employment  in  the Banking sector & posted @ MFP....regular trips  to  MFP  frm Patna Hardinge park Bus Stn  wud  be  made on few of  the Sundays over  the newly  laid bridge....&  sometimes crossing  the BCE into  the  narrow  lanes  of Thaththeri Bzr  of "Patan Devi city"  of Patna City & later Patna Saheb of Takht  Sri Harimandir Sahib of Guru Govind Singhji, reaching Gaighat to  climb  up  the  stairs  to  the Setu  for a  short  cut  of a Journey  to MFP(Muzaffarpur),  boarding  the  Coach  buses  coming  frm  Hardinge  park....the Buses were video  coaches with Rs 10 /- as fare ,reaching MFP  in  1 1/2 hrs a record  time  of a link between these two  North & South Bihar  region.... over the Mythological "Harihar Chhetra" of Lord Vishnu, hosting  a  "Mela"  of  Sonepur  Cattle  fair....whr  a class  trip of SPM(Preventive & Social Medicine) as  per curriculum  was prescribed ,to  hv a  first  hand knowledge of  mgmt  of  Health & sanitation  in  a large fair....The Civil Surgeon had  a permanent dusty Tent of a camp , right thr  in the Mela premises nd we  cud witness the Construction &  efficacy  of  the Bore Hole latrines, & other  Waste  Mgmt. tools....the NE Rly Officers Wives Association  also had  an  elaborate  arrangement of stalls  nd I  cud  witness  some  real  smart  Wives of Sr  Rly  officials  in  action , in  the rustic  Milieu....On the side  lines  of  sale  & purchase of  animals....this  huge  Mela  attracted the  populace  of  adjoining  & far  flung  areas, for Eateries , Shopping , Entertainment ....& needless  to  say ,suitably notorious for  its  vaudeville shows....!!!...the  Union of River Sone into Ganges @ Maner &....Gandak  @ Sonepur:a massive confluence of Culture  , Religion  & Mythology so  very  much  evident in the lives  of people  in the area....We were carefree, in our assignment , in total  unwind &  a tired  lot  upon return  to  our  hostels.....!!!!  

....Patna Science College Continues....!!!!

....as the  Day  was  spent  battling  the  Difft. Deptts of Science College....post 4 Pm I wud make  my  way  to  the  hostel a  few  blocks away....it was  time  to  unwind  , a welcome glass  of  Tea with  dear  frnd  Lalan Pd Singh of Sec B (Maths)at  the Ramna Rd entrance frm the Ashok rajpath was a ritual....the  35 paise  glass  of  Tea  being  vended  by a  group  of  Tea sellers sitting  over a  few  platforms with  huge  steaming kettles & Boiling  Milk in huge Containers...as ritualistically  we  used  to  observe  this  particular Tea  service....wherein a  set  of  glasses wud  be washed  with  boiling  water nd  placed serially  for  the Tea....thr wud  be a generous  spoon  of  sugar a scoop or  two  of  the  boiling  milk, a  dash  of  BRU coffee nd  finally  hot boiling Tea Liquor being  poured  serially  over  the  glasses to  top  thm  up...... a  huge  effort  by  these  vendors , I  thought...followed by a feverish  cluttering  of spoons  into  these  glasses to  mix  up  the  concoction  of  this spl  "Vidyarthi"  Tea nd served  simultaneously....the  taste still  lingers  &  the aroma still  I can  feel....day  in  &  day  out.....on  the  hindsight I  thought tht  this  was  a milk  beverage which  gave  us  lot of  energy  before & after Classes....thr  was  also  a camaraderie  of offering to  pay  each  others  Tea, which  was  routine....Lalan was depressed whn I  switched  over  to Section D (Bio), but  our routine & Tea partnership  held  us in Good spirits....Lalan belonged to  Chhapra but  had  half  the  fmly settled  in  North Baluchar  Malda(WB)whr they  had brick  kilns...a mild  mannered large  hearted  Bihari ...I got a gr8 partner in the hostel &  we  wud exchange  all  infos  of  the Maths & Bio...sections....!!...as dusk wud settle in  over Ashok  Rajpath  frm BCE to Gandhi Maidan....we  wud  always  trudge  on  the footpath wel lit by  book  vendors , stationers,Tuck shops  for  our  daily  needs  & refreshment  stalls ....we wud enter Novelty, Motilal Banarsidas, Pustak Mahal & host  many footpath  vendors  selling New & old editions  , application forms  of various Competitive exams  with  last  date of  submission displayed...ultimately  entering "Regal restaurant"  serving  hot  samosas with  Tomatoe  sauce & Onions laced  with Tea, probably  for Rs 1.50p...if the Energy  demand was high,  we  wud  partake a huge "Jaleba" soaked  in sugary syrup  all very  hot & crispy.....the Jaleba shops  were quite a few  in  nos.  &  did  brisk  business in the morn & eve hrs...for  the  first  time  I was exposed  to  this  Mega version  of  a high calorie bomb of  a  Jalebi, typical  of the settings....a  few  steps ahead  Lalan  wud be  leaden foot  for   Lassi which  tasted  like heaven.....we  had  a very  gud  subtle understanding  of  each  others pocket  in  tht  if  I  paid @ Regal  , Lalan wud  without  fail pay  for  the Lassi....this  eve walk was refreshing  after  the days engagement @ College  ....nd  soon  we wud return for Evening  studies, with RamPrasadJi ringing  the  brass  bell....surprisingly a deathly  calm  wud surround  the  bldg as  all the "Vidyarthis"  wud  adjust  their table  lamps nd  start  studying in Right earnest.....tht  was the first  education unsupervised, of  a  sense  of responsibility towards urself &  the  community, in  tht  thr was  no  commotion  , no  indiscipline in  the study  hrs.....9pm dinner table meet  of  the boys  very  much  near  the Kitchen  of  Panditji frm Mithilanchal, being  served  hot , fresh  simple fare....visiting each others rooms nd finally parting for nite study &  retirement....the  meal was  highly  subsidised  ....Panditji  wud charge  us Rs 1.50p per meal(Veg) & Non veg  days were slightly  higher,  nd additionally for sundries  like  boiled  Eggs or Omlettes...I am talking of the yr 1980-82 &  the Mess bill seldom crossed  Rs 150/-....though  both Lalan & I wud  admit;our  Auto rickshaw  jaunts  to Gandhi Maidan  & further  with  Movie tkts far  exceeded  this Monthly Mess  Bill....!!!!....though 50 paise  was  the Auto ride to Gandhi Maidan , but , it  was  a  gr8  pleasure,  hitchhiking a  ride, on  a  Red  BSRTC Univ Bus service free  flashing  our I cards....!!!!

...." On Patna Science College...."........Hailing International Labour Day & bowing to dear frnds wishes....!!!!!!.......Dedicated to my dear Father ....!!!!

......Harinath....unkempt hair, yellow  flying  shirt in the peak "Loo"( regional  hot summer  local  winds  blowing over the Great Indian Plain) season  of Bihar, wud  meet  elder  brother  at  our  Railway Bungalow in Madhupur, being  his  classmate in Edward George  High School of Madhupur Estd 1911....both  were  rivals  & were  toppers in  their  respective  sections.....whn  the  wind  was  blowing  hot  in  the  afternun  , both  frnds  wud  sweat  it  out  on  Elementary  & Advanced  Mathematics......Harinath's Father was a Pointsman  in Indian railways ; used to slogging  over  the Permanent way fixing &  checking & setting  relevant  Manual  points  on  the busy  Howrah  Delhi  Main  line, for  trains  to  run  on  their  definitive  slots.....My  father  always wud hv  a word  with  him ,since Harinath was  a  diligent student.....albeit  economically  lower  in  the  ladder......I heard  of  Patna science  College for  the  first  time whn  I  learnt  tht  he  had  made  into  the  Intermediate  class  of Science possibly  yr  1973.....his  superlative  performance  in  the  Matric boards catapulted  him  to  the  Premier  Institute.......in  tht my Standard IV brain  formed  a  strong  notion for  joining  the  same at  a  later  date .....as elder  brother  who  was  very  fond  of  his bosom  frnd...he  wud suitably pass  on infos  of  his  frnd's  progress....the  Emergency  period  shook Patna  & Science  college  was  not spared  ......the Chhatra Sangharsh  Samiti  &  my  bros  dear  frnd  was  one  of  the  spearheads.....we  were taken  aback at  the  turn  of events....my brother  too  got  involved  in  relay  fasts  in Madhupur &  my  father being a Labour  leader was jailed  under  the  Maintenance  of  Internal Security  Act( MISA)  &  DIR  ( Defence  of India Rule)....those  were turbulent  times  till  all the  heat  settled  down , my  father  released frm Dumka &  reinstated  later.....Harinath in  the vortex  in Patna was hit  by  a  tear  gas  cannister  &  escaped luckily  only  to  recede temporarily.......So  whn  all  the  hullabaloo  & heat  &  dust  settled  a  Welcome  news  came  tht  he  had made  into  IIT Kharagpur......this  strengthened  my  belief  of  how  Gud  a  student  he  was  despite  adversity  financially  &  an on going agitation  & cud  make  it  into  IIT kharagpur........thr definitely  must  hv been  a  tremendous  atmosphere  in  Science College , propelling  people  to  excel.....!!!....tht  was  my  first  hand  knowledge  of  the premier  Institution....&  a  secret desire  to  emulate  my brother's  dear  frnd, who  was  much  talked  abt  in  the  fmly......in  as  much  I  faced  the steep  competition  at St Xavier's sahibganj  to  get  a  seat  in  the  secondary school  in  1976.....nd  thus  began  a  tryst with  Premier  Institutes  of  the  Land.....!!!!!
.....The 4th Bihar  JD  Battallion  of NCC HQ Bhagalpur  imparted  a  superlative  training  @ St Xavier's Sahibganj of  2 1/2  yrs &  made  us  wht  we  r  today.....sadly , though  owing  to Sister's marriage in Feb  1979 missed  the  exam  for  certification......I never  knew  how  this  particular certification wud  go  a  long  way  in  gaining  18  marks or  2% whn  the  final  merit list  wud  be  prepared  for  gaining admission  into  the Intermediate Class  of  Science in Science College.....Neverthe less, I applied , after  an  animated  discussion with  my  parents  &  Uncle : Late  Prof  Arunendu  Das  of  Cal. Univ whether I shud go  for PCM  or  PCB.....smitten  by  Harinath's  stellar  performance  I  opted  for  PCM & a  whole  day  ritual  opposite  the  statistics  bldg  on  the  staircase leading  to  the  Science College  massive  office  counters eventually  being  placed  in  Sec B with  159  as  the Roll  no...my  dear  father  was  beside  me, helping me  out  in every step in  releasing  me  to  uncharted  terrain of  possible  excellence......but  the  18  marks  eluded  me , provided  by the NCC JD  certificate which I cud  not  produce despite  being  a successful , in completion , of  training  at school....or  else  I  wud hv  been  in Section A & possibly a  seat  in  Faraday  or Cavendish  hostels......Patna  had  a "Vidyarthi" reputation  & I was awe  struck at  the  site  of  so  many  deserving  students  who  wud  be  possible  competitors  in  the  long  run......the Greeco Roman  styled Pillars  of the Admin Block , the adjoining Classrooms  of Maths  & English  & Hindi  & alternative Eng bore  the  marks  of  studentship  for  a  long  long  time  , the  desks  &  benches  bearing  age old  graffitis on  the  seasoned  wood.....Legacy & Heritage was well  imprinted  on  the  walls  of  the  class rooms  .....I wondered  thrfore  tht Harinath Bhaiya with  humble  back ground cud  excel  in this &  how  tough  & Gud  he  must  hv been  as  the atmosphere  appeared fiercely  competitive.......!!!.....it  was  the  best  brains  of Bihar  frm  all  walks  of  life  rubbing shoulders  together.......My  first  rendezvous  was  in  this block....as  the English  class  rolled.....a thick lensed , burly  gentleman , with hands  deeply  entrenched  in  his pockets, wud  , as  he  entered  ,  thunder  ..."...U  few Boys  in the  last  bench  , pl  come in front...."  this  was  Dr PB Sharan , a  holder  of many  an acronym... a highly  knowledgeable Prof  in English  as  the HOD,  Dr Saileshwar Sati Prasad : SSP was an  equal gem of  the deptt.....wide framed  in black spects , very  popular  with  the  students......Dr Bhrigunandan Tripathi  taught us Hindi 50  marks  &  Prof Arun Kamal  Alternative Eng  50  marks ...in  addition  to  Maths  being  taught  in  tht  block ........
............a  nearly  4 mnth stint in  PCM  stream & hindi Jargons  in Maths  book of Co  ordinate Geometry  , Calculus , made  me  calculate  seriously  as  to  whr  my  aptitude  lay...in  tht  Azimul Haq of  Sec D of PCB  roll  362 & I Roll  159 of Sec B interchanged  &  switched over to  sections  whr  our  heart  lay........I being  fiercely  independent  &  responsible  for  my  actions  took  this  unprecedented  step of Choosing Medical  over  Engineering.....!!!!...without  informing  my  parents  &  elder  bro.....as  I joined sec D ....I  informed  thm......My father  was  supportive ....his  elder  brother  too  had  studied  medicine frm Calcutta  National Medical college...nd  he  was  happy.....having  winning  thm to  the  side  meant  full  attention to  matters  @ Sec D an overcrowded  PCB  section  with  lots  of  Girls occupying  the  front  two  rows  of  the Lts.......I translated  the "Mool Bhoot Bhoutiki ": Physics  in  record  time  in English as  the  book  was superb  in concept  formation  in  addition to  Brijlall  & subramaniam of S Chand ....but most  of  the PCM  guys wud  hob nob with Resnick & halliday    a  tough book  I reckoned......Dr Biltu Singh's Inorganic Chemistry  was  poorly  printed & bound , yet  a phenomenally  popular book so  easy  to  understand........Sarin & Sarin's Quantitative Chemistry  was  one  real  good  book  which  helped  us & Prof Nafis Haider's(oriental College Patna City) Organic chemistry made Organic  chemistry  look  pedestrian.......mighty  books  these  were....Jordan & Nigam  & RD Vidyarthi's books  on Zoology  nd  not  to  spk  of  Dr Vivekanada Banerjee's  Zoology, were the main frame  Zoology  books  with  A C Datta's Botany : the One & Only......!!!!!!........Dr Sunil Sharan was  again  my  hostel supdtt a superb teacher  of Botany   : genetics, & Vivek Banerjee's  Zoology classes  ran packed  houses , Dr V K Sinha was not to be far   behind, a popular student frndly professor......the early  morning  Lab  attendance to the Botany & Zoology Labs   with  flat  files of  assignments   of various diagrams....attendance  was  strict ....& Professors punctual......tht  led to  the  seedlings  being  implanted  for  a  Future Service Provider  of  a  mighty  personality of tht  of  the  Medical Doctor.....!!!!!....the  sharp  brains  being  honed  by Equally sharper ones  of  tht of the  reverand  Teacher of Science......thr was  a  kind  of Competition  amongst the faculties  of  Departments  ..in  tht  the Physics had  some "Navaratnas" who  instilled  a  gr8  deal  of  enthusiasm for  a  Scientific bent  of  mind.....foremost  to  my  mind  whom I adored  was Dr Shaukeen Singh Prof of Physics  teaching  us  Light.......such  was  his  command over  his  subject  tht  thr were  house full  classes  with often students frm other  sections  wud sneak in to  hear.......his  diagrams  on the board was seen  to be believed......Dr AK Prasad  was teaching  us  Heat nd really we lapped  up all  his teachings ..........the relatively  young  Dr A K Verma curly  haired with  a   heavy  wristwatch , teaching  Mechanics ,  as  in  ,  the Physics  lab  we  wud collect  Vernier Callipers  , Micrometer Screw  gauge, , Prisms  ,Pendulums,  magnets , solenoids  ,Calorimeters , Resistors, thermometers , ( of which we  were  v careful  lest  we brk thm), Pins , drawing boards & papers  with wax as  stickers  for it to  be fixed  on  the drawing  board  for  experiments  on Refraction of  light  & Magnetism....& a  scary  dark  room......!!!!.....Dr Biltu singh was a teacher  par excellence  in Chemistry  & Dr S N Das also  frm  Chemistry  was  our  Principal  ....wht  a  personality, straight  frm  a British  period Era .....!!!!!...Dr  S K Lall  & MN Verma were  equally  adorable  teachers  in  terms  of  their  professionalism......the Chemistry  Lab  used to  smell always  of Hydrogen sulphide H2S gas &  the Kipps  apparatus  always  emanating  fumes......the  Flame test  was  real  fun  with  metals  &  the Salt  analysis  table  a  real twister......Titration, I  learnt  though  frm  one  particular private  lab  near  Law  College run  by  retired Prof Darshan Singh of science College.....wht  a teaching he  imparted  on Titration on  the  side lines  of Science College.....thr  was  some amt of  envy for Sec D as  the  majority  girl students  were  with us  with rolls 379  &  430 , 328 very  popular.....!!!!...The  Patna Science College  Campus  was  overwhelming  with  Faraday, Cavendish , Newton , Ramanujam hostels boarding  male students &  much  talked  about , if my  memory  do  not  fail  me..... the Ladies hostel  of GDS.....Lallan Babu in  the office  was  helpful nd  really  the  Counters were  too high  in  tht  we had to  crane ourselves to  receive  our  Identity cards......!!!!!.....thr  was  fierce  combativeness  in  the  Maths  sections  as  Sawal  Jawab  wud  freely  be  exchanged  as IIT  entrance  was  the  bench  mark  &  many  did  make  it  .......!!!!...only  to  foray  into  IAS  & IPS  as  Harinath  Bhaiya  eventually  did  as IAS  in Rajasthan cadre......!!!!!....( .......To be concluded....)