I Shouldn't Be Alive

We were in 7th semester and it was a sad moment for us as we were about to depart from our immediate senior friends. During our time the 8th semester exam was usually delayed by 6 to 7 months. Entire AEC campus was in farewell mood. Suddenly out of nowhere we got terrible news that my close friend Diganta is very serious. He was suffering from severe jaundice; in fact he was in coma. All my friends became speechless  and every one wondered “how cum?” We used to visit hospital on a daily basis, in fact special AEC bus was provided from AEC to International Hospital. Being admitted to the ICU, people were not allowed to visit him. Only few times his close relatives and few hostel-2 guys visited him. Diganta was from hostel-2. Few of my friends who visited him told me that his face twisted beyond recognition and suggested me not to see him in this condition. I still remember how we waited outside the hospital?


On 3rd day I saw Diganta’s father outside the hospital holding a cigarette in his hand. I wanted to ask him about Diganta’s condition as I thought he only could give me the exact information. But considering the situation and the kind of anxiety I saw on his face, I hesitated to ask him initially. But finally I asked him “Uncle How is Diganta’s condition? What did the doctor say?” On that his father replied “there’s not much hope, we are mentally prepared for the worst as anything might happen at any time.” He asked me “You are Diganta’s batch mate?” I replied “yes, we are batch mates as well as branch mates”. He said “you people should also make yourself mentally strong enough and prepare for the worst”. I was little surprised as I wasn't expecting such kind of reply. To be honest I really admired his strong personality.

After a few days our vacation started and most of us went home. I called few times to hostel-2 but most of the time my call was unanswered. But luckily one time one of my friend received the call but unfortunately he replied “aakha kom” (there’s not much hope).

After vacation we came back to hostel and got pleasant news that Diganta is recovering. Immediately we went to meet him.  It was difficult to recognize him as he was too yellowish. His mom was there and she gave us some “Bihu Pitha” to eat. That time Diganta said to us “Tohote tu bhabisili je moi nabasim?”  (You guys must have thought that I wouldn't survive?).

The Demand Draft

She was in Ayurvedic college perhaps in her 2^nd year. She was born and brought up in Shilllong and during one vacation she visited home.  Her younger brother, everyone in her family called him “Chote” was doing his engineering in Nagpur. He was in his first year that time. Now their father had to send him a demand draft, may be to pay the college fee. Now Anjali’s father told her to make a demand draft in bank and courier it to Chote. Anjali told her father “I will not do it, as I have never made any draft. I am not comfortable with bank related work." Her father got very angry on that and insisted that she must do it as he had a very busy schedule the next day. He also said to her that it’s high time for her to know all those things.

Next day morning her father explained to her how to fill the form and all. So Anjali went to the bank and asked someone where to make a draft. The person showed her the counter where she could make the draft.  She filled the form and paid cash in the counter. The clerk gave her the receipt and asked her to wait. She waited for some time but as the bank was much crowded and also she had to go to her friend’s place, so she left from there.  She thought she already got the draft. She went to a courier service and actually has sent the receipt to her brother Chote in Nagpur. She assumed that the receipt is the actual draft.

In the evening her father asked her “Did you send the draft to Chote?”  She proudly said “Yes, Papa and showed him the courier agency’s acknowledgement”. Her father asked her “Can you show me the draft receipt?” She asked “what draft receipt?”  Father replied “They must have given  some receipt when you made the draft?” She replied “That one i couriered to Chote” After some conversation her father got to know that she actually sent the receipt and the draft is still with the bank. Her father was shocked!!!  and i don't have to say anything on how he reacted that time.

Next day her father went to the bank and meets the bank manager. As the bank manager was little-known to him so there was n’t much problem to get the draft without any receipt. He got the draft but the manager asked him “How cum you are so irresponsible that you left the draft just like that and also right now you don’t have the receipt?” Her father was not sure what to say that time and he just said “Actually I sent our doodwala(Milkman) to make the draft as I was busy yesterday and he messed up everything”

The Iskon Temple

After passing out of Engineering College, I stayed at Guwahati for 3-4 months and then went to Delhi with my friends. We have some good memories of our initial stay at Delhi. I, Rajat, Prasu,  Tutul and Sharma da were staying together. So life was back to normal kind of after a pathetic 3-4 months break that I had after passing out of AEC. Sharma da’s stay with us was not planned. Sharma da was also in Guwahati and one day I just met him. When Sharma da came to know that we guys are going to Delhi then he immediately decided to go with us.

In Delhi we stayed at East of Kailash. Our house was just half KM away from the great ISKON Temple. One day we visited the temple. It was actually a very nice visit, although I was never a religious guy.  For us it was more like a hang out place than a worship place as we enjoyed lot of eye candies. After staying for 2 hours we thought it's time to leave. While coming out we saw a big queue at one place and just wondered why so many people in that queue? We came to know that people are queuing to have the free ISKON Prasad. Immediately we also joined the queue. We waited for around 10-15 minutes and finally received the Prasad. In a leaf bowl they had given a small quantity of khichdi. The khichdi was very tasty and it reminded me of the “Saraswati Puja” kind of khichdi we used to have in Assam.  But the quantity was very less and we wanted to have some more. On that Prasu said “It’s only Prasad and we can’t have our lunch here”. Also looking at the queue we changed our mind and left.

We had to cook our own food as nobody among us had the luxury to eat outside. We thought of working together as a team to feed ourselves. Like someone will cook, someone will cut the vegetables and another can wash the utensils. But things were not that simple. One day Tutul complained that he always wash the utensils and sometimes he also want to cook. So one day Tutul cooked for us. We usually used to prepare rice,daal and one sabji. WE had  no idea what Tutul cooked that day. He actually put all the vegetables in daal and made something. To be honest it was horrible to eat. Now our Sharma da always tried to avoid such activities, as we say in typical AEC language “Kaati khaisil”. One day we decided that Sharma da also should take some responsibility. We discussed with Sharma da and said to him “you will also have to do some contribution. What you like to do? Cooking, cleaning utensils, etc? Choice is yours”. Sharma da said that he would do cooking and only once a week. We all were happy that Sharma da will also contribute. 

Now the day came when Sharma da was supposed to prepare lunch. At around 12:30 PM Sharma da went outside and said to us that he's going to buy some cigarettes. We waited for him for a long time and at around 2 PM we felt so hungry that we had to.  We all were very angry prepare food by ourselves. at this but as usual it was only for some time. At night when Sharma da came we asked him “today it was your turn to cook and you were not there?” Sharma da gave an excuse that he had to meet one of his friend and they both went to ISKON temple. We asked where you had lunch? Sharma da replied “At ISKON temple itself, the same khichdi which we had that day”. We were little shocked and said “but the quantity is so less” Sharma da replied “yeah, actually I had 4-5 rounds of that khichdi”. We all had a good laugh and started some leg pulling. “Ki billa be? Nuwari aru? “(What bullshit? How can you do such a thing?)

Sharma da was cool on what he had done and suggested that we should also do the same. He said “the temple is so near from here, why we should waste our time in cooking?" He told us that at least we can have dinner there at ISKON temple as the crowd would be less at night, but Sharma da was not sure whether they  provide the same free khichdi at night?