Chapter 1 - The previous day!
“I am going away for the next 2 days and I am really looking forward for this trip” I told my friend, as we stepped out of our college bus and walked towards a tea-stall. I shared the itinerary as we sipped tea.
I was excited beyond limits, which was evident from the tone of my voice and he reciprocated with his nods. Soon we were done and we were on foot again, towards my room.
It had only been 6 months in Kolhapur and this place already was my second home. I came here to pursue my studies in the field of engineering and after umpteen failed efforts of getting an admission in one of the engineering colleges in Mumbai and Pune, we had zeroed in (or rather was the last option, if I ever had to become an engineer) at Kolhapur Institute of Technology, fondly known as K.I.T.
Although much different than Mumbai, where I had spent all my life till then, this city had its own charm. Kolhapur is a place of historical importance and culture is at the centre of its heart. Soon this city had accepted me as its own child and life was all set to take me on an unforgettable journey, over the next few years.
Although I had a few relatives in the city, I preferred to stay in as a Paying Guest in a renovated ancestral house which belonged to an old lady. She was accompanied by her son who was married and had two very cute little girls, who used to come to our rooms whenever the couple needed their share of privacy.
Sandesh and Sunil were my Mumbaite roommates and were senior to me in college. We all were Production Engineering students, so living with them had its own benefits. They had been staying here much before me and since I was the youngest amongst them, I was treated as a kid.
In these 6 months, this was going to be my first ever trip and we had been planning this over the last couple of months. Sandesh had planned out everything, from the itinerary to the expenses. He was the Mr. Perfectionist in our group, but the only problem was his perfectionist mind would change every 10 minutes, in an attempt to perfect things even further and would end up in a mess, almost every time.
Same had been the case with planning this trip as well, but Sunil and I had gotten used to it. Most importantly we had decided our destinations and the day of departure.
I entered my room and crashed landed on my iron cot, throwing my back-sack on the floor. I still had my shoes on and my feet hung in mid-air and was about to dive into a short nap, but raised voices from the next room brought me back to life. It seemed like yet another war-of-words between Sunil and Sandesh. This wasn’t new to me, but when it seemed unending, I thought of intervening.
I knocked and entered their room, they paused for a moment and resumed soon after they saw me entering. Of course, they ignored me. They allegations, counter-allegations continued without paying heed to my presence. For those few moments I was the Invisible Man, while I was trying to get hold of their point of argument.
I noticed a bunch of bananas kept on the table and decided it was best to feast on them while I patiently listen to these warriors battling it out, trying to prove their point.
While Sandesh was arrogant in his approach, Sunil was tactical which often put Sandesh on the back foot, but he would pounce back with vigor each time.
I had thrown the fifth banana skin in the dustbin and I let out a loud burp, which interrupted their animated conversation. Sunil realized my presence yet again, and offered me the open pack of Marie biscuits that were on his bed all this while. I accepted it reluctantly, and placed it on the table. They argument soon continued, and I was again the Invisible Man. Suddenly, Sandesh looked in my direction and asked me, “Don’t you think the same way, as I do?”
I was in a state of confusion that was best described once by Navjyot Singh Sidhu, the famous cricketer turned commenter turned don’t-know-what, in his own words, “Being confused as a baby in a topless strip bar”. Of course, this wasn’t a strip bar, but then I was surely the baby around.
Not knowing how to respond, I picked a biscuit and nibbled on it and swaying my head in directions that was difficult to say if it was a yes or a no and then focused back on my biscuit. Why did I ever chose to come to this room, I thought to myself. But then Sunil interrupted “You don’t have to answer that”, looking in my direction and then quickly going back to Sandesh, “Why do you have to drag him in this? He has nothing to with it”. Sandesh shot back, “Well, he has, if he is coming on for trip”.
That gave me jolt in my spine and I was suddenly more interested in the conversation than I was before. I looked at them and asked, “Aren’t we going tomorrow?” For me the trip mattered the most, than their purpose of the quarrel. “Of course we are” Sandesh said, which obviously meant Sunil didn’t want to. I looked at Sunil with a raised eyebrows and a question in my eyes, “If he’s going then I am not coming”
I was feeling like a child caught in a fight between parents heading for a divorce and is asked, “who do you love more, Dad or Mom? and with whom do you wanna stay?” and I don’t know who was the dad or the mom in this situation, but again the child was me. I asked them both, “We were supposed to go, together, as a group. Have fun. And now?” I paused. I was visibly upset and left the room, but picked the pack of biscuits from table. When I am upset, I eat and today I had no option but to rely on these bland biscuits.
Sandesh and Sunil continued their argument, but in whispers with an occasional decibel rise. I had finished the pack of biscuits and with my tummy all nice and full, I was into deep sleep even before I realized. The next I remember was Sandesh waking me up for dinner. I had been sleeping for a couple of hours, it was dinner time and we headed out to the nearby canteen. Sunil had decided not to join us today. The canteen was a 10 minute walk and I decided to bring up topic again. “Are we going tomorrow?” Sandesh said, “Yes, if you are ready. Sunil has his own views and opinions and does not want to join us. So unless you are too keen for him to join…” he did not complete his sentence, it was let for me to understand the rest. I nodded my head but could not make up my mind.
At the canteen, food was served in sticky steel plates that smelt of the leftover food from the one who might have used this plate. By the smell of it, we could say what was cooked for dinner. But for now, that didn't matter me as I munched on the tasteless, odorless, half-cooked food. All the while, I was trying to make up my mind. It was obvious that one side of me said that the trip would be fun if Sunil joins, while the other said that Sunil or no Sunil, the trip has to happen. I decided to go with the latter and conveyed my decision to Sandesh on our way back home.
He had a victory smile on his face, and I knew I had lost some points brownie points from Sunil. For me, since I had been waiting for this trip for some time, it had taken precedence over comforting Sunil’s ego.
Back at the room, I emptied my college back-sack and started stuffing my things for the trip - Tooth paste, a pair of extra t-shirt, shorts, undies, deodorant and a towel. Since I had listed all this ever since the trip was discussed, it was only a matter to pack it all now.
Given a chance, I was ready to leave the same night, but then the night was long and before I laid my back on the bed, I set my alarm and went into slumber.
The excitement of the trip woke me up before the alarm went off and I was ready much before Sandesh. With just enough money in our pockets, we headed out without saying our goodbyes to Sunil. A roller coaster ride.
