Mumbai-Pune-Mumbai-2

As I approached the incomplete building, I found anger building inside me as for why did I choose this college over the other college with almost same name. I knew, I could have easily got that college. But somehow I tried to be philosophical with myself trying to see the order in chaos. Reminding myself that whatever happens to human beings is always good for them. After all we all have manipulative mind. Most of the times it works with me, but it takes some time at least (read some days ). Here I didn’t had luxury of time at my disposal. So I just wanted to finish of the business & walk away as soon as possible.

As I came inside the compound of college, (read temporary barbwire fencing done around the college to demarcate its plot boundary, as some other other construction was going on the adjacent plot), I could see college students sitting on the array of bikes that were parked outside. I tried to find the office & somehow landed near the library. I was then helped by some kind soul to locate the office. Outside office List of documents required to take admission was put up. I glanced through it & found that I didn’t had GAP certificate. I was least bothered as I was determined not to take admission in this college. I had to just talk to director of the institute about the views I read on Orkut community.

As I entered the office, I saw flurry of activities going on. One peon was trying his level best to make students form a queue. Other was busy in helping students with xerox copies near xerox machine in one corner of the office. I could hear one counselor counseling the students present in her cabin. And then I saw director’s cabin on other side of the office. I went near the cabin & sat in chair next to it. I was asked about my purpose of visit & I told my intension of meeting director. Suddenly a 65yrs+ enthusiast sprung the door open & almost jumped outside the cabin. I was impressed by his enthusiasm. The old guy started firing orders at hapless peons, who didn’t knew what made this old guy loose his cool. Old guy went ballistic over the fact that there were no proper queues in place as admissions for PGDBM & MBA courses were in progress. He looked at me & ordered peon to make clear that no one was allowed to sit near director’s cabin without prior appointment. I think he didn’t like my face. I was pretty amused by his antics. Peon didn’t knew how to react. I decided to help the poor fellow my letting the old guy know that I want to do just basic inquiry before taking admission. “No admission, No inquiry”, he thundered. I was about to burst in laughter, but somehow managed to sneak outside the office and laughed to my my heart’s content. I again went inside & tried to persuade the old guy, he was bit pacified by then. He pointed towards other cabin & asked me to do inquiry over there.

This incident gave me enough glimpse of the management’s laid back & careless attitude. I just did sometime pass with some other students who also came to take MBA admissions. But everyone I met was clueless about the placement scenario in college. I was told by one of the prospective students that his friend is in same college & never attends lectures as he is working. I told them about reviews I had read & they were least surprised. Suddenly a peon came looking for me & then escorted me to director’s cabin.

I entered the cabin. Cabin was not very spacious, but was decent enough to accommodate 4 chairs in front of director’s desk along with some working space for two more individuals. Director seemed a friendly person. I told him that I was from Mumbai University & his college was alloted to me. He listened to me patiently. And then I asked him whether he had an Orkut account. His age was around 58yrs. & there was hardly any possibility of he having the same. I told him so. He said he had heard about it but didn’t know what exactly it was. Then I told him about the reviews I read. He tried to give some gyaan to me like right to free speech & all. I politely pointed out that the website of the college given in the information broacher was wrong. And the other site had only a homepage & no links. Director said he was aware of the fact that website given in the broacher was leading to altogether different site. But he admitted that he didn’t knew that other website of his college was not working & demanded an explanation from other guy, who was till that moment a silent spectator to my conversation with the director. The person expressed his inability regarding the functioning of the site, siting the reason that people hired for the purpose were not keen enough to pay heed to his demands. That person really sounded helpless.

Director turned to me & said that he will look into the matter himself the next day. I also told him that reviews painted a gloomy picture of the college as whole. Director replied that he will see to it personally. I suggested him to take help of students to project a real image of college on the web. Director happily agreed to it. And while leaving I told him that I was not going to take admission in that college. He took my response quite sportingly & thanked me for my observation & suggestions.

I left the college premises. I felt much relieved. I called my parents & couple of my friends & told them about my decision. They were quite supportive about it, the moment I told them that the college building was worse than my school building. I then had lunch. And then waited for my bus to arrive. Soon the bus arrived. I hurriedly scrambled into the bus & sat near the window. I think I was really lucky to read those reviews about the college or else I would have taken the admission despite the pathetic condition of college building.

If journey towards Pune was good, then I had to say that journey while coming back was much better. Climate had been excellent the whole day. No sunshine but cool breeze & fresh air compensated for it. As we left Pune & touched expressway, driver turned left to enter Lonavala. I had been there almost an year ago with my then colleagues. Memories came back as fresh as they could get. After halting in Lonavala, for about 15min. we resumed our journey. After sometime we were back on expressway.

Expressway is not new to accidents. Almost every time you happen to traverse it, you would come across at least one accident impacted vehicle. I saw a truck resting on its side with its front wheels divorced from the axle. Cabin was no where to be found. I couldn’t imagine where would the unfortunate driver be. My thoughts soon cleared when I saw our bus emerging out of one of the tunnels. What I saw was a virtual bliss. As bus was moving forward, outside my window I could see the railing on one side (on other side were hills) & nothing beyond it. The valley just was not there. All I could see was a silverish white screen of fog just beyond the railing. It was irresistible. Had I have been traveling in a private vehicle, I surely would have stopped it (although on expressway stopping is not allowed)& tried to touch that fog. The fog appeared serene with heavenly halo illuminating every part of it. I was completely mesmerized by it. I had been close to nature before as well, but nothing could even come close to what I was feeling now. It seemed as time just froze. It was sort of a divine experience. I was in complete awe of powerful yet so fragile natural beauty.

I didn’t knew when i closed my eyes. Honking of horns broke my sleep. I looked outside window again. The fog screen was replaced by the murkier roads, pedestrians & honking rickshaws. I was back in Thane. As bus parked itself in depot. I got down & hurried back to my home.

That night I slept well. I was happy that I wasn’t in that college & I had seen one of the most beautiful sight ever in life.

After all whatever happens, it happens for good!!! Rightly said so.