The Lost Decade

The last decade I lost my childhood, dependence, school days, innocence, carefree attitude, home, taste buds, television …. Of the ten years, I spent 9 in hostels in 3 different cities of India. Many more years of this ordeal is still in the pipeline.

The months leading to April’00 were spent in studies and reading Hardy Boys with the days inching towards Class Xth. I was a proud fellow and pride comes before the fall. I got my first sub-80 mark that also in mathematics. I came 4th in my class. That’s another low. Luckily, I had got the jolt in time. I sprang back and gave a good Xth and secured a healthy 85% in boards next year. This was my first lesson of how vanity leads you to disaster. I have tried to stay put on the firm ground ever since.
My father was transferred in June’00 and we started living alone for the first time. Frequent fights occurred when I tried to be the boss unsuccessfully. I learnt early that I was bad in anything except studies. Just before my boards, I lost my beloved grandfather. He is the one from whom I learnt so many things and it was really sad for me that I couldn’t be near him at his last time.
All my friends, as well as me, decided not to attend SNS for our high-secondary. My parents consulted my uncle and sent me to Holy Home, Serampore, West Bengal. That was the worst decision I ever took. My studies dipped like anything. I enjoyed my life like anything and put on studies on hold until it was too late. The only favourable outcomes were friends like Arijit and Sanjay and the worldly wisdom I got. I grew up mentally and declined academically.
I immediately decided not to attend college in West Bengal. I came back home. My all aims of becoming an engineer had evaporated. I tried to study for entrances to IIT and AIEEE but to no avail. My interest in engineering had decreased and I was actually developing interest in basic sciences. The environs of Dharampeth Science College were not buzzing with science but somehow my interest just went on increasing. By the end of 3rd year, I had two jobs in MBT (now TechMahindra) and Progeon (now Infosys-BPO). With a brief stint of 2 days at Progeon, I bade goodbye to IT forever. I couldn’t secure admission to Pune University in the first try and hence I tried hard and secured the next time. I joined Pune not only because Physics was at best here but also because of Astrophysics course being taught at IUCAA.
In the graduation days I slowly lost all my school friends. Only Amoni and Kaustubh somehow stayed afloat. Others found it convenient to detach themselves. Good for me. I learnt my lessons in friendship. I was insulted and sad but slowly I forgot their existence. शायद पुराने वस्त्र बदलने का समय आ गया था |
I may have lost these fellows but I gained two valuable friends in Aniket and Prasad, loving and caring teachers in Likhite Maam, Dhule Sir, Shende Sir and others. My student Nauty is another gain as is my room owner Sathe Aajoba. When I look back it seems not a bad deal to bargain the so-called friends with these lifelines.
I studied Physics first time in Pune. Till then it was only notes. I fell in love with the subject and have decided to dedicate my life to it both as a livelihood and as a passion. Panat sir’s theory of 10+2+3=0 is not a fallacy. It’s a truth which even ‘3 Idiots’ is propagating. Apart from a lifelong association with Physics, Department of Physics gave me wonderful teachers and friends both in the department and in IUCAA. Aradhana, Avdhoot, Kaushalya, Anustuv and Barrel will always remain special in my life. It also provided me the opportunities to come across real physics, allowed me to see Jayant Narlikar face to face, allowed me to visit TIFR, GMRT, IUCAA, PRL and now IIA. It has provided me with an identity which was in doldrums during my graduation days. I had lost self-belief and purpose for the life. It all was reinstated thanks to them. Now I can look into anybody’s eyes and won’t give a damn to their bull-shit. Let anybody suggest anything, I’ll do what I want.
Mobiles and Orkut are the revolutionary ideas of the last decade. They have made the world a small village and all of us its citizens. They helped me to gain access to all my Holy Home friends who were all but lost. Communication was the most important thing of the last decade. It’s the next after the computers and genetic research of last century.
With the hope that all goes well in decades to come for the whole mankind and December 21, 2012 just remains another date in the history of mankind, I finish this piece.

P.S: My New Year wish to the almighty is that apart from bringing peace and prosperity to the entire universe; please do me a personal favour. Please don’t call me before I see the Halley’s Comet!