Mr Lecturer

It was just like one of the days to my Regular College Routines! Monday & Tuesday passed like just another day,at College Then came Wednesday.

Last Wednesday, during my accounts period, I Stood there, for an ongoing attendance and when it was my turn I just smiled at my friend(The Mr. Lecturer) and gave out my role number to him. He stared at me for a while and said rudely "I am not going to consider your attendance as you aren't attentive in class"initially I considered it to be a joke,but he repeatedly kept saying that he honestly/seriously meant it, & asked me to get a note from my mom. The following day, I panicked as to what mom would say, I was frustrated down to the core with him, felt like breaking down into tears, but didn't react(stood there Motionless as if everything just came to a one minute silence/pause! In a couple of minutes he came to my chair and handed me a book, assigning me a duty to get photocopies of particular pages for the whole section. I told him that I would do it for him on a condition if he would consider my attendance, else I would ask the Assistant Class Representative to do it for him. He got mad with me hearing that & turned his back towards me and walked away. We had the closing prayer in a while after which I was called to his department and was told " Are you a Magnet? Everyone seems to be attracted towards you?" I didn't follow what he meant by the comment he made and took it as an insult. I was completely shattered & could not concentrate over the college Introduction day practices and at home all that while.

The next day when he came to the class and I kind of purposely ignored him, bending down my head towards the floor, not a sight at his face while he stood there explaining(teaching) the lessons & asking questions. He too sounded very "Mr. Serious" & never cracked any joke's all that while. Left the class immediately after the bell rang. Meanwhile during the break, when I visited the college cyber and logged onto a social networking site,I happened to check my inbox and what I find there was - a message from him - "I heard you were hurt by my comments,I am really Sorry" ! Reading the message, to my utter surprise,looking at the monitor screen. wondering - "Imagine a lecturer saying sorry to a student"! I was overwhelmed & thought of compromising myself.

A little Later, We were suppose to submit our accounts notes to him, and I had submitted my book without writing or pasting a label(my name) on it. He sent a word with the Assistant Class Representative that "I hadn't submitted my book" - hearing that, I immediately rushed to his department, entered, & started talking to him politely with a huge grin over my face. He too couldn't control laughing the way i conversed with him. He heard my explanation about not writing the name, gave me the book and I left. After an hour when he was back to the class he was normal & I myself was more alert & attentive, taking part,listening to all that what he had to say/teach, interacting with him during the whole session.

Now everything was back to normal and I no ways had to suffer the strain on my neck by purposely "Bend-ing it like Beckham"(Female Version) for an hour again.! That was how my Wednesday started & came to an end(with a Happy ending to it - Just like one Soap Serials, Bollywood Movies).

- Anonymous, Female'16 (Bangalore)

The Summery WALK

I find it too lazy & exhausting specially in these extreme of weather conditions, having to have this walk. But then, excuses cant help you out, not doing away with what you eventually had to.

I had to do this work, for which I had to go out to the bank. I was on foot, & after walking few miles, and not finding any rickshaw-puller, I decided I would rather walk. My ears were glued to a sound proof headphones plugged to my cell, that was in one of my pockets. Music was all mixed, shuffled & jinxed. Beside that, I was carrying a burden of this bag hung on to my shoulders sideways. Walking down the road, in these heavy leather canvas sandals, though if I could have given a thorough thought before I left home, I could have slipped into my rubber chappals(floaters), that would have made my feet more airy & much at ease. With a cut sleeve t-shirt along with a full length lower (which I had changed twice, before I left home, from a shorter one to a full one & back & forth) ‘No idea, who was I to please?’

1.5 or 2 km of a distance almost covered, I was at the destination, & stood there with my token and took out a pen to fill up the needful forms etc. While I was trying to unplug my earphone off to focus on the work, it went from earphone mode to the speaker phone mode by default, & the song started playing 'Munni Badnaan Hui, Darling Tere Liyey' मुन्नी बदनाम हुई डार्लिंग तेरे लिए (Munni 'name of the dancer', she is referring to as herself), was ruined & she got defamed(became infamous/notorious), darling just for your sake.) Good Lord, without even turning up to notice who all heard it playing or what was there reaction, I closed it. I sat down on a chair, while I waited for my turn. While I was ducking my cell phone with the earphones in the bag, I noticed, a slim trim, middle lower class lady in a blue saree with a big red bindi() looking at me, as If I appeared weird to her or she found me strange.

A young school going boy (not sure if he did go to school or not) approached me & I thought, he would ask for the pen, and I would be absolutely fine, lending him one & would not even ask for it back if he forgets) but that wasn't the case, he said “Bhaiya ‘Ek from fill kardogey, Atm ka hai” 'भइया एक फॉम फिल कर दोगे, एटीम का है.' (Brother, will you fill this form for me, its for the ATM purpose), to which I sweetly responded yes of course but you will have to wait for a while, since my number was flashed & I had to get my work done. I approached to the counter. Waiting almost 5 minutes, to be attended, & then few more, while my account was being tallied/& form checked while I stood there. This person(bank official) would always tell me, ‘Please have a seat” & I always remember telling him no its absolutely fine, It was okay, I don't mind standing at all. I guess the more they ask you to sit on the chair, & get comfortable, the more time they take, delaying the work. Maybe they had it all figured out - They probably would make you seated & let you enjoy the chair so that, no one stood & danced on there heads, looking at there faces or blabber much in anticipation & curiosity as to whether things were okay & why were things getting delayed & so on. I always wondered why the heck, they took much time, figuring out things or being engaged in there personal matters, while attending customers, rather getting over with, what they were paid to do. It took about 15 minutes & I was though & lucky, that it worked real fast, else I assume it could have taken even half an hour to 45 minutes. My work here was done.

The going was decently easy! but returning wasn't. I had decided to fetch a rickshaw puller on my way back, but I just wasn't lucky enough. I asked few rickshaw pullers if they would do, one of them said ‘not going that way sir’, & the other one said, ‘it’s too hot, don't feel like going’! So that meant, I had to walk again!

I was almost closer to a half way now & was getting a little freaked up! with the sun tanning me up, the perspiring sweat dripping off my face. I thought, I wont think about it anymore & I moved ahead. My legs were burdened by this reluctant prejudice of wanting to get pampered & acted lazy & they were not willing to move a bit. Even the sandals, those I was wearing, seemed to have calibrated themselves & stuck on the Newton’s law of gravitation. They seemed to get heavier & wont just lift off the ground anymore. I somehow managed. For a moment I thought, I would walk barefoot & carry them in my hand, while I walked, but the heat would burn my bare feet & the passers by would consider me insane or mad. The music now seemed to be even slower, it wasn't thrilled either. More then a half way crossed, when I saw some rickshaw-pullers, but decided would walk - at least try to make it possible, to reach home on foot.

As soon as I came nearer to my house, I felt, I could faint any moment now & If someone could give me a lift to the little distance that was left to be covered or else carry me home. If only, I could have got wings (imaginary or real) that could suddenly appear from no where miraculously in a blink of an eye, I would be in my house. I was like half dead - in my over exhausted senses & I only could feel these burdened legs doing the walking(needful). I felt as of I was detached from everything or anything else & the only thing I was attached right now to, were these pair of legs that would lead me to my destination at the end. The music that flowed, might have been energizing me somewhere in between, carrying the flow and helping me to keep moving - keep going.

Two - three people must have honked, passing me by in there cars or bicycles, I could not notice or hear most of it, since I had my eyes & ears almost closed, I did not wanted to see how far it was still left for me to reach home sweet home. The heat & the tiredness made everything within & around so small as if it never existed. One man in his car even stopped(not actually bumping right into me, but pretty much close) & called me to his car & he said, ‘With your eyes closed & ears covered with headphones, what do you think you are doing, where do you think you're walking blindfold to!’ - 'बेटा... कानों पर तुमने यह लगा रखा है, आंखें तुम्हारी बंद हैं...हो क्या रहा है?' Beta, Kaanon Main tumney, yeh laga rakha hai, aankhein tumhari band hain, kya ho kya raha hai! He politely hinted me in his own way, & I understood what he meant ‘you gotta be kidding me, come on kid, grow up.’ I said sorry uncle, I know what you mean, I will take care of it from now on. He went away & so did I, cautiously moving on in slow & steady baby steps.

A little more closer, near to my lane, I energize my self again, (& this peppy number came up, on my music play=list) & I was in speed again! As soon as I approached the gate to my lane, crossing over it seemed so promising to the core & as I moved ahead, now the only thing that could ease me out was looking at the gate of my house. ‘One gate to another, & then finally a gate-less one’. I was by now building up imaginary things in my mind, thinking how wonderful it would have been if there were fans running outside the houses, deployed with guarded hosts sitting outside welcoming you to take in a shelter, offering chilled glasses of water. I saw a guard with a hand fan, sitting outside of a house, with a smile I passed by, & said to him, It’s too cold, he smiled & said yes it is.

Just few houses away to reach my place, I wondered if someone could open the door for me, and stood at the gate welcoming me with water, & turned on the air conditioner or water cooler & fans of my room, while It took me a little while to be there in person then spirit- wholeheartedly. Alas I was inside the gate, What a feeling of content & relief - sigh. Pulled out my earphones, while searching for my keys, meanwhile stepping closer to the door, opening it up, barging straight in, reaching out to the refrigerator for a glass of chilled water‘Home is where the fridge is’. I took a bath & threw myself on the bed! It took my ten to fifteen minutes to get normal.

Delhi saw its first Monsoon rain today at almost 17:00 hours! That made me forget all the pain in vein that I had to undergo via strugglesome-walk(couple of miles to & fro - a stretch of 6km almost - approximately). I stood there in the balcony wiping off the raindrops of my face, getting wet. Though a small shower of rain, but was worth it, changed the weather for no matter how long. Away from the scorching heat - the sun had almost hidden behind the clouds in the sky. - Anonymous, 35, Delhi, India

My INTERNSHIP With Ms.Veteran

I am 20 yr old, a Designer passed out from Pearl Academy of Fashion Institute, Delhi & Its ridiculous how design veterans treat freshers!  I was treated the same way' & here it is, & later I had to quit.

First of all some of them don't know how computers are being used and they expect freshers to do more from a computer & fight with it,strangling it to the best optimum way to give all more then what actually a software or feature could provide.

These high placed reputed Designer's exploit ,cheat and insult their interns for that, in spite of understanding and learning & experiencing, teaching, and making things more simple for them & each other vice-verse!

What I personally think, Learning from a young person is always safer to join an old person who has no idea about how modern design could be. I am definitely not anti-veterans but its just that few of them are just depressed souls who shower all their frustration on their interns and juniors. A person of a rather sound mind & of mature intellect should respect other person whosoever it be, even a fresher irrespective of their position not because they could most certainly do good in life and become famous & have name for themselves, or really be happy doing what they did best! They are humans too!

And being in a high position gives you no right to treat anyone like dirt/shit. The point is that almost every one would exploit you if you are a fresher but you must decide, who's worth suffering for!

Feel free to walk out of a place that gives you more of exploitation than learning !
At first I was so keen to join this designers office and on the very first day I was asked to write the 2 decade+ journey of the designer in the industry and many such tasks. As a design intern I did all the tasks given, which no ways was related to design at all. Along with it, came the other tasks like: Backing up the data of the computer systems and checking the video backups if the ran correctly, making lists,lists,lists and lists of all the nonsensical things like these.

Working under a big brand does not always get you the greatest of the learning's !
So do what you love, love what you do. Life and time's too short to spend on people who suck the happiness/learning and peace out of you.

No one is worthy of playing with your self respect, all the more also when you are correct in your own place & tell everyone that the new generation clearly knows the difference between right and wrong n does not support ass licking morons anymore.
CHELO KA ZAMANA GAYA!  (No One is Anyone's Slave/Servant, Gone are those Days, when it was like that way back).

Right is right ,wrong is wrong" Irrespective of the positions that people hold!

Finally I am over this situation by now, and moving on & I don't think I shud ponder over it
Any more.

Anonymous,20, Delhi(Female)