How to : Get an internship

Getting an internship at a prestigious University abroad is a cherished dream for most of us. 3 months in a foreign land, learning new languages, meeting new people (ogling at the really good looking ones), and backpacking through an entire continent is what we all look forward to. But getting an internship is not easy. Which is why as an experienced senior, I feel duty bound to teach all of you the dark arts behind securing your three month vacation to your desired destination.

Step 1 : Curriculum Vitae Our CVs give us the freedom to be everything we want to be. Internship searches give vent to the artist within us, as we try to aggrandize every little accomplishment of ours. Here are some pointers to building the perfect CV:

• Invent festivals, societies, and clubs. Make yourself the chairman/secretary/convener of these fictitious organizations.
• By default, you are a member of the “core team” of Techniche/Alcheringa. Do not forget to mention it in your CV.
• Pick up a sport. Attend training sessions every evening, work hard, and make it to the inter IIT team. Alternatively, you can do neither of the above, claim you are in the inter IIT team anyway, and promise to work hard next year to get into the team. Next year ka next year dekha jaayega.
• Go to a professor in your department who does not recognize you. Beg for a project. If successful, mention the project in your CV (as an ongoing project) and never meet the professor again till your convocation. If unsuccessful, repeat the entire procedure with another professor.
• Search for fancy software/languages on the internet. If you find them even remotely related to your field of work, mention them in your CV as a technical skill. Delude yourself that you can always learn the software if your intern guide asks you to work with it.

Step 2 : The application procedure The entire application procedure can be summed up in a single word : Spam. Do not worry about the effect your actions have on your institute's reputation. Tailored applications have a better chance of success, but they take time to prepare. We are busy people (as evidenced by the amount of educational material available on our LAN). Always enquire about the well being of the professor's family to whom you are applying. Professors abroad reject all applicants that show lack of interest in their family life. If you find that the professor is of the opposite sex and good looking, ask her/him if she/he can give you her/his phone number instead of the internship. Some things are after all more important than your career, eh?

Step 3 : Getting funding There is a particular kind of professor abroad who deceives you into thinking you have obtained an intern. Replies are usually along the lines of “You are most welcome at Timbuktu, provided you can somehow find means to fund your stay here”. When encountering such a professor, it is imperative that you make it abundantly clear that your snake-charming and slum-dwelling family cannot afford an internship, and that you are the Indian equivalent of that Chinese kid from “The girl next door”. (For those readers who have not watched “The girl next door”, the Chinese kid is the next Einstein, and Ms. Elisha Cuthbert is HOT). If the professor is still not convinced, beg and plead some more. Still unsuccessful? Go to Step 2.


If this post lands you in hot waters, the responsible senior that I am will not be in any way liable (Additional advice for those who think the phrase “hot waters” means the beaches of Spain and Portugal - do not give the CAT). May the force be with you!

How to : Get an Inter IIT Certificate.

“Fundebaaz fuccha” was what one senior had remarked after a “casual conversation” with me in my first-year. Somehow, in spite of my repeated attempts, the name never stuck. But that still does not stop me from trying to dispense unasked for advice to anyone willing to listen to my rants.
So today ladies and gentlemen, Tillu baba (Cheesy, I know) shall tell you how you can get an Inter IIT certificate. We all know why we need the certificate. Unless you've been living on Jupiter for the last few years, you might have heard of Schlumberger (The oil giant, which commands as much respect in the corporate world as my dhobi does in mine). This company happens to pay loadsamoney to a few lucky people every year to sit around and do very little. Now, I am sure you like earning money for free as much as I do, but there is a problem. Folks selected by Schlum can be classified into the following broad categories :
a. Inter IIT certificate holder
b. Female (Note my earlier usage of the word “broad”)
Most of us cannot afford a botched up sex change operation (which is the least you have to do to convince the Schlum recruiters that you are a girl studying at an IIT). Is it any surprise then that I expect this post to become a real hit.

HOW TO GET AN INTER IIT CERTIFICATE

STEP 1 : Choosing the right sport.
This is crucial. The sports board at IIT Guwahati claims to offer you several choices in the matter, but do not be misled into believing mere talent and hard work will get you into any team. For example, in cricket, you need to be lobby-mates with the team's best batsman to merely stand a chance (Right Mr. Nagori?). For basketball, you should not be even remotely good looking, as the secretary is extremely protective about his position as the head-coach of the girl's team. The football team will take you along irrespective of how you play, but since certificates are available only for the best 16 players, you have very little chance of getting one (unless your captain and secy decides to shoot himself in the foot by trying to be a smart-ass. Rishabh “DISCO” Dev - are you listening?). Badminton is even more difficult, as the secretary will not take you unless you wear blinkers when around his (very cute) girlfriend. The table-tennis and athletics teams are too good to crack. Using the process of elimination**, we are left with Hockey.
** people who doubt the scientific veracity of the process of elimination should never harbor hopes of clearing any competitive exam having multiple-choice questions.

STEP 2 : Getting into the Hockey team.
The general perception is that getting into the hockey team is a piece of cake. For once, general perception is not too wide of the mark. Some would say you need to be regular to practice, learn the game diligently, and you will soon become a competent player as hockey is not a very difficult game to master. This is the longer nerdier way. As your guru (Tillu baba remember?), I have several cooler alternatives. The hockey squad has several open slots for specific personality types.

1.The captain of the team. He should obviously lead by example. The example he must set is that of a lazy bum who will not run if his life depends upon it. He should be a fantastic motivational speaker, well versed in certain choice words of the Hindi language. He need not do anything more, as 5 minutes into every game, he shall ask to be substituted because he is too tired to continue. An ability to dribble in circles around the middle line is extremely desirable. Of course, every once in a while, he is allowed to make the mistake of dribbling past three players, but he must redeem himself immediately by losing possession to the fourth just when his team-mates have covered a lot of ground to provide him support.

2.The insufferable-know-it-all. He should never practice what he preaches.(“Tu pass kiya kar taaki main dribble karke goal maar sakoo!”) His individual spirit should be married to a lack of talent so obvious that team-mates start running to defensive positions as soon as he gets the ball. He should also give the team's coach lessons on how to coach. When the extremely offended coach chucks him out of the team, he must claim that the secy is conspiring against him. His sole purpose in the team is to make people realise how lucky they are not to be like him. This fellow unites the team (against him).They say there is no stronger bond than the one between those that have suffered (his company) together. And team-unity wins games.

3. The roadrunner. Also known as the headless chicken. Like a thoroughbred, this fella was born to run. It does not matter where he goes, it does not matter whether he has the ball. He is programmed to execute the same loop over and over again. Wait for ball at half-line --- Run in a straight line towards goal --- Shoot --- Run back to halfway line ---- Repeat Step 1.

4.The loud mouthed goalie. The most important ingredient of a successful team. His roar should be louder than that of an African lion, and he should not limit himself to hysterically screaming at his teammates – the officials and the other team are fair game as well. Apart from providing comic relief to the spectators and increasing the global appeal of hockey by making it more entertaining, the goalie also ensures that the defence is scared shitless to go forward, with the opposing team invited to lay siege to our goal. This ensures a goal-glut (albeit with us at the receiving end of a resounding defeat. But then the crowd's entertainment is more important than mundane matters such as winning and losing). Like the captain, he must also have a command over the nuances of swearing in Hindi. Must look intimidating.

5.The sardar. A hockey team cannot be taken seriously unless it has a surd in its line up. Period.

6.The token South Indian – To avoid allegations of regionalism. Its also politically correct and expresses our support to the “kick racism out of hockey” campaign. The South Indian guy should have a PhD, and (like the token black guy in every Hollywood chick-flick) should occasionally scream something with a funny accent no one understands.

7.The murderer. Blessed with an upper body Tyson would envy, this is the person who will make his team feel like real men. (Real men play sports where there is a finite non-zero probability of getting murdered.) His upper body would empower him to hit balls with the speed of sound, and God bless the souls of those who manage to get anything other than a stick in the ball's way. Without such men, we will have no scars to show off to our wives and children. These men are the ones who create (or in the case of a hit to the head, destroy) memories.

If you cannot identify yourself with any of the above mentioned personality types, you have just one option left – join that really cool academy Batman joined before he became erm... you know... Batman! Learn some martial arts, and then kick ass till you are one of the top 16 hockey players in IIT Guwahati. (How imaginative, eh?)

STEP 3 (Optional): Getting out of the Inter IIT team without being called a mercenary prick who just plays for a certificate.
Still working on it. Have had limited success. Limited success is defined as team-mates having stopped calling the subject under test (me) a selfish bastard to his face.

Follow these 3 easy steps, and the Schlum job should be yours to lose. And forget thee not my guru-dakshina. All I demand (nay request) in return for career-making advice is a fried maggi. Just leave it outside my room the way babies are abandoned at orphanages. I swear I'll take good care of it.

What’s common between Michael Jordan, Lance Armstrong, Mohammed Ali and Tillu?

The following clipping appeared in the Prague Tribune some hours ago.

"Prague, 13 November 2008. Unconfirmed reports suggest that the blog titled “Musings of a dispassionate soul”, after months of inactivity is showing signs that there is something brewing. Our sources tell us that the author of the blog page, which is hugely popular in parts of the Czech Republic and Slovakia, is incredibly furious at the snobbery of the Literary Society, IIT Guwahati. ”How dare the LitSoc blog-page not list me on their list of bloggers”, He is quoted as saying. When our correspondent pointed out to him that he hardly blogs and is thus ineligible to be even considered for the LitSoc page, Mr. Trivedi gave a terse reply that involved something unprintable regarding our correspondent’s mother. The Prague tribune has since lost contact with its correspondent.

In related developments, the news that Mr. Trivedi might start blogging again has been greeted with a huge cheer across the Czech Republic. Consider the case of a conversation that the Prague tribune overheard:

Mr. Imafan Oftillu - Oye, He’s back!

Mr. Sceptical Boshtard - (rolls eyes).

Net users across Eastern Europe are eagerly awaiting Mr. Trivedi’s next move."

So here it is – my next move:

The reason for this blog post is simple, there have been allegations made, and my silence is being taken as a sign of guilt. I reiterate that I had nothing to do with the disappearance of the Tribune correspondent. I understand that all circumstantial evidence points towards me, but my name will be cleared in due course of time when his dead body is discovered on the Northern banks of the Brahmaputra and his post-mortem will indicate death due to natural causes. (wink).

Now, my dear reader, the Prague tribune has done an excellent job in categorizing you into disbelievers and believers. I have a message for both of you.

Understandably, Skeptical Boshtard has much to be aggrieved about. I am a bad bad man. I make promises and I break them. For that Mr. Boshtard, I am sorry.

Mr. Imafan Oftillu , apologies to you too, for this is intended to be a one-off post. I do not promise to follow this up with anything. I will try though.

Regarding the LitSoc snub, since they are right (and I hate it when people have a valid point against me) , I will launch a scathing Shobhan-esque tirade against the literary society. I shall canvass casual opinions from old hands about how good a writer I was, and use them as irrefutable proof to show the incompetence of the current lit club.

And now that I have already taken the pains of writing this much, I shall sign off with some general observations:

• The other day, a couple of people told me they find Pande bhaiya’s blogs enjoyable. No disrespect to Pande bhaiya, but the same people later admitted to being huge fans of golf (yawn!).

• I have learnt that the one way to improve the readership of your blog is to insult people and be unapologetic about it. Note to self: Insult more people. Note to Chandi: You’re next.

• I am proclaiming myself as the new Mr.Nice-guy of Bakarz now, what with Jakhar bhaiya having finally given up on his squeky clean image after his mail to Pande bhaiya was “leaked”.

“Why the fuck is my pic still in that article. The article looses the whole point of being anony writers. Get that pic removed ASAP or I am going to stick a rod up your and your Surd's ASS and both of you are going to bleed from your anus for weeks.“ ~ Navdeep Jakhar to Rohit Pande.

And I used to think subtlety was one of Jakhar bhaiya’s stronger points.

• I seem to have given up on reading. The last book I read properly was “The Fountainhead”. However, some of my friends are of the opinion that the only book I’ve ever read is “The Fountainhead”. The next time I mention the “F” word, Sheshank has sworn to mix laxative in my drink, and lock me up in my room.

• It is strange how the global economic crisis begins to seem a lot more interesting if you have a stake in it. A week ago, I was rooting for complete economic anarchy and a total collapse of the financial systems – revolving around the twisted logic that the fewer jobs there are around, the more valuable an IIT degree would be. (Pathetic I know). Now with Goldman Sachs having made me an offer which (in the Godfather’s words) I cannot refuse, my stance has changed. Now, I pray daily to Hanuman Ji to pull Goldman through. I am sure Goldman employees the world over would be delighted to learn of this new development. I expect to see Goldman’s stock rise meteorically once Wall Street learns about Hanuman Ji and my prayers.

And lastly, to put things into perspective, my last post on this blog was on February 05, 2007. I’ll be back in 2010 with a review of the commonwealth games. Till then, stay tuned.

PS – If you are still wondering what the post title is all about, I have a one-word answer – “Comebacks”.

IIT under attack

The summer of 2016 had been a momentous one for the students, staff and alumni of IIT Guwahati .It had seen the elite institute take it's well earned place at the summit of the world's technological innovators. Although the groundwork had been laid a long time ago, the catalyst for propelling IIT Guwahati to the top was the research work of it's nanotechnology department. With the aid of a few exceptionally talented students and under the able guidance of the "Einstein-look-alike" A.Chatto, the department had just helped the Indian Army deal a strong blow to insurgents in the state by developing state-of-the-art nanoweapons unlike those ever seen by the world before. This had won the institute global acclaim, and even made the ex-editor of the now out of business "India 2-day" acknowledge their mistake in not ranking the institute as one of the top 10 colleges in the country barely a decade earlier. There was hence an air of ga(y)iety about the place when the new academic year started. Students were delighted by the turn of events that had catapulted their college to the forefront of must-visit places for on-campus recruiters (They were also pleased at the institute finally getting the respect it deserved). Little did these delirious dudes know that there was something in the works that would have a dramatic impact on them.
The peaceful activists at ULFA were not very happy with the turn of events however. And who could blame them? Their plans to turn Assam into an economically successful military state modeled on the lines of Pervez Musharraf's Pakistan had been thrown into chaos. At an emergency meeting convened after the slaying of their top brass, the (new) top brass condemned the use of violence to suppress what had historically been a relatively peaceful freedom movement. It was during this meeting that a decision was made to attack the Indian Institute of Technology. This was a reversal on ULFA's previous strategy of ignoring the presence of an IIT in Guwahati.(As late as 2013,ULFA leaders had gone on record saying that had there been an IIT in Guwahati, it would have certainly been attacked at some point in it's history. This was just an excuse though, since ULFA was ashamed to admit that there was something at IIT that scared them to death.)
IIT Guwahati has always been blessed with women of great power(pun unintended), and it owes it's violence free history to these women. ULFA did not dare touch IIT whilst there were women in the campus. Some conspiracy theorists even suggest that the number of women in IIT was carefully controlled so to be sufficient to deter ULFA, but insufficient to deteriorate IIT's to the level of American Universities(check out AP5, if you know what I mean!)
So it was'nt exactly with peaceful protests in mind that five ULFA "activists" entered the IITG campus under the cover of darkness on a chilly night in August. Their mission was simple - plant a bomb at least one of two sites, innovatively codenamed "A" and "B". They would also have earned brownie points with the top brass for every 9-pointer they annihilated along the way. Fortunately for the students, moles inside ULFA had intimated the IITG administration about this attack, and hostel Subansiri was on code-red. An elite team of females was dispatched to "counter" the threat posed by these "terrorists" aka activists.
It was a pitched battle, during the course of which the insurgents tried to bomb the nanotechnology department, but failed since they could not find it in the kilometer and a half long NAC. Because of the failure of their primary objective, they tried to bomb hostel Kameng, but the Subansiri team did not let them(simply because most of their "muh-bole-bhaiyas" lived in Kameng). Two activists were sniped in the process. Frustrated, the remaining insurgents let loose on all the 9-pointers they could find. The Subansiri team let them do this, till their team leader(with a cpi of 9.11) was comfortably ahead in the race for the President's Gold medal. After this, they clinically fragged the remaining three activists.
All in all, a total of 27 out of the 32 9-pointers in the college were killed that fateful night. A wave of sadness engulfed the campus on learning this. Their sadness, however, was short lived, as they soon learnt that they'll get a three day holiday to mourn those that passed away.
Your comments are invited on this masterpiece. Any grievances that you may have with the content published here shall not be addressed. Also, any comments to the tune of me being a misogynist/male chauvinist/offensive/politically incorrect shall not be entertained.

He's back!!!

Another post announcing my return to blogging...but it's tough to blog when you're getting your balls kicked at college.However, I'll be lying if I blamed college life entirely for my absence from blogspot.But instead of delving into the many excuses I can provide for the aforementioned,I'd rather simply say this to my readers : I'm sorry.
Now for the encouraging part : I'm back home,and alongwith the numerous comforts that home brings,the most relavant is the abundance of leisure time in which I can (yeah,you guessed it...) BLOG!!!
So here's a promise I make dear readers:I'll never give you folks further chances to complain about the silence of my pen.

The power of blogging

excerpted from "The world is flat" by Thomas Friedman:
I was shuffling through the June 23,2005,edition of the Financial Times when a headline caught my eye:"Google lures more talent."The article seemed straightforward enough,detailing how google had managed to hire legendary technologist Louis Monier away from eBay,where he was heading advanced technology.But I was brought up by a short paragraph in the middle of the article:"Mr. Monier revealed his motives[for leaving eBay] i an e-mail exchange with blogger John Batelle,who spread the news on his website,battlemedia.com."In other words,a top blogger whose expertise is google broke the story,and the giant Financial Times had to quote his one-man website to be on top of the story itself.

There is nothing more powerful than a blogger with a brain...

Idle no more!

This is to inform all my readers that after a fortnight of preoccupation,I'm back to doing what i do best:Blogging.One of the major reasons for this prolonged absence was a lingering self-doubt about whether I could follow up the article on reservation with a better one.Those doubts have been bansihed,and here's hoping that there are no further interruptions to my blogging endeavors.

My stand on the reservation issue

Had I written this a month ago,you would've found my views completely different to the ones I'm about to express.Such is the complexity involved in this issue that it is impossible for someone directly affected to take a logical stand.However,ever since I've secured my seat in an institute of higher learning,I have begun to analyze the issue in an unbiased perspective...

To begin with,let me just say that in a civilized society,there is no room for as heinous a concept as reservation.The practice of providing special benefits to a certain section of society is a democratically flawed principle.It not only violates democratic guidelines,it also promotes the very thing that reservation tries to abolish:discrimination.The very fact that reservation plays a major role in our lives is what keeps discrimination alive in a civilized society.

However,the Indian society is so stooped in traditions and customs that the normal rules of a civilized society are not applicable to ours.Sati and dowry still have'nt been abolished.We still look down upon people of lower castes.Our contempt towards economically weaker sections of society is evident in our behaviour...In short,Reservation is a necessary evil...

Inspite of the the incredulity that the above statement might evoke,it is true that there is no better cure for our ailments than reservation.Whether we like it or not,reservation still exists in our society.If it didnot,why would Garima Godara been denied admission to a supposedly sophisticated institute. Here's what Barkha Dutt had to say about the Garima Godara issue:

"I learnt after the programme was over — and it is significant that neither she nor her parents brought this up themselves — that she is an OBC.
For some months now, as the debate over reservation has raged, opponents of the quotas have made the same point again and again: we should be a society where merit matters. It’s a compelling argument, and one that I have personally supported.
But what do the anti-quota street fighters have to say now? Here’s a girl who competed in the mainstream, her own DAV pitched against the trendier, richer, big names. But her merit was swallowed up by prejudice.
Is it any wonder then that supporters of reservation believe that the system is stacked against them, and that merit is a con-word used by upper-caste tricksters?"

This is what convinced me.We cannot demand a society based on merit,and then kill merit at the same time.I cannot but agree with Ms.Dutt...

So what is the solution to the reservation issue?I have heard many theories,and here's what I suggest:

1.A fresh census to determine the exact percentage of OBC's in our society.If reservation has to be implemented,I suggest it should be based on current statistics,not on the 1930 census(upon which the Mandal commission's recommendations are based).After all,49.5% is too big a number to truly reflect the people in genuine need of reservatiom.

2.Since the number of seats in higher educational institutes cannot be increased at such short notice,a staggered implementation of reservation is the best solution.Implement 5% now,10% after five years,20% after fifteen years and so on.

3.Since the purpose of reservation is the upliftment of an entire section of society,care must be taken that the same individuals cannot use reservation twice.For example,a person,whose father or mother has used the reservation system to reach the echeleons of society,should not be allowed to use reservation to again uplift himself.He after all has had access to the same resources as students of the general category,and reserving a seat for such individuals would be unjust.

4.Lastly,I suggest a time frame for reservation.Reservation cannot go on indefinitely.I suggest 100 years after Independence would be the right time to abolish reservations.

This is my view.You,dear reader,can have your own perspective.Have no "reservations" about expressing yours.After all,dialogue is the only means by which we can reach a consensus on an issue as complicated as this.

Pekerman's Blunder

I'm not a football pundit,but watching yesterday's game I could not help but feel Argentina's exit was of their own making.Their coach was the biggest culprit,starting with a formation that was negative at best.The tactics Jose Pekerman used didnot suit Argentina's style of play.A dour first half was the consequential result.Supposedly the best coach in the world,Pekerman also made the mistake of substituting Hernan Crespo with Julio Cruz when the Argentines were ahead.Hernan was the Argentines most potent threat,and though he had been having a bad game,it would've made more sense to keep the third substitution for later,just in case Argentina needed it.As a result of Pekerman's mistake,the brilliant Lionel Messi was reduced to a mere spectator,unable to come on since Argentina had already used their three substitutes!
Argentina might not be going home had Pekerman lived up to his reputation.

A journey of self exploration

My dad's a road freak,anywhere within a radius of 1000 km. is a road trip...
I've been on the road so many times that I can't even recollect all the road trips we've been through.These traversals though are nonetheless one of the most cherished memories of my childhood...

Our most recent journey however was one that I shall remember for as long as I'm alive.Our destination was a tiny place in Bihar known as Giridih...but we ended up going to Puri...yeah,Puri some 1600 km. from Lucknow...It is this excursion that I'd like to share with you.

I am normally a skeptic when it comes to travelling by road...the sights and smells are sometimes too much for the senses to tolerate.Unfortunately,I am also not brave enough to argue with my dad,so it's usually his will that prevails!

Bags packed,we left for our first stopover Varanasi on the evening of the 8th of May...Following is a day by day account of what turned out to be the most eventful journey of my life:

Day 1:
Starting City-Lucknow
Destination-Varanasi
Notes-That day itself,we had an ominous warning...upon reaching Benares,we were crossing a bridge when our driver tried to overtake a bus...the bus however closed the door on us midway,squeezing us with nowhere left to maneuver...the result was a side on collission...with our Bolero suffering minor damages...Slightly shaken but not deterred,we went to bed looking forward to the next day

Day 2:
Starting City-Varanasi
Destination-Giridih
Notes-The second day marked our entry into the much feared hinterlands of Bihar...particularly dangerous were the last 40 km. of the day...the 2 lane road between Parasnath and Giridih would usually be closed after 5 pm.,obviously because of the naxal menace...We,however when we reached Parasnath at 7,we found the road open and oblivious to the threat,decided to push on.Fortunately nothing untoward happened...but it was a needless risk that characterised the recklesness with which we were taking the trip...

Day 3:
Rest Day
Notes-hmmm...this day marked my first encounter with diarrhea...so whilst everyone enjoyed the festivities of the marriage we had come to attend,I was stuck in bed for the whole day.The healthcare services in the city were nothing to boast of,which was partly responsible for the four times i vomited in one hour...the rest of the day was peaceful however.

Day 4:
Starting City:Giridih(detour to Baijnath)
Destination:Balasore(Orissa)
Notes-Another day of hard travelling...with my tummy giving me no further troubles...the list of incidents however kept growing...with our vehicle skidding sideways upon sudden braking...It was then that my dad remembered that there was a fault with the car's brakes.Apparently the brakes on the left were gripping the road harder giving rise to a toppling motion.The car however didnot topple(It was a close call,though).

Day 5:
Starting City-Chandipur-on-sea
Destination-Puri
Notes-Trust me,Chandipur is the one of the nicest places in India...It's highlight is the secluded beach that is the epitome of calm and solitude...

Day 6:
Puri and the Jagannath shrine
Notes-Day 6 was devoted to Puri...If you are a temple lover(and I am not),you'd love Puri...The beach here was a sharp contrast to the one in Chandipur...The smaller waves were 4 feet high!!!This day also marked a trip to Konark and the sun temple...another great place.

Day 7:
Starting City-Puri
Destination-Kolkata
Notes-Nope...sorry to disappoint you,but the only thing noteworthy happening on this day was a tiny offroad excursion in our bid to find the shortest route on a newly constructed road...no big deal

Day 8:
Kolkata darshan
Notes-yeah I know...a day is not enough for Kolkata,but its all the time we had...
The funniest incident however was yet to occur...We were fed a non-veg soup(we're veggies) in an amusement park...apparently the guy taking the order had mixed up ours...you should have seen my little bro..he was in a state of shock...hamara dharm bhrasht ho gaya...his expression made my day!!!!!

Day 9:
Starting City-Kolkata
Destination-Varanasi
Notes-The most harrowing experience of my life...
16th May shall always be a date to remember...have you ever been involved in a road accident?No...
I'll tell you...it's the most terrifying thing that can happen to you...they say when you are about to die,your whole life flashes by you...I disagree...nothing happens...you dont even have time to react...your mind goes numb...
Imagine...a car's right infront of you and it suddenly swerves left to reveal the last thing you ever want to see on a highway...
Cows are very graceful animals...their slow gait is quite amusing...isnt it?
Trust me...it's not...not when you are speeding at a hundred and twenty...
Cows can't see sideways either...how I wish that poor animal could...
I can still remember the instant of impact...the sickening groan that escaped the animal's mouth...the terrifying screech of brakes...I still remember the car getting onto two wheels...I remember the world going upside down as the car turned over...I remember my mother screaming...my brother screaming...these are wounds which time shall never heal...
Imagine being in a roller coaster without seatbelts...that's how it felt like...
The car toppled...skidded and came to a halt...The windshield had shattered,we came out from where the glass had been...
The carnage had to be seen to be believed.The cow had been tossed up and away...It breathed it last right infront of our very eyes...
Our troubles were far from over,as the very villagers who had helped us out of the wreckage now turned on us...they had helped lift the Bolero onto four wheels,but once the anxious onlookers had left,their demeanour changed.It was pure luck and some quick thinking by my dad that saved us that day...he understood what the villagers were up to...stacked us all into the same Bolero...and ran for it(the SUV still shockingly in driveable condition) all the way to Varanasi
I guess a dislocated shoulder,broken ribs,and a hairline was fair price to pay for our lives...

Day 10:
The conclusion of our journey...with my mama coming to pick us up in Benares...


I shudder to think what could've happened that day...had the car been slighly faster,or the point of impact slightly different...I might be dead...
This is something that surely changes you.It has changed me...For me,every breath is a bonus now...I've learnt to live...and appreciate life...
I've also started believing in the presence of a supreme being,and there is gratitude within me...

Does God exist?

I've been an atheist for 17 years of my life...not any more...

Sometimes in life, things happen...things which change your outlook towards life.It's like rebirth...events take a wholly different turn once you've been through such experiences.Life after one such experience is a life of self exploration.This is now my life...

I have to ask you...
do you honestly believe in fate?
do you acknowledge the presence of a condescending being?
do you believe in God?

I'm still trying to understand...still striving to comprehend what I am...
I only know that I am not an atheist,but I'm not a believer either...so what am I?

Tell me dear readers...do you believe?