Tuesday, April 7, 2009

THE ONE Hour...




'Whats the use of going on time for this one! Why not go, say...15 minutes late...maybe just flip through the 6th Chapter once...ChattArjee advised to do so, there must be something in that!

He is not what-he-is for nothing!'


But the last almost 16 years of giving exams has ingrained in me the habit of going for the ordeal on time, when there is nothing, apart from a few other things, I would like more than to flunk it! There was a time when making commensurate preparations to face the trial came naturally as well, but that seems so long ago now…And saying this I experience yet  another twinge of guilt…

Still, despite of frequent tugs at my conscience (came to know recently that I had been wrongly pronouncing the word all along!) , the situation stands at this…I have prepared one chapter out of three in the syllabus.

Am I worried? No, not me!

I am going around merrily, making fun of my predicament, trying to assure Yamuna that looking around idly for an hour won't be that bad! She claims that she is facing a similar crisis and though far from believing her, She is A Branch Changer for the uninformed, I formulate plans with her to idle away that one hour.

 I have resigned myself to the fate or so I convince myself to think.

There exists a small bubble of hope. You can never stop wishing for miracles can you?

Even if you can't figure out how on earth, or anywhere for that matter, can even the Supreme Power make it happen!


"One chapter, that's 33%, surely we will get two, or at least one question out of it?"


I make my way to the department. The sense of foreboding magnifies further as I enter the arena. Placing my trust in the Prof's ability to set a sensible question paper, I take a seat in Lecture Hall 301.

I have the question paper and answer sheet in my hand.

I pass a cursory glance over the paper.


"What the hell is this?!

Relax!

Stay cool, Read it again and perhaps you will be able to figure it all out!

Yeah right!

What is a converter, what…Patience!

First things first."


I complete the entries on the answer sheet much as I would like to leave them blank to escape the contretemps I know is on my way.


"Alright.

Go for it now."


I am reading…


"Transient circuits, that can be attempted…

Back to square one….

What is a Converter, Half controlled, Full controlled…Damn!

Chapter 6...

It is all gobbledegook!

Why didn't I heed ChattArjee's advice?

Chill…there IS one question for the likes of you…try it."


I get down to it….


"How is it possible?!

This question doesn't make sense! How can current flow in a short circuited circuit or a reverse biased diode?

I am missing something…I must be…."


I fail to see it.

I consume as much time as possible…better handwriting, slow calculations…but I still do not use scale and pencil for drawing the circuits. I have my limits.

15 minutes are over.


"Now what?"

DD's words resound in my ears…"Start explaining all what you know about thyristors, that will save you from the embarrassment of submitting a blank answer sheet and who knows! It might as well get you some marks!"


"Now What?"


I draw some random, and I mean random, graphs…a lucidly pathetic attempt!


"What ever!

I give up!"


The next problem arises….


"40 minutes left to go…."


I write my name on the question paper, on the back page of answer sheet, on the eraser and again on the question paper, this time on the lower part.

10 minutes gone. Yeah, writing one's name takes that much time if you do it my way.

I look at my jeans, bluish white strip on a blue background.

Blue pen in my hand, I start making the deft strokes…15 minutes later my jeans sports a graffiti... of my name!


15 minutes still left….


5 minutes later my eraser is all blue…or so it would seem to the observing invigilating professor from that distance. It actually has a crisscross design on it on all sides save one which has my name. I wish he would mind his business. He is the same one who knows that I read novels in class.

I see my internal assessment marks taking a dip, if they were still afloat that is.


10 minutes to go….


I look around…I surely chose a wrong place to sit…everyone in my line of sight was scribbling away.


"I can leave…I could have before also, but it will be all the more embarrassing, if there is any scope left for it. I need to know how others did…I am not leaving."


There is a new bubble of hope now…wishing for relative misery concept to come to my rescue.

Did I just say I was distressed?


"Is this how the underperformers in school felt?"


Another twitch...

I am wearing a string of beads in my hand. I get down to count them. The bigger ones turn out to be 35 in number and the smaller ones are a whooping 267! Never thought there were so many of them!

Time is up.


"Phew!

It's over…I survive, even if with a considerable loss of dignity!

There is always a next time…I still have end sems!"


I submit the answer sheet, relieved!

People look happy…happier than me anyway!

Even Mr.L has done better than me, but to do him credit, he did study this time, in Library!

A lot of people apart from me will bear testimony to it.

But still, doesn't mean that you commit the heinous crime of Discussing the Paper!

The most dastardly thing to do in the face of the likes of me!

As if there weren't enough of their likes around!

I am left stranded in the sea of well performers.

The Sage's also didn't go well, I come to know. Bad!

 He did study and much more than Mr.L….

DD has done the usual,that is, good.

I am supposed to be ashamed, I am not…and I am not proud of it!

I resolve to myself to do well in the end sems…as has become customary now….

This is yet another landmark reached…yet another one I would have never liked to encounter!


Declaring my vow to take whatever advice ChattArjee throws my way in future, regarding studies, I pass out into the sun, alive…but badly bruised!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

31 comments:

khush said...

mah god prachi!!!
u made gr8 use of ur "the"1 hour!!!!
but make sure end sems main aisa nahi ho...
i know u felt bad...
chalo koi nahi s u said der is always a next tym!!
so do make use of it wen it cumes!!!

Murty said...

I finished mine in precisely seven minutes. Did some similar things, apart from the fact that I like my eraser white and that my name's too long so I stick to mnemonics.

Foe the last twenty minutes though, I experienced a very strange feeling. The shape and sound of a zero was something I never really paid attention to (never got the chance to). Very interesting it was; Pleasing? Nuh-uh.

augnine9 said...

u actually did all this ?? i mean graffitti stuff and beads counting??? u actually spoiled ur jeans...i mean its fine if u spoil ur paper...but jeans!! I am getting my first "ZERO" in DS anyway this time ...so my empathies :D :D

Pranav said...

And why does Mr. L have to be the sole criteria of comparison for every loser?! "Even Mr. L..."
Oh btw! there's a simple logic:
the way u spend your lecture time decides your activity during the exam: and you had spent a majority of it improving on your calligraphic skills. I guess that calls for a, "What you sow, so shall you reap!" :P

The Sage said...

Compared to you i happened to be a lot more busy..invented a lot of new concepts which,i am quite sure, will render dont-dare-to-attend-my-lecs prof wondering.."Was this a EE-206 paper??" :D

And i have a getaway..i can always blame my illness for my exceptional performance.. ;)

And "Mr L"..i wonder what L possibly means..!"loser"??

Ahuja said...

lolz... AWESOME!!

Sandeep said...

First of all, tell me why i am referred as ChattArjee( and even there is a graffiti of this name in my room, u remember right! ).

Secondly, i am amazed that u love ur things so much that u always trademark them with ur name ( or u love ur name only, thats all )...

Thirdly, my advices always come with a disclaimer :Follow at ur own risk ( there goes the GHISSU AGAIN )

Fourth, a modest thanks for writing chatterjee at least once, even by mistake in the blog - " Why didn't I heed Chatterjee's advice?" ( but why dont u refer me as SANDEEP, AGAR main tumhe AgGarwal bolu toh...)

and lastly, really nice post. I liked the way u spent ur time, though i wont like that happening to me ;)

Shalu said...

Well this is quite an honour to our Notes machine!!! Did u even care to know how he performed?
Now that u were fortuitous enough to spend ur 'during-exam' time the way u always predicted u were going to, but never got an opprtunity before :P, my hearty congratulations to u for reaching the milestone!
And for general awareness, madam was also one of few elites who graced our library with their presence, though for a shorter time.
I'll take care next time library sees more of u, to help make that 'next time' 'a reality!' Or u have Chaterjee as ur guiding light offcourse! huh!
Btw nice reading! :)
Keep posting... no need of that i know!

@The Sage: R u actually unaware of what that 'L' is for? Bad!

Pranav said...

@ Sage:
Oh not at all! the 'L' can't possibly be 'loser' . She had definitely not been referring to you.

@ Sandeep:
lol... your gain is dude's (read: shalu's) loss!

@ Dude:
Kill Chatterjee!

Sandeep said...

Is it only going to library or studying in library that matters? and that to what u study matters.....

And yes it is an honor, no doubt i forgot to thank Prachi for it, I do it now.

P.S.: And why would she care of how i performed? and why "huh!"

Murty said...

@ Mr. Chatterjee

About you calling Prachi "Agarwal", I'm sure that's not a pleasant proposition. Try calling it out and half the insti may respond!

Prachi Agrawal said...

@Khush
End Sems mein aisa bilkul nahin hoga...You guys will make sure of it right?
The spoiled brat that I am...I will need all your taunts and sarcasms...your roomie's as well!

@Murty
I am proud of you...not!
Please read the above comment...you need it urgently...
Come to think of it...ZERO...zero...zero...yeah...interesting...and can be extremely pleasing if put at the right place...

@Ratika...
Do I rise higher in your esteem O The Reverend Gurumaiya?!
Pleased to know that I can still shock you...
Kisi bade AAdmi ne kaha hai..."It pleases my smart to know that I can
unpredictable!"

@Mr.Legs
That's because you hold the highest(Or is it lowest?) position in all the Losers, as you chose to call them!
THE ONE loser to rule them all!
Considering your logic to be correct..did you doze off during the exams?

@The Sage
Lucky you!
N new concepts?!
You got me curious...
Will have to see your answer sheet!


@Ahuja
Thanx!


@ChattArjee.
Following your example...
Firstly...I like to call you that way...you got a problem with that?
If yes...Well...It makes it all the more worthwhile!
Secondly...In your room it isn't a graffiti, just a signature!
N I am a self obsessed swell headed girl!
Hence...I like to leave my mark everywhere...does that satisfy you?
Thirdly,
I realize that ofcourse but then I might mistakenly drop a brick on your head if your advice turns out to be wrong!
I repeat...just by an innocent mistake!
Fourthly,
I corrected that mistake...n cmon!
U don really dislike me calling you that!
Also..if u call me Agrawal, ull get to many responses to a single call..
You wont enjoy that!

Thanx...even I won't like that happening to you!
Please stay a Ghissu for the sake of the likes of me!
N you can say a thanx...coz if u realize...I have paid you a compliment through the post!


@DD
Sniff...sniff...something is burning!
Don't worry...ChattArjee can never replace you...your 'Taane' are just too good!
And effective!
And Bugging!


@Mr.Legs
You are becoming too violent of late!

The Sage said...

@Pranav
"He did study and much more than Mr.L…"
Doesnt this make it clear that Sage and Mr.Loser are 2 different persons..Or were you drunk again when you read the blog??

AnD btw..Y "u" so worried abt tht L??anything personal??

@Shalu
The Sage knows all.. :)

Shalu said...

@prachi: No1 can as a matter of fact!I know that...but your faith shouldn't dwindle! Bugging, really?
Oh i know sweety! U would rather have me bugging u alwaz! :)

@Notes Machine: I guess u got ur query answered now!And u stay calm,I dont pay much heed to chuze's(read Pranav) advices.
Of late he has got an obsession for gore and violent activities(well said prachi), I wonder when will he be the victim?

@chuze: I didn't know u wanted to be rechristened publicaly! There u go! All hail Chuze! :)



@

kavita said...

ab lag rha hai ki ye tune mujhe tutions dene k liye likha hai...
lagta hai kal k xam mein aisa hi kuch krke tym pass krna padega....

Sandeep said...

@ma'am Initiator( read Shalu )
i never intended to do so, i honor and respect ur friendship. my queries about your post are still unanswered .Whose post started all this btw?, perhaps the one just after first one of mine ( hehe )

@prachi
i thanked you already.And I have nothing against the name, it was just that i wanted to know why this name? thats all....

@murty and prachi
I would never actually call Agarwal. 'Prachi' is quite simple to say...

Pallavi ahuja said...

hehehehe...:D
I knew it, i was nt the only one to sit idle in the xam,though i managed to see sm circuit diagrams of converter from DD's answer script..:D(i think she knows dis.)

Btw i seriously dont know what does this "L" stand for?

pls dont forget to pass on SAUNDEEP CHATTOPADHYAY'S advices(regarding acads) to me atleast for power..

Bt u know wat m jealous dat atleast yamuna accompanied u in dat lecture room no. 301
in passing ur "THE ONE Hour" idly..
I was so lonely-"mein aur meri tanhai bas idhar udhar jhak rhe the"..

NICE POST!!
It was pleasure reading it..
CHEERS!!

Pallavi ahuja said...

Btw is dat "L" stands for "lambu", as i call him

Pranav said...

@ Sage:
Wow! so u did manage to browse thru that short post to find something to your advantage?! Well, in that case go thru my previous comment again and understand the sarcasm. In case you are unable to do so, plz feel free to take your neighbor's help. (and btw...hence, the definite no)
As for me being drunk, its still better than getting drunk on a single peg or maybe your hourly trips to you-know-where!

@Funaloo a.k.a Dude:
Jai Shree Ram!
did you, by any chance, make that world famous face of yours (The Hanuman look) when you read my previous comment? and if i would have wanted to be taken seriously
- i would have stopped hanging out with you.
- i would have suggested sandeep to kill you instead.

Prachi Agrawal said...

@Pallavi
Sorry to disappoint you but L doesn't stand for lambu...
Go through the comments and you will have your query answered...

@Shalu,Sage,Mr.Legs...
Knock Knock!
May I come in?

The Sage said...

@Prachi
No :P

@(what??)-next-door
Want me to come to your room..eh?? ;)

Sandeep Mishra said...

Well, well... it's all my experience through these heavenly 4 yrs getting words through your keyboard...except that- u graffiti ur stripes while I create colored stripes... u write ur name while I sketch my profs...
Newez, a gud experience for u (though a familiar for me :D). No one would like to face this situation ever, but I assure u, u'll get ample opportunities to post this sort again (n often):P

PS:- Comments on this post may soon overshoot its length :D

Karthik Vaidyanath said...

I guess the post does contradict the fact that you spent 3(or so) full days ghissing in the library before TS2.
And yes, I've a real blog at last!

Prachi Agrawal said...

@Mishra Sir...
Such assurances scare me!
I definitely have no intention of going through it again!


P.S. They already have!

@Karthik...
This is just one of the 7 subjects I am talking about...rest weren't as bad...thanks to the library tours!
Also...I got the point!
Will comment!
Soon...

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

After seeing its mammoth size, i thought why the hell people write so long.
But after reading it completely, i scrolled down and down, in the hope that probably I will find where it restart. At the end I was so upset that why wasn't it "The THREE Hour...".
I think I have found an author for my novel. bravo

Naveen said...

A real nice one!! You really are the most vella designer I've ever seen (lolz!).

Btw, I even managed to screw up the 1st ques which was meant for us mortals.

@DD aka Dude: Sadly, the name u had addressed Pranav with (chuze) is already taken. It belongs to our distinguished AV....who btw "rulz"

Shalu said...

@Mr. Desi Raju: It will best for your health if u stop referring to me by that name! I really don't like the sound of this...
N' as far as the name chuze is concerned, I don't care how many people RULE(whatsoever place) with that name! For me it suits its bearer and that's enough for me.

Anonymous said...

Thought whether i shud comment on this... 28 comments!! Envious!!

And i wudn't want to comment on other ppl's comments... may b i m not up-to-date but i didnt know the comments page had bcum a discussion forum!!

Nice post... think wat i wud hav felt like..i had a nite-out (my first one fr studying! Really!!) to do chapters 4 n 5!!!

PS: U n library!!! Hmm... u disappointed me... :(

Prachi Agrawal said...

@Alok...
Thanks a lot!
Though that wont stop me from charging you for that novel!
Also...the comment before this one...the one you deleted...was also good...:)

@Desi Raju...
Same pinch!
So did I!
Will we get a back?

@The Envious Guy...
Yeah...Library...
Better to have YOU disappointed than my parents throwing me out!

Anonymous said...

its actaullly interings and entertaining to read all the comments after the post.....