‘Shit, this was to happen now??...’
I said looking back at my Scooty’s tyre. It was punctured. As usual I was getting late for the college and this had happened. Damn! Frustrated, I started taking my scooty back to home. Home was only 20 mts away, but in such a hot Mumbai summer, those 20 meters seemed more than 20 miles to me!
Reaching home I parked my scooty in the parking lot and went out to look for an auto rickshaw. After a little while I got a rickshaw and managed to reach college on my usual time… 20 minutes late!
‘May I come in ma’am’ I asked.
‘Is this the time to come to class?’ asked Mrs. Narayani. She used to teach us Mathematics.
‘Sorry ma’am’
‘Why are you late and that to the first lecture?’ she asked again.
‘Err…actually…I got stuck up in the lift!’ I said.
This is my usual excuse in everything and in nervousness I could not remember the actual reason of coming late to the class.
‘Okay, come in... But next time better use the staircase or else I won’t allow you in the class.’
‘Yes ma’am’
I sat on the first bench that day! But it was the only bench that was empty.
‘So class, solve this problem’ said Mrs. Narayani and started writing some questions on the board. I and Mathematics never communicated well with each other and those were some crappy mathematical calculations which were of Einstein’s level consisting of trigonometry and derivatives. It was not a rocket science stuff, but I found it much more than that!
‘So Priya, tell me ...what’s the derivative of sinh x??’ she asked me.
I think my teacher was well aware that I was not at all interested in whatever she was doing, teaching, to be precise.
‘Ma’am, its hcosh x’ I said bluntly.
‘What?.. hcosh x?’ ‘You are saying that the derivative of sinhx is hcoshx?? How can you? You are in 2nd year of Engineering and you don’t know this? How did clear your 12th standard??...Okay, how much have you scored in Maths II in your second semester??’
At times you feel like evaporating into thin air. This question made me feel exactly like that.
‘Ma’am, I could not clear that paper’ I said without even looking at her.
‘I knew it! How can a student like you who doesn’t know the derivative of sinhx clear maths II in the 1st attempt??’
‘Anyways, the derivative of sinhx is coshx and not hsinhx. Do you understand?’
'Yes, Ma'm' I said.
Fortunately, she did not ask me anything further.
And anyways, even if she would have asked, according to her belief, mine would always have been a wrong answer.
‘trrriiiinnnnn…..!!!!’ the bell rang. Finally the Maths lecture was over. I was so relieved. Mrs. Narayani collected all her papers, chalk box and the duster and left the class.
‘Hi, Priya’ it was Neha, calling me from the 3rd bench. ‘Why were you late?’
‘Hi, arey my scooty got punctured on the way and I could not get an auto rickshaw for 10 minutes, and this lady screwed me up on top of that.’
‘Hey, its okay yaar, chill! You know what??...there’s gonna be a badminton tournament in college. You wanna participate?’
‘yaa. Sure’ I said cheerfully.
‘Okay then, I’ll add your name too’
‘Thanks man’
‘chal then, I need to bunk this PCOM lecture. The professor is horrible, you know!’
‘Ya I know’ I said grinning.
And she went.
Just one second went by and Miss Rupali entered the class. She came in her usual style, making a weird expression as if she is doing us a favor.
Everybody sat on their places. I took a quick glance at the class and went to the 5th bench and sat.
‘Yes priya.’ Said Miss Rupali
‘What are the different types of FM modulators??’
‘Damn!’ I murmured. ‘I don’t know’ I stood up and answered.
‘Why?’
‘Mam, I did not attend your last lecture’
‘So is that my problem that you did not attend my last lecture?? Haan ??’
‘Sorry mam’
‘Sit’ she said after making me stand for exactly 15 seconds.
She then started with all her stories of FM and AM in her broken English. Not that my English is good but I really found her English very funny.
I wasn’t listening to her anyways. I was thinking about my badminton tournament. I wanted to rock in it.
‘Understood class?’ Miss Rupali asked this to class hitting duster on the wall. I think I heard this suddenly because of the tapping of the duster.
‘Okay then, yourself.. .’ said Miss Rupali.
‘Who …? Me? ..’ I asked
‘Yes yourself only…you only, 5th bench, white top’
‘Yes ma’am’ I said.
‘Explain this Armstrong modulator’
‘Mam, could you just repeat it?’
‘Is that the way to talk to a teacher? When I ask you question, you ask me to repeat the answer and your part is safe then. Isn’t it? What do you think I am doing here? Doing time pass? And why am I wasting my time asking you to answer. You would anyways give an excuse of not knowing it, right?’
‘Sorry mam’
‘Come here and draw the block diagram of a simple FM modulator’
‘I am screwed’ I murmured.
I went to the board, held the chalk and started drawing some blocks which I still think was right. But for teachers I am always wrong… even if I say 2+2=4, they would say 5 or 3 but will never agree about 4!
‘Go back to your place’ she said.
‘Yes ma’am’
I came and sat on my place still lost in the world of badminton tournament.
I don’t know when the bell rang and Miss Rupali left the class. But I guess it wasn’t too late.
‘Hey Priya! What’s happening man? I guess you are having a rocking day today!!’ said Nikhil giggling, sitting besides me.
‘Seriously yaar, Ever since morning it has been a bad day for me! ... Let’s hope it doesn’t get worse ’
But it is rightly said ‘if something has to go wrong, it will ’. So that “something” was on its way. And I had no clue that the worse was yet to come.
I picked up my bag and left the class and went straight to see the notice board at the ground floor. There were many circulars put up on it. I think my college has too many things to tell us but nothing that actually grabs one’s attention!
Finally I found what I was searching for. It was about the badminton tournament. “The winner of the tournament will be rewarded with Rs.3500 cash!!!” I read it aloud for myself. Now I was too exited for the tournament and I wanted to rock in it, anyhow!
Then I started looking for the timetable. I think I went blank for a minute after looking at the timetable. It was pcom practical!!! I could not breathe for almost a minute. I was sure that after the incident in the morning, Miss Rupali would screw me up royally.
Finally I decided not to attend it.
Suddenly I felt something in my pocket. My cell was vibrating. I took it out. It was Teejay calling me.
‘Hello’ I answered.
‘hiiiiiiiiiiiii’ it was Teejay’s typical way of saying ‘hi’.
‘Okay, guess what?’ Teejay sounded as if she had won a jackpot!
‘What?’ I asked sounding a little uninterested.
‘Arey, at least guess something no?’ she said ‘okay, don’t tax your brain. You don’t have it anyways! I’ll tell you’
I hate Teejay for this. What does she think of herself? I don’t know why people call her hot and they say she is a babe. For me she was just like other girls, with loads of attitude.
‘I got selected for the semifinal round in badminton tournament!!!’ she said so loudly that for a moment I thought my eardrums had blown out. Thankfully I had kept my cell a bit away from my ears.
“Wwwhhhhaaaaattttttt????? Tournament ? Has it started?’ wondering how Teejay got selected for the semifinal.
‘Yaa man! ... it’s going on in the commerce college tennis court. I am there itself. I saw your name in the list too. Your tournament is at 2:30 against Divya. So be there. Chal I’ll hang up. My balance is low. see ya!’
I don’t understand why people have a low balance whenever they cal me up.
I could not understand why ‘TEEJAY’ called me up to tell ‘ME’ about ‘MY’ tournament. The girl who never cared for anybody called ‘ME’ up and told me the time and place. Now that was really strange!
Finally it was 2:30 and I was at the badminton court. There were a lot many people. Most of them had come to see the tournament I guess.
In the crowd I saw Kabir. He was organizing it. He was ’THE BEST’ when it comes to playing badminton. I admired him for his badminton playing skills.
I went to him to ask about my tournament.
‘Hi Kabir. You busy?’ I asked
‘Hi Priya . Yaa a bit. But never mind. You need something?’
‘Actually, I just wanted to know when is my tournament and against whom?’
‘Ya, sure. Just a sec’
He took out a paper from the blue file that he was holding and started searching for my name.
‘Yes its today, at 2:30, against Divya’ he said ‘by the way I didn’t see Divya since morning.’
‘Neither did I’ I said, ‘but if it’s fine with Divya I can play today’
‘Great then! I’ll just look out for Divya and let’s have your tournament done’
‘Thanks yaar’ I said and he went out to look for Divya.
10 minutes later I saw Divya coming with a fractured hand.
‘Hey what happened to you Divya?? How did u fracture your hand? And that too the right one??’ I asked this in one breath.
Divya smiled and then answered patiently ‘Arey yaar, a car hit me on the way to home yesterday. I came to college just now. I think I have a tournament against you. Anyways I won’t be able to play. I just came to see your tournament ‘
‘Oh, thanks yaar’ I said
Suddenly Kabir came from somewhere.
‘Priya , you are in semifinal round against Teejay. So be ready because it’s right now’
‘Are you kidding me Kabir? Against Teejay? No ways? Where are others?What’s wrong man? How can she be in the semifinal??’
‘Arey seriously yaar! Even I found it hard to make through my 2nd round against Tarun. Imagine I was finding it hard against TARUN!’ Kabir said this in a surprisingly sad tone.
‘Tarun ? … That gay?’ Divya commented and I, Divya and Kabir started laughing.
But I think Kabir was right. Something was wrong somewhere. And I dint know, that the worse was yet to come.
‘But priya, you don’t worry. Teejay can’t beat you. I am sure you gonna win ”Divya said so confidently as if she really knew the result.
‘Same here’ said Kabir. And he went back to his work.
Even I was confident about winning the tournament.
So finally the match started at 3 o’clock. It was best of three.
I won the 1st match. Teejay won the 2nd. And the 3rd had started.
And what the hell ?? Within no time Teejay’s score was 15! And I was on null yet! I could not believe this. This was that “something” for which was I wasn’t prepared. Teejay’s score was now 16….and 17…..and 18…..19 ….and now 20! I was yet on null. It was game point now. I saw Divya’s face. I could still see the confidence for me in her eyes. I know I was to lose but I had no choice.
It was Teejay’s service. One, Two, Three…and the shuttle cock was in the air, coming towards me. Out of agony, anger, disappointment, jealousy and many such conflicting emotions, I hit the shuttle so hard that I thought my hand would blow out of my shoulder socket, had my joints not been strong enough! I felt a bitter pain in my arm. Fortunately it wasn’t a fracture, it was just a sprain.
Somehow Divya and Kabir took me to the hospital. To top it all, there was no doctor in the hospital. I was in an unbearable pain for one and a half hours. Because of the severe pain I went numb. I couldn’t recollect when the doctor came, wrapped the bandage around my hand and eventually I was out of the hospital.
‘Priya, are you okay?’ asked Divya. She was smiling or rather was controlling her laughter.
‘Ya I am fine, but not perfectly’ I replied.
‘I think you must go home. Shall I drop you at your place?’ asked Kabir.
‘No I am fine. I’ll manage.’
‘Chal bye and take care.’
‘And give me a missed call after u reach home’ said Divya giving me my bag.
‘Ya sure and thanks yaar, bye’
On my way back home, I was thinking about my day. The maths lecture, the pcom lecture, Teejay’s call , and my badminton tournament. Everything was so perfect to make anybody go mad.
So the moral of the story is ‘if something has to go wrong, it will …’
That is to say…..no matter how hard you try….in the end it doesn’t even matter…
Some song that is, heh?
