A face in a sea of faces

Post 1:

Hello folks,
It was,

22^nd Feb, 2009
Time: 7:58 A.M.

It was two minutes to eight, and can you believe it, I made it to SNDT University, Juhu, Mumbai. Alas! I had my GD/PI there. Albeit, I had had a quick round on the previous day, juss to have a look at the location, how to reach there, and all that.

Wow, on time, a rarity in my life style, you see. I woke up as early as five in the morning. I was staying with my langotia yaar, in Borivalli E. Previous day, I checked the train, I had to board, which platform, then which number (Best number 231 from Santacruz Station to SNDT) bus I had to take to reach the gd/pi location. I was juss curious.

Seriously, that was one the nastiest thing i ever did in my life. I mean, normally, i remain wake, say netting, surfing till such wee hours, but never got up so early for anything. I took bath, dressed up in decent formals and wore my all-time-great sports shoes. I juss hate formals in my feet. I took my power bag and run-off to the station. It was six-ten.

Juss near the Ashok Van flyover, I took an auto, on meter of course. Now there was a problem. A big one. I was unshaved. I didn’t had a razor with me, nothing at all. Now I can’t even dare to think of some barber to be open at such morning hours, but at least a medical shop, so that I can buy a use and throw razor. That razor, I will use it in the wash room of the venue, where I’m going for the gd/pi; I thought so. So optimistic, you see. Pathetic.

Mélange of apprehension and timidity was my condition, as auto-wala was driving so sluggishly. And I was, with danger-in-my-eye-condition, looking on the road side to find a hop open. No success, I was almost gone. Found many dairy vendors doing there work, of no use to me. Auto taking turns after turns reaching the final road towards the borivalli station. And then, Voila ! There was a medical store open.

“Stop, Stop, Stop!!!”, I barked to the auto wala.

“What happened?”, he replied.

“Nothing, wait. I need to buy some medicines. It’s urgent.”, I lied. I donno why, but I did.

I bought a use and throw red coloured razor (which I still have) worth fifteen bucks and hoped on auto again. Reaching borivalli station was a mess. Bought a ticked Juhu was a cumbersome job. Such a big line, but then, bought a newspaper and was reading it while in that fucking queue. Got it worth seven bucks and then went over-through foot over bridge to platform number 3. I juss reached there, and sub-urban train came, I hopped in.

May be, it was first class, I didn’t noticed earlier, and so I got a place to sit. No worry on my face, no expression, totally involved in reading that shit newspaper. It was the only soothing I had at the time. May be, I was juss relaxing my self. Never knew when the destination station came, I stepped out and then was walking out of the Sanatacruz station.

Suddenly, I saw a kiosk. A barber shop. I stopped, instantaneously.

I thought, I’ve a razor, I can do the shaving in the wash room.

But, what if, the wash room does not have a mirror? Gosh.

So, without any second thought I took right turn and ventured into. He was a mallu. A South Indian. A Big Pakkau yaar. Panchat hi kar raha tha, and took almost 20 minutes for shaving. Ass hole.


It was 07:30 by now. I was clean shaven and walking towards the bus-station, outside the sub-urban station to catch bus-231. I had seen the station the previous day, so started walking in the right direction. Standing at the bus-stop, was like standing at the pit-stop. Bus never came, and it was thundering me from inside. I took an auto and asked for SNDT. He took me there till the gate. On meter, showed 15 bucks, I gave him. He returned a rupee coin. So kind of him. And I entered the University gate. I started walking to the main block of Janki Devi Bajaj Institute of Management Studies. I traded the path with and personified ease. When I took the final turn, I saw three ISB&Mites in blazers.

I thought, standing outside, why? Must be, koi aaya nahi hoga. I must be the first one.

Crossing them, I entered the foyer. Gosh. So many where there, sitting on well placed chairs. I was juss a face in a sea of faces. If I have to get into isbm, I’ve to beat them all. And I approached the registration desk with brisk steps and light smile on my face. I had conviction in my attitude.

Continue...

Right now, I’m hearing Dream On, by Aerosmith.

Want to hear it, it’s the coolest of all. Hear it, and you’ll start buzzing, “Dream On”.

Everytime that I look in the mirror,

All these lines on my face gettin’ clearer

The past is gone

It went by like dusk to dawn

Isn’t that the way

Everybody’s got their dues in life to pay

I know what nobody knows

Where it comes and where it goes

I know it’s everybody’s sin

You got to lose to know how to win

Half my life is in books’ written pages

Live and learn from fools and from sages

You know it’s true

All the things, come back to you

Sing with me, sing for the year,

Sing for the laughter, sing for the tear,

Sing with me, if it’s just for today,

May be tomorrow,

the good lord will take you away.

Dream on, dream on, dream on,

Dream until your dream come true.