Mohan
Kothekar
Blogger and
Writer
It
is the fate that decides the destiny of an individual. How I get involved as an instrument of the
cause for her fortune and predisposition due to interlocution is a mystery,
never I thought before. In true sense, I
was no way concerned with an episode, but, somehow the incident happened in
such a quick succession that time has not permitted to rectify it and our
educational institute in general becomes the looser. After superannuation from the active service,
I still get astonished, the way wizardry incidence occurs within a minute time.
It
was the rainy day at 14.00 on the first July 1986, when I alone was in the
admission hall and engrossed in scrutiny of admission forms. It was a lunch break. I was being one of the junior most academic
staff members of the committee, who have bestowed the responsibility of entire
admission forms of first year graduate course.
My head of the department, who happened to be the Chairman of the
admission committee, has allotted to segregate the admission forms of those
students who have sought the admission.
To sunder the admission forms into two groups without any flaw and that
too according to the merit list and alone was not a joke. Since morning without any break I have been doing
the said job.
The
third of each July is the day of commencement of first year classes; thus, as
per the University time table, the institute has to finish admission process in
15.00 hours on the first of July. So,
students and parents get thronged at the eleventh hour and create huddle and
commotion. Their difficulties are
genuine; a separate cell of senior academicians was looking after the duties of
the liaison officer. During those days,
the admission schedule for the first year degree course of entire government
colleges was the same. It has added the
oil in the disorderly act that resulted in complete chaos – most of the time –
and confusion among the budding students and their parents. The drizzling at the eleventh hour
responsible for the muddle and turbulence; the additional staff was co-opted to
support the committee.
During
the lunch break, there was a lull, even the subordinate staff had gone and I
was alone; I noticed a whisper and the footsteps blurry sound; I did not heed;
it seems they were in confusion. What I
noticed from the corner of my eye - while doing my arduous and painstaking job
– was two individuals, one in trouser and another in black skirt were standing
on the front door and slowly approaching towards me. When they reached near the table, I ask the
gentleman to sit and watched with a little annoyance. A lower middle class father and his a thin,
bony, hardly five feet tall daughter politely requested me regarding permission
to ask the question. I nodded. ‘Sir, my daughter’s name is in the admission
list of your institute as well as Government Science College. Sir, please advise us in which college, my
ward should take the admission.’ For a
fraction of a second, I gazed at a lean and tender girl and said, ‘had I been a
father of this child, I would have preferred the Government Science College.’ In a fraction of a second, he stands and both
hurriedly started their return journey; that moment I was senseless and
immediately came out of the subconscious mind.
I yelled, ‘sir, sir, sir, please meet the Chairman.’ His reply not only consternation but affright
me. ‘The word ‘father’ is the essence
and the gist of an essay.’ The person
who said an axiom, all of a sudden disperses in oblivion.
It
was a shocking incidence; I started thinking regarding the advice proffer; had
I committed a mistake? Why I have given
the advice? Shall I entitle to offer the
advice? I should have waited for the
Chairman to offer his experience comments.
Why Government Science college and not our institute? A series of questions strikes the mind. The probable reason may be my spouse is the
degree holder from that college and the college is in the heart of the
city. The second reason, in the recent
past, the girl students are joining our institute that was once the male
bastion and at outskirts of the city.
The third and most important reason might be the health of the child
that was not fit for the courses we offered.
Whatever be the reasons, my subconscious mind has offered the advice.
The
Chairman was the first to arrive after lunch; I out rightly explained the whole
story. His first reaction was baroque,
‘you are a donkey.’ He continued, ‘I was
waiting for this girl. You know, she
stood eighth in order of the merit from the state board examination. We lost the precious and priceless gift. For god sake, keep mum.’ I was fortunate that no official action has
been proposed and no memo was issued.
My
wife has a bad habit as that of other wives, to force me to accompany her for
shopping. So, we both along with our one
year old son while rambling through Mall Street came across with a couple
having a girl child almost of the same age of ours. Naturally, I was staring at the lady who was
cute and classy. My spouse adept and
versed for nasty and sarcastic comments that awaken me, ‘are you looking at
future daughter in law or our son’s future mother in law?’ I am intelligent enough not to answer her
crooked and crafty questions. Before any
obnoxious and dastardly comment offered by my spouse, we hurriedly cross the
street; all of a sudden, a gentleman with spectacles said, ‘Hello, sir, is you
remember me?’ I said, ‘I am trying to
recollect; please, pardon me.’
He introduced me
as a salesman in nearby shop; and, three years before he along with his daughter
met me on the day of the admission. I
recollected at once the incidence and asked him where about and welfare of his
daughter. He said the girl is in the third
year of the Science Stream of the Government Science College that is a walking
distance from his shop. I introduced the
gentleman to my wife and told him that my wife was the student of the same
college. She did a master’s degree in
Statistics from the same institute. He
proudly said to my wife that because of me his daughter got the right advice at
a proper time and in both years she stood first in order of the merit from the
University. He accolade and complimented
my fatherly advice comment; by wiping eyes, he told my wife that because of me,
he could continue the education of his daughter in a meager pay. At least for a moment, she felt proud of her
husband who happened to be useless all the time as per her firm convictions and
certitudes.
I had an
opportunity to meet the mannerly gentleman again on the same street. The girl received the bachelor degree in
science with flying colour and joined the same institute for post-graduate
studies in Statistics. She was in the
second year of the master’s degree program.
I emphatically told him to apply for doctoral degree courses in the US. He assured me, he will allow his daughter to
study till her satisfaction. I told him,
Biostatistics is the new emerging subject and if interested she may do research
in the said subject. We discussed at
length and departed.
The third
meeting between us was after five years.
He narrated the story. The girl obtained
a first class first position in the University in bachelor’s as well as a master’s
degree program. She received the
fellowship and went to New York for the doctoral degree program in
Biostatistics; this is her fourth year.
In the recent past, she married with a boy from the same University and
blessed with a daughter. He said, ‘the
credit goes for your fatherly advice.’
One and half
decade is passed, I could not meet him; intentionally, I loiter on the street,
I am still waiting for the fourth meeting to know the welfare of a girl in the
black skirt.
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