The Unforgettable Part of My Life

This is a continuation of my previous blog post. You can read it here. If you don’t wish to read my previous masterpiece 🤣, I will summarize it to you.

In November 2012, I was unable to attend the first counselling session for PG admissions in my college due to a lack of a provisional certificate. The reason for it was that I did not have the marks memo of my second sem (1st year) as I had a backlog in one subject which I managed to pass in my fourth year B.Tech. Due to a fear of the consequences, I lied to my family members and told them that the counselling was finished. Due to my lack of courage in facing my family members, I planned to run away (to the Himalayas. I wish no one copies my idea). A day before the implementation of my plan, I chanced upon a sentence: “How far can you go for your loved ones”. After that, I chucked the idea of running away into a dustbin.

The next day morning, I went to a secluded spot, roughly a half a kilometre walk behind our hostels. Firstly, I made a call to my elder brother and while explaining my situation, I was unable to hold back my tears and cried for at least a few hundred seconds. Once I caught hold of myself, I asked him to convey the entire truth to my family members as I thought they would give me a huge round of scoldings. In the afternoon, when my family members made a call to me, they didn’t scold me even a single time. In fact, they just asked me why I didn’t mention it earlier. I was pleasantly surprised with this behaviour as well as their love and understanding. The tears once again flowed down my cheeks and this time it was because of their love. I realised one thing on that day: “Our family members love us more than we imagine“. 

I stopped them from coming to my college because I thought it would make me feel more guilty. They accepted it only when I assured them multiple times that I won’t take any extreme steps no matter what the situation is. I told them firmly that I will come home after the completion of the second counselling irrespective of the issuing of my provisional certificate. They accepted that and asked me to make a call every single day and update the same, which I did. 

The task in front of me was to make sure that the answer sheets of roughly 100 subjects dealt with by more than 30 professors of various departments reach the administrative section within a week. Thus, I will have one more week during which If I am lucky enough my certificate might get printed. Then, I can apply for a provisional certificate which usually takes 2 days after we have applied. I deliberately ignored the thought that what if they take two or three weeks time to enter the data and print the certificates, which was a usual norm in universities.

I felt like Abhimanyu who got stuck in Padmavyuha with half the knowledge and a million uncertainties. But, I had one thing, a very strong will to attend the second counselling. So, I approached the Vice-chancellor (VC), the head of the university, and explained the situation. Within 8 days, all the professors had submitted all the answer sheets to the admin except Prof M. I waited for two more days for him to submit but it didn’t happen. Now, I had just 4 days till the counselling date. I planned to meet the vice-chancellor again and as luck was in my favour, the admin building was closed for a day because of the chief minister’s arrival. On that afternoon, for a few moments, I contemplated meeting CM but I was more than sure that I won’t be allowed to. So, I discarded that idea.

Now, I had just 3 days left. It was a do or die situation. I didn’t want to take any extreme steps. If you remember, I promised the same to my family members. I reached the admin building by 2:00 PM  as I was told that the Vice Chancellor (VC) will be available in the afternoon. At roughly 5:00 PM, in a 2-minute gap between two meetings, I met VC and explained the situation quickly. He asked me to wait outside. At roughly 7:00 PM, after the completion of all his meetings, I entered the VC’s cabin and stood in the presence of the Principal, Registrar, and the Examination Controller (EC) (They entered the VC’s cabin between 6:00-7:00 PM). The Vice Chancellor made a call to Prof M and asked him to submit the answer sheets by tomorrow at any cost. He further said that if that is not the case the student would lose a year of his career. After hanging up the call, the VC asked the EC whether it was possible to provide a provisional certificate in two days time after receiving the answer sheets. The EC replied that it’s impossible to print the marks memos in two days time. However, he suggested applying for the provisional certificate with all the remaining certificates. Entering the data into the systems and printing the marks memos takes more than two days, so he suggested that I take the marks memo at some other time. But, the provisional certificate could be issued. 

One day before the counselling date, at 6:00 PM, I took my provisional certificate with just the EC and another person in the entire admin building. I thanked them profusely and left. While I was walking back to my hostel, I didn’t felt elated. I looked at the certificate and asked:

“Is it worth it to create such tension in my family members that I might take an extreme step”?

“Is it worth it to go through a myriad of emotions”? 

“If you had taken a little care of your studies, all this wouldn’t have happened”.

“Having a backlog is not a  matter of pride. It is neither a common thing nor a fashion. A backlog is equivalent to carrying a huge log on the back of your mind. I wish no engineering student or any other student to have backlogs”.

My trail of thoughts was cut when I saw Mr N (Do you remember him?) approaching me. I told him “Mama (Bro), I got the certificate”. He couldn’t contain his happiness. He jumped multiple times with a broad smile on his face, hugged me, took it and felt elated looking at it as if it is his gold medal in the Olympics. He was literally on cloud 9 that I got my certificate. I smiled looking at his happiness for me and felt grateful.

I am grateful to everyone who helped me get my certificate. I am eternally grateful to my family members and my brother for understanding me at that point in time. I am very thankful to all the members of OS.me, my friends and family members, especially my sister’s daughter, Pandu for reading my posts and encouraging me constantly. 

PS: Yes, I attended the second counselling and got selected as a PG student in another university. Later, I finished my PhD (recently) from one of the reputed institutes of our nation. Please don’t call me Dr as I am hardly aware of any tablets apart from paracetamol.