Dawn of an Era

We were living at Shilphata near Khopoli. The distance from Shilphata to Khopoli village was about four to five kilometers. I had to go to college by bus. It had already been three months since the college had started.

I went to college the second day after taking admission. Seeing the atmosphere there, I felt very intimidated. Most of the students were dressed in jeans, shirts, and sports shoes.

And me?

I had gone to college wearing blue Paragon slippers, old pants, and a shirt. I had only a single notebook in my hand, while the other students had backpacks. I felt very awkward.

After searching for the B.A. first-year classroom for quite some time, I finally reached the classroom. The lecture had already started. After asking the professor, I went inside. On the last bench, there was a boy dressed simply like me. I went and sat beside him. The professor asked me to introduce myself and asked why I had taken admission late. I told him about the flood in Nagothane and our relocation to Khopoli. The professor expressed sympathy and asked me to sit down.

One day the college U.R. (University Representative) came to me and asked,
“Why don’t you wear shoes when you come to college?”

“I don’t have any. Why? What happened?”

“Some students were asking, ‘Doesn’t he have shoes?”

“But why are they asking specifically about me? Many students don’t wear shoes.”

“I don’t know about that. They asked about you, so I told you. Try to come to college a little more neatly dressed.”

“Alright,” I said.

I had already decided that I would not ask Anna for clothes or shoes anymore. I would manage with whatever I had. I didn’t want to add to his burdens. He had already fulfilled my wish to allow me to take admission for a B.A. Considering my recent records and giving me admission again was almost like a gamble for him. Now it was my responsibility to make the most of that opportunity. Clothes and shoes were insignificant to me.

Ignoring everything else, I started attending college regularly. My admission was late and I had fallen far behind in all subjects. I borrowed notes from one or two students and copied the portions I had missed, then began studying seriously.

Gradually I started getting to know my classmates. Through some friends, I began going to the gym. I started releasing all my frustration, anger, and restlessness onto the iron weights. By exercising for two hours every day, I began rebuilding myself.

In class, I always sit on the last bench. There were many extracurricular activities in college. Each department had its own association. English Association, Hindi Association, Marathi Association, and so on. These associations conducted various activities apart from studies such as story writing, poetry writing, essay competitions, general knowledge contests, singing competitions, and speech competitions.

The names of the top three winners would be displayed in big letters on the association board. The results were decided after discussion among the heads of the three departments.

In these competitions, a student named Ravindra from my class would regularly participate and win prizes. He was very good at studies. In the first term, he had secured first rank in the class. He had also been the class topper in the twelfth grade. He took the initiative in organizing programs for the Hindi and Marathi Associations.

Except for cricket, I had never participated in such competitions. So, I stayed away from those association activities. Cricket was my passion, and by impressing the college selection committee with my performance, I managed to get selected for the college team as an opening batsman.

Special shoes were required for cricket. Without asking Anna, I quietly told my mother about it. She gave me some of her money, and with that I bought cricket shoes. The cricket flannel, track pants and a T-shirt, were provided by the college.

For the Intra-University Cricket tournaments at University of Mumbai, we went to Mumbai. Until then, our college had never won a match in this competition. Our first match at Azad Maidan was against Bedekar College from Thane.

The match was thirty overs. Opening the batting, I scored forty runs. Our team made a total of one hundred and thirty runs, and I had the highest score. In bowling, I also took two wickets. We bowled out Bedekar College for ninety runs and won the match.

It was the first time our college had won a match in the University of Mumbai cricket tournament. I was declared the “Man of the Match.” There was great excitement in the college about this victory, since it was the first win in the university cricket tournament. In a special ceremony, the college trustees honored our team.

In the second league match, I scored fifty-five runs. We set a target of hundred and sixty runs for Ulhasnagar College. However, they played well and defeated us with just one wicket remaining. We had stretched the match until the last over, but unfortunately, we had to accept defeat and were eliminated from the tournament.

Apart from cricket, I also participated in the college weightlifting competition and secured third place. I was trying my best to prove myself and shape my future. On the field, in the gym, and in studies, I was rebuilding myself everywhere. Slowly, I began to achieve success, and that gave me deep satisfaction.

The boy who used to sit on the last bench and come to college wearing slippers was now slowly beginning to create his own identity.

I had now caught up with the portion of studies that I had missed. Before I joined, there had been only one or two lectures on Sociology. After that, the professor had not taken lectures for several months. Even that day, the class did not happen. This gentleman used to come to college every day but did not take lectures.

While three or four of us were discussing this, a Hindi professor came there and asked me,
“Are you a new admission to the college?” Why didn’t you take Hindi as your subject for the first year?”

I said, “At the time of admission I didn’t have any idea which subject to choose. I selected them in a bit of hurry.”

She said, “You can still change the subject.”

Then she said to the students standing with me,

“Hey, tell him to take Hindi subject”

“I will see,” I said.

As soon as she left, one of them said to me,

“If madam is saying this much, then why are you not taking Hindi subject?”

“Arre, I was in a hurry that time while taking admission and later on I need to prepare for the MPSC exam. I have to cover some part of the MPSC study now; hence I took Geography and Sociology. What will I do with Hindi?”

The next day a student went to that professor and said,

“He is speaking badly about your subject. He tells everyone that Hindi is a useless subject.”

The next day the professor called me to the staff room. It was her free period and she was alone there. As soon as she saw me, she said,
“Do you have some problem with my subject?”

“No, Madam.”

“You are defaming my subject. You are telling everyone that Hindi is a useless subject and that it has no scope.”

I said,

“Madam, we were just talking among friends. I only said that for preparing for UPSC and MPSC, I needed English and Sociology. Hindi is not that much of need.”

After that, she scolded me like anything. I kept my head down and listened to her ‘firing’. After that conversation with those students, I had not spoken to anyone else regarding Hindi subject and that topic had ended there itself; But one of them told Madam a different version of the story and added some spice to it. Later I came to know who had created the misunderstanding and decided to stay cautious around that person.

I had chosen Sociology because it was important for MPSC and UPSC. The annual exam of first year was just a month away. I had started studying from the library book, as we had received no guidance from that professor.

The professor used to come to the staff room every day but never took lectures. A few students had requested him, but he ignored them. Nobody had the courage to complain to the principal because everyone feared that professor might fail them.

One day it was his lecture, but he was sitting in the staff room chatting and preparing tobacco. Six or seven of us were waiting in the classroom.

One student said to me,

“Why don’t you go and ask him if he will take the lecture?”

I said, “No yaar, what if he gets angry at me? Why are you not going instead?”

“I asked him once, but he yelled at me.”

“So now you’re sending me to him to yell at me?”

“No, you’re new, so maybe he won’t yell at you. That’s why I said that. Just ask once.”

After some hesitation, I stood up. We really needed the lecture since the syllabus was unfinished.

I knocked on the staff room door and asked if I could come in. He called me inside.

I said,

“Sir, will you take the lecture today? The exam is near, so everyone is asking.”

He looked me up and down and suddenly raised his voice,
“Who are you to tell me to take a lecture? Are you trying to act too smart?”

“Sir, the syllabus is still left. Other students were also asking, so I came to ask you…”

He immediately said,

“Can’t you study on your own?”

“Sir, it’s not like that…”

“How dare you ask me to take a lecture? I won’t take it. What will you do?”

I didn’t know what to say. Other professors in the staff room were also watching us.

“Sorry, sir,” I said and walked out.

With my head lowered, I returned to the classroom. Seeing my face, others asked,
“What happened?”

I lied,

“Nothing. He said he’ll take the lecture later.”

One of them said,

“Then keep waiting… who knows when he will take it.”

The humiliation over such a small matter had made me quiver with impotent rage. I had only asked whether he would take the lecture. Even today I don’t understand why he felt insulted.

Now I had stepped on a snake’s tail. I knew he would surely fail me in Sociology. Taking an ATKT with a subject pending was something I could not afford. I would not be able to face Anna.

After a couple of days, the whole college came to know that I had a conflict with that professor. Finally, I decided to drop Sociology.

Now the question was which subject to take instead. Then I remembered that the Hindi professor had earlier asked me why I hadn’t taken her subject. So, I decided to ask her. But it was very embarrassing to face her again as someone had already poisoned her mind about me and she had given a mouthful to me for that matter.

It is said, ‘Beggars can’t be choosers’. Finally, forgetting pride and humiliation, I went to meet her. Her class was going on, so I waited in the corridor.

Many thoughts crossed my mind. Only one month was left for the exam. If she refused, I was finished. And even if she agreed, how would I complete the Hindi syllabus in just one month?

Finally, the class ended. About twenty-five students had taken that subject. Seeing me standing at the door, she called me inside.

She was putting her books in her purse.

“How are you?” she asked me without looking at me.

“I’m fine, madam.”

“Tell me, what is the matter?” was her second cold question. She was in a hurry to leave.

In these two questions of hers, I could sense her apathy towards my presence. My hopes of taking Hindi subject were beginning to end in these two questions of her.

I somehow stammered,

“Madam, I want to take Hindi subject.”

“Oh wow! How did you suddenly make this decision?” she said mockingly, picking up her purse and walking without looking at me.

I walked behind her and asked her,

“Can you do anything, madam?”

“Why, what happened just now? How will you prepare for MPSC? Hindi was not that important to you, was it?” she asked sarcastically again and increased her walking speed.

I didn’t say anything.

College was over. All the students were leaving the classroom and heading out the main gate. As we were descending the stairs, she asked,

“Which subject are you quitting?”

“Sociology.”

“Why? That was your favorite subject for competitive exams.” her sarcastic speech was not over yet.

“Yes… but something happened…”

Saying this, I told her the whole truth while descending the stairs. From her overall behavior so far, I understood that she was trying to avoid me. But I had to make this last attempt; otherwise, it was certain that my wicket in ‘Sociology’ would have been blown away.

I asked her again,

‘Can you do anything, madam?”

While talking, we came out of the gate and started on the road.

“There is hardly one month remaining, and you have come just now. Let me see.” she said.

“I am very optimistic about the same from you ma’am.” The plea was now clearly visible in my speech.

“I got to know about it day before yesterday. Everyone was talking about it in the staffroom. Everyone is saying that it’s not your fault.”

My hope was rekindled.

“Yes, Madam. I didn’t say anything that should have made him so angry.”

She thought for a moment and said,

“But there is not even a month left for the exam. The college might not allow you to change the subject now. And even if they do, how will you complete such a huge syllabus?”

“I will do it,” I said firmly.

She said,
“Are you crazy? Do you think Hindi is such an easy subject? Do you know how big the syllabus is? There are three novels and twenty poems!”

She kept asking questions and presented a mountain of difficulties before me. I had no answer to any of them.

Seeing my helpless condition, she finally said,
“Alright. I will talk to the principal tomorrow. If he agrees, I will allow you to take Hindi.”

“Thank you, Madam!” Relieved, I said,

 

I had not told anything about this at home. I couldn’t sleep that night after thinking about it. I spent the whole night awake, waiting for morning to come.

I went to college in the morning. After two lectures, we had a Sociology class, but as usual, it was canceled.

I went to meet the Hindi professor in her class, but she hadn’t arrived. Just then, the college peon came looking for me in our old building and told me that the principal had called me.

I went to meet the principal. The Hindi professor was sitting in his cabin. The principal asked,
“Do you want to take Hindi as a subject at this stage? What is the reason behind this? Have you been asleep all these days?”

I replied,
“Sir, so far only two lectures of Sociology have been conducted so far. We haven’t received any guidance from the concerned professor, so I made this decision.”

The principal said,
“Oh! What is this matter? How can this happen? We had given the timetable to all professors at the beginning.”

He rang the bell and called the peon.
“Datta, please call Kamble sir,” he said, and asked the Hindi professor to leave. He asked me to stay.

After some time, Kamble sir came. He was surprised to see me and sat down.

The principal said,

“I’ve heard that you have taken only two lectures so far for the first-year class yet. Did you receive your timetable?”

Kamble sir replied,
“Yes, I did.”

The principal asked,
“Then what is the reason for not taking remaining lectures in the whole year?”

Kamble sir looked at me angrily and said,

“Has he complained about me?”

The principal said,

“No, nothing like that. He came because he wants to change his subject. He said that only two Sociology lectures have been conducted so far and none after that, so due to lack of guidance, he wants to change the subject. Is that true?”

Kamble sir said nothing. He kept looking at me and the principal alternately.

The principal said,
“Do you understand what I am saying? Leave him aside.”

Kamble sir remained silent. It was as if he had lost his voice.

“Alright. If you don’t want to speak, that’s fine. But give me a detailed written explanation immediately as to why you haven’t taken lectures for the first-year Arts class.”

Kamble sir got up angrily and left. The principal told me to leave as well.

As I came out, I saw Kamble sir talking to two or three professors. As soon as he saw me, he pointed at me and started saying something.

The next day, the Hindi professor told me,
“Sir has asked you to submit an application for subject change.”

I immediately wrote the application and submitted it.

At the end of the day, she said,
“Your application has been approved, but how will you complete the Hindi syllabus? There are twenty poems and three novels, and only three weeks are left.”

“I will manage,” I said and joined the Hindi class.

Completing the entire syllabus of Hindi in such a short time, along with five other subjects, was extremely difficult. I had attended other subjects regularly, so they were under control, but for Hindi, I had to start from scratch and complete a year’s syllabus in just twenty days. I started studying late into the night.

After hearing that I had switched to Hindi, one or two of my classmates also chose the subject. We started attending extra classes. The professor guided us well, and I studied with full dedication.

There was only one reason behind this, my father had trusted me and admitted me into Arts. I wanted to live up to that trust.

I hadn’t told him anything about the issues in college. My only goal was to pass all subjects and not waste a year.

The subject change issue became quite famous in college. Kamble sir had to submit a written explanation, and the management acted by issuing him a warning letter.

Exams began. All papers went well. I had studied sincerely, but I didn’t get time to revise Hindi. I had somehow completed the syllabus by staying up all night, and I was anxious about how many marks I would get.

Many students had taken Arts just for a degree. According to them, the only options ahead were LLB or M.A. I didn’t want to pursue either.

A few weeks later, the results were declared. I went to college that day. Students were standing in groups discussing their results. Some had passed all subjects, while others had failed in one or two.

Just then, Ravindra arrived. Everyone celebrated, assuming he would be the topper. He went to collect his result.

After talking to my friends, I went to get mine. On the way, I met Ravindra. He looked very happy.

“I topped,” he said, waving his result.

“Congratulations.!,” I said.

Without looking at me, he went to his friends, and they lifted him in celebration.

I reached near the office. Just then, the Hindi professor came there and said,

“Looks like Ravindra has come first.”

“Yes, he just told me,” I said.

She asked,

“Have you taken your result? Do you know how many marks you got in Hindi?”

“No Ma’am, I’m here to collect it.”

“Wait, I’ll bring it,” she said and went inside.

I stood outside and waited, my heart pounding with fear as I wondered what the outcome would be.

I was under a lot of stress since morning as today was the day of the results. I had studied very hard as if this was my last chance. I could never afford to fail in a single subject because if that had happened; the trust Anna had placed in me would have been broken. I would never have been able to stand before him again. I had been praying to God since night to pass me in all subjects and to justify the faith Anna had reposed in me.

Just then, she came out with my results. I took a step forward to take my ‘result’ from her, but without looking at me, she quickly walked towards the students who were carrying Ravindra on their shoulders and cheering, and showed them my results and loudly said,

“Listen… Ravindra has not come first. Dhananjay has come first!”

I was stunned to hear this. My heart stopped beating for a moment.

The celebration stopped instantly. Everyone looked at each other in shock. They put Ravindra down.

Madam went to them and asked Ravindra for his results. She checked both our results and showed them to everyone that I had secured the highest marks in the class.

I had secured First Class First.

I was still standing at the office door, looking at the group of friends. Everything seemed like a dream; I couldn’t believe my eyes.

She called me to the group. Everyone congratulated me.

Ravindra looked at me once and left without shaking hands. All of this was unexpected for him; yet he found it hard to digest.

 

Madam hadn’t given me my results yet. She asked me to walk to the office and left.

Near the office, she said,

“Congratulations!”

“Thank you, ma’am,”

“Do you know how many marks you got in Hindi?”

“No, you haven’t given me the result yet.”

“Oh yes, here it is.” Saying this with smiling, she gave me my result card.

I took the result from her hand. I scored above seventy percent in almost all subjects and ninety five out of hundred in Hindi.

“Very good! You’ve written the exam paper excellently. I never imagined you’d score this much in Hindi subject in such a short time.”

“This is because of your guidance, Ma’am. Thank you very much,”

“No, no.., it’s because of all your hard work,” she said with smiling.

I thanked her once again and set off for home. While walking on the road, countless thoughts were coming to my mind. The success I had achieved was quite unexpected for me. This success stood out against the backdrop of the events of the past few days. My Dapchari course, my late college admission after three months, my ‘panga’ with teacher, the first victory for the college in cricket, the study of Hindi in twenty days, all these events were coming to mind.

Thinking, I boarded the bus. There were mostly college students on the bus. Many had come to know that I had come ‘first class first’ in my class, leaving Ravindra behind. They were all looking at me and discussing among themselves.

After coming home, I gave my result card to Aai and Anna and told them that I had stood ‘First Class First’ in the class. At first, they couldn’t believe it. Later, after seeing the results, they were convinced and very happy. They never even dreamed that I would come ‘First Class First’ in my first year of college.

Even I hadn’t, but it had happened.

In college sports, I secured third place in weightlifting and received a certificate in cricket for contributing to the college’s first university victory.

I had managed my studies while perusing my ‘passion’. I wasn’t leaning towards just one side like before.

I had come first class first by balancing studies and cricket.

Now I had adapted to these two different things. I was building myself in the gym; I had learned to balance physical and academic stress.

Everything felt like a dream. Overall, my new college life had started off great.

Through all this, I learned that,

“Difficulties and humiliations are sometimes the steppingstones to our success. I had experienced that if you ignore everything else, believe in yourself, work hard honestly, and keep moving towards your goal, success will surely follow your footsteps.”

To be continued…