"I was off in a few hours..."I thought to myself excitedly.
I was leaving to my home the next evening and I could hardly wait for it to arrive. Unfortunately for me the class that I had was on Marketing Research and I really didn't want to bunk that and go home. And to make matters worse, even if I had gathered up the courage and made the decision to bunk I could not have done it. All because the class got rescheduled with the exam.
And even if the heavens and earth had moved to make my 'bunking' possible , I could not have done it as this exam was in place of the mid-trimester exams as well as all the assignments that sir was intending to give us. So I steeled myself and decided to give my best for the exam.
The excitement in me grew as the hours drew closer. Though I had an exam I found myself packing things to take home and mentally also packing the bag that I would take with me. I was off to Port Blair the day after I reached home and I was so excited that I was flitting around.
That morning as the exam time drew near i decided to do a bit of reading for the exam. You see, I had to finish the exam fast. The exam was to start at 1.50 - 2.00 and should have finished by 4.00. My train was only at 5.20 but the Kochi just like any other place is known for its heavy traffic at this time.
When I had gone to class the previous day I asked a classmate of mine, Keerth, whether he could drop me at the station. He replied to me saying that he couldn't make it but he would be of service to me by offering his car if I could find another to take me in his stead.
I pondered on the matter of my reaching the station gravely. I decided to call another classmate of mine, Sheperd and asked him if he could drop me and also told him that Keerth's vehicle was available. To my good luck, Sheperd agreed to drop me.
I reached the computer lab in time for the exam. I was nervous and excited at the same time. My thoughts were filled with my trip to Port Blair and I could neigh think of anything else. But I decided that I had to finish the paper and leave by exact four itself to make it to the station.
My classmates and I waited outside the lab for them to let us in. I was getting impatient by this time.
It was 2.00 and the exam hadn't started yet. Luckily sir opened the door and beckoned us in.
We rushed in to be greeted by the news that the exam was a three-hour one. I sat transfixed and rapidly calculated the time the exam got over.....5.00.....
"Oh God!!!! Now what? I will miss the train", I thought to myself.
I took another minute to compose myself and decided that I would leave by 4.30 which would let me reach the station just in time with only a very small margin. It was a risk but I couldn't help it. I had to reach home today because our flight was the next afternoon.
I decided to do as much as I could in the time that I had allotted to myself. As time flew by, the thoughts of the trip flew right out of my head and all I could think of was finishing the paper in time. Something made me glance my watch and I realized that it was already 4.30 and though I hadn't finished the paper I had to get out and make a move.
"It's ok...Once in a while if you can't complete the paper it is ok....It is okay to give priority to something other than studies and exam once in a while..." I consoled myself with these thoughts.
I submitted the document to sir and rushed out with my bags when I realized that it had begun to rain.
Sheperd called me. "Where are you and have you taken the key from Keerth?", he asked.
Belatedly I realized that there had been a miscommunication between me and Sheperd. I assumed that he would take the key from Keerth whereas he assumed that I would.
I began to panic and didn't know where to turn. I decided to go by auto. By then Sheperd reached and told me he would take the key from Keerth. I was adamant that he shouldn't as Keerth was writing the exam. Sheperd finally gave in and told me that he would drop me on my bike.
As I waited for Sheperd, Saji arrived on the scene. He told Sheperd to collect the car keys from Keerth as there was a probability for it to rain.
Now torn between the two decisions, I stood there confused. As Sheperd hurriedly made his way to get the car keys, I stood there talking to Saji. By now the time was 4.45 and I started thinking of the alternative modes of travel. I just had to get home.
Luckily for me, Saji asked me about my train. When I told him that the train was at 5.20 even he agreed that I should go by the bike as I would never make it in the traffic.
Sheperd too arrived on the scene and he got his bike. Saji gallantly removed his jacket and gave it to me so that I wouldn't get wet in the rain. I got on the bike and finally we left.
I kept glancing at my watch as we sped past the other vehicles. Already at the rush hour and with a slight drizzle my hopes of reaching the station gradually came down.
"Oh god, let the train be late....Oh god, please help me reach there in one piece.....God, please let there be no traffic so that the bike can go fast.....Oh god, let the bike not go too fast even if i miss the train....God, please help me get the train..."
These prayers kept going around in my head until I even lost track of what I was saying and why I was saying it.
It was 5.15 and I still hadn't reached.
"There I am going to miss the train" I thought to myself.
"Will we reach? Where have we reached? How much more time to reach?", I asked Sheperd...
It was 5.25 and the bike pulled up in the railway station. Sheperd told me to hurry and I half-ran and half-sprinted to the fourth platform. I descended the stairs and stood there panting for another minute. There was a crowd in the platform but had the train left?
I turned and asked a lady, "Janshatabdi ethiyo?..." She replied in negative and before I could respond I saw the train pulling into the station and again started the mad rush to find my coach and seat. I barely squeezed myself through the crowds and got on the train, located my seat and sat down.
I relaxed just for a moment and called up Sheperd, "Ethi.....Kitti....." Between short gasps I told him that I had reached and found the train and my seat and sat down. By then my mother started calling to confirm whether I could get the train or not. The next few moments I spent calling up Saji and my dad and few others who helped me and let them know that I had made it.
The train that I thought that I would miss...The train that I actually was late for....The train that I left my exam halfway for....The train for which I made my friends run around like crazy.....I had made it....Just in the nick of time...
I was leaving to my home the next evening and I could hardly wait for it to arrive. Unfortunately for me the class that I had was on Marketing Research and I really didn't want to bunk that and go home. And to make matters worse, even if I had gathered up the courage and made the decision to bunk I could not have done it. All because the class got rescheduled with the exam.
And even if the heavens and earth had moved to make my 'bunking' possible , I could not have done it as this exam was in place of the mid-trimester exams as well as all the assignments that sir was intending to give us. So I steeled myself and decided to give my best for the exam.
The excitement in me grew as the hours drew closer. Though I had an exam I found myself packing things to take home and mentally also packing the bag that I would take with me. I was off to Port Blair the day after I reached home and I was so excited that I was flitting around.
That morning as the exam time drew near i decided to do a bit of reading for the exam. You see, I had to finish the exam fast. The exam was to start at 1.50 - 2.00 and should have finished by 4.00. My train was only at 5.20 but the Kochi just like any other place is known for its heavy traffic at this time.
When I had gone to class the previous day I asked a classmate of mine, Keerth, whether he could drop me at the station. He replied to me saying that he couldn't make it but he would be of service to me by offering his car if I could find another to take me in his stead.
I pondered on the matter of my reaching the station gravely. I decided to call another classmate of mine, Sheperd and asked him if he could drop me and also told him that Keerth's vehicle was available. To my good luck, Sheperd agreed to drop me.
I reached the computer lab in time for the exam. I was nervous and excited at the same time. My thoughts were filled with my trip to Port Blair and I could neigh think of anything else. But I decided that I had to finish the paper and leave by exact four itself to make it to the station.
My classmates and I waited outside the lab for them to let us in. I was getting impatient by this time.
It was 2.00 and the exam hadn't started yet. Luckily sir opened the door and beckoned us in.
We rushed in to be greeted by the news that the exam was a three-hour one. I sat transfixed and rapidly calculated the time the exam got over.....5.00.....
"Oh God!!!! Now what? I will miss the train", I thought to myself.
I took another minute to compose myself and decided that I would leave by 4.30 which would let me reach the station just in time with only a very small margin. It was a risk but I couldn't help it. I had to reach home today because our flight was the next afternoon.
I decided to do as much as I could in the time that I had allotted to myself. As time flew by, the thoughts of the trip flew right out of my head and all I could think of was finishing the paper in time. Something made me glance my watch and I realized that it was already 4.30 and though I hadn't finished the paper I had to get out and make a move.
"It's ok...Once in a while if you can't complete the paper it is ok....It is okay to give priority to something other than studies and exam once in a while..." I consoled myself with these thoughts.
I submitted the document to sir and rushed out with my bags when I realized that it had begun to rain.
Sheperd called me. "Where are you and have you taken the key from Keerth?", he asked.
Belatedly I realized that there had been a miscommunication between me and Sheperd. I assumed that he would take the key from Keerth whereas he assumed that I would.
I began to panic and didn't know where to turn. I decided to go by auto. By then Sheperd reached and told me he would take the key from Keerth. I was adamant that he shouldn't as Keerth was writing the exam. Sheperd finally gave in and told me that he would drop me on my bike.
As I waited for Sheperd, Saji arrived on the scene. He told Sheperd to collect the car keys from Keerth as there was a probability for it to rain.
Now torn between the two decisions, I stood there confused. As Sheperd hurriedly made his way to get the car keys, I stood there talking to Saji. By now the time was 4.45 and I started thinking of the alternative modes of travel. I just had to get home.
Luckily for me, Saji asked me about my train. When I told him that the train was at 5.20 even he agreed that I should go by the bike as I would never make it in the traffic.
Sheperd too arrived on the scene and he got his bike. Saji gallantly removed his jacket and gave it to me so that I wouldn't get wet in the rain. I got on the bike and finally we left.
I kept glancing at my watch as we sped past the other vehicles. Already at the rush hour and with a slight drizzle my hopes of reaching the station gradually came down.
"Oh god, let the train be late....Oh god, please help me reach there in one piece.....God, please let there be no traffic so that the bike can go fast.....Oh god, let the bike not go too fast even if i miss the train....God, please help me get the train..."
These prayers kept going around in my head until I even lost track of what I was saying and why I was saying it.
It was 5.15 and I still hadn't reached.
"There I am going to miss the train" I thought to myself.
"Will we reach? Where have we reached? How much more time to reach?", I asked Sheperd...
It was 5.25 and the bike pulled up in the railway station. Sheperd told me to hurry and I half-ran and half-sprinted to the fourth platform. I descended the stairs and stood there panting for another minute. There was a crowd in the platform but had the train left?
I turned and asked a lady, "Janshatabdi ethiyo?..." She replied in negative and before I could respond I saw the train pulling into the station and again started the mad rush to find my coach and seat. I barely squeezed myself through the crowds and got on the train, located my seat and sat down.
I relaxed just for a moment and called up Sheperd, "Ethi.....Kitti....." Between short gasps I told him that I had reached and found the train and my seat and sat down. By then my mother started calling to confirm whether I could get the train or not. The next few moments I spent calling up Saji and my dad and few others who helped me and let them know that I had made it.
The train that I thought that I would miss...The train that I actually was late for....The train that I left my exam halfway for....The train for which I made my friends run around like crazy.....I had made it....Just in the nick of time...
