College diaries – Last Physics Lesson of 2nd Year (1994)

I have decided to take up writing with the intention of making a few of my class mates immortal, not that I want to or can confer greatness on them (I am sure they have been brilliant in their life since the times I write about), but simply because they provided us with great humour and some fantastic memories of times when many of us (Yes, the class of 1996 Physics) had no clue about how to handle difficult situations. But for these incidents, I am afraid some of us may not have made it (and I say this with utmost seriousness and humility).

So, where do I start…. There are so many stories to tell.

How about ‘Lets start at the very beginning’, well no, not really, I want these to be 20Twenties not ODIs or god forbid, Tests.

How about the ‘end’ and the flashback, hmmmm no, not really, the end was not very climactic, one day we simply packed up and went our ways, with not so much as a thought for the future or the past.

So, let us start in the year 1994. The third year of our Undergraduate, honours course in (PCMB), the last Physics lecture for the year.

Most of us have chosen our majors, we are the first batch of B Sc honours students. I have chosen Physics as my major, there are going to be 5 papers each semester in Physics, no other subjects.

The head of the department (HOD) of Physics wants to speak to his flock. Prof (read T-Rex) walks in, says a few words, then gets into the meat of his message. But wait, I am getting ahead of myself.

He says something totally unexpected and bizarre. He wants us to wear a banyan (vests for those who have grown out this language) to his class without exception, because without it we will stink and he will not have that. I often wonder if, after such a start, some of the Physics majors had doubts about their chosen subject…. Well I don’t know, no one spoke. He reprimands a student for not giving him full attention, he wants everyone to give him full attention. Now to the meaty part.

Prof is now in full flow. “There are going to be five lectures everyday, five hours that you will spend  doing physics, do another three hours of studies in the Hostel and Physics will be cake walk”. He goes on and on about this and how much hard work/dedication we will need to put in etc…  on and on…..

He then pauses and asks if we have any questions. We are quite stunned by this speech, so no one speaks, or raises their hands for a few minutes.

And then one student. I will not call him brave, because I don’t think he gave any thought to what he was doing, I am not even sure if he was aware that he was in the room at all (he had not lived on the same planet as us since the summer course of the first year). This chap raises his hands, which in itself came as a surprise to the Prof, he was not used to people asking questions.

“Sir, you have said we have to spend eight hours on Physics every day, But Swami says we should spend 95% of our time on spirituality and 5% on (I don’t quite remember the word) secular pursuits (or was it ‘other things’?).”

All my life teachers have screamed for ‘Pin drop silence’, I realised and experienced it for the first time (and probably the last time) in my life. Even the birds on the trees outside seemed to have realised the magnanimity of the situation and stopped chirping. OR perhaps it was something else, I wonder if any of you guys have seen the new Mahabharath on Start TV, how its interpretation of the Bhagwath Geeta episode it that Krishan stopped time, everything freezes, while he gives his sermon to Arjuna. Time had come to a standstill in the classroom.

Prof stood still for a long moment, the silence was so long that it woke up some who had dozed of thinking they were safe, having chosen Maths, Chemistry or god forbid (some other day) Bio Sciences. You know how a sudden, long silence, acts like a break to the droning sound that puts one to sleep. Anyway, Prof blinked, then blinked again, took a deep breath, Bheeshma probably had the same look when the first arrow from Arjuna, standing behind Shikhandi, struck him.

Within a few moments the Prof was hyper ventilating, his hair flying here and there, lungs puffing air in and out, probably reminding him to breath and then, with a supreme force of will, he spoke

“You mean to say that I should have One paper of Physics and the rest on Swami’s life and teachings …….” He says he will not tolerate such nonsense from anyone … especially from the ‘form’ boys because Swamy has really spoiled them. They think the rules don’t apply to them….”

I don’t much remember what he said after that, but he raged and puffed for a long time. I am very thankful that the said student did not retort by saying “But sir that is only 80%”.

All I remember is walking back to the hostel in a daze with the Non-Physics guys making fun of us and saying the dialogue from umpteen number of Hindi movies ‘Ab bhi waqt hain’, ‘You still have time’ (to change your mind).

People who know, know, who this crazy student was, others will have to wait for my next story.