PARAMETERS 2.i - Mr. LONELY

We were back after the exams and no one really joined back on the official date. Everyone had their own extended choices of holidays. So people came back to hostel at irregular periods of time. Classes had begun atleast the teachers would say so. Priyankar , Pande , Somen , Abhishek were in campus and so was I. After the last Russian Circus incident , I had become a lot more quieter and would converse maximum with Hubba ( Abhishek ). Pinky ( Priyankar ) and Pande were acting normal and so was I. But could not quite talk much with Somen although he was okay with me now. I would talk to all but would think a lot before cracking jokes and would hardly participate directly in pranks. It was not that I tried to show something . It came naturally as I was still guilty inside .. kind of a complex I was suffering from.

PARAMETERS 1.xx - The 'Russian Circus'

We had discovered that when Hubba was sure of something then its really worth thinking about it a few more times because normally what he was confident of , it was proved to be opposite most of the times. It was the mid of December and our exams had just finished. In between our exams Pande , Pinky, Hubba, Somen and I have planned to go to the Russian Circus. Hubba gave the description of the body fitness those russian girls have and that would be a pleasure to watch. Pande was too concerned about the food stalls because of the popularity of the circus and huge crowd.

Pinky was sitting on a plastic chair , enjoying the pendulum effect with his shifting body weight. The rest all of us were sitting in Pande's bed. Hubba started the discussion

PARAMETERS 1.xix- Lissajous Figure

The last minute suggestion papers , the mock question papers (the papers were mocking us ), the last year question papers , the notes that may come , the notes that may not come everything were on the hot list and the one and only thing that was a survival was THE MATRIX. It was kind of one weapon everyone knew of. I never knew before what it can really do but like the holy bible I had faith on it that may be it can be my last minute survival to the lazyness incurred in last few months..The semester was really knocking on the door now but to my surprise we still had the festival like thing going outside , the cafeteria , gym and most obviously the xerox shop to be active all the time...

Pinky was always very serious about things which may not be that important. But this was exam and that too the first exam in his college life. So he was very much concerned,

PARAMETERS 1.xviii - Diary Expedition : Part 2

Exams were near by but the atmosphere there in the campus was something different. It felt a little awkward to me when I found people involving in more co curricular activities other than studying. The nets and the lights in the basketball and volleyball fields were always on till late night. The badminton court too would be occupied and few people waiting for the rotation chances to play. The gym and cafeteria would also be filled up with enthusiastic guys and couples. It had a festival like feeling. It never felt that we were actually getting nearer to semesters. Maybe thats the way here to deal with nervousness. Some of the concerned students would be gathering around the xerox shop near cafeteria. The whole semester they had not been to that shop may be. The bunch of notes and matrix xeroxes would pile up beyond imagination.

PARAMETERS 1.xvii - The Bathroom Poster

Somen and Hubba had also become aware of the Surabhi and Satabdi issues after the diary expedition incident. It was a patent referral when we tried to disturb Pinky. Pande and I never got bored doing that and each time Pinky realised what a mistake he had done by writing the diary for one day. One fine evening we decided to improvise our prank. Hubba had new inventory mind in terms of pranks. He suggested that we make an art poster which clearly indicates Surabhi ghee and Satabdi train..Pande got excited. I was at the edge as I knew Hubba was good at art and this was a masterpiece plan. We decided to extend our level by posting this poster on the bathroom wall so that everyone has a view of it but hardly anyone would get the meaning because no one knew about train and the ghee. But the very modern art concept that although hardly anyone would understand would make Pinky mad and terrified..

PARAMETERS 1.xvi - FM 93.2

The month of October had ended. We finished our self extended holidays and were about to join back college after the diwali. Some of the students had come back earlier and after joining back I realised that they even celebrated Diwali on the hostel roof by burning crackers. After a lot of days I would be back to my own territory. It was like a homecoming feeling. The opening of the lock and giving up my body on the bed with a thump had a backhome kinda relief. It was odd but true.

I was still lying on the bed  , still not changed my clothes into something comfortable and not even unpacked my bag. Pinky and pande had already arrived a few hours before me. They were in the next room. Pinky had come in between and said a loud energetic hello to me , to which I replied lazily... " hey.!! Where is everyone? What are you guys doing ?"

PARAMETERS 1.xv - Diary Expedition - part 1

I had already told about my diary writing habits before. I had acquired that habit right from class 11. I used to bring my diary in college even and would write all the happenings of the day, my likes and dislikes , the events that bothered me or made me happy.

One evening I opened my almirah to take out my diary and write as usual. Priyankar and Pande entered the room after some time and stood curiously beside me.

Priyankar asked me , " Hey are you writing some class notes ?"
I never wanted to disclose about my diary but in a hostel its very hard to keep a secret. So its useless to tell a lie which would be eventually caught.

"No.. I write diaries. It just a hobby."

PARAMETERS 1.xiv - The Deadly Dream

Somen and I had interacted a lot after we decided to be room mates for the 2nd year. We would talk about the NCC camp he went in high school days. He had faced a lot of trouble when he said about that once in PT fall in as he was made the group captain and other batchmates made a lot of fun by calling him "captain muhury " and also "commander" . But I was a safe person he knew to discuss . Somen was coming out of his all the time irritating expression slowly and he started getting himself open to fun and pranks we were making.

After the evening snacks we were getting bored as Pinky and Pande had gone to the library to return the books as they were due. That was the only reason I hardly issued books. They would lie in the corner of a table and then you have to remember to renew them before one week or else you would be fined. So it was useless and besides Pinky was quite serious about LIBRARY so I would manage books from him. I was the laziest person one can ever imagine. Pinky and Pandu would get mad by seeing the most laziest attitude I had.

PARAMETERS 1.xiii- Fresher selection

Mr and Ms fresher selection was almost near. It was heard that selection will be on the basis of whatever special talent someone had. I was sure of using my mimicing skills on that occasion.I have been mimicing many actors and singers and a few actresses even. Atleast my batchmates would appreciate that. One morning my next door mate Raj called me in his room and I was awestruck to see that Dhawal bhaiya ( one yr senior to me) was sitting there with a tough look in his eyes. He was the one I met the very first day of terrifying morning PT fall - in. My nerves would be pinned when I recalled the roar , " BEG BORROW STEAL ". It was good to mimic him in the room but it was not that good to see him in front of me.

"Shut the door raj .." He addressed Raj looking straight into my eyes. He stood up from the seat and came near me and observed me right from my toe to my head. I was having goosebumps.

"I heard you can copy my voice" he said , paused a bit to light a cigerette and then left the smoke with a bit of seniority style and continued , " You are good at it , I have heard. So I should see that how you do it."

I was puzzled , frightened , not knowing what to say or do. My throat got dry.

"No..ahh.. I just try to..but its not that good. I never do it for fun. I actually do mimicry of celebrities. Its kind of kiddish hobby I got...."

PARAMETERS 1.xii - Disco Dance

Within few days of my college life I had gained friendship of so many people. It was a new world and and I was at the peak of my independent life. Apart from the close friends I have mentioned till now , lot of batchmates had turned good friends by then. Atleast I was a lot more popular here than I was in my school days. I had been doing mimicry or copying the voices of some faculty and seniors and even some batchmates which kept my popularity alive and I really enjoyed the attention I got. The small interactions with many batchmates and short and sweet encounters with them always made me love my college ambience. As I have said exceptions are everywhere , but I normally looked on the greener side. I also had a hobby or a passion of maintaining a diary. I would update all my doings and embed my feelings in that dumb and deaf friend of mine .

We were not the ones who only had a childish group with a funny name. Everyone had their own set of choices. We had the power group , gym group , 29 group ( played cards all day ) , addicted group (we called gaza group) and even the orkut group ( the computer lab will be occupied in the evening by them and yes orkut was really popular ).

PARAMETERS 1.xi - MATCHSTICK MISSILES

It was a sunny friday morning and we all were heading towards our graphics class with the engineering T- scale , a big white sheet ( which was supposed to have a tough time with my compass and dividers today ) and other drawing instruments. Hubba had lived just the next door to Pratim sir's room whom we called Paltu. His comic presence would make the class interesting enough and that was the only reason I did not bunk that class often although I could hardly draw what I was supposed to. I was good at art but my being good turned to "Oh my God , what have you done " when it came to engineering drawing.

He would swing around with a sharp drawing push pencil in his hand and make bright outstanding facial expressions synchronising with the speed of his rythmic explanations and eyes protruding out of its socket as if he was discussing rocket science. I was busy and engrossed in copying his body language and the way he spoke rather than what he said. Hubba would be serious in his class because I heard that Paltu sir would enter his room like the unwanted neighbour in the oddest hours and would find a potential graphics designer in him. He could not afford to let down his neighbour teacher. Another reason was he also enjoyed the way Paltu sir will call out to him in that rythmic pattern , " Aaaabhhhisshheeekk.... ".

PARAMETERS 1.x - TWO only

May be in the beginning we had faced a terrible terror from the seniors during the four fall - ins each day , but as they days passed by we realised the support we had and the back up they gave. Sooner we felt that the college had only two streams - marine and non marine . Being in the marine stream we had to face the extra discipline , the curriculum . We had separate rules and just like being brought up in a different way. The stream had some kind of hot blood that flowed in the body (continued in generations in terms of batch )and everyone considered themselves superior. We couldn't help it. The feeling of a king was the only satisfaction we had after the all day extra rules, fall in ,regulations and headache . The very thought of our morning starting from 5 : 30 AM and other three fall - ins in a day apart from the PT , unlike the other streams had made us stand on a separate platform altogether and forced us to take this as superiority.

PARAMETERS 1.ix - ONLY GAME

"GAME" - is not only a sport but also a name that was given to Priyankar. The bengali version "Khela" was also on the list. This name symbolized the wierd acts and auto start entertainment that we got.

It was a rainy Monday evening. Folks have come back from their home after enjoying the weekend. Most of us didn't have a mobile then. The only way to communicate was a booth at the ground level. Fora , Hubba , Pinky , Pandu and I were chatting in our room 213. We were as usual pulling each other's legs and making casual fun. Suddenly we heard someone calling out Priyankar's name in the corridor panting and running towards our room.

"Hey priyankar , your dad has called me up. He wants you to call him now from the booth. Its urgent."

PARAMETERS 1.viii - NAME GAME

Room 219 was always on the other side of Earth to me. Separated by just a wall the window was always visible from our corridor verandah but to get to that room you have to go down the stairs cross the badminton court , enter from the backside entrance in the faculty quarter and then go up the same no. of stairs. It was pretty much hectic for me. But Abhishek had some kind of innocence in him that I liked and the heavy job never bothered me. It was a pleasure to visit his room. I really envied when I saw that big enough attached bathroom and the spacious room they got. But his room mates Tamul ( I am directly using the nickname because no one called him his real name for a day as I remember ) and another different stream guy was too boring. They were like the mannequins in the store. It felt terrible when I had to wait in his room if I found he had stepped outside. The only welcome gesture they showed was to open the door and let me sit on Abhishek's bed. They would engross themselves in doing whatever they were doing and would not say a single word. The answers they gave to me was in one or two words.

PARAMETERS 1.vii - MICRO BANDAGE

"Do you have a micro bandage ?"
I woke up to see Somen already in the Morning PT dress. He was asking Priyankar who was busy searching for his shoes. Pande was sitting on the bed like he had come from a different planet. Does he need a bandage or a band aid was what I was thinking with my sleepy brains. The morning  would just make me remind I was in hell.

Somen sat on Priyankar's bed ready to go to the fall - in. His eyes looking around as if there may be a micro whatever he wanted.

"Ohh goshhh", exclaimed Pande . " what is that on your neck ?"
"Its fora ( bengali term for skin boils full of puss) "
"Ohh.. aww ... you have many of them on your neck and shoulder . "

"Yah , thats the reason I have been searching for those bandages."
Priyankar who was busy wearing his PT shoes now after finding them suddenly became concious and told him , " Hey , they must be infectious. Sit in that chair. I sleep here . "
Somen gets irritated often .

PARAMETERS 1.vi - The PINK formation

As the days passed by we got to know each other more closely and everyone was habituated with atmosphere and the people. Everyone was accustomed to the other person's weaknesses and strength. In a batch of 59 boys and no girls there was an untold unity. Everyone running together and ruining their morning at the same time had some connection in regards to empathy. Although you can't be best friends with everyone , every single person has their own set of group or choices. For the real group or bond you can't have a pact or an agreement. You just have to feel that. Priyankar , Pande and I (being roomies) had become very good friends by then and with the frequent participation in activities Somen and Abhishek were also one of us.

PARAMETERS 1.v - PENTACRUISE

I was on the verge of completion of my second week and I started getting accustomed to everything around. I have made good friends with my room-mates and the very sight of that all three waking up at the same time almost was at least much more soothing. I was still hopeless at the morning PT though. Sir would call me "kaddu" and make me do all the heavy stuff. It was fun because he had given a series of names to most of us. He would be sarcastically calling Pande " do roti ". My running capacity had increased a lot in these days although I was still the last one to run in the mob which started in a line and finally gasping for breath like an asthma patient. Seniors would tell me that if I had such problems then I should change my stream. My batchmates would tell me the same thing. The first thing that came to my head was - "will I have to run like that in the ship ?"
Probably they were saying about the tough job I have to do all day which I realise now. It was important.

PARAMETERS 1.iv - Shifting to 213

Few days have passed. I was getting to know the campus better and better. I was also facing the newly imposed rules on the juniors and abiding them. We were told to call our seniors "Sir" and wish them good ............ whatever it was the part of the day. I would mistakenly say evening instead of morning or vice versa as I was not acquainted with the practice before. Sometimes I would just nod my head and forget to wish. I would then have a short scolding reminding me of the rule. We had to wear full sleeve shirts with collar buttons shut.( I hardly had a shirt which I could wear with the collar button shut. I was at problem always ) . I had heard of ragging a lot ago and was prepared for it. But apart from the morning "run for life " there wasn't anything more troubling to me. Actually I started my day with the utmost terror and everything seemed nice after that 2 hr schedule. I was the last person to run and would gasp for breath.

PARAMETERS 1.iii - God only knows

I didn't have the time to get a proper intro of all my neighbours as you may say. I am a friendly person and therefore I thought it to be my duty to visit other rooms as well and see my batchmates. I started with the room 216 where I knew one guy already. I entered the room in the morning 7:30 AM just after my heavy oily breakfast consisting of 11 luchis and aalu curry. There was a half bald man lying half on the bed and the other half hanging on the ground with legs crossed to the bed side. His hands just touched the floor and his eyes through the glasses looked straight into the doorway. I got dumbstuck and for one moment I thought he was murdered although I saw no blood or any form of violence. Arghya Nag was the guy I had come searching for. He was the one I knew apart from Priyankar and Purbesh who were still having their breakfast. So I had thought of extending my circle from that room. Arghya was standing just behind me. He had gone to the bathroom. I was awestruck in front of that body lying in that manner. That guy was not even from MARINE, then what the hell happened to him.

PARAMETERS 1.ii - Run of life

I realised that night that my room was not as exciting as the room I had encountered this evening. My roomies were a bit into studies, they were from different streams and things were a lot more mechanical in this room like " You want some chips.?"
"Oh , I would love some .."
" Oh, here it is then "
"Oh thank you for that"
"Your welcome"
and then there is a silence..

I found that  a bit too formal and had constantly been thinking of whats been going on in the room 213. It quite started increasing my curiosity.

PARAMETERS 1. i - Through the college gate

It was always exciting for me to think that I would get admitted to a college and also I would stay in a hostel and study marine engineering which I have always feared as a child. My parents would use it as a weapon to control me.
It was my first day (AUGUST 16TH 2004) in the I.T.M.E  campus. I entered through the gate to see our administrative building in front of me. My father had accompanied with me in this occasion as it was the first day. He would  have never minded either if it was my first semester. He had been a lot more protective since always and sometimes that buzzed me off.
But I had too become dependent on him in many ways. From the administrative building I was told that my room no. was 212 in the hostel 1. So we started walking towards my hostel. I saw the gym , basketball court and the badminton court on my way. Quite impressive it was. Although I could not play a lot of sport but I was interested in a lot of things that kept me out of studies.
I realised that the hostel didn't have more than 212 rooms but it was just that the ground floor had rooms starting from 101 and the first floor started having rooms numbered from 201 to 216.