"Choordhaar conquered .."

I can simply not resist tapping any opportunity taking me close to mother nature. This time it was to explore the beautiful place named Choordhaar.  A trek beginning from Nauradhaar, Sirmaur (HP).

I had a four days window available in mid November. The hectic schedule, long studying hours and the constant worrying a normal CA student eventually becomes habitual of, had all taken a toll on me. So, I just wished to be able to make the most of whatever little time I had.

 Usually when I make such plans I prefer not to discuss it with my lovely parents for they start worrying unnecessarily. However, I took them in confidence this time around. I was pretty sure that dad wasn’t going to allow me to ride and that mum would altogether say no. To my surprise and amazement, I was proven completely wrong. Not only did they allow me to ride on my bike and gave me the required funds, dad got a room booked at Nauradhaar(place where the trek begins). There couldn't be anything else I could have possibly asked them for. I was particularly excited because this was going to be a solo trip(All of us, the good friends, have gotten into different fields and usually our schedules clash).

Hoping to quench the long outstanding thirst for riding and trekking, I began my trip. With me was, of course, the most faithful and dear friend of mine- my beautiful and ever so comfortable bike. Together we marched through the mesmeric valleys of my state, Himachal Pradesh. I was paying my first visit to this part of the state which in itself was really exciting. The occasional cold breeze, the always smiling native villagers, the long traffic free stretches and of course the pitiable road condition(ha-ha) simply made it altogether an experience worth having.

By late noon I made it to Nauradhaar. A beautiful and well kept room was awaiting me. After taking a long hot and soapy shower, all my tiredness vanished. Refreshed and energized, I went for an evening walk. I wanted to acquaint myself with the new place. It was beautiful and had some kind of uniqueness about it. I happened to have conversation with some locals here. As soon as I told them that I was going solo on the trek the next morning, all of them without any exception were surprised. With the best of intentions they suggested me not to go alone, some even asked me to cancel it altogether for they feared I might get lost in the woods. Perhaps, they thought of me as a fancy city lad with no experience. However, by that time I had conquered many such treks solo so it didn’t bother me much. In the end I thanked all of them for their advice and moved on.  Since it was situated at a higher altitude, the sun set early and by half past seven the place was completely deserted. By 8 pm I was done having dinner at a local restaurant and surprisingly it was one of the best dinners I have had in a long time. The place was so quiet that I couldn’t really sleep for now I have become habitual of the usual hustle and bustle of city life. I placed a chair in my room’s balcony and enjoyed the silence for a good couple of hours before finally going off to bed. What followed was one of the most peaceful and unperturbed sleeps I have ever had.

With every necessary thing in my backpack and a revitalizing breakfast, I began my trek. I had plans to spend the night at top and return the next day. As such, I was moving at a slow pace capturing photographs and enjoying every little detail. By God’s grace the weather was immensely good with no trace of a single cloud. I was having a really good time. Every native villager I met gave a warm smile and wished me good luck. Going further I reached the point from where a thick cover of forest began with no sign of habitation. I can’t put it in words as to how much fulfilling and satisfying experience was it to have walked through that patch. Some guys may call it crazy but I guess the best way to interact with nature is to do it all alone. I strode through enjoying every little aspect of nature.

After a few minutes I reached an open area and found certain natives resting. Having approached and talked to them, I found out that they were headed to the same destination. As always, these humble guys offered food and tea. And once again I encountered a moment that trademarked that when it comes to hospitality, we HIMACHALIS are second to none. Within a few minutes I made good friends with these guys and started trekking with them. Every now and then I was given a piece of information about the local vegetation, delicacies, the do’s and don’ts. In return, I shared about the experiences about the city life and even counseled my young pals about their upcoming career options. All this while, we came across mesmeric sceneries.

It was 1:00pm and we were at the top. Earlier I had a plan to stay the night here but figuring out the possibility that I could very well make it back to the place I started, I decided to head back. Besides, I had company, too. We paid our gratitude and obeisance to the Almighty. Personally, I thanked the Almighty for having given me this opportunity and making it a success.

 By 2:30pm we began our descent. There was no stopping us this time around. We were literally running on our way back and trust me it was fun. On our occasional stops, we shared some light moments and at the same time regained our lost energy.

By 6:00pm we were at Nauradhaar. Charged up, for no apparent reason, I decided to ride my way back to Solan the very same evening.  At this point it became really difficult for me to convince my newly made pals to allow me to leave. They wanted me to stay with them for the night. After a lot of pleading they agreed but on one condition- it being me having dinner with them. Seeing the enthusiasm and particularly the warmth with which they invited me, I could not say no. It moved me so much to see that I was asked to take bath first. I mean, we all were equally exhausted. Words can’t describe the kind of hearts these people possess. Dinner was delectable and I relished each and every bit of it. Promising to be their exclusive guest next year, I bade farewell to all of them. By 7:45pm I had started riding back to Solan. And boy, it was one hell of a ride. The chilling winds, unacquainted roads and day long tiredness made it a nightmare. At this point I wished I had listened to my pals and parents. However, I had already taken a decision and had to stand by it. And well, I did. No surprise that it shivered every single nerve in my body but then again it was one experience I’d never forget.

All in all, I would say that I had an unbelievably nice trip. God willing, there are going to be innumerable trips I will be having in coming times.        

Srikhand Mahadev- 2014

It was the morning of July 12, 2014. As usual, I was sleeping like a baby. It was going to be a boring day for I had no plans whatsoever- studying or otherwise. It was already 9:00 am and since I had slept early the previous night, I had to get up sooner or later for even my body wasn't going to entertain any more sleep. The second I got up, I did what majority of us do-checked my cellphone. I had missed a call from my dad. (Dad was scheduled to leave for Srikhand Mahadev the very next day)

'Good morning, papa.'

'Good morning, son. How are you?' he asked.

'Very well. You called?' I enquired.

'Yeah. Is my trekking bag lying with you? I need it.' he said.

And that was it. I found the excuse I had been long looking for(my studies were going to suffer and this was holding me for a long time but not anymore). Dad needed the bag and I desperately wanted to go to the trek with him. Suddenly, the boring-to-be day turned exciting. As soon as I was done convincing dad, I started packing my stuff. By 1:00 pm, I was on my way to Shimla. I stayed the night at my maternal uncle's place.

Next morning, at sharp 5:55 am, I boarded the bus for my next stop, Rampur. While in the bus, I made friends with a 7 year old girl. I was so busy chatting with her-knowing all about her village, the school she went to, who her best friend was etc etc- that I hardly realised how the journey passed. Finally, at Rampur, I bade farewell to her. As against the MET department's forecast, the weather was pleasant till now(Oh boy! I wish I had known what awaited us for the coming five days).

 Over the next half an hour I waited for my dad at a restaurant. Soon he, along with a couple of his pals, arrived and we began our journey towards Jaun(a tiny village in district Kullu from where our trek was to start).

The clock struck 5:00 pm and we were at Jaun. Here we reunited with our friends from the last year's trek. Seeing all those faces after an year's time gave me a sense of relief and joy. High in spirits, we marched on. We reached Singhad(base camp we were to stay the night) by 7:45 pm. We were given a warm welcome. Soon, forgetting the day long gruelling journey, every single one of us was singing and dancing. It was electrifying. From a lady in her late seventies to a young lad, everyone made merry. It was an occasion of great festivity. Ultimately, we fell asleep amid the chants of BHAM BHAM BHOLE.

At around 2:30 am it suddenly started raining cats and dogs. It was so loud that majority of us were left wide awake. I didn't sleep for a minute post this abrupt change in weather. At 5:00 am we left for our next stop. Since it was raining heavily we removed our shoes and wore slippers instead(the last thing you want on the first day of any trek is to get your shoes soaking wet). With each passing minute, the weather turned more inclement. There was no sign of respite from rain. However, for no apparent reason, I was enjoying every second of it. Within minutes everything was wet and slippery.

It was 12:00 noon and we reached Thachdoo(another facility set up by generous beings where one can have food and relax). We took a halt for almost 2 hours before proceeding further.  Since I was all wet and it had stopped raining, I decided to change clothes. While packing my bag after changing, I forgot to put in the carry bag containing both dad's and my own shoes(it was going to change the entire mood within the coming few hours). At 2:15 pm we left.

Clueless of the blunder I had just committed, I was clicking photographs. The following picture potrays me as a 'poor clueless guy' whose smile was going to vanish in a couple of hours.

 We were just 10 minutes into our next strech and it started drizzling. It appeared we had upset Rain God and He was in no mood to spare us. With hours of continuous downpour, the path became all muddy. Now it was getting difficult to walk. We managed to move at a decent speed and reached the mesmeric spot named Kaali Ghaati at 4:30 pm(we were running behind schedule and rain was the lone factor to be blamed).

                      

  Ahead of us was a steep descent. Here,dad advised me to put on my shoes. I told him to continue ahead and that I'd catch up with him soon. As soon as I opened my bag, my world fell apart(At first I thought of going back to get the shoes. But it wasn't a feasible option. I went blank and didn't know how to disclose it to dad. I feared him killing me with his bare hands). Somehow, I summoned all the courage I had and moved ahead. After 15 minutes I was finally able to find him. I told him everything. To my surprise, his reaction was one I didn't expect at all. He was calm and his words were comforting. He was telling me the do's and don'ts for the rest of 'shoe less' journey(actually he didn't realize that not only had I forgotten to pick up my shoes but his too). About half an hour later, he suddenly turned back and asked,

'You have brought my shoes, right?'

And there it was. BOOM! His expressions were thunderous. We moved without talking for, at least, the next half an hour. Knowing that we had to complete the rest of journey without shoes certainly brought a major dip in our motivational levels. However, one needs to hope for the best but at the same time, prepare for the worst in adventurous treks like these. Soon we forgot about it for we had no other choice. Finally at 8:45 pm we were at Bhim Dwar, the place we were to stay the night. We were dead tired. All we wanted was some nutritious food and a comforting stay. Fortunately, we had everything we desired.

Next morning marked the beginning of the penultimate day(the most crucial and challenging of all).We left the tent at 4:30am. We had a slow start as it was chillingly cold and our bodies were getting warmed up. I talked to dad every now and then. After sometime we came across the first gigantic glacier. With visibility at its rock bottom, it was going to be a difficult task to cross it. However, we did it quite smoothly and without any hiccup. Slowly and gradually we progressed towards the next camp. At 7:30am we were at Parvati Bagh-undoubtedly one of the most beautiful highlights of the entire trek. We sat down in a private tent and had breakfast. Besides, we bought power bars, biscuits, water, chewing gums and other necessary stuff(there were going to be no more tents after this spot and we were going to be on our own). 

Looking ahead, we could figure out that it was going to be a real test since the path ahead had ample snow and slippery glaciers.

 What was a real disappointment here? The return of our little lost friend-rain. But at this point one is so energetic with the will to reach the ultimate destination that such things hardly seem to bother. Together we marched ahead. Every step we were climbing meant higher altitude which, in turn, meant a continuous dip in oxygen level. That coupled with icy winds, since we were walking on glaciers and snow, is surely a deadly combination. Defying all odds we marched ahead for we had only one goal, to reach the top. After an arduous trek of almost 5 hours, we finally were at the top. As against last time, the weather opened up, though for a little while. We accomplished our goal and were on cloud nine. We paid our obeisance and performed religious ceremony known as Yagya at 18000ft. We thanked the almighty for making this trek a successful one for us and began descending.

At last, it was really a nice feeling for having been congratulated by those in the trekking business for making it through(apparently, it was the toughest trek in the last 24 years).

PS: We were the lucky few who could complete the trek this year. As it turned out, the trek was formally closed due to inclement weather a day after we reached the base camp. It was heart shattering to find out that many lost their lives. May all of them R.I.P

     

Srikhand- Beauty at its best!

Being a Himachali passion for mountaineering is in my blood. I have grown up listening to my dad say, ‘Always remain close to nature and try to develop a bond with it.’ This particular statement has had a great impact on my life. I have made it a point to tap every possible opportunity where I get a chance to be close to nature.

After almost an year and a half lady luck smiled and sent one such opportunity this July. The trek I was going to complete is the most difficult amongst all in the entire state. Scaling a mountain situated at a whopping 15000 feet (approx. 5000 meters) was no mean feat. However getting an opportunity to go on a trek and that too along with my dad was simply an icing on the cake.

Our journey began from Shimla. On day one we were to reach Sarahan, a beautiful unexplored town in Rampur district. We were to meet some of my dad’s friends there who were also scheduled to go on the same trek. After travelling for almost eight hours we were finally at this beautiful town. No doubt, the gruelling journey had sucked all the energy I had but experiencing the enthusiasm with which we were being welcomed, my tiredness was long gone. It has been correctly said that when it comes to hospitality, we the people of Himachal are second to none. After having served dinner by the most humble people I have ever met in my life, we were off to bed for day second was going to be a long one.

Next morning was really a pleasant one. I was spell bound by the beauty of this small town. The picture below is a proof to justify what I experienced. This temple, BHIMAKALI, holds a great historical and religious significance. It is one of the oldest establishments in the area and is duly respected by every single individual.

The second thing that caught my eye was apple cropping. This place is renowned to produce the finest of Himachal apples being supplied throughout the country. It was no surprise that I had to taste one. At the very first opportunity I went to the orchard and tasted the most delicious apple of my life. The morning mist and the cloudy weather made it all the very exciting. At 9:00 am we boarded the bus for the base where the trek was scheduled to start.

It was 10:30 am when we reached the beautiful place named Rampur. With river Satluj flowing with all its serenity and breath-taking beauty, a summer cottage at the very place was the only thing I could dream of. 

After paying our respects at two temples, it is part of the local tradition, we were once again on our way. By 3:30 pm we reached the point from where we had to start our trek on foot. The base camp was three kilometers away and with our enthusiasm reaching at sky high level we began our journey on a roaring note. Once again we were welcomed by the most hospitable of all people on planet earth. And then began the night of my life. Chants of BHAM BHAM BHOLE echoing, women dancing all around, musicians performing and men complimenting them all was a sight I am never going to forget. Though the night progressed like this till 2:00 am and we slept at almost 3:00 am, still everyone woke up fresh and ready to conquer another day filled with hardships and a total of 17 kilometers in the toughest of terrain, at 5 in the morning.

As time passed I realised that when they say this trek is indeed the most difficult one, they mean business. The rocky surface, uneven terrain along with wet mud was making it all together more difficult. The enthusiasm gradually started dipping. But then again, Mother Nature never disappoints. The photographs below speak volumes about the paradise and it’s mesmeric beauty we were experiencing.

   

We continued forging ahead taking rest at regular intervals. The terrain was becoming tougher with every passing kilometer but so was our determination. On top of it all witnessing these sages, barefoot and almost in a single piece of clothing, was simply an eye opener. At the age of 60 years,( I happened to have a conversation with these wise men) when an average man dreams of a comfortable life, these men were out to scale a mountain peak today’s youth fear to think of, let alone scaling it. Coming across such men was the dose of motivation we badly needed. After almost walking for 14 hours we finally reached base camp 2. We were scheduled to stay here for the night.

  

The next morning was the most important one. We were going for the final destination. It was the toughest of the lot. At 3:00 am, we began our journey. The picture below is one I clicked at 4:00 am and is one of my favorites.

I completely had no idea about the boundless beauty I was about to experience. But Mother Nature wanted to check my patience first. With oxygen level dipping drastically and dense fog it was becoming really difficult to cope up. My motivation level hit rock bottom when I saw two young guys’ dead body being taken back and another guy almost dying. My father came to my rescue at this crucial point and helped me gather myself. Undaunted we carried on our journey. We had to cross glaciers, rocks of unimaginable lengths and above all it started raining, adding more to our already existing problems. But it’s said, “Darker the night, closer the dawn.” After reaching the top what I saw was something that left me completely numb. It appeared as if I have attained nirvana.

After admiring this beauty for 15 minutes and paying my respect to Lord Shiva I started descending. The sense of achievement I had was non-comparable (On an average out of 100 people only 40 complete this trek). My happiness knew no boundaries and it appeared I had accomplished all I ever wanted to. With my high spirits I came back to the camp and slept peacefully.

Next morning we had to cover a distance of 27 Kilometers. But since we were in high spirits it didn’t bother us much. On the same note we started descending. Yet once again Mother Nature made our day successful. With sun rising towards its zenith and the beautiful mountains, there was nothing better I could have possibly demanded. Pictures given below are some other highlights of this wonderful trip. All in all I had a trip of my life.

   

A perfect Yash chopra movie location. Simply mesmerizing.

Hats off to the shepherds- the real men. It's amazing to see how these guys manage the entire flock so efficiently despite all the nerve wrecking difficulties. 

Walking on a glacier is an experience in itself. No doubt it's a deadly act but then again it is so thrilling that one cannot resist.

Clouds back at Srikhand became friends with all of us. Always accompanying us everywhere.

Looking at the distant mountains and experiencing the serenity was something every single one of us did at one point or the other.

Nature carries immense beauty in every component it possesses. It's the way you look at it which makes the ultimate difference.

The Sachin Tendulkar of mountaineering- Gaddis. For these guys scaling the toughest of the mountains is a daily job. They almost fear nothing.

The superwomen- their grace, the Gaddans. Who says the fairer sex cannot do certain things men can? I can bet on my bottom dollar that these four women right here, or I should say superwomen, can trek better than the majority of men. Respect is all what I have got for them. 

The stand high and alone spirit was something I tried to learn when I saw this beautiful plant.

Authenticity and simplicity are the two greatest treasures that can make an individual's life beautiful.

                                         

                                 Rise and shine-in the end you are on your own. 

Trying, trying and still trying.....

The very title of this post can be perceived in many different ways. Well, if you are expecting a motivational story containing a struggle to achieve a specific goal or something like that, this post is certainly not for you. It contains a mystery I have long been unable to solve. It’s been more than 8 years of trying but still I have not been successful. In fact majority of men have tried and failed.

Last weekend I, along with a friend, went for shopping at one of the prominent shopping places in Chandigarh. Since I had been running short of good clothes for a long time, I was particularly very excited. Even after spending hours at all the brand stores I’m fond of, I couldn’t find even a single article that interested me. Disappointed I thought of heading back home when I saw a girl (yes! Here comes the topic of discussion) I’d give my eye teeth to be friends with.

The sudden urge to talk to her was so strong that I started following her and thereby upsetting all the plans we had for the late evening. After almost an hour and a half (we all know how much time an average girl takes for thinking what to buy and at the end of it all comes out buying nothing) I finally got an opportunity to make a move. Not wasting even a second (for if she had entered another showroom it would simply have meant waste of a couple of more hours) I made a move.

‘Excuse me. Do you mind talking to me for a minute?’ I asked.

‘No.’ said she with a little smile on her face. At this moment I was on cloud nine for there could not have been a better start.

‘I have been noticing you for the past two hours and I really find you very sweet. Is it possible for us to please be friends?’ I asked

‘I have never been approached like this before. I really appreciate the level of your confidence.’

Her eyes fairly glittered as she spoke, considerably surprised at my enthusiasm.

‘So is it a yes or no?’ asked I, my legs shivering.

She smiled an enigmatical smile. ‘Yes.’ she answered.

Continuing ahead I asked her cell phone number which she refused to give. Instead she took my number.

‘I will call you soon.’ she said, as she bade me good-bye.

‘Good-bye,’ I answered, and strolled along with my friend to the nearest food joint, considerably happy.

Such was the level of my happiness that I gave a treat to the friend who accompanied me. The entire episode was so overwhelming that I couldn’t get a wink of sleep that night. Usually my cell phone remains on silent mode but the next day I specifically kept it on general mode for I didn’t want to miss her call.

I waited all day long for her call but my phone didn’t ring. Thinking, perhaps she was making her mind I didn’t get disappointed and waited for her call for days together. A week went by but I didn’t receive any call. Finally I accepted the hard reality.

I have learnt a lot of things about these mysterious creatures (girls) in the past few years but this event once again shows that I, and for that matter all the men and boys, need to work harder to unravel the mystery.

As they say, ‘A quitter never wins, a winner never quits.’ I ain’t going to quit and stubbornly carry on trying, trying and trying to understand what are these girls all about.

Why do you have to do it?

Why is it the very nature of certain people to poke their nose every now and then in someone else’s life? Why do these people can’t sit silently and let others live a peaceful life? Why is there always a bunch of losers in everyone’s life (correct me if I am wrong) trying every possible move to defame them? Why do these scumbags pretend to be your friends and at the very first opportunity backstab you?

After going through a lot of experiences I have finally realised it does not matter how much you try to resolve the differences with these people or how faithful you remain to them, at the end of the day they will do whatever they have to do. Well you can actually do nothing about such people. As the saying goes, ‘Once a thief, always a thief.’

A couple of days ago a very genuine friend of mine left me a message. It read about some rumours being spread about me. I was really taken aback by the category of the rumour. It being spread by one of the losers I unfortunately share a history with, added fuel to the fire. This douche has done such things in the past also and I have tried to the best of my abilities to resolve the differences but all in vain. Never has this person disappointed me when it comes to spreading malicious rumours or making a mountain out of a molehill.

Again the story does not end here. This douche has a best friend (a bigger douche) who equally takes pleasure in doing the same thing. I am sick and tired of the very existence of these people. I wonder how on earth do they find out time to do all of it?  Well the damage, as always, has already been done. Unfortunately I am on the receiving end again.

All through this phase one thing always helps me gather and pick myself. It’s the fact that I really don’t give two hoots to such people. Besides, presence of those handful buddies whom I can swear my life on is simply the icing on the cake.

After brooding over the kind of things these people have done I simply have figured out that I may find Salman Khan’s wife chatting with Manmohan Singh at Sachin Tendulkar’s retirement party (test cricket), but these people are not going to change even one bit. God bless you for only the Almighty can change your characters. 

Beware! Not all of them are genuine...

‘Private doctors have made it their business to exploit innocent patients’, said one of the relatives during the family discussion. The discussion which began after one of the family members was literally made to believe that he was having a certain disease (which he actually did not have) by one of the private doctors, concluded with a lot of criticism of all the private doctors with no exceptions. I was quite young at that time to have actually understood the crux of the topic of discussion.

Years went by but there was no love lost between the family (opinion) and private doctors. At times I used to think that it is simply over exaggeration by my family members. ‘How could a doctor, who takes an oath to help the patients no matter what, possibly exploit them in terms of money?’ was the question I used to seek an answer for. Almost 12 years later I have finally realised the actual truth. And yes, I no longer have the same question because I have got the answer too. PRIVATE DOCTORS DO EXPLOIT INNOCENT PATIENTS (my humble apology to all of the doctors who do not belong to this category).

A couple of weeks ago I developed a kind of infection on my face. At first I didn’t take it seriously because I thought it to be the routine irritation that happens every time the weather changes. But with the constant increase of the infected area and the irritation, it caught my attention. I discussed it with my mentor, the person who is responsible for every good thing that is happening in my life (my sister). “KHOOB PAANI PEEYA KARO. JAL HI JEEVAN HAI”, was the valuable suggestion given by her. As I do take everything she tells me very seriously, I increased water intake considerably.

Unfortunately it didn’t help much (still love you a lot sis). With ever increasing pain coupled with unimaginable irritation I took the decision to finally visit a doctor. Again my mentor was, as always, there with a valuable advice which I didn’t take (and I utterly regret having done that). She advised me to go to a government doctor instead of a private one. But out of the fear of inconvenience I would have to undergo visiting a government doctor, I instead went to a private doctor (female).

She had a number of degrees written in bold letters on a board placed outside her clinic. I thought I have found the right person. Everything was going normally. She checked my face, asked certain questions, told the do’s and the don’ts and cracked a few jokes. To be honest I was enjoying her company.

Well as soon as she produced the bill the enjoyment was long gone. I was literally in a state of shock (but I could do nothing as it was now a question of status). With my heart dipping I took out the money and handed it over to her. I got upset. Expecting to find a sympathizer in my sister (not realising that at the end of the day she too is a human being who on being not listened to would leave no stone unturned in making you regret)  I approached her and discussed everything with her.

I had not yet gotten over with the earlier shock when a new shock awaited me. The doctor almost charged 3 times the normal price for the medicines she gave me (at first I lost my cool and decided to confront her. But it’s said that everything happens for a reason. So I let go of the thought). As if this was not enough the medicines didn’t give me a bit of relief.

Finally I went to a government doctor. With spending almost one fourth the amount which I earlier spent and tremendous improvement, I have had a real eye opener. So my dear friends save yourselves from the clutches of these devils (pretenders to being the saviours). 

Luck- The Ultimate Cheater

Cost accounting has always been a pain in the ass for me, whether it was CA inter or B.com II. It simply isn’t my cup of tea. Even after completing the course textbook twice, I still doubt my ability to solve the given problems. About 9 hours ago this subject once again proved that there’s little love lost between us.

I had cost accounting exam today. Officially 3 days were given in order to prepare the exam. But as I’m a lazy lad, I wasted two days fantasizing about the new cell phone I had plans to buy (with utmost regret I want to inform you all that I no longer, with no other choice left, desire to buy it anymore). The sudden urge to watch the movie ROCKSTAR (it was the fifth time) coupled with the fact that I got up at 1pm wasted half of the third day as well. With a mammoth task of completing the syllabus in hand, I decided to finally pull my socks at 5:30pm.


For us, the B.com students of Punjab University who buy the textbooks a week before the exams commence, there is a HOW TO GET SATISFACTORY MARKS WITHOUT PUTTING IN LEAST EFFORTS guide known as ‘DPT’. By putting all my faith in the same guide I started preparing for the exam. Hours went by and I was really doing well (only the important stuff). 


According to Punjab University’s exam pattern it is customary that half weightage is given to practical questions and half to theoretical questions. Since I have always had affinity towards practical problems, I was wholeheartedly preparing for it. I sat till 3am and almost completed the practical part. With a belief that I’d do the theory in the morning I finally slept at 3:30am (however my plan didn’t turn out as it was supposed to because I was fast asleep till 12pm).


Finally at 1:45pm, 15 minutes before the exam was scheduled to start I reached the examination hall. With all the anxious faces of my fellow students and the extra confidence which I was having in my practical preparation, I was on cloud nine. But this state of mind was short lived.


As soon as I read the question paper it sent shivers down my spine. Not even a single question (yes, not even a single damn question) was practical. This meant the preparation which I had immense confidence in was rendered useless. The next thought which struck my mind was to take help of the guys sitting around me. But I out of the fear of flunking had forgotten that these guys had no confidence in what they had prepared let alone asking them for something they had not even dreamt of.


Before I could start praying to the Almighty that the question paper is one hell of a mistake and should be replaced with the original, the HOD (Head of Department) came and put all our doubts to rest. He said and I quote, “KUCH NAI HOGA CHANGE AB. YE PUNJAB UNIVERSITY KA EXAM HAI. TUMHARE GHAR KA EXAM NAHI. JITNA AATA HAI UTNA ATTEMPT KAR LO AUR BAAKI BHAGWAAN PAR BHAROSA RAKHO.”


For a split-second my world turned upside down. However I had no other option than to attempt the questions. With all the knowledge which was totally irrelevant I attempted the questions and am proud to say that I filled all the sheets (as they say, length is all that matters). I have even written certain answers in this exam which I prepared for some other exam.
While I’m waiting to see where my irrelevant knowledge takes me, whether I flunk or not, I suggest you all not to base everything on luck because luck may not always be on your side…