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ఇంటి పక్కన ఉండే ఖాళీ స్థలం లో గుడారం లాంటిది వేసుకుని పిల్లా జెల్లా తో ఒక పది మంది ఉండడం రోజూ చూసే నాకు అలవాటే..కానీ స్నిగ్ధ పొద్దస్తమానం అలా కిటికీ లోంచి వాళ్ళను చూస్తూనే ఉంది. వాళ్ళు ఏం తింటారు…ఎలా ఉంటారు…ఏం చేస్తూ ఉంటారు ఇదంతా గమనిస్తూనే ఉంది. డాబా మీదకి బట్టలు తేవడానికి వెళ్ళి సన్నజాజులు కోస్తూ ఉంటే నన్ను అడిగింది. అక్కా నాకు వాళ్ళతో మాట్లాడి వాళ్ళు పీరియడ్స్ వచ్చినప్పుడు ఏం చేస్తారో అడగాలని ఉంది అంది. దాని ఉత్సాహం తెలిసిన నేను పద నేను కూడా వస్తాను అన్నాను. వాళ్ళు మొహమాటపడి మాట్లాడరేమో అని పిల్లలకి రెండు బిస్కట్ పాకెట్లు కొని పట్టుకుని వెళ్ళాము అదీ నేను. మేము రావడంచూసి ఎడ్ల బండి లోపలికి వెళ్ళి దాక్కున్నారు పిల్లలు. స్నిగ్ధ వాళ్ళని మెల్లగా పిలిచి మాటా మంతి మొదలుపెట్టింది.కొంచెం హిందీ,కొంచెం తెలుగు లో మాట్లాడుతున్నారు వాళ్ళు. అందరిలోకి కొంచెం పెద్ద వయసు ఉన్న ఆవిడ పొయ్యి రాజేస్తోంది. కొంచెం మధ్య వయస్కురాలు గా ఉన్న ఆవిడ ఒక పన్నెండేళ్ళ పాప తో ఏదో మాట్లాడుతోంది. ఆ పాప తల్లి వయసు ఉన్న ఆవిడ తో మాటలు కలిపాము ఇద్దరం. ఎక్కడనుంచి ప్రయాణం చేస్తున్నారు ఎలా ఇలా సంచార జీవితం చేస్తారు అని అడుగుతూ మాటల మధ్యలో వాళ్ళ పీరియడ్స్ గురించి అడిగింది స్నిగ్ధ.

మెదక్ హైవే మీద ఉన్న చిన్న గ్రామానికి ప్రవీణ్ కి ఈ మధ్యే ట్రాన్స్ఫర్ అయ్యింది

హైదరాబాదు నుంచి వచ్చి వెళ్ళడం కన్నా ఇదే ఊర్లో ఉండిపోవాలని ఉండిపోయింది తను. కొత్త సంసారం కూడా కాబట్టి పది రోజులు ఉండి అక్కకు అన్నీ సర్ది పెట్టి రమ్మని స్నిగ్ధ ని పంపించారు నాన్న.

వరండాలో ఏదో చదువు కుంటున్న ప్రవీణ్ స్నిగ్ధని అడిగాడు…ఏమోయ్ మరదలు పిల్లా ఏంటి ఏదో రీసెర్చ్ వర్క్ చేస్తున్నావు అంటూ..

కానీ స్నిగ్ధ ఈ లోకం లో లేనట్లు ఏదో ఆలోచిస్తోంది…విషయం ఏంటని ప్రవీణ్ నన్ను చూస్తూ కనుబొమ్మలు ఎగరేశాడు.

ఇందాక గుడారం దగ్గర ఆవిడ చెప్పిన మాటలు గుర్తువచ్చి స్తబ్దుగా ఐపోయాను…

రొట్టెలు కాల్చడం ఐపోయాకా గోరువెచ్చగా ఉన్న ఆ కచ్చిక ని పీరియడ్స్ లో వచ్చే రక్తం ఆగడానికి పెట్టుకుంటారట….

The university Dept Clerk advised my marks percentage as 52 and also about my third rank out of more than 300 English/Hindi/Marathi media students.- who appeared for the First year exam.. I was on cloud 9.

My father was not very happy about marks but felt OK.

Then disaster struck.

My parents decided to finalize my marriage with my Mama’s daughter. My 20th birthday was two months away. It was linked to my sister’s marriage. I was reluctant and cried silently for two days. A few days later my Mama/Mami came, performed a small engagement function. In a week’s time with a photo of my future bride, I left for Nagpur to complete my second year.

To my utter dismay, my studious room mate failed in 2 papers .The Land lady was surprised to the core after knowing the results and was not believing that “Ghoomnewaala” obtained a rank and “Padnewaala” failed in two subjects.

I joined another friend and took a room very near to Campus-one bus stop away — in a private hostel with neat surroundings with some nice trees.

Classes started and we used to have a subject “Political Sociology”. Prof Kini used to smoke beedis before coming to class. Being a non-smoker I had(have) a keen sense of smell and that beedi smell was nauseating . I was so fed up that I started to avoid his classes. I can not go to back benches as there are only 4 rows.

I was in a quandary. One day I shared my thoughts with Dept Clerk. He mentioned that there is a possibility of opting for a research paper in lieu of any written one — if Head of Dept approves/permits.

Bingo!

I searched the rule from old records and wrote an application addressed to Prof Murthy. He asked me why such liking towards research paper. I could not answer the truth. He insisted to know, as for many years, no one opted for Research paper. I blurted the truth. He said it’s a minor issue and asked me to deal with it. I stood my ground. Reluctantly, he decided to call for applications and wanted to hold a written test and viva .

Notice went up on the board and three students opted. A test of 3 hours. No choice of questions. — a single question was set which I vividly remember. “If you were appointed as UPSC chairman, what changes do you propose ? ”. First time I spent full two hours ( out of three) and wrote very lengthy coherent arguments. Next Day two of us qualified for Viva. Prof Murthy grilled me for 30 mts about UK constitution and the role of central planning in Indian Economy. Other girl was subjected to 15 min grilling on Rural dev admin. Next day only my name went up on the board permitting me to officially bunk Political Sociology Class for entire year and declaring me as — Research Scholar for year 73–74….Yahoo…

I was allotted a separate room next to Prof Murthy’s with a table,Revolving chair, Green Woollen table cloth and a standard glass sheet over the top of it with a ceiling fan and two Godrej glass/steel cup boards. The Room’s key was handed over to me. What a heady feeling for a 20 yr old having an own room next to HOD! I used to attend only one class a day and when I walk in the corridors juniors used to whisper..” he is research scholar- separate room etc”””

A week later Prof called me and asked topic of research paper. After lot of back n forth settled on” An Asst Stn Master in SC Rly-A profile in administration”,He immediately asked me to go thru First pay commission report, then second and Third. Each so voluminous carrying the report requires an effort. With a lot of hard work, I finished the research paper with grit and determination working flat out in holidays in Andhra Pradesh ( EG Dt)and sleeping overnight in railway station rooms interviewing Station Masters.

The entire second year, all my canteen bills were paid by classmates for a simple reason that they all copied my notes which was freely translated into Hindi and then into Marathi. We used to go to central Library , reserve 10 seats in a row(single chair/table) and I sit at the first table and all others go to canteen after drawing required books from Library as per my requirement. . I used write notes on ruled foolscape papers and after 30 minutes the gang comes with carbon papers and sit behind me and copy my notes using carbon papers ( no photocopying those days) then and there. As a reward, all my canteen /Icecream bills were paid by them for entire year.

During a particular week, I did not attend Univ. due to fever. One fine day,around 4 pm, 8 girls of my class descended on my room and made a fuss about my heath and next 3 days brought home cooked food, fruits and pampered me till I got back on my feet.

I applied for income tax inspector exam and went to Prof Murthy for attestation of certificates. He saw the application and tore into pieces and told me to apply for UPSC and not for other jobs.

Final exams- I studied very hard- 360 degrees change compared with earlier year — and secured first rank in second year. After adding first year marks, my rank got slipped to second. 

The first rank was bagged by a lady with kids who fell ill and was not willing to write the exam. I went to her home and gave moral support to write exam. She surprised at my gesture and asked me if she did not write final exams , first rank will be mine . I smiled and said rank does not matter. She appeared for finals, bagged second rank and after adding first year marks she became first rank holder for 1974.

Two other professors surprisingly hugged me in the corridor as I scored some very decent scores in their subjects during my second year final exams.

The Research paper was adjudged best original work of a PG student and the remark was from Dr MP Sharma/HOD- Pub.Admin /Sagar univ — a renowned name in Pub Admin.

A professor whose home address I never knew, and not related to me in any way( caste,creed,religion) treated me like an equal, and guided me like his son.

ఈ రోజు నాకు నాలుగు వేళ్ళు నోట్లోకి పోతున్నాయంటే ఆ గురువు గారి దయ. నాలో ఏమి చూశారో? ఎంతో ఓపిగ్గా, ఎటువంటి ప్రతిఫలం ఆశించకుండా నన్ను తీర్చి దిద్దిన నా మాస్టారికి మరొక్కసారి పాదాభి వందనాలు…

Let me take you back in time!!

It was June 1972. I was a few months short of my 19th birthday. As fate had it, I was with Prof. VS Murthy,( Harvard MPA )Head, Dept of Public Admin., Nagpur University who was diligently totaling my graduation marks with a pencil to check my eligibility for admission into MA (Pub.Admin). I did my BSC with MPC and chose to pursue PG in Pub Admin due to two reasons:

1. My father wanted me to go for civil services
2. Nagpur Univ was the oldest in teaching Pub Admin.

Prof Murthy declared about my eligibility for admission and as I was looking over my shoulder ,he asked me why so? I replied that my father is outside. He asked me to call him inside. My father came in and prof chided me to bring my father for admission into PG course.

We paid fees and came down to ground floor bus stop to take a city bus.

Here I underwent first culture shock. A girl sat next to me in the bus for the first time when my father is sitting next to me.. A funny feeling..

July 1972: Classes started. The subjects were Greek and Latin to me and I was at sea in understanding the concepts of Political Thought and I was cursing my fate about joining the course.

During same month an incident happened which turned my life upside down…

It was “Principles of Pub Admin” class. Prof Murthy had a peculiar habit of reading a folded newspaper and continuing teaching/talking about Pub Admin subject without taking eyes off from newspaper. Its a very difficult task. He used to do this with aplomb. That day he was talking about French Revolution and vividly portraying the attack on Bastille prison wherein revolutionaries behead the Jailor and pin his severed head to a flag post.

We were following with rapt attention.

At the end he posed a question : Can anyone sum it up in two words about this attack and what has been destroyed? Pin drop silence. I Stood up. Prof said “”You are in Univ. Sit and answer””. I summed it in two sentences and then into one sentence and then into half sentence. I kept on trying from my side and was looking into his eyes. After 5/6 minutes,I admitted my inabilty. He provided the answer “POWER SYMBOL” .. The class was about to end ..then prof asked me to see him after the class. I was confused as I was singled out and other students scared me that I entered into an argument with Prof — hence I was called to be disciplined.

Gingerly, I went to his room. He offered me a seat and asked me to close the door. He started asking questions right from my childhood. I told about my lower middle class family, my father’s job as Railway Station Master, our family’s financial position, how I went to school without footwear till 7th std.. why I changed 7 schools between 1–12 class. etc.. It was a 360 degree interview. He interviewed me for more than an hour.

Then he asked me to go out to the department office and check a specific tray and bring New York times, and Washington Post news papers. It was my first deedar of such famous newspapers. They are 10 days old as they used to come in those days by airmail. Each news paper was of 72 pages. Yes 72 pages . He asked me to open editorial page and there were many editorials. He picked one each from both papers and instructed me to condense them ( precis writing.)

I carried NYT&WP to my room and with great reluctance looked at the chosen editorial from each newspaper and wrote a condensed version of the it and presented to Prof Murthy after two days. He scanned my script and with red pen marked huge letter X on each page and threw them into a corner. I was red faced. He calmly told me to repeat. I went after two days with revised scripts. He threw them again. After 4 attempts he okay-ed the scripts reluctantly. From that point a long journey started for me. At least twice in a week I used to spend time with him in his room after or before my classes. He made me to go thru many volumes of Harijan-Magazine edited by Bapu and many more books lined up in his office.. My precis writing continued for 3 months and then he suddenly asked me to stop it and asked me to read all eight editorials of both newspapers and jot down points to discuss/clarify with him.

During those days one more incident happened. Prof Murthy was discussing about administrative reforms and stressed the need to develop an eye for details.

He suddenly asked the class:

Q:” What is the name of the last bus stop before reaching campus?
A: All answered “ Bharat Nagar”
Q: How do you know?
A: There is a board denoting the name
Q: What else is on the board
A : — — — — — — No one answered.
I dared “ Bharat Nagar, Amaravati Road, Nagpur, Maharashtra”
Then citing me, he told the class that everyone must develop an eye for detail.

Prof Murthy treated me like a son, guiding, chiding, pushing me to complete reading of books that he suggested me to get from Library on my card and at times on his card. I slowly became more efficient in reading and discussing on international affairs.

This went through till end Feb 73.

I got respite from the above vigorous schedule due to annual exams.

Those days I interested in riding a bicycle and used to go with another friend to various places in the city almost every day and was not studying seriously for exams. My Land Lady aged 70 years used to warn me and always makes a point to advise me the importance of studies and compares me with my room mate who spends all the time studying . I used to sneak into the house after my daily outing as I was scared to face her.

Annual exams started wherein I must write for 3 hours for each of 4 papers — 5 questions to be answered out of 10. First day I saw Political Thought question paper and was shocked. I could answer only 3 questions instead of 5 and answered those 3 in 90 minutes and walked out of exam hall full 90 minutes to spare after picking up a tiff with invigilator who refused to let me go as per existing rules.

I cycled to my another friend’s exam center and was awaiting his arrival- who came out after full 3 hours’ time and was shocked to see me. I told him that I was waiting for him since an hour. He became furious about my irresponsible behaviour for not attempting all required 5 questions. I repeated the above (only answering 3 questions) for all four papers and my friends decided that I was a nut case.

At the end of exams, I gave Rs 20 to the clerk of my Dept along with a self addressed postcard and requested him to advise my result.

I was also feeling terrible to face my father who used to send Rs 180 pm out of his modest salary of Rs 450 with 3 more children at home. Once he asked me how I fared in exams, I feebly replied OK. I was avoiding him most of the time .

1973 — June 15 or so : The post card arrived at my address.

— contd

(చివరి భాగం )

స్నేహితుడి ప్రేమ/పెళ్లి విషయాల్లో పడి అసలు సంగతి మర్చాను.

మా ఇంగ్లీష్ లెక్చరర్ సుమంత్ గారి గురుంచి చెప్పకపోతే అసలు కాలేజి గురించి చెప్పినట్లు కాదు.

తెల్ల ప్యాంటు,తెల్ల షర్టు టక్.చాలా పొట్టి.

ఒక్క సారి క్లాసు లోకి వచ్చి టేబుల్ దగ్గర నిల్చుని గళం విప్పితే pin drop సైలెన్స్.

Poetry చెపుతుంటే అదో ఎమోషన్.

Tennnyson Ulysses. లో”I drink life to lees”. ఈ వాక్యానికి అర్ధం చెప్పుతూ, (Lees అంటే గ్లాసు లో మిగిలిన అట్టడుగు ద్రవపు చుక్కలు.) ఈ వాక్యం జీవితం లో ఎంత ఇంపార్టెంటో విశదీకరిస్తూ చేయటానికి మూడు క్లాసుల టైం తీసుకొన్నారు.అన్నిదృక్కోణాలు కవర్ చేస్తూ ఆయన చెప్పిన మాటలు,తాత్పర్యం 53 ఏళ్ళైనా గుర్తు చేసుకుంటూన్నా నంటే ఊహించు కోవచ్చు ఎంత బాగా చెప్పారో.!!

అలాగే Ulysses లోనే “I follow knowledge like a sinking star”.. ఈ వాక్యాన్ని ఆయన అదే స్టయిల్లో మూడు క్లాసుల్లో విడమరిచి చెప్పారు..

Twelfth night మొదటి వాక్యం “ if music be the food of love, play on” గురించి రెండు క్లాసుల్లో explain చేయటం వల్ల ఈ రోజుకు కూడా అవి గుర్తున్నాయి. ఆయన ఓ సూపర్ లెక్చరర్ గారు.

B.Sc ఇంగ్లీష్ లాంగ్వేజ్ క్లాస్ లో pindrop సైలెన్స్ అంటే మాటలా?

మా సుమంత్ మాస్టారిని మరొక్క సారి తలచుకుంటూ వారికి అంజలి ఘటిస్తూ ఇక్కడితో ……

….ఆర్ట్స్ కాలేజి కబుర్లు సమాప్తి అని తెలియచేసు కొంటున్నా.