Divinity was Born Between the Blue Wings

The day started with the morning at around 8, rather than the usual Afternoon because my sister wanted me to get her something from a shop nearby (Yes, this Always happens to me!) and after I got back home, somehow I decided not to go back to bed. Well, 2 hours later, I was harmlessly playing RCT II on my system when I got this call:

X: Is this Karthik Krishnan of Chennai?
Me: Erm, yes.
X: Karthik, I am calling from Times School of Journalism, Our course Director wants to conduct a telephonic interview right now, are you ready?
Me: Erm, yes. (What else was I supposed to say?!)

. . .

After 20 Mins of discussing things ranging from Politics in Tamil Nadu to Arthur.C.Clarke, mildly touching on whether I am also from the same part of Kerala as him (these Mallus I tell ya!), the Course Director, some Verghese dude, says this- "Congratulations Karthik, You have been accepted into this year's course. You will receive a postal confirmation with other details in some time."

I curtly said Thank You and got back to my game. It took a whole quarter of an hour for the news to actually sink in! Too many thoughts in my head - "I am getting outta home. Is it really THAT easy? Why didn't they conduct a test? Was that a prank? I am getting outta home! One WHOLE year!! Did I cut the call?"

It happened intermittently, I was still not sure if it was indeed a prank, so I checked the number from which I got the call and it looked like a genuine Delhi number. Some Googling later, I found out that it was indeed the number from the Dean's Office. Again, I was somehow resisting shouting at the top of my voice, shouting with joy, mind you.

But it didn't COMPLETELY sink in until I sat on my epiphany pot (my kuckoos!). I actually spent half an hour, singing songs at the top of my voice and feeling genuinely happy. This is what I've wanted since I started the final year in college, to get outta home, I thought I'd write CAT and go off somewhere, but somehow that didn't work out. So I gave Journalism a shot and here I am!

As if I wasn't delirious enough already, a letter from Manorama School of Journalism came in the afternoon post saying these exact lines : "You are ranked 9th in the recently conducted test.. blah di blah.. Your interview is set on the 1st of July, the course begins on 6th July, given your high ranking in the test, we suggest that you come for the interview with your baggage and enroll yourself in the hostel"!!!!

But honestly, is it really that easy to get into one of the Top Journalistic schools in India (TSJ's run by The Times of India and Manorama's run by that Malayalam Manorama Group)? I mean, I am a B.Com Graduate (Hopefully!) who has had completely nothing to do with Journalism Ever, except for a few articles about the things I've been involved in. I've never had any of my writings published, I've never worked for a journalist, heck I haven't worked at all! Aren't there those people who did their UG in Journalism? I really didn't think I would even get one call, but now I am spoilt for choices!! :D

But I am not complaining, as long as I get to spend a year away from home, all alone, living by myself and learning things I had no idea about, I am fine.
Finally, the Big Man up there has acknowledged my existence! :P

PS Don't ask me why I've used that title, that song's my current addiction.

The Insatiable thirst of Mr.Murphy

This is a story of how Mr. Murphy screwed with me on the last day of my student hood.

I went to sleep the previous night planning that I should wake up by around 7, head to the Post Office to send a post by around 9, then leave to college for my last exam starting at 10. It all started well, with the alarm waking me up successfully and me completing my morning ablutions well in time. Just as I was about to save some last minute notes into my phone's drafts, my phone blinked saying "low battery". Strike One. It took me a full 20 minutes to charge up the phone so as to type enough of it and save it all into another phone, leaving my phone to charge. The time - 9.10

I rushed to the Post Office and in the hurry, forgot a document that was part of the post. Being the brilliant genius that I am, I had already sealed the envelope. Strike two. I got back home from the post office, reopened the envelope, put in that document and re-sealed it. The time - 9.25

For the second time that morning, I rushed to the post office and this time, there were 2 people in the queue in front of me and as it would happen only to me, they were ridiculously old. After what seemed like an eternity, my turn came and I finished the posting part. Soon as I got back to the parking lot and kept my leg on the kicker, a certain compartment of my bag flashed in front of me. The Hall Ticket, which was supposed to be in that particular compartment, was not there. (The reason being that while I was returning back home after my previous exam, a generous black crow decided to drop the remaining of its morning breakfast onto my blue bag. It pooped on my bag. So I had to empty all the contents of my bag to clean it and in that confusion, I had misplaced my Hall Ticket!) Strike three. The time - 9.40

I figured it'd be too late to go back home, search for the hall ticket and then rush back to college before 10.30 (The time by which I Must start the exam), so I ended up rushing to college in morning traffic, almost crashing into a gleaming black Honda City. Soon as I reached, I cried out my plea to my one class mate who was as late as me and this passing by stranger told me what to do in order to get the permission to write the exam. I had to go to the controller of exams and write a letter and things. I did and apparently, I needed any one of my professors to sign my letter, validating that I was indeed a student there. As it would happen, all of my professors were invigilating in separate rooms and I did Not have the time to go explain my position to them and get their signature. Strike Four. The time - 10.15

I think Murphy thought he had enough fun with me for one morning, so he just let my 1st semester's English professor walk past me. I managed to convince him that I was an irresponsible oaf to have forgotten my hall ticket and that it wouldn't happen again (It couldn't have, unless I managed to keep an arrear, as that was my last exam) and finally got the required signature. 8 Minutes later, I had my bogus hall ticket in my hand and I was drenched in sweat. All this for a bloody HRM exam! :|

While I was climbing up the stairs to my exam hall, I couldn't help but wonder, the extremes Mr. Murphy goes to screw with someone as innocuous as me!

Where is my woman?

"A Different kind of Poverty now upsets me so
Night after sleepless night, I walk the floor and want to know
Why am I so Alone?
Where is my woman?
Can I bring her home?
Have I driven her away?
Is she gone?"

4+20
CSNY