Siddhu's story

My nephew Siddharth. This essay won him second prize at a college competition:

SHANMUGHA ZINDABAD!

(A True Life Story)



EAMCET- 26,353.

Manipal- Waiting List

VIT- 2nd Councelling

AIEEE – You so don't wanna know

IIT- As if you can't guess by now!

After a "disastrous" performance in the Pre-Engineering grinder, life became tough for a while. Options were running out and so was time. The feeling of letting my parents down grew day-by-day and phone calls from relatives and the jobless society enquiring about my ranks and percentiles added fuel to the fire.

There wasn't a day when I did not ponder as to why I had to choose Engineering as my career when I used to draw, paint and sketch well at school, but fate saw to it that I landed in the most miserable and the lousiest college in the country for my +2. I did "NOTHING" in those 2 years and it obviously reflected on the score cards. Just when I was running short of options, some godly creature informed me of an entrance exam for architecture, and that got me thinking.

I wanted to give it one last try and the next two months, I just devoted myself to it.

Meanwhile, time was running out, and my last option for Engineering, a deemed university called "SASTRA- Shanmugha University", which was my best option called for applications. I reluctantly filled it up and my mediocre 90%(mediocre.. because it's the state boardJ) in inter got me a call from it. The results for the architecture entrance were still not out, so, not having an option, I, along with my dad went to Thanjavur, the town where SASTRA is located to attend the councelling, and this was my experience….

Firstly, the ride was tough. Having to change 2 trains, a couple of buses, and then an auto! I already missed home by then. Then as soon as I entered college, there were these "lungi people" who were looking at me as if I was from some Turkmenistan or Azerbaijan or something. The reason—I was wearing a T shirt and jeans. The rules over there—T shirts and jeans are strictly banned. Fine- Rs.200/-. Caught talking with a girl. Fine-Rs.100/-. Caught speaking on the cell phone at college. Fine-Rs.500/-. Hair to be neatly trimmed at all times. Hostel food- pathetic. I felt like running away! With a sober face I went and attended the counselling, got an IT seat, somehow begged the Chancellor of the university and submitted attested mark memo's, with a promise that I'd submit the originals once college starts within a couple of weeks (since I was still waiting for the architecture result and I needed my original if at all I got a seat) and paid a neat 50,000 bucks.

We then came back home and there were still no signs of the results coming out soon. So, I didn't want to take a chance and hence SASTRA was the only option left. There were scenes of me, talking with this girl, who was the only(STRICTLY ONLY) cute girl during counselling and ending up paying Rs.100 everyday, scenes of me having to read volumes of not-so-good-to-look-at engineering books, scenes of flunking semesters, scenes of wearing a shirt and a cotton pant with belt and leather sandals to class everyday, scenes of being deprived of all the luxuries I could get at home.. all these and more – EVERY NIGHT!

My days of sanity were numbered and I started cursing JNTU for delaying the results. Afterall, I really did give the exam my best shot, and all that was going to go down the drain. The day had finally arrived when I had to bid adieu to my family and most importantly—LIFE!

June 23rd, 2006. The day when I knew God still loved me. The day which was nothing less than a miracle. The day when I got back my life which I thought I was going to lose forever.

I was back at SASTRA for my first day at college and I took dad along. I checked into my hostel, and Kailasagiri Venkata Balasubrahmanya Iyer who happened to be my roommate welcomed me into the room with a "huvvar u?"- Madurai Style. Without wasting a minute, I got the hell outta there and the next moment me and dad were at the admin building, about to submit my original certificates as promised. Just as we were about to enter the chancellors office, the phone rang, and it was my brother who broke the news that the architecture results were out and that I had secured a 3rd rank. I asked dad if it was a big huge cosmic joke. I then called up JNTU to confirm. Everything was correct.

Tears (also called as "anandabhaashps") started rolling down as only I knew how much effort had gone into getting that mark. The joy of getting a rank subsided as I had made a commitment to submit my certificates, failing which I was entitled for a fine of lakhs of rupees. I quarter-heartedly told dad that I'd go for SASTRA rather than burn a hole in his pocket. He encouraged me to go for architecture, as he knew that it was on my mind all along. Without wasting a moment, I thanked Lord Shanmugha, and quietly got my luggage out of the hostel and without informing anyone we literally RAN back home, a.k.a "Pokiri" style! (If at all I had submitted my certificates, I had to pay up the huge sum to get it back, so it was better losing the 50,000 we paid in the beginning)

Celebrations at home, and never did I love the phone ringing so much! I never felt happier as I knew that I didn't let my parents down and I did prove I was good at something! Then the counselling happened and here I am, doing stuff what my heart wants, learning things I love and spending time with some of the most wonderful people(the judges for this competition :p) I've come across in my life!




Now, what happened to SASTRA? Didn't I already enrol myself? Yes. I still keep getting letters at home, telling me that my attendance is 0% and that I have been flunking my exams, semester-after-semester with record breaking scores!! The latest one being, to pay up my library dues and caution deposit!! So, I am officially doing an engineering and an architecture bachelors at the same time in different cities. Talk about talent eh??? J

In God I trust!

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See Siddharth's fantastic photography here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sidwork/



The general question that the above post raises is how many students are stuck miserably doing Engineering at bad (or good!) colleges dotted across South India, learning nothing and then joining the workforce without being ready for anything. A human tragedy of unrealized potential (and an opportunity for change)