bhOndOO went for the farewell function of the passing out ME and research students. He was a bit excited, because he had managed to get inside information about some games to be played during the function. He knew Shami was coming and wanted to be in her team. What he did not know was that Gullu was also coming for the function.
The faculty members were also invited and five out of twenty three showed their appearance. They were amongst the people to come on time and had to wait for the passing out students to arrive, who reached 20 min late. Some students claimed that they were having revenge on the faculty members who reach late for lectures. bhOndOO saw Lili seated beside Shami. He came to Lili and said, “The madam from the office was looking for you urgently.”. Lili went and bhOndOO grabbed the seat. When Gullu arrived, he had to seat three rows away. bhOndOO was very happy. When Lili came back and asked, bhOndOO made an ignorant face and said, “Oh! She didn’t! Then may be I misheard your name. Sorry for the trouble. Anyway, do get seated, the function is starting now.”.
After the initial formal function, including speeches of the faculty talking about hamare jamane mein and come back for PhD, the faculty members left. The classroom was then full of only students. Every passing-out student was called on stage, shared his/her experiences, was ragged by others, and was given a momento before returning to his seat.
While Laxman was getting asked about a girl who had come to his lab for internship last semester, Laxman answered, in a rather fed-up mood: How will I know what she has in mind! I don’t even know her. I mean, I know her, but only physically, and not mentally.
Junta bust out laughing.
Gullu asked Roshan: Give one similarity between you and your advisor.
Roshan said: Both of us take a long time to think on a problem.
bhOndOO, noting that he should also show his question-asking ability, asked: Give one difference between you and your advisor.
Roshan said: After taking a long time to think on a problem, he solves it.
Lili asked Sairam, the best friend of Roshan: What would have happened had you and Roshan been born in the same house?
Sairam answered: Instead of two, only one house would have been spoilt.
Chunni Babu presented a sher:
Khuda kare sab hasinaon ke baap mar jaye,
Bahana ho maatam ka, aur hum unke ghar ho aaye.
To this, bhOndOO added:
Are jaalim, aisa na kah, bada paap hoga,
Tu bhi kabhi kisi hasina ka baap hoga.
After the ragging, came the time for which bhOndOO was waiting. A game was announced. All students were divided in five teams and two participants from each team were called on stage. The two members of a team had to carry a balloon between their backs and without letting it fall, had to prick other teams’s balloons. The organizers arranged for teams such that every student’s team would be his/her unique position in the class modulus five. Shami went into team 2 and bhOndOO in team 3. Well, you guessed it right: Gullu went into team 2.
BenJi, bhOndOO’s partner, managed to prick two balloons. bhOndOO got the opportunity to prick Gullu’s balloon, but he could not do it because Gullu’s partner was Shami. Shami pricked the third balloon. Gullu managed to prick bhOndOO’s balloon and won. He was overjoyed. Shami was smiling looking down and bhOndOO wasn’t sad on losing. He remembered the line from Baazigar and felt happy: Haarkar bhi jeetne wale ko baazigar kehte hai.
There were a series of games played and bhOndOO’s team lost most of them whenever bhOndOO played against Shami’s team. Finally, Shami’s team won. They were called on stage and were distributed chocolates. Shami looked up to the cheering crowd — bhOndOO was smiling.
At the end of the games, Shami came back to her seat. bhOndOO got half of the chocolate.
iisc life. 