Retrospection.

Mr. Ghatak sunk into his cushioned rest chair, after an hour of subjective analytical lecture of Engineering Hydraulics. Even the climate-controlled lecture hall, seemed to have denatured itself into a greenhouse, with students packed like sardines. He threw away the hand notes, and allowed himself to have a power nap in a scorching summer day.

"This is life!", he said to himself.

The air-conditioned was set at its highest torque, and its aftermath has transpired into his body. The sweat have vanished, and this brought the lecturer a relief.

He always had a cocky nature for his extraordinary academic records he has put up during his student life. This cocky nature had led him, to put up a rally of degrees under his name with colossal text height.

He gazed at the name plate with his name, and a sudden grin appeared on his face.

"Mr. Ghatak, B. E, IIT Delhi, M. S, University of Massachusetts, Dean.", he read out.

"May I come in sir?", the peon asked, peeping through the partly opened door.

Mr. Ghatak nodded. The air-conditioner seemed to have vaporized his anguish, along with his sweat.

"Sir, here's your parcel!", the peon said, and placed a brown paper wrapped item on his table.

Mr. Ghatak was astonished with such an unexpected parcel. He neither placed any online orders, nor did any book publisher contact him for a free book delivery. He was well acquainted with the book publishers, who used to parcel him a sample copy of their books, as a part of their book publicity. Then, who send it?

He held up the parcel. It was neither heavy, nor too light. He checked the parcel, before opening. The crime serials have planted a seed of negativities in him. Neither there was any address, nor any stamp of the courier service. It seemed that the sender has come in person to deliver his parcel.

After a quick external examination, it seemed that the parcel consisted of a book. This revelation had further put the lecturer in further dilemma. Mr. Ghatak, recently saw a crime serial, where the victim was murdered by a bomb, fixed on a book, which blasts when the book is opened.

Sweats have appeared on his forehead, with all the negativities, effervesced in his mind. Soon, his eyes got hold of a line written in a bold outline on the top - "I hope you remember me, my buddy."

"A buddy?", he raised an eyebrow.

The line had induced some confidence within him, but still he couldn't let off the shady side of his thoughts.

"Jesus save me!", he said, and slid out the book from the brown parcel.

The book was "Steve Jobs by Walter Issacson", which depicted the life journey of the ace entrepreneur, Steve Jobs, and his venture, Apple. Mr. Ghatak was well acquainted with this Amazon best-seller, but he found something unusual with the cover. Someone has scribbled some words on its neat, smooth cover. "Dots Can Only Be Connected Backwards, when you retrospect about your past, you would realize, how perfect was it to help you become what you are at present!" - said by the great, but applied on my trait.

The scribbled words injected a new found enthusiasm into his blood. He flipped the pages of the book, to gain further access to the evidences about what the sender was trying to say.

Just when Mr. Ghatak had reached amongst the middle pages of the book, he got hold of a piece of paper with "Mr. Ghatak, remember our college days? Finally I got hold of you. Thanks for your help. I could never repay you back. - Mr. Bhandari.", written on it.

Who was this Mr. Bhandari? Mr. Ghatak had lost all contacts with his friends, after his ultra-successful career, for two reasons - most of them were jealous, two, Mr. Ghatak didn't found any of them worthy to have acquaintance after his achievements.

Past. Another word pierced his mind. His college days have faded away with time, just like his once black, dense hairs faded away with bald, white grass field.

He was relifed after investigating the parcel with no such bombs, and allowed himself to relax, in his cushioned rest chair. He thought hard to revive his past memories, his college life.

He closed his eyes, as his sub-conscious mind threw him to relive his golden past.

"These are important!", he said, ticking down the probable question in the last semester exam.

"Are you sure?", Anurag, his roommate asked.

Anurag was an epitome of a looser in his college, with no interest in studies, sports, or any extra-curricular activities. Though, being a looser, he manages to get through the semesters, without any backlogs. It was not for the blessings of Athena, that he passed his exams in one attempt, but it was for his friend, Varun Ghatak's before-exam-night lectures. Anurag had stereotyped Varun as his Athena during his college days.

This was the last semester, and he have to go clear the exams in one attempt, to ensure a job, or a scope of further studies. He was too not from a millionaire family, that he could scavenge on his dad's hefty wealth. He had to support his family, with his dad's retirement's sword hanging on his neck.

"Have you applied for some jobs?", Varun asked.

He knew Anurag's carefree attitude towards life. He had tried to make him serious about life, but with failed end results.

Anurag shook his head. He haven't applies for any job. He had some other plans in life.

"What are you going to do after college?", he asked Varun.

"I've applied for RAIL.", Varun replied.

Thirty years from now, having a government job was equivalent to having a gold mine. But, with sudden exposure of new scams, it had lost its charm.

"You have to support your family! You ought to find a job for yourself.", Varun added.

"I'm going for GATE, looking for some IITs.", he said plainly.

Varun was stunned on hearing his plans. A guy, who merely passes the semesters, would be looking for IITs for further studies, was the most hilarious joke he heard in his life.

A brief involuntary laughter appeared on his face.

"What!", Anurag exclaimed, surprised by his roommate's sudden laughter.

"First pass your semester exams!", Varun smirked.

Anurag gave a sidelong stare at him. He knew Varun, as an arrogant guy, but had never expected such a response from him. Varun has thrashed his confidence.

"I will clear everything!", Anurag said.

He was hurt by his roommate's canabolic words. Words certainly do hurt more than actions.

 

He sprang out of his rest chair, and started flipping through the pages of the book. The short dream went through his past till the reality breezed in him.

"Is this Anurag Bhandari?", he asked himself.

In a New York minute, he opened the Zuckerberg's offspring, and searched by his name. A sudden surge of knowing the Anurag Bhandari had crept within him. He realized that he had hurt him, more than he should have. A number of profiles were visible in front of his bewildered eyes, but there was no one relevant to his badge.

He flushed. He wanted to know where his roomie works. He sunk again in his arm chair, agonized. He had failed for the first time in his life. He was deeply agonized with his failure. He felt heavy after tasting the first faliure of his life.

"I think I should search him on Google.", he said to himself.

He lifted himself up, and typed the name in the universal internet connection inspector. He was startled with the search results.

Anurag Bhandari

B. E. IIT Delhi, M. S IIT Bombay, Ph. D University of Masachuettes, H.O.D, Civil Engineering, University of Yolkohama.

Not only that, he had 24 patents under his name. He was bowled over by Anurag's achievements. For the first time, he felt his colossal degrees were nothing, compared to that petty guy, who once got lectured by him. Today, he understood the meaning of failure.

He sat amazed at that underdog's colossal achievements, when his mobile buzzed up. It was a call from an unknown number. He picked it up.

"Is this Mr. Ghatak?", the voice asked.

"Yeah! Who's this?", he asked, bewildered.

"Your roomie.", the voice answered, shortly.

He was appalled with that unknown voice, the voice, which once echoed in his hostel room. He was Anurag Bhandari.

Tears of an unexplainable joy exuded from his eyes. He wanted to ask many questions, but his voice choked with the tears oozing out of his eyes.

"So Mr. Nerd, finally got you!", Mr. Bhandari exclaimed.

"I'm sorry.", Mr. Ghatak said with broken voice.

"Its okay! You made me realize the most motivational line of all time - you can't do it.",

Mr. Ghatak gave a breif laugh with the tears in his eyes.

"You beat me!", Mr. Ghatak said.

"Its not about beating, its about how much you made me realize what I'm capable of doing!"

They both gave a brief laugh. Mr. Ghatak wiped away his tears, kept his arrogance at bay, and revisited his golden days of college life, with his new found old-roomie, on the line.

Reviews

[Rikaelia]

its a good story...it was a fresh new idea, n i appreciate it. However, i feel that your writing has to improve more..coz you write with a typical accent of our Indian language. Also be careful with the grammar.

[The dark story]

When I reached the end of it, I simply smiled. It’s a really motivational and an inspirational story, highlighting the point that we should look things in a trifle different way, just like Anurag Bhandari did. That will make a whole new difference. As it is said, “A sergeant’s knife is kindly cruel, it’s cut to cure” Your character has made that insulting remark into a inspirational one, quite impressive and a very wise thing to do. That’s how one achieve a true success in life .

[Trigorin]

Not bad. Even though some of your language is a little stilted in parts, you've told the story very well and kept the attention of the audience the whole way through. I think the relative brevity of the piece is very well done, and I think that you've stayed very focused. Good work.

[Talal Hussain]

Thats a wonderful write Mayur...Loved each word of the story..very inspiring :-)

[Coyote Poetry]

I like the story a lot. Negative words can turn a life around. One man gave advice and one man learn. I like the gift of the book and the journey into the past. I like the rebirth of a old friendship in the end. Thank you for sharing the excellent story.
Coyote

[Dayran]

The title would have been great as ' Steve Jobs and the Betel Leaf Plant,' but that does not take into account the dimensionaly different lives lived. It brings the two for comparison without much comment and its nice to see Ghatak get along with what he wants to do in his life. A nice write.