Chronicles of KGP: The Extra Week

Being a KGPian has been a significant part of my identity since I joined the institute and I am sure must be the same with most of you. In quite some ways it has defined me and the pride it has instilled in me I can never repay for that.

Whenever I recall my days at KGP in tranquility I am flooded with nostalgia and emotions. Sometimes they are so overwhelming that it becomes difficult to imagine it’s been 40 years since we graduated from there. But if I were to pick just one incident which brings out my connection with my alma mater in true light it would be the one which took place just before I was to say final good bye to it.

It was the third week of May in 1980. Half of the final year students had left the campus as they had completed all the formalities. I was scheduled to leave in a day or two. Obviously there were some who would have left after me.

The mess was closed. I grabbed an omelette and two slices of spongy bread from the shop in the PAN area in the old campus. For some reason the owner of the eating joint used to change every six months which makes me unsure about the name of the person running it. But the hair cutting salon next to it was firmly occupied by my friend Kakoo. Being a Patelian I had a special relationship with him but that some other time.

Coming back to the anecdote, it was around 9am in the morning. Not very hot yet. I had just nothing to do. Cursing myself for not getting my train ticket for two days earlier than I had done I started to roam around the campus. First to the Tech Market then to the campus then to Prem Bazar and so on.

Somewhere on the way I realised I became extremely sad. Without a clear realisation I was badly tormented with the thoughts of leaving KGP campus for good. Five beautiful years I have spent here. I have grown into a man here. It has formed me and shaped my being. I have its imprint on every aspect of my life. And all of a sudden two days from now I will leave it for good. Miss all this for my whole life.

Somewhere from some corner of my mind a rationalist tried to say feebly that this was the way things happened. It will be all right pretty soon. I should not give in to weaknesses like these. After all I am a man now. But it was quietened with such a loud rebuke by my crying heart that it never raised its head again.

I looked around. There were not many people on the road. None very close. I wiped my tears quickly and started to think. Thinking hard about what could be an appropriate response to it. I wanted to prolong my stay there. Even if for a couple of days only I wanted it really earnestly. But wishes met the harsh realities fairly quickly. I knew I had just fifty-nine rupees in my bank account which I intended to withdraw that day when the bank opened. This much money I must have with me for my journey back home. The next big issue was the railway reservation. It was simply out of the question to get the reservation for two days ahead. It was done through telegram from KGP to Howrah. Minimum lead time that they wanted was one week.

The fact that I just cannot do anything kept wrenching my heart. In an utterly inconsolable state, very angry with everything in the world I reached the State Bank of India. I sat at the bench waiting for the counter for withdrawal to be manned. I had brought the application they wanted to close my account and give me all the money. When the counter opened I was the only person at the counter. Taking my application, the gentleman behind the counter made entries in many ledgers and performed many acts which were beyond my comprehension and my anger with everything was rising exponentially.

Suddenly he pushed a paper for me to sign on and informed me that it’s one hundred and fifty-nine rupees only that I am getting.

I did not believe my ears. What? Was it one hundred fifty-nine and not fifty-nine only as I had imagined? Was it really true? Was I not hallucinating? The gentleman, undisturbed by all that was going on inside me took the paper I had signed and thrust one hundred and fifty-nine rupees in my hand. He must have never seen a person with the kind of expression I had on my face while getting the account closed. Not seeing me move from the counter, hiding his irritation, he muttered “That’s all.”

I left the counter quickly realizing I was perspiring badly on my forehead. I wiped it and suddenly the whole world was so good. I felt like embracing somebody in the street, singing aloud or doing something stupid like that.

Ten rupees a day if I cut corners and fifteen with luxury and that meant I can stay here for one more week without any hassle.

Great. Almost subconsciously I was walking towards the railway station. No rickshaw, I decided to walk. Money is very important for next one week. Moreover, no hurry and I wanted to observe everything on the way to the station. It was an integral part of being a KGPian.

At the station the person on the counter took my request for advancing my reservation for one week later. He was quite unconvinced about what I was doing. He did not think it was wise and informed me menacingly that it may mean losing reservation altogether and I may have to go unreserved on the proposed date. The world was too good to care for such trivialities.

I came back from there in a state of elation. Informed all my friends that I am not going the day after but the next week on the same day. They were happy but warned me that I will be among the last few to leave. They were surprised when they saw me receive this as a favourable news.

For the whole of next week I just kept on getting early and spending time vising all the places in the campus at a slow and leisurely pace. The institute, the old block, different departments, library, Gymkhana, Tech Market, Prem Bazar, Chhedi’s and what not.

Those were the most tranquil, serene, soothing and fulfilling days of my life at KGP. I was soaking in the greatness of the place I built myself at and in a way was thanking it for all I owe to it.

As the luck would have it one day before my departure I found out from the station that my reservation for the new date is through.

The last uncertainty removed It was a perfect departure from my alma mater.

Even today I feel my association with it would not have been as complete as it is now but for the extra week.

B K Das