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  A BLUNDER WORTH TELLING

  HARSH KUMAR

  ‘To my friends who have always been together with me. This is the least gift I can give you all to be a part of my life..’

  Contents

  Acknowledgement and some thoughts

  Prologue

  1

  2

  3

  4

  5

  6

  7

  8

  9

  10

  11

  12

  13

  14

  15

  16

  17

  18

  19

  20

  21

  22

  23

  24

  25

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgement and some thoughts

  First and foremost I would like to thank God. In the process of putting this book together I realized how true this gift of writing is for me. You have given me the power to believe in my passion and pursue my dreams.

  Then thank you my dear readers and friends, for choosing A BLUNDER WORTH TELLING. I would like to express my gratitude to many people who saw me through this book; to all those who provided support, talked things over, read, wrote, offered comments, allowed me to quote their remarks.

  My friends for always motivating me to do better and for making me able to pursue me my dream.

  I am grateful to my family for being patient and always supporting me with my work.

  Today I write for the change of mindset of Indian society. Yes I know I am too young for that, and before beginning this book my motives were different, like every other young individual aspires fame, money, I was the one too running for that. But now after completing this book, yes I could say that I write for a change. The change in me. Don’t remember me but always miss me. Cause missing symbolizes love and remembrance symbolizes admiration, and I want to be loved not to be admired.

  Welcome to A Blunder Worth Telling

  Prologue

  “Search it fast Anirudh. We have only 10 minutes left for the next class.” I said.

  He hardly noticed me and continued his inquisitor in books.

  “Can't you remember which book you read yesterday?” He said.

  “No not even a single hint about it.” I said.

  “What a fool.” He said.

  Everyone in the library was looking at us. We were searching for books and turning pages like fools as if we had made a new discovery and was just one step far from it. But it was not so, we were not very bright students or so called book geeks to do so. Making it more clear it was just third time when I break in the library door of our school being a first year student. For the first time, I remember according to me I entered here because of a girl, Amandeep( a friend of mine) was following a girl and we( I and Anirudh) wanted to know more about her so we followed her. Though it came of no use as later we got to know that she was none other than one of the duffers of our class (me included). And since then my second visit in the library took place yesterday (no not for a girl this time). We friends decided a day to party and the party was thrown by the unlucky sufferer whose name was selected by chits. Unluckily yesterday my name came out, however I managed to skip the ritual and befooled them by saying that I don't have enough money but would surely give them the treat later. God knows how they came to know that I had enough cash in my pocket for the party. So I found library the only place to keep my loving, dear and the only thousand rupee note safe. That day the note vanished from my pocket and soon from our country. I kept it in one of the most boring books which no one would ever prefer to read. But today when I arrived back here I couldn’t find the book in its place in which I had kept the money. That’s why we were busy looking in books for the last 20 minutes.

  “Shhhh! Slowly. Everyone is looking at us. Let no one know about it or our money is gone.” I said.

  “Wow I got an idea.” Anirudh said.

  He stood on one of the table in library and made an announcement that almost gave me a heart attack.

  “My dear friend, I am searching for a 1000 rupee note that was lost by my friend yesterday and he had kept it in one of the books, whoever finds the money and return us will definitely get half share in the note. Thank you.” He said.

  Everybody stood from their respective seats thumping sounds of footsteps increased and everyone started searching for the note as if it was their own property.

  “What are you doing you idiot.” I said.

  “What??? Now you see your note will be here in less than 5 minutes.” Anirudh said.

  “Why would someone take half share if they found the full note, you duffer?” I said.

  “Err…..” He thought for a while.

  “I haven’t thought of this.” He fell down and sat on a chair, took a deep breath and started thinking what a big fool he was (Admiring his own talent)

  In less than 2 minutes the torn pages of Human Antinomy came in our hands. Now I remembered that was the book in which I had kept my money in vain

  Chapter 1

  Suddenly my eyes opened and I found myself in my bedroom. It was 2:00 Am and I was dreaming. Actually it was not only a dream but was one of my good old memory of the time I had spent with my friends. My heart and eyes both were almost filled with pain and tears and emotions tried fleding out of me but I controlled. Anirudh was my best friend when I was in school, better I say that he is and will always remain in my heart. He was very nice and helpful but only for me as we were the so called 'Chuddy buddies'. Together we had lived all the pain and happiness. Our friendship was like soul's heaven. Now 2 months had passed after our 12 board result and tomorrow was my joining for NSc Delhi. Thank god that Shashwat (my old friend from school) was also coping up with me for joining. As a matter of fact he was not coping up with me and was always ahead of me, though we were friends but not like besties. He was of generous behavior, hardworking and studious. Oh sorry!! I forgot to mention anything about myself. I was born in Lucknow the capital of Uttar Pradesh as a middle class family boy. I remember that my mother had told me once that I was born after a lot of prayers from Gods as I was the only boy child in my family after my 2 elder sisters so they had a lot of expectations from me like clearly saying, they thought me of like the only descendent of the family and they always demanded something big from me. And how talented I was that I always gave them a big…… a big shock it was, from school complaints to results. I somehow completed my twelfth from Saint Xavier School in Lucknow and was now going to Delhi for a glorious degree, as per the demand of my parents. Study had always been out of my reach since my childhood. I was much interested in creative things and trying something new which I remember once had resulted in a small explosion that took place when I was doing a chemistry practical. I don’t know what was my relation with H2SO4 but whenever I saw it.., I just can’t stop myself to try mixing it with all the chemicals available. And as a result of which I got a burn mark on my left hand. I was scolded badly by my teachers, principle as well as my parents; from that day I always tried to maintain a mile distance from H2SO4 . My school days just passed in all the fun with my friends. We were rarely seen in the class and ‘bunk’ had become a common word of daily use for us. I had a very tight schedule, waking up in the morning then hurrying for school as I was always late then bunking in school, and after coming back home I only had two works to do, one was sleeping which was my favorite job and another was to attend my dance class. But from now on I had decided that I will try my best, do hard work and will try to compete to the demands and expectations of my family from me or say try to throw some light on Kumar which was my family title by glowing a b
ulb ahead of it. Ahha!! Wait I forgot to mention about girls. We were in coed school; at least they deserve to be in some part of this book. Wow! What a topic to discuss on. The never ending topic it was and also I don’t know from where to start. I never got attracted towards any girl madly but all of them were the center of attraction. Some were good friend of mine and some only for simple hiii's and hello’s. It is said that females are the most complicated animals to understand present on the planet. Yes of course they are, it is said by none other than me. Living in 21st century now we could conduct various tests to understand the behavior and the mindset of even the most dangerous animals by help of technology and latest knowledge, but for women’s no, never. I will not even dare to try. Once I remember for Anirudh I tried to talk to a girl to know her feelings about him, she got me so confused that on the next morning I was in a trouble remembering that whether I was in love with her or Anirudh.

  In this way my whole time after 2:00 AM passed in remembering my good old days, my sweet memories and thinking what would happen the next day in the college. I got carried away with my dreams and I don’t remember when I slept.

  Chapter 2

  “Ohh!! Shit.” I bawled when all of a sudden my eyes opened and I got a glance of the clock. It was 8:15 AM and just 15 minutes were left for me to reach the college. I can’t be late on the first day, I kicked myself in my mind that how silly I was. I gave a harsh look to my mobile phone on which I had set the alarm for today but I knew it wasn’t its mistake and started to get ready for the college. I was lucky enough to be only 5 minutes late and found Shashwat waiting for me at the university gate. He was neatly dressed, nicely combed and looked to me more like a professor than a fresher.

  “Hey, where were you? Why are you so late?” Shashwat spoke.

  “Just got busy with the tie knot.” I excused.

  I didn’t want to tell him the truth. Why? I don’t know just I didn’t.

  “Oh! Wait I forgot to speak to my mom. Wait for 2 minutes I must call.” I said.

  I called my mother we talked I tried to finish my conversation as soon as possible Shashwat was getting eager to enter the university. She invoked few words of blessing on me and I took it as my good luck charm. I loved my mother very much and we were more like friends, so I shared a lot of things with her. I know many of you do have a friendship like relation with your mother or father or any of your family member but do you agree that you share all the things, even a small pin to a large elephant like talks with them. No, Right! If you do keep it up. But you all must have had a friend in your life “The Besties” with whom you must have shared your all thoughts even a rubbish talk and your feelings which you can’t share with others. In every stage of life it might be possible that the holder of this position may change, means in school life you may share your thoughts with some other friend and coming in college some other and so on in every successive stage. But in each and every stage someone always remains beside us. This friendship is above all the relations; you meet with a stranger, share and exchange your thoughts and one day comes when you trust that person more than anybody else in the world. So always remember friends this bond of friendship is very delicate and important choose your so called ‘Besties' wisely, someone who could guide you from difficulties and can live your pain and happiness as their own.

  Back to reality

  We entered the campus there were many new students like us searching for their rooms. We managed to find our rooms kept our bags there and then moved out to roam around the campus and to get used to of every section. Our college was far from the city area so it provided a lightly populated, clean and green environment to live in. There was a huge board on which name of professors and some toppers who had great hand in maintaining the reputation of the college were written. As we were admiring the toppers I got a glimpse of a girl and for one minute the glimpse forced me to think that I had seen her somewhere before. I tried my best to remember her but I can’t .

  “Hey! Where are you lost?” Shashwat said as I just got frozen staring at the corridor for few seconds.

  “No nothing.” I replied.

  I desired to follow her but as Shashwat was interested in other sections of the university so I gave up. For few hours we roamed in and around our campus. It was quite a big university and many students like us were admiring it. At night in our dorm we got to know that we were sharing our room with two other boys. We introduced ourselves and asked for their intro too one of them (Tanay) was from Madhya Pradesh and (Aarav) the other one was from Jammu. Till schools we studied in a united environment but now ahead of us were a diversified culture and believe me my friends it has its own unique fun to understand and live in diversified tone. We talked till midnight shared our views regarding our cultures. The bane and boons in our living. Everyone was very excited and was eagerly waiting for tomorrow when they will enter the so called college life. I had heard about the fun in college from many, but I can’t believe that from next day I was going to live that life. Again some memories of my old times in school came to my mind, though I was entering into a new phase of my life but nothing could replace my friends. They were the part of some memorable moments of my life and always will be. I thought how better this new start would be if they were with me.

  I slept.

  Chapter 3

  ‘Hey! Wake up. We are getting late.” Shashwat shouted in my ears.

  I suddenly woke up. All the three boys were standing at my head and were staring at me like they had never seen someone sleeping in their whole life before.

  “What?” I asked.

  “Wake up, you must get ready or we will be late for our class.” Tanay said.

  “Oh!” I leaped out of my bed and looked at the clock.

  There was enough time for me to get ready for the class. I must thank my friends who saved me from getting late for my first class. I got ready, took my bag and we fled. We were allotted seats according to our names in an alphabetical order. I was seated in the third row between four boys. I took a look at the whole hall, no girl was even near me, and they were at least four seats away from me. Bad luck of my name I think. Aarav was seated two rows ahead of me surrounded by girls “What a luck.” I thought. I took another glance at the class and my eyes stopped on a girl. She was sitting in the front row, it was her whom I had seen yesterday and had thought that she some acquaintance of mine. Again I tried hard to remember but I can’t. Finally I decided to go directly to her and ask. She turned, our eyes met and I couldn’t believe she smiled. Yes she did!!! It means that there were no confusions and my all thoughts were right I must had known he in my past days. But suddenly another revolting thought came to my mind. Hey don’t be so overjoyed it could also be a stranger’s smile, like one we pass when we see a stranger staring at us and we smile in reply so they might avoid staring. Both conditions were fulfilled but which one was true no one knew except her. This contradictory thought of mine again led me to a confusion that whether I knew her or not. Finally I decided again to go and ask her, this was my second final time. As soon as I stood our professor entered in our class.

  “Good morning Students.” He exclaimed.

  Everyone was busy in their own talking and no one paid attention to him first but after a while all the students stood.

  “Very well-mannered boy.” He pointed towards me.

  “See and learn class these are manners, he stood as soon as I enter the class, as if he was only waiting for me, as if he was hungry to gain knowledge, I could feel his hunger, as if he has only one goal in his life to reach……” I didn’t want to write the whole lecture he had given. Though he praised me, then also I felt it like a joke. I somehow controlled my laughter. Everyone in the class was looking at me some were praising, some criticizing, some jealous but yes it was for sure that everyone was looking at me. The lecture helped me in two things, first it helped me in gaining some respect on the first day. My first impression was gone the best without any preparations. Thank god!!.
Second, it helped all the students in knowing one habit of using the word ‘as if' repeatedly possessed by our professor. He was skinny, wore a boneless frame and his tone sounded like a South Indian. “The Parabolic Curve” he started. Before coming in college I had made many promises to myself that I would study hard and would do no fun at all. “No bunking” would become a rule for me, I had to control myself and concentrate. But what a poor concentration, I on the first day unknowingly broke all the promises. Though I was physically present in the hall but mind was bunking the class. It was on the front row. No, no I don’t think that it was in the class of the love. You must be thinking that I was in love with her, like the love at first sight. But the situation was not something like that. I was just curious to know what was my relation with her, how I knew her. That was all. I wanted all my questions to be answered.

  “Ssss fssss” I found someone calling me from back. It was Shashwat.

  “What are you doing? Why are you looking at her continuously. Just focus and study.” Shashwat said in signs.

  “Hmmm” I nodded.

  I was happy knowing that he cared for me. He was like a mentor. Afterwards I tried to concentrate.

  Our lecture ended and everyone fled like they were released from zoo. I tried to reach the first row as fast as I could but she was gone. I looked out in some places but she was also not there.

  “Hey! Wait. Are you idiot. Why were you staring at her. Everyone was looking at you.” Shashwat said.

  “I don’t care.” I said.

  “Okay!! Now lets move to canteen we have our next lecture in two hours.” He said.

  “But I want to know about that girl.” I replied.

  “Oh don’t be a fool, where will you find her in so big college. Wait till next lecture when she will come just ask.” He said.

  “Right.” I nodded.

  “But tell me one thing why are you interested in her.” He said.

  “Because I feel that I have seen her somewhere before but I can’t remember where.” I said.