AA AB LAUT CHALE…Excerpt from my upcoming Book-YOU Can't Complete EngineeriNG..?

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The Diwali vacations had started and lovers like Manoj were again disheartened by the thought of separation from their sweetheart. My Filmy mind imagined Maneesha getting emotional for Manoj and singing…

‘Kal College band ho jayega,

Tum apne ghar ko jaaoge,

Phir ek lakda ek ladki se juda ho jayega

Wo mil nahi payega.’

‘We are not so Filmy like you, Rajesh. But definitely we will miss each other. So I have decided to take only two days break for Diwali,’ Manoj informed.

‘And what are you gonna do here for rest of the days?’ Suhas asked him.

‘Of course, Pyaar, Ishq aur Mohabbat,’ Manoj replied.

‘Now who’s getting Filmy?’ I asked and we burst in laughter.

It showed 11 pm in my watch when my mobile rang. Mayank was on the line.

‘Is Vishal there with you?’ he asked.

‘Vishal, you mean Vishal Raut? No yaar, he is not here. Why? Is there anything urgent?’ I asked.

‘No, nothing urgent as such. But his mom was asking about him. I think he has gone missing,’ Mayank’s reply left me astounded.

Looking at my facial expressions Rakesh asked, ‘What happened, Rajesh? Anything serious?’

‘It seems our classmate Vikas Raut is missing.’

‘Vikas Raut? You mean that guy who made a futile attempt to give friendship band to Suhas’s Vaidehi,’ Rakesh asked.

‘Yes, the same guy,’ I replied.

‘How can you expect me to accept this friendship band? I don’t even know you.’ This was Vaidehi’s response to Vishal. And our Suhas sir is still hopeful about wooing her,’ Rahul quipped.

‘Vishal is a different person and I’m different. Therefore, the outcome of our encounters with Vaidehi will also be different. But here the topic is not Vaidehi, it’s Vishal. Why has he gone missing?’ Suhas asked.

‘Actually, Vishal wanted a new bike, but his Don refused to get him one due to his poor performance in academics. I think this may be the reason,’ Manoj informed.

‘Oh! I think before you leave from here, we should call Mayank and find out if Vishal is back or not?’ I suggested.

So Manoj called Mayank on his mobile,

‘Till now there is no news about Vishal, Manoj. He was supposed to be here at Sandy’s party tonight. But he is neither here nor at his home’ Mayank informed.

‘This is really serious. By the way, where are you now, and who all are there?’ Manoj asked.

‘I am with Sandy, Balu, Ravi, Prashant and Sakthi, at Pehlwan da dhaba,’ Mayank replied and disconnected the call.

‘I think we should go to Vishal’s home tomorrow morning. May be until then he might come back. What say, Rakesh?’ Manoj asked.

‘Yes definitely, we must,’ Rakesh answered.

‘I’ll also come there,’ I expressed my interest.

‘Me too,’ Rahul told.

So next morning we all went to Vishal’s residence, near Medical College Square. There were many vehicles parked in front of his apartment. The premonition of something wrong happened touched my mind, but I controlled it and went upstairs. As we entered Vishal’s flat at the second floor, I saw Bipin and John sitting on the sofa with Vishal standing by their side.

‘Namaskar Aunty,’ Mayank greeted Vishal’s mother with a smile.’ Good to see Vishal here. Where were you since last night, Vishal?’ he asked.

‘Vishal was at my room.’ the Samosa shaped plump Bipin said,’ Actually he was very upset last night and didn’t wanna go home, so I asked him to stay at my place.’

‘We were about to report at police station today, but soon these two boys brought him home.’ Vishal’s mother informed, with her tearful eyes.

Vishal’s dad was sitting quiet on chair opposite to the sofa.

 ‘He was asking us to get him a bike since last two years, but his dad denied due to his failure in exams.’ Vishal’s mother said,

‘But, is this the way to retaliate for that? And my old LUNA is there for going to college, and then what was the reason to leave home, at night? I just don’t understand.’ His father expressed.

‘Now, don’t start off again. Due to the same attitude of yours, Vishal left home.’ Vishal’s mother rebuked and looked at me.

‘Don’t be tense aunty. In fact, you should be happy that Vishal is back,’ I tried to lighten the environment.

‘Rajesh is right. John and I have counseled Vishal. He had the inferiority complex, as everyone of us has got a bike and he had to ask for a lift every day. But now he is ok.’ Bipin commented.

‘I really don’t understand how you boys feel inferiority complex, if you don’t have some commodity that majority of students have. After all, you go to college for studying and not for flaunting bikes. I went to college on cycle till my M.Com. But nowadays boys like him want a bike while studying.’ Vishal’s father shared his own experience and Rahul jumped in the discussion.

‘Uncle, your point is absolutely valid, but your era was different. Nowadays if a child enters High school, he gets a two-wheeler and as he enters the college, parents gift him the keys of bike. So, engineering students having a bike is very common thing.’

‘And it’s so common uncle, that if someone is not having a bike, he may get an inferiority complex. I understand every parent may not afford to buy their son a bike but peer pressure is so much that unknowingly boys get this inferiority complex, which indirectly affects their academic performance,’ I added.

‘Already students like Vishal, Suhas or I, who comes from vernacular medium schools, find it difficult to cope with the English-to-English engineering studies. And such complex adds fuel to it, due to which students get depressed,’ Rakesh joined our series of lecture. But the good thing was that Vishal’s father started pondering over it.

After some time, Bipin asked Vishal’s parents for leave and we got up to leave Vishal’s home.

‘Take care Vishal,’ Manoj said, as Vishal broke down, with tears in his eyes.

‘Thanks a lot, guys. I am very lucky to have friends like you.’ He said wiping his tears and turned towards his Mother and father.

‘I’m sorry Mom, sorry Dad. I troubled you a lot. But I promise, hereafter I’ll never trouble you for anything.’

‘It’s OK, Vishal. We are your parents. We also want to see you happy, but we didn’t realize about the small things, that your friends told about. Had I known that, the bike is bothering you so much, I would have bought it long back. Nevertheless, you are safely back home, that’s the best thing for us.’ Vishal’s father expressed his feelings with tearful eyes, ‘And all you boys, thanks a lot. Please do continue your friendship with Vishal, forever.’

After biding a bye to Vishal and his parents, we left his place with mixed feelings. But the happiness on the faces of Vishal’s parents made us realize parents’ love for their children.