Our undergrad college
receives student from all over India with multitude of backgrounds and
temperaments. Amidst this sea of freshers entering every
year, sometimes, may be a once in a decade, someone goes on becoming a legend, legend
for seniors, juniors, teachers, lab assistants, and even for guards on the gate.
They may themselves fade into oblivion after graduating (if they manage to) but
their stories refuse to die, they become folklore, and they are told and
listened for many more generations to come, as if their memories are etched in
the walls of hostels, classes, canteen and shops near campus.
One of such
legend happened to dignify our batch, his name was Dev Kumar Singh (name
changed), we used to call him DKS. He used to carry a serious look on his face
and walk at fast pace in corridors of campus and hostel. Anyone observing him
can assume that studies are taking a toll on him, and he is in hurry, because
that are lot many chapters to cover and lot of assignments to finish. This
belief held true, until of course someone started to get to know him a little
better!
In the second
year in one of our subjects, we had to prepare PowerPoint presentation for a
seminar on some serious global issue. It was going to be first such presentation
for most of the batch. And without question we were all thrilled and nervous,
most of us had never spoken in front of an audience before. But DKS was smiling
and grinning, “ho jayega”, he said. When the day of presentation came, the
seminar room was filled with people, professors and students. Everyone started
sharing their slides, some were too nervous to look at the audience, some of
them barely audible, some started reading directly from little paper chits they
were carrying, without any expression! It was June and room was filled with
drowsy hot air. Then came the turn of DKS, his name was called but he was
nowhere to be found. We became worried that if he skips this presentation, he
will get a back in the subject. Suddenly there was a creak at the corner of the
door, a guy came running, panting his breath out, it was DKS; everyone took a
sigh of relief. DKS inserted a floppy drive in the computer and greeted the
audience cheerfully. “Good afternoon everyone, today I will give a presentation
on global health care system”, he went ahead and opened the floppy drive, and
clicked the .ppt file. It refused to open, he became nervous and clicked it
multiple times, suddenly an error message popped, saying file unsupported. He
looked tensed, some of us went ahead to help him out, we tried to open the file
several times, but of no avail. Finally he apologized and went back to the last
seat. Back in those days, a computer or floppy drive misbehaving was not
uncommon. He later sent some presentation to the evaluator, (which I doubt was
even opened) and passed in the subject.
Then one day while sipping tea at canteen, he altered his serious look
and revealed, “Bhai main to image file ko dot ppt ke naam se save karke le gaya
tha!” (I saved an image file as dot ppt and took it with me).
It is said that
empty mind is devil’s workshop. Keeping away from academics, DKS caught in the
habit of drinking, firstly he used to manage with cheap liquor, but later he
developed a taste for cough syrup. One could
see several empty bottles of syrup lying in his room. It was December and exams
were approaching, lack of sleep combined with fog, turned students into zombies.
Then one chilly morning there was lot of hue and cry in the hostel, someone
entered the room of DKS and saw him frothing at the mouth. Quickly doctor was called;
he was given saline and some medication and told to rest. He is out of danger,
but keep an eye on him, doctor said.
By this time, most
of the faculty was standing near the door of his room. DKS had tried to commit
suicide, it was rumored. Not everyone is equipped with right resources to cope
with stresses of life, be it exam or otherwise. When the professor came, he was
told not to worry for the exam, “just do your best son, we will take care of
the rest”, one of the most difficult professors told him. He appeared to be the
most concerned, as if secretly blaming himself for the incidence. When it comes
to life and death, even the toughest of souls melt away; we saw it happen in
front of us. We formed a group, and each group was to keep a watch on him night
and day. Next day, while watching Mr. DKS, one of our friends found an empty
bottle of Dettol in his room. Upon questioning, DKS enlightened us, “I was
running short on funds, I had to drink something to beat the cold. The lab
assistant had told me that this Dettol also contains alcohol, so I drank it and started frothing,
but thanks to my stars, I will now pass in exams without much effort!”
All said and
done, DKS was a handsome looking chap. Tall, fair and thinly built, with a mole
in his cheek. He knew his way around and knew how to cash in the brand of college.
Flashing the college tag, he got the job to teach a young female IIT JEE aspirant.
We were amused but relieved that he found some worthwhile engagement. But what
came afterwards was no surprise; DKS went missing from the hostel for couple of
days. The mother of the female student came looking for him in the hostel
hurling volley of expletives. Apparently DKS was great with her in bed until
she saw him in underwear in her daughter’s room!
By the time DKS
was in final year, everyone in the Institute knew him. All the professors
wanted him to pass and go away from the college. They could not fail him, and
risk one more year of their life, struggling to teach this student, only to end
up pulling their own hair in frustration. Staff of the college, who had young
daughters, was also tired of keeping a watchful eye, lest anything goes wrong. But
it was the students who loved him, for his nonchalance and carefree attitude.
He became a legend and today we might not know his whereabouts, but his stories
are still sung, when the power goes off in the campus.
