God is Great!

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1965: IIT KGP:

Dr R and I joined IIT KGP the same day, he as a permanent Lecturer, and I as a permanent Associate Lecturer. He was a decade older to me, and had done his PhD from the same Andhra University from which I ran away. After his PhD he had joined as a faculty of the BHU.

And he told me the four hilarious employee-categories at BHU those days:

"Temporarily Temporary, Permanently Temporary, Temporarily Permanent, and Permanently Permanent". 

I guess he must have been sitting there on the first rung of the lofty BHU ladder.

The day we joined, both of us were allotted single rooms in the Gokhale Hall of Residence meant not for the faculty but Teacher Trainees. 

We were happy to live and eat there. 

But nothing in this world is permanent, not even happiness; not even temporarily permanent.

Couple of months later we both were shunted out to occupy jointly a Bachelor's Flat, a 2BHK affair. We resisted but were thrown out lock, stock and barrel. But the Warden was kind enough to let us have our breakfast, lunch, tea, and dinner in the Gokhale Hall Mess.

Our flat was rather far off and not a walking distance from either the hall or the main institute building where we were supposed to work. So we decided to go to the Gole Bazar and purchase pushbikes. 

Dr R was a decade older to me but still a bachelor. He was very guarded in his speech and actions...the very opposite of reckless, shall we say reckful :)

From the sprawling Motilal Vora's cycle shop we selected our bicycles. He, being a richer man, bought an expensive Sen-Raleigh bike. And got it equipped with a springy cushioned seat, a full chain cover, a special bell, a carrier-back-seat, and a heavy metal chain for locking its back wheel securely with a Godrej Navtal pinch-proof elephantine lock.

And I, being forever as poor as a temple-mouse, could only afford an Avon bike without any add-on frills and with the rim-lock that came free with the bike.

He paid all of Rs 450, and I the minimum Rs 250.

And we both rode back gaily into our Gokhale Hall to have our sumptuous dinner. 

And we parked and  locked our bikes close-by but on perpendicular verandahs, and walked into the dining room.

I finished my dinner early and strolled back into the verandah to have a sweet look at my new Avon. 

In vain...

It was just not there...stolen stolen stolen...

I ran back into the dining hall and with tears in my eyes told Dr R that my new bike got stolen.

He rushed out with his fingers wet with curds...and found his Sen-Raleigh intact. 

And he closed his eyes, looked up to the Heavens, and muttered in his breath:

"God is Great! God is Great!! God is Great!!!"

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