Birthday gift

We went to Niagra in the 2000 summer, along with SVS' (Sameer) gang. It was my second trip (I made couple of more and been butt of joke since) and Manali's first. Nice enjoyable trip. We returned via Harrisburg, PA where SVS stayed.

Incidently, it was my birthday and SVS threw a nice surprise party. After the cake cutting, we started our journey back to our home (in NJ).

We both, I and Manali, were pretty tired and wanted to reach home as early as possible. As we hit the familiar terrin, I increased my speed. I even indulged in a chase with another car for short time. Suddenly, I spotted a familiar car body color in my rear-view mirror. It was a cop following me. I slowed down, but he put on the lights immediately. He was probably measuring how fast I would go. I must have been doing 80mph. I pulled over. After the usual chit-chat he tore a speeding ticket for me.

I never over-sped again.... on any of my birthday!

Morale of the story

I was waiting for Vikya to write down this piece. However, he seems to have his hands full!:-)

I was in second year term of my BE in PICT. We four classmates had rented a bunglow in Dhankawadi; I, Vikya, Naval and Pravin. All four of us had met each other during that year itself. The only common thing among us was we all came to do BE after doing Diploma instead of 10+2 route.

It was exam time. One night we got a knock on door. As exam preparation goes, the pace really picks up after dinner time and it was not uncommon to knock on student's door even in wee hours. It was one of our classmates. He had a delightful news. Apprantly the next day exam paper had leaked and he had the copy!

I was a usual college going boy as opportunistic and selfish as any typical college-goer. I hadn't defined or developed any conscience of my own yet. I was happy to hear the news and was ready to shell out the money for a copy. My room-mate, Pravin, wasn't much averse either. It was Vikya who put the spanner in our hopes! He took a stand, he is not going to be party to this scandal.

For the first time in my life I was facing someone who actually followed some moral ethics and stood for his/her biliefs.

Naval, Vikya's room-mate decided to go with Vikya. We had to make decision. Eventually, we also decided to follow Vikya. The fellow who came to us left in bewilderment. He probably expected some haggling over the price.

I do believe, I'm greatly influenced by Vikya's moralistic approach to the life.

How not to prepare for exams

Hot noon turning to evening. I was preparing for my BE exams during preparation leave. Bit breezy outside but due to lack of ventilation, it was pretty stuffy inside the room. I decided to sit outside in the balcony. Positioned the chair to get into the wind path. Good spot to to keep an eye on the 'traffic' in colony.

She was there.

I had nearly spent 2 years in the colony and been pretty nose-straight-in-front guy. Though I knew this girl since begining, it was only recent that I started 'noticing' her.

She was there, sitting in her balcony. Nice coincident, I thought. I got back to my reading. After reading couple of pages, I checked on her again. She was still there and I cought her stealing a glimpse at me. Hmm! I decided to up the ante. Instead of a quick glimpse, I stared at her openely, daring her. She accepted the challenge. She returned back my stare.

I was out of my wits. What's going on! I was alway bit clumsy around girls. Did not know how to behave naturally around them. And here was a girl, openly looking at me. Was she playing a game?! I was enjoying it anyway.

I spent that evening (about 3-4 hours) in a 'read-a-page, check-her-out' cycle.

PS

I spent next month with this routine during the evenings. I never got to talk with her. Once, I crossed path with her and her father. She made sure, we passed by pretty close. After the exams, I tried contacting but did not succeed. I had to return to Mumbai anyway. From her responses, I would very much like to believe it was not one-sided totally.

I'm not sure what I should have and could have done. In hind-sight, I believe, it was my experimenation with cigarate smoking in the previous week that made me bit vulnerable in that duration. I quit smoking the next week.

I don't feel any pain when I remember this incident. What I remember is the freashness at the stroke of waking, warmth in my heart, looking ahead to the evenings, couple of unspoken protests, the assurance.

God!

"Good Morning!"
"Good Morning!?"
"If you don't mind, can I talk a little bit about Christianity?"
"... Well, go ahead."

I was living in Edison, New Jersey. One fine morning a lady appeared at the door-step, proposing me to adopt her God.

I got alert!

My belief in religion was on-again-off-again affair. Before discoverying my interest in Physics, my latest position was 'there is no way God's existance can be proven or disproven, so why bother, let's just believe in it'. This position was least offending to anyone who dared question me. You see, I was pretty lame!

Then I started reading Science material. I started thinking, actually. Before this particular incident, I had sort of firmed up my opinion after numerous debates with my inner soul.

The lady quickly fished out couple of booklets.
"Do you believe in God?!"
"Nope! I believe in Science!"
Her eyes lit up. Finally, someone in need of faith!
"Why do you think you or I exist on Earth! Why all the trees and cars exist on Earth! Do you ever wonder who created this?"
"Nobody created this. I'm here on Earth, because I can not be (created) on moon or Jupitor or Sun. I'm sure there are thousand of Earths in Universe." (Somewhat flawed argument, considering there could be some organism surviving on Jupitar or even on Moon.)
First signs of doubt in her eyes!
"Ah! But why is the life so perfect! Who created YOU?"
"Again, nobody has to create me. I got put together by chemical reactions among molecules!"
"However, you can not deny the fact that you are different than say a rock!"
"Not much different (in terms chemical reactions). A rock is a particular chemical composition. I happen to be another composition. My composition happens to be complex enough (and with the kind of material) that leads to what we believe as conscious"
It was getting weird. I was actually managing to divert her from her mandate of spreading Christianity!

She quickly got back to her task and talked of how all createres were "created" to live in peace together. No living animal meant to eat other. A world where a deer is supposed to dance in joy in front of a lion who in turn will feed on grass and so on. In spirit of my defiance, I pointed out that grass is a living thing as well. Well, that is not counted. You see, they are "created" for eating!

She wound up her chat promising to return back with her husband who knew 'exactly what I was talking about'.

What I remember most about this conversation was clarity of my thoughts. That I managed to stick to the line of conversation and yet manage to make my case
- without getting offended on the assumption on her part that I being non-Christian need to identify faith in her religion, that I may already have a religion but it could not be sufficient enough to have good faith.
- without offending her with my arguments on my non-belief. I remember of talking of belief in God as necessary from psychological need.
- without feeling frustated afterwards on how I could not put forth my position effectively.
- without loosing any ground to her.
- and that my line of reasoning can withstand the rigours of spirited argument. (I did get another chance with my PICT gang with much sharper arguments from both sides.)

The lady did turn up another Sunday with her partner in tow. He looked disinterested.