Book Mom

These breaks between posts is not helping. Today's post is an attempt to actually post something rather than having something incredible to say! Still, moving on..

I'd relate an incident which, in hindsight, I reckon has changed my life! I was a timid school student, who by virtue of the school I studied in and my Mom scored good in my higher secondary examinations and got an admission to BITS, Pilani. I was sent there primarily due to Appa's wish.. I still remember his statement - "I will send you even for a sweeping course at BITS. You need to grow up and be independent, you need to get out of this house, you must go to BITS". It helped that about a dozen folks were coming from my class in school... so I was not alone. We reached Pilani, I got a few shocks, met a couple of seniors and tried to decipher the registration process and the time table book and stuff.

Then, the inevitable happened. My parents left for Chennai leaving me to fend for myself. I was devastated, to say the least. To add to the misery, I was ragged by a senior during lunch, I spoke a little and got back more and was branded as "thadi" [arrogant in BITSian parlance]. I was perhaps breaking down, did not want to stay there any longer..:|

My ego or my self esteem did not allow me to cry in front of others, so I was there crying my heart out all alone in the night on the bed and trying to fall asleep. At around 11:15 p.m, I had somebody calling out my name in the corridor. It was a second year student whom I had met earlier and from who I was to buy my text books[We call them Book Mom/Pop in BITS ;)]. I don't know what went through her mind, she said that she had come to take me to her room to give away the books. I was shocked :-(, her wing was notorious for ragging and I was wearing a night suit at that point.. a strict no-no for a fresher. She insisted and I had to go...

I think it was pretty obvious that I was crying, many folks noticed :-( and have told me as well! To her credit, my Book Mom did not once ask why I was crying. She went about and gave me all the books, told me how I should read them and the books that I can use for reference etc etc. So at about 12:15 in the night, I walked off from her wing with a huge pile of books and went back to my room. I kept them all on the chair and looked at them. It struck me then, I have come to Pilani to study and have no business to think about anything else. I have the books that I need to study and that should be my focus. My mind cleared and I decided to complete my education come whatsoever.

Its a fact that those 4 years at Pilani were some of the best years of my life! I changed from a timid naive person to a confident person. And I must thank my Book Mom for this! Good Bless her with the best in life!

I strongly believe that the Divine power sent her to me that night. There was no need for her to come to my wing that night, she could have told somebody to pass on the message. There was no need for her to take me to her wing and give all the books, she could have just decided that I was not keeping well and so should collect the books later. There was no need for her to behave normally and talk about the course work, she could have tried to sympathize and help me out. But, fortunately, she did none of these, but showed me the focus of my life in her own way.

My faith is that when we are down and giving up, we usually find people who talk/ behave in a manner that gives us hope and focus in life. Its happened to me a couple of times with friends, relations and my Mom (especially) dishing out nuggets that have change my outlook and mood in life. So, I just want to thank them all and the Divine for it! :).