A broken friendship

'What next?' Prasanta Mishra asked me, after last day exam (10+2 exam).

'I want to take up Physics and be a physicist like Einstein.He is my role model.' I said. 'Hold on' he told me,'I am asking how to enjoy today?'. I did not have any plan so, he offered to watch a movie in theater.

'What next?' my brother-in-law asked me after a week of exam. I repeated the same dialogue that I had told to my friend.My fantasy did not fascinate him. he told 'Physics will take you to nowhere.' 'You are good in biology so you write medical entrance exam' he told. I was sure that I wouldn't crack Orissa (Odisha) Joint Entrance Examination (JEE). But I could not tell him the same thing as it would be a shame for me. During my inter (+2) my teachers believed to hand over us English notes on Physics, chemistry, mathematics and Biology so that we can pass exam with more than 60 % score. It was a blessing for all of us who came from Oriya medium school. Nobody actually prepared us for entrance exam. I thought 'when he is believing on my ability then why I should not have faith on me?' He suggested me to enroll in WISHDOM CLASSES, a Coaching center in Balasore. I obeyed him.

The owner of Wishdom Classes was Er. Nandadulal Ghadei, an Engineer by profession. He worked in a state govt department. He always inspired us to qualify JEE so that we can put 'Er' or 'Dr' before our name. His appeal was so interesting that when I did not qualify for MBBS, I thought I will complete Ph.D. so that I can put 'Dr' before my name.

We stayed in SHIVSHANKAR MESS, 24 students in 6 rooms. We had a well to cater our drinking needs. 6 months after using the water, I discovered a earthworm in its water.Till that time, I suffered from chronic diarrhea for six months till my brother knew the fact and prescribed Fluoroquinoline antibiotics for the same reason.

For 400 medical college seat of the state, 1 lakh student were appearing JEE.I had to score more than 90 % in routine test of coaching center, but I was scoring only around 60 %. I could not perform better in routine tests at wisdom classes. This irritated Mr. Nandadulal and who would tease me in the class and would suggest me to work more harder. He was the best teacher, but I could not take advantage of him. Some time he would tell not to sleep in the night till our home work is not finished. If one goes by meaning of his name then he was lord Krishna, but for me he was like uncle of Krishna i.e. Kamsha.

I also took some steps to improve my memory and bring me some peace from frustrating exam results of coaching center. I tried meditation and maunabrata. No communication with others for days together made me less friendly with other occupants of the mess.

Among all the bad things one good thing was my room mate Kartikk Sasmal. He was a fair, tall, handsome boy with a smiling face. What made me friendly with him was his respect for my meditation and maunabrata. So I was not greedy to give him my home made sweets and all. He taught me physics and I shared my biology guide book with him. He had a good character. When a young lady shopkeeper gave him more money than then he he had to get after he bought a chocolate from her, he returned the extra money back to shopkeeper. Some of my other friends thought that the girl loves him, but he did not think the same. He was inspired by swami vivekananda and would not think of girls unlike Virat who was in love with a near by village girl. Virat expressed his feeling on toilet wall with a charcoal so that the girl can see that. Next day, a gang of angry village boys came to our mess inquiring about Virat. Fortunately Virat was not there that time and by hearing this he left the mess same night.

One day I was ill, so Kartik nursed me. For better treatment, I wanted to go to my home. Kartik dropped me at bus stop which was 2 km away by his bike. I was thank full to him and hugged him. After 2 days at home, I recovered. When I was returning to mess from home I got some cake and sweet for Kaartik. After reaching at mess, I went near to Kartik to give a box of sweet to him. That time Kartik was reading and when I wished him he said 'hi' in reply but did not look at me. I felt his attitude as rude. I expected him to inquire about my health. I was broken and came to my bed with sweet box. Without Kartik's knowledge he had become my best friend and that day he broke our friendship.

Effort of Mr. Nandadulal did not go in vein. My standard improved a little. Even though I could not get a MBBS seat, I got a entry to Pharmacy career. I had respect for Kartik and after 15 years when I remembered about the incident, I tried to contact him. I thought he would have become a renounced doctor in Orissa. I could not trace him down, even ORKUT could not help me to get him. Some day, I wish to find him and thank him for helping me when I was ill.