It is the September of '96. A girl walks beside her father ,quietly apprehensive about the approaching interview. She's almost eighteen and she has been waiting for this day for a long time now. In fact , she's been waiting for this since first grade. And today , she will finally know whether she is getting into the college of her choice . She's confident , though. She knows that she could have done much better in the entrance test but deep down inside there's a feeling that she cannot possibly lose now. She was much too bright to be a loser.....
The counsellor is a kindly old man. For the first time , students would be allotted seats based on a computerised system. The girl is almost giddy now with nervousness and excitement.Will she ? Won't she? After what seems like an interminable wait , the girl and her father are called for their turn. And then all hell breaks loose. All the best seats in the best colleges are already taken... How could this be happening to her ? She , who always got what she wanted , settling for second best ? This was unreal , this couldn't really be happening..
The cousellor is kind. He points out that there are some paid seats still available in the college of her choice. But the girl shakes her head , she knows her father cannot afford the fee. The counselllor suggests that they go to the college and talk it over with the Dean of Admissions. The girl is almost inconsolable. She had set her heart on that .....
Her father leads her out and drives her to the college. She is barely aware of the beautiful day outside. She's shattered , still trying to come to terms with the fact that all the effort of the last few years had been wasted. The car comes to a stop under a beautiful , colonial style verandah. The girl drags herself outside , still unable to shake off her sense of misery. And then the beauty of the place hits her. It has just stopped raining and the entire verandah is filled with the lush green of rain washed ferns and palms. Everywhere she turns , there are plants and flowers growing... She glances back at the winding driveway. Even that is breathtakingly beautiful. And disappointment strikes her again ,for she would not be studying here. Instead ,she would slog away at some dusty little college on the outskirts of the city...
Her father gently leads her inside. She notices a grand marble stairway on her right , like something out of a fairytale. They make their way towards the Dean's office , only to realise that it's after college hours. Somebody takes pity on the girl's state and tells them that the list , the all important admission list , has been posted on the bulletin board .
The bulletin board is out in the passage to the courtyard. Father and daughter walk slowly to the board. She's already swallowing tears of disappointment. And then , miracle of miracles- her name is on the list , right near the top too , and for a free seat..... She is ecstatic...
And thereby hangs another tale - but that's for another day!
The counsellor is a kindly old man. For the first time , students would be allotted seats based on a computerised system. The girl is almost giddy now with nervousness and excitement.Will she ? Won't she? After what seems like an interminable wait , the girl and her father are called for their turn. And then all hell breaks loose. All the best seats in the best colleges are already taken... How could this be happening to her ? She , who always got what she wanted , settling for second best ? This was unreal , this couldn't really be happening..
The cousellor is kind. He points out that there are some paid seats still available in the college of her choice. But the girl shakes her head , she knows her father cannot afford the fee. The counselllor suggests that they go to the college and talk it over with the Dean of Admissions. The girl is almost inconsolable. She had set her heart on that .....
Her father leads her out and drives her to the college. She is barely aware of the beautiful day outside. She's shattered , still trying to come to terms with the fact that all the effort of the last few years had been wasted. The car comes to a stop under a beautiful , colonial style verandah. The girl drags herself outside , still unable to shake off her sense of misery. And then the beauty of the place hits her. It has just stopped raining and the entire verandah is filled with the lush green of rain washed ferns and palms. Everywhere she turns , there are plants and flowers growing... She glances back at the winding driveway. Even that is breathtakingly beautiful. And disappointment strikes her again ,for she would not be studying here. Instead ,she would slog away at some dusty little college on the outskirts of the city...
Her father gently leads her inside. She notices a grand marble stairway on her right , like something out of a fairytale. They make their way towards the Dean's office , only to realise that it's after college hours. Somebody takes pity on the girl's state and tells them that the list , the all important admission list , has been posted on the bulletin board .
The bulletin board is out in the passage to the courtyard. Father and daughter walk slowly to the board. She's already swallowing tears of disappointment. And then , miracle of miracles- her name is on the list , right near the top too , and for a free seat..... She is ecstatic...
And thereby hangs another tale - but that's for another day!
