Missed Calls.

Its over, over at last. The Common Admission Test a.k.a CAT, which made me realize so many things for the past few months, and which altered my mind altogether, is done and dusted. One can only be happy for that, but u know; my experience has been such a roller-coaster ride that I wish I give it one more shot. I was wondering all these days, why people all over the nation are crazy about this particular test, and why the so called experts in all those career-guidance programs on the 24x7 news channels are of the opinion that CAT is the most wholesome test for an individual, or rather any student.

My preparation towards this was pretty ordinary. Mathematics was always a neither tough nor easy part. I could easily clear the cut-off. English was interesting, and DI was tough. Marks in these two sections varied fairly largely in every Mock-Cat. The same story continued till two days before the main one. Hopes for an IIM call were almost zero. Expected some where around 90-93 percentile. Respectable enuf score, I thought. But its not gonna be.

Test centre was some 225 kms away from where I stay, so had to go there a day before. Took a hotel for the night before with some of my friends, and revised what I can. Number systems, Geometry, Paragraph Jumbling.. blah blah blah.. Took some time off before sleeping, with the ICL match on TV. Justin Kemp’s catch was truly awesome.!! Dozed off..

D-Day..!! Started for the examination a good 90 minutes early but, thanks to my autowallah I reached my destination with five minutes to spare.!!! My heart was in my mouth. I reached the centre and the gates are closed..!! Exactly.. at the same time. Hurried to my seat and the question paper was already there on my bench smiling at me. The question paper was sealed in a plastic cover, like a wedding card and believe me, it took a minute for me to break those hackles and to get a glance at the questions.

Now the actual scenario,
• Jhatka-1: All the mock cats I’ve written consisted of equal number of questions, in all sections, eng, di, quant. But now. Surprise, surprise..!! Maths-25, DI-25, English-40.. WOW..!! Excellent..!!
• Jhatka-2: Maths was comparatively easier for me and English was tough, but all my worries are on DI, which was a pain the arse in the mock tests. However, it wasn’t to be.
• Jhatka-3: The section in which I would have answered 4 correctly out of 5 was missing ( It appeared in the last two years) and it was complete grammar. Touch and go. Really.

Started regrouping my self and the 150 minutes I’ve been waiting for, started to tick away.

1030 AM ….. 1130 AM …… 0100 PM..

Its done..!! Maths was fine. DI was on the edge, and English.. I was confident enough.

So..With that confident, but cautious thinking going on in my mind, I refrained my self from discussing the paper with anyone. I simply closed my ears if my fellow people are doing so. “Lemme enjoy this solitude for some time” I said to myself. Back to the hotel room, slept till 6 in the evening, and there came back to my place at about 12 in the night.

The CAT 2008 key has been released by then, and there u go.
SHOW TIME.. Moment of truth..!!
… … … … …………………………. My face was like all the smileys in yahoo messenger and orkut put together in a straight line. Variety of expressions..


Never did I know that.
• I will loose 5 marks on the fact that 7 raised to its fourth power will always end with “01” as its last two digits. I donno why I ended up marking 21.
• I will make the cardinal sin no.1 in geometry by not doubling the amount u get for the triangle to get the answer for a square.
• I will clear DI with ease and to actually have an accuracy of 85% in it.
• The sentence “ You can’t run over him like that” is nonsense in English Grammar.
• A line or a group of soldiers are called a file.
• I will end up marking the wrong answer in OMR sheet, when I actually solved the bloody question, that too .. in English.. that too two times..!!
• I will not be able to guess how a certain paragraph ends, for 3 times. Period.
• A small child having two ice-creams in both his hands and licking each one is an act of Intemperance but not due to its visual appeal.


Never did I know that I will come this close for a call, within a space of 3 questions, but in reality that it’ll be a missed call. People have given me so many missed calls, so many times, but none hurt me so much. I feel like imitating Saif Ali Khan and say “I miss u so much, it HURTS..”. but u know, CAT is a whole lot different than proposing to Kareena. Its tougher, actually. "Wait for an year” it says.. And I will. I will make sure that this time when I dial the number, the call is received.

Regards,
Abhinav.

P S: CAT is not about which questions u answered correctly, but how many questions u left wisely.

Oh.. Dada..What've they done to you.!

The pack of wolves have got Dada, finally!

The wolves have tasted blood. Finally.

After lurking around in the wild baying for the Bengal Tiger's blood, a pack of wolves has finally made him retreat to his den. Every time they kept hunting, Sourav Ganguly emerged from the woods unharmed. But whenever he was hurt, they rubbed salt and found pleasure. Every time Dada's towering sixes hit the sky, they dug up to unearth chaff. Yet, Sourav scripted a fairytale comeback -- what has been called one of the best comebacks in world sport.

On the course, he took everything in his stride. Not once did he show that it was taking its toll. Every time, he said that there was enough cricket left in him. His bat replied, but it did affect him. His fans and admirers gave up, but he did not. He played some of his best knocks -- and shots, including some imperious pulls off bowlers like Nitini -- in Test cricket after his comeback. But the body took its toll. His hair turned grey.

Finally, on October 8, he proved that he is after all a man in blood and flesh. He decided to quit. At a press conference, in a choking voice, he said the most painful word a sportsperson can utter: QUIT.

Dramatic you may call, that was over in fleeting seconds. India was shocked. Even my wife, a Rahul Dravid devotee, had tears in her eyes as we stood in front of the TV set. Channel after channel. Call after call. The news started sinking in. There will be life, cricket, and TV without my dearest Dada at the crease.

My mind went blank. I wondered what Rakesh, my friend and a loyal Dada fan, did when he heard the news. I did not call him. I could not take his grief. Nor did he give a missed call. He was the one who performed some special pujas in our village Ayyappa temple for Ganguly. I know he would have shed a tear or two. It does not matter.

But the pack of wolves must be savouring the blood. Though he did not limp out the way they would have loved, they will sure cherish this long-awaited moment forever. Let their unbridled happiness flows forever till they find another Dada-like human being. There will be no one like Sourav. Here are some who will rub their hands in glee.

Greg Chappell: The happiest man on earth now. The man who entered India on Dada's recommendation was the first to challenge him. Could not stand up to Dada's authority and charisma. Chappell thought cricket is football, where coach runs the show. This was cricket, man. The worst allegation Sourav ever faced was by Greg Guru himself: 'Ganguly is playing for endorsements' (read money). That was a hit below the belt. For Chappell's information, Ganguly's family (one of the richest in Kolkata) can buy him and his grandfather.

Chappell went and came back in new avatar. When Dada finally hangs up his boots, he will be there on Indian soil -- this time helping out Aussies on ideas on manipulation.

Kiran More: As selection panel chief, he acted vindictively again and again. Said he, "As long as his selection committee is in office, there is no future for Ganguly." There was not. Even when Ganguly was scripting a fairy-tale comeback, More was there on Times Now television channel, cribbing and lamenting. More is less, boss.

Rahul Dravid: Don't get surprised by this name. The unkindest cut of all came from this old roommate, who once described Ganguly as the God of the off-side. No doubt, The Wall was his best pal in the Indian dressing room and outside. But when captaincy was thrust upon his frail shoulders, the wicked mind started playing. Insecurity crept in. Journos in the know say the Rahul-Chappel-More trio tried its best to keep Dada away from the India crease. Finally, Dada scored his way into the team, but the relationship was never the same again. Rahul's brooding shoulders and body language bore testimony when Dada walked into a practice match in Chepauk before his grand comeback.

M S Dhoni: The 'globalised' New India's favourite cheerleader was plucked and nurtured from Jharkhand. Sensing his talent, Ganguly promoted him to the No 3 slot and Dhoni never looked back. Not even at Dada. For the 20-20 folks, it was Ganguly who spotted him at the nets in Jharkhand and took him to the Indian team. As things turned around, Dhoni became the captain, and he never wanted the Fab Four -- including the mighty Sachin Tendulkar-- to be in his team.

'Insecure' was the word, again. How much ever the new India may hail him, a parvenu will find an enemy sooner or later. Age was Dhoni's problem. Dhoni's was thanklessness at its best. Had it not been for Dada, Dhoni may never have achieved what he got now. We never know. Not many know the fact that Dhoni is yet to play a great Test knock. Does the 20-20 generation know that?

Rajan Bala: The fiercest critic of Ganguly, even at his best of times. Not sure why. One of India's senior-most sports journalists, Rajan Bala spewed venom every time he wrote about Dada. Was a cheerleader of Rahul's captaincy. Even after Ganguly was out of the race and the team, his campaign continued through his columns in Asian Age and Deccan Chronicle. Maybe, there is a story underneath.

R Mohan & Vedam Jaishankar: Two South-side journalists hell-bent on destroying Dada. Article after Article. It was like a campaign to dethrone Ganguly and anoint Rahul Dravid the captain. Maybe the South connection, or the proximity to Rahul. The latter wrote a biography on The Wall.

John Cheeran: The man who led the anti-Ganguly campaign in the blogosphere. A Dravid fan, he did on the web what Rajan Bala did in newsprint. I never understood what the real reason was. Posted comments on his blog, but never got a reply. It is long time since I checked his barrages.

K Srikkanth: It may again surprise you. Because he selected him for the Australia series amid contradicting reports. It was no doubt a great gesture, but before that there is a long story of hatred while he was a commentator. Let us not scout through the old files. Picking him now was touching. All sins have been washed away in the Hooghly, Chikka.

Bishen Singh Bedi: Was ferocious. What made him different was that he never made the articles look biased. Because he always stood out in his criticism -- be it of Harbhajan or Murali. Yet, Dada was his favourite whipping boy.

Shiv and Salil: My old roommate and colleague. They had their own stories and arguments. What puzzled me was their refusal to even acknowledge Sourav's captaincy. He is the best ever we had.

Some who stood by Sourav all through the turmoil - Arjuna Ranatunga. Sanjay Manjarekar. Ajay Jadeja. Kunal Pradhan, sports journalist.

Most of West Bengal (other states should learn to respect its heroes). Loyal fans, not just from West Bengal, like this blogger.

Tailpiece: When the match-fixing row surfaced, the needle of suspicion fell on every player. When a top bookie was asked if Ganguly had any role in the scandal, he said, 'Sir, we wanted him. But nobody had the guts to ask Ganguly whether he could fix matches for INDIA.'

The bookie said it all. Need I say more?

Regrds,

Abhinav

I dont know .

I donno

-- why I took a drop of 1yr after my 12^th ..

-- why am I in this college studying mechanical engg instead of being in Hyderabad..

-- why am I not able get a GPA of 7 when it’s a walk in the park for most of them ..!!

-- why am I preparing for CAT and GRE and so many freaking exams simultaneously

-- why dint I do any project or internship till now being in final yr of an NIT

-- why the above the sentence appears grammatically incorrect to me ( an before NIT )

-- why do I score better marks in Verbal than in Quant and DI .. whereas for others it’s the inverse.

-- (Above statement doesnt imply that i'm good at the former either ..!!

-- why am I not able to concentrate on CAT if my computer monitor is turned ON.

-- why my father cares so much abt me..?? I’m 21 now.. I can decide on something right ..?

-- why Nov 16^th appears so far to me ..? when everyone besides me is so focused ..

-- why my college decides to give 24hrs NET only in my final yr.

-- why do I think of doin so much on Friday evning & wake up on Monday mrning havin done nuthin

-- why dint I put “WHY” in the first line of this boring composition when I used it so many times.

-- why its not bothering me at all .. why I’m starting again with why ..? WHY ..??

-- why am I so lean ..? 62kgs for 6’2 height ..!!!

-- why orkut appears so boring to me of late ..?

-- why ppl keep on clicking some dumb orkut themes in their scrap book and get fooled ..

-- why England football team dint qualify for EURO 2008.

-- why Real Madrid dint go ahead of knockout round in the UCL for 5 straight years..?

-- why the maven Roger Federer is losing so badly..?

--Why the f**king ManUtd always wins ..? and fit for nuthin C.Ronaldo is so over-hyped..?

-- why did I waste 7 mins 57 sec of my valuable time typing this down instead of studying for CAT .?

-- What AM I DOIN …???

-- Where am i goin ..?

-- What does November 16th hold for me ..?

I dont have any answers for the above ..

BUT .. BUT .. I know one thin …

RIGHT NOW , THIS IS THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM