orti hagat PLlBt,!CATl(iNS11";1)I,A Copyright@Chelan2011 First in Rupa Second1 Rupa PubHcatio:nsttd* 7/16}Daryaganj) 002 AllahabadBengaluruChennai I-IyderabadJaipur}(athrnandtt K{)lkata thispuhlkation or'" ... sparks,Thank1 said}trt 0 ti vationa I speechat'TUakVi,?ranasL 'lhe claps anti i'vhistl.c$}vereelle to .leave,Security volurlteers fort-ned a l1UfYUUibarric{1,de and soO'nl' rnt.1nn;rrcd a neat exit {rorn th.'.ehall .. .,.-'(Thank youso Jnuch}sir}) 50111(:One said l"'ight behfnd 1'nc. T turned around tolvfishra;;) I j()r caU tHe he said, is 01/er there:) JH/alkedoutt>viththeyouttgdirectorof (ranga"fechC;olleget (jopal i\;:Ushra,HistJlack l\;ierredesusfro111the crotvded\lidyapath Road, ahats?} (iopal asked, all Vilrana.si 6'. .. / [lvent to theVishwanatl1 Ternpleanti [)ashashVv'(ll"HedhGhat a.t fi'veill thellrrve this1 .d"\"1.d 'd'\,. Ii f flat you-fKe 14arti/ 1 said; .looked $urpTised, rnorning aarti atI salV it floatingaf aCHvn .,Af,',"U'''''''' life.having fine You}villdet,telopa J atternpted anotheTsip arulHestniled anti poured rnoref}"ater f"nydrink to dilute it.It ruined {Lifeistobeenjoyed.Look '}'Vhat {sthe point f{ I don't enjoy but savedrnv sanitj-'. J.' J 'willnuike four(Fortsthisyear: Tnrnosiparts of theHNJrld;speaking about yourinCOfrleistatJoo.In )'fJUsharethefigures ,likesign}eSl)cdallyif'youhave sec/nedtoha'YcquesfiofiftfOretohirn.self than to tne ..His continuedt'o 'bore into1ne.rienulnded aUention.The restof '.'"'"J 4:C:HETANBITAGAT lv/teatisn ccnnplexion,l1todestfive-feet-seven-inch height, retlssuringly norrnal. ofcourse.One should enjoy.. ,')I said as he cut ,He, year Ilvilttnake five Irealisedhe' lvouldkeepforcc(.lstirlghissalaryuntil Jdetnonstrated suitable tllVC, 'FiveI said.t11'1)/voice loudandfake. (;opt:llgrinned,'Baby.eat this:lfor1have rnacieit/is!"tobably the f"f-shirt slogan hewould choose. "That's in credible/ Ilvondering InDUced stairs lvindingup.tlVllafs[said, r could slvitch the topic. and a terrace. Iv;/illshovvl/ou.} ., ,/ clifnbed up the steps and lvalked past a roan! "}vitha lux;urious bed, Itook in thepanorarnicvielvfrorn the fernIe/? (This19t1Sa vvastelandJ aU ofgral'u(fathers ol(1 G'opaJ said. 1d .enacres.: rna'e t'tguess. Hlehad jifteenacrestnore/Gopal\but lvesold it to/unli cotlstruction," pOintedtoa sHlallarrayof lightstOtvardstheeasternrva.llof the JloDdlit calnpus,(Rightthere,see,Thereis a l'nall cOl1ting up,t Jndian .. cit.y is building:rnalls I $(JJ (;opal gave a sheeliisf1 grin. :4re you alrightt J arn good.' oka)' generally? s 1Je turnedhis head to stare at the opposite vi/alL 'Flows J askedHed1dnYtln.sl1hu: I stood upafter a rrlinute.1 should leave)catchSOfflesleepbeforelny J1ighe ITPvalked.tothe door. vou think J am a flood .p.",f!fSon)Cheta.n)it /0. . J turned around. j4in I?' he asked again, I shrugged In)! sJnn-tlders.know' 'tA/eILTreated fne.good.otJJ GopalYbu:organised the f1reyoung, is "'1'I:1 n'" r t''l" .f\fix:r that class 5 C'\Ve had tfiucL,eatand keep tiHl11Sback \vithin that til11e, pi.ckleandparathas:Raghav having openedthelid.'Forget it: I saidasIretuxIH:dthesteelbox to the studenfs bag,1'\/1y darted froIDone hag to anofb.er."Ihis one: I pninting ioa pink in:1ported.rucksackinthero\,\";bag looksexpensiv:e, She rnust be getting good food.Corneo) rushed to theHap and found a red., Ithe Barhiebagtunzlpped the rectangnlartifiin. rrhe cover had a spoon COlnpartrnenL .. ...1" \-1...... / ...1. .'--, L< 1!h. staxte'a aaug .'Mcst agtun, Istood up. happened?' 26 ..Cu ::B'fANHllAG ..'-.:1' (IhZfveto Baba is vvaiting,I said .. Ii-' '"filesound of Saba's coughing drO\lifnedout the sound of the doorbell the .first COllJ'Jle()f titnes. 'Sorry, I couldn't hear: he opening.d{)or; 'Youokavf I asked. " it is theUSllal.fve nla.ded.al ('Illat)s the usual tOQ,t fatherhad turnedsixty last .( coughing bouts rnade hhrn look like an doctors had given up.had. no Inone), Jor surgery either, His school had firedhin1long ago.You carllt .... ,,a fifty-rninute class vvithbreaks. He had a pension us three. weeks in a good rtl(Hlth. I ate in sHenceat the \vobbly dining table. 'Entrance exam...> tny started and paused to cough five titnes. I unders:!toodhis drift have finished theI said. Bahasaid.It isharderto!11anagefan1ilyexpectationsthan prepaxefnr exa.,tns. 'DOI11thave lIT hopes for Baha: Isaid,Iv!y father'sfacefell.take theTEE. three thousand outfour lakhs.,' hnagine the

ty(yUl.candoit Youarebright;'Babapaternalloveobviously overestirnating progeny)s'abilities. Inodded. I had a.shot atnone atJEE.,].:hatwas I lo()ked atI\Noncteredif Sabarealisedthatarankvvouldmean.rneleaving horne, 'WhatifI had to go to NrrAgartala? ()r some,,,there farsonth? (Eng:hleering hinotevt:ryth:i.ng.; Saba: 1 said, 'It your life. Don"t fight nO\l\1;,rightbefore theexan1s: ,notfighting.rrn not: Pos&::",dinntir,Baha lay do\vn on his bed. I nextto hiln and pressed his He erupted .into a coughtngfit SL.atgooc, I sho(}k rnv head, I 'YouVion't aet a Qood branch?) b....>'1.\\i(H1't. get illtoNrr: I saId. l\lly father's expression changed.He had the look c'verychild dreads. look that says} hrought youup)nOlV seelvhat you 'have doner in theherHl is preferable to that look, Baba got up agitatedly and startedcircle the diningtable,L.. 1" ...r1" an)a retired teacher,I can ireat; I said. arnread","tosendTuition isthirt'V'thousanda'year.Living,} .,;1 ..-ex,pensesarouJ1(lthree... ,;,.'v"",o,',' .... 'e"n,'",a rnontl:Ll'.1()\Vrnuchisthat: fort\velve !'rhirh..,tnius .. six>,,'BaDa murnhled to hirnself .; .r.{ KIngs?" 'I thousand!>I a ..... ;... '1saver:l\vhatever I started" \\/e)11ttgure 'Soblovrupvifhatever r"j ?,''t Ml1.e ve;0,' "!Ii' l,:.:t.3.:..) n ,:;,i"" ct' ll"i'l.r.r1.. 1.,',," but , ...can't 1 I v