My New Inning

I have just received the office order from the office of Dean of Faculty Affairs, IIT Kanpur that my leave (deputation) has been approved. That has prompted me to write this.

I was remembering my first ever visit to any engineering colleges. Two score years ago, my brother had applied for admission to several engineering colleges. One day in June, there was admission "counseling" in two different colleges. In those days, you had to be present in person, show all your certificates, pay some fee, and you get admission. No Internet. And the technology had not yet advanced to the level that he could be present in two colleges at the same time. So it was decided that in one college, I will go with copies of his certificates and the required money to confirm admission.

I was scared. I had never traveled outside Delhi alone. And I had never had more than a 10 rupee note in my pocket, and I was to carry several hundred rupees. I was scared to talk to my own school principal, and here I was supposed to talk to many people, fill up forms correctly, pay at the right window, and what not. What if I fill something wrongly. Reject the admission in a discipline that he wanted or accept in a discipline that he did not want. And, of course, there were no mobiles, not even the STD booths that dotted Indian landscape in the 90s, and even if I could find a phone to call, we didn't have a phone at home. So there would be no connect with home till I return.

But there was no choice. I had to go. Unknown to me, a larger cosmic plan was being hatched and it will only be revealed to me in 2019.

So in the evening, I went to the Inter State Bus Terminus (ISBT) at Kashmere Gate. Took a bus. The Grand Trunk Road was not yet a divided highway all the way, and I was sitting in the rickety bus for the entire night to reach the city beautiful. It was 5:00 AM. Our neighbors in Delhi had called up their relatives and told them to expect me in the morning. But it was too early, they may still be sleeping. I waited at the bus stand. At 6:00 AM, I went to their home, got ready, had breakfast and at 08:00 AM, left for the college. That was the first time I was seeing an engineering college. I really don't remember anything about the campus from that visit, and my brother wasn't interested in the disciplines in which he could get admission there. After a few hours on campus, I came back to the bus stop, took a bus to Delhi, and by night, was at home.

My fate was sealed that day. I had to return to this place.

Of course, I have visited them several times in the last 20 years, giving talks on security, IPv6, and on topics related to teaching/learning processes. And it has always been a pleasure. But this will be the first time I will be spending more than 2 days on the campus.

I am wondering if I had not visited PEC then, would the universe have still conspired to help me get there for a new inning. One will never know.