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My Kabiraji Friend

My Kabiraji Friend

Mr. Dibyojit Dutta

When I enrolled myself in PU Science in Cotton College in the year 1982, I was allotted to Cotton Cosmopolitan Hostel. At that time, Sri Baidya Bhuyan was our Hostel Superintendant. The hostel had three blocks and there was open space for out door sports activities as well as one common room for indoor sports activity. When I joined in the Hostel , the hostel was full of activities ; the volley ball court was always full and there seemed to no end of the day. A few activities like morning rushes to classes, afternoon chai- addas at the Court canteen ( now demolished) , evening walk to Panbazar were my favorites; but the senseless kabiraji by few hostel boarders still bizarre part in my life. In the first year, I was in New Building where studies and other activities were going on hand to hand. But when I was promoted to the second year, Hostel Superintendent decided to send me to the Old Building where kabitraji was the only visible activity. Those kabirajs would surround their table by dirty linen sheet, put piles of books in table and then engross on books hour after hour without any break. They were ready to die rather than surrender to sleep. According to their believe - God created day and night equally for kabiraji -nothing else. What a disgusting !!

 

One day, one shocking news spread in the hostel that one senior kabiraji who opted to drop in the last examination fearing not to be within top ten , was joining the hostel. He was none other than our Mr. Spring Nath. Hostel Superintendant allotted a corner room for him probably expected him to bring laurel to the hostel, Whenever we visited his room to meet his room-mates, he was always in his study table, rarely spoke with us. His table was surrounded by a thick dirty bed-sheet with piles of books in various colors. He would wear a lungi and always be on his table. Other serious kabirajs who were also aspirant to be within top ten university ranking were badly demoralized fearing to forego one top slot to Mr Nath. Days were moving ahead and finally the day had come to fill the examination form. All of us filled it and deposited with fees except Mr Nath - but why ? Was he waiting for an auspicious moment ? - curiosity was brewing amongst us. Then suddenly, one evening, we could hear noises in Nath's room where many seniors were present there. has he fallen into ill and need to be hospitalized ? - we became curious, but not really. Mr Nath was only struggling to fill his form because he was not sure which medium he should appear - English or Assamese ?.What a strange - after spending mid-night oil for three years, he was not sure with his medium ? He had books on both english and assamese medium and studied all equally. Seniors were trying to analyze his strength and trying hard to find out which medium he should appear. But could not reach any conclusion.

 The news of Mr Nath spread like a wild fire in the hostel. The Hostel Superintendent was shocked, 'what kind of kabiraji this fellow is ? What he has been doing in the last three years !?' he murmured. Finally he was advised to cool down as there was still one month left for the final examination. He was advised to take time and chose the medium which he felt more comfortable. After few months, when the result came out, we could not see Mr Nath's name within the top ten rank but luckily he didn't fail also - he somehow managed to pass as we could see his pursuing degree in the next year. But we never asked him in which medium he finally appeared in the examination -a deep mystery still haunted many of us.

Cotton Cosmopolitan Hostel
Last modified: 
Thursday, April 16, 2020 - 22:38