GODS MUST BE CRAZY!!!

                   When people ask for the definition of engineering, students normally do not state it right. To admit, I am not aware of a perfect explanation for the word, ‘engineering’. Perhaps, any of the following may be correct or these can be teamed as ‘The Laws of Engineering’.

1)    Engineering can be defined as a slow, silent killer, which diverts the students into all other activities except studying apart from the period of semesters.

2)    Engineering is the alter ego of oblivion where most of people are unaware of why they prefer it.

3)    In engineering subjects, marks are independent of talent and the number of arrears are independent of internal marks scored.

According to the so – called first law, people with their own lappies spend time with it while rarest like me with no laptops have to think of some other means to spend time. I do not want to comment on the nature of wi-fi here at hostel because if I praise my college, people don’t appreciate but if I criticize, there is a mob (I mean it) to dump and snub me.

Since I had to kill time, I agreed to visit an orphanage with the members of the Rotaract Club of CEG on account of Christmas. It was business as usual as I was looking at different girls and cars while travelling in the bus (Girls and cars are similar; both of them, when looking good, drive guys crazy)

What I thought was just a visit turned out to be the best day ever in my life. When we entered, I was stunned and surprised by the way things were going on there. The kids there, as later stated by the man in-charge, belonged to the most deprived social backgrounds. Everyone was watching Narnia in television.

There were no hassles when TV was switched off due to our arrival. Nobody shouted or yelled. When I was thinking of all these, isolating myself at a corner, one boy came out and shook hands with me, wishing Merry Christmas. Eashwar, this guy, then asked in a tone of care and concern, “Why are you so depressed?”, following it up with, “If you play with me, you are sure to get better.” I could sense my body feeling a douche of cold water. For sure, Jesus Christ could not have taken birth on some other day. Perhaps, Eashwar was an incarnation of the Christ. While playing with these kids, I discovered that I could actually run a bit, though not normally (For those who are not aware, I had a freaky injury which made my right leg almost numb, some three months back, after which I haven't tried my luck at running)

After sometime, another guy named Chandru came up to me with eagerness and gave me something, which would have been a treasure had another guy not taken it away from me. It was a kind of bracelet, which was entirely made of rubber bands. This, I bet, could easily overtake the perfection of garlands made by mom by joining various flower beads. This guy also showed me how this bracelet thing could be modified to make it a ring. After all, it had all the nuances and intricacies of a sculpture dating back to Pallava period. Frankly speaking, I started adoring this new ornament in my hand more than the Kalava or Mauli. Oh gosh, the red thread! (God forbid)

The third incident literally shook me and made me understand the meaning of existence. Vishwa, apparently an eight year – old, called me in a commanding tone, and said in a calm but stern voice, “I want to meet my mom and dad.” I was taken aback and was thinking of a way to tackle him serenely without affecting his happiness. “Romba yosikaadhinganna. Ungappa dhan engappa; ungamma dhan engamma. Koottittu varingala?” (Don’t ponder too much, bro. Your dad is my dad and your mom is my mom. Will you come with them sometime?), said he, and I couldn’t resist tears falling off my eyes, as I nodded. Seriously, these 10 words sum up the whole universe; they are the epitome of human relationships. Had matured people thought of this, there would have been no orphans. Meanwhile, he asked for the band in my wrist and I, without hesitation, gave it. Actually, I wanted to embrace him, my first ever younger brother (Though there are younger cousins, they don’t call mom with the motherly relationship), mom’s third son, and utter, “You’re really GOD.”

Children are the reservoirs of mutual understanding without jealousy, happiness beyond limits and beauty beyond language. When prizes were distributed for the various games and events conducted, there were no arguments regarding the criteria based on which they were evaluated, no hidden vengeance, no discontentment. Everybody enjoyed the day in unison. For them, the world is an entity. The political, economic, social and communal demarcations are not known to them, yet they have superior thoughts and beliefs to us, the ‘educated ones’.

There can be no good life skill and moral education teacher than an under – 8 child, brimming with curiosity, excitement, passion and what not. If they are appointed motivational speakers, they would stand on their own legs within a short span of time because they express the secrets behind everything without their own knowledge. People like Eric Thomas, Robin Sharma and Tony Robbins have to look for a new career ahead.

There is opportunity to study only till 8^th standard in the school, which has been constructed alongside the ‘home’, but who cares? These kids have graduated in life with distinction. They are not orphans, these gifted buds. As Vishwa had said, my parents are his parents and the same applies for everyone. The whole universe is nothing but a family; the solar system is a family; India is a family. Delete ‘orphans’ from dictionaries and thoughts. Does that mean they are lonely because they don't have parents? GODS MUST BE CRAZY!!!