DASAN : Two MACE tales

Dasan at Electrical Lab :

Our B-tech days, MACE (Mar Athanasius College of Engineering), better known as Kothamangalam Engineering college, we had a friend named Dasan. He was the centre of attraction of the whole batch. He was lean, dark, tall, with a thin moustach under which he hides a sweet stupid smile. Most of us don't know his actual name, it was some Das, even I dont know, use to call him simply Dasan. May be because of his odd way of talking, he was the centre of attraction of all, he had a high pitched tone and a scrotching voice. He was from Mechanical.

It was during the 5th semester, mechs had an electrical machines lab. It was their university exam day. Dasan, true to the mech tradition, boozed the previous night and studied nothing. He was so worried and tensed when reached the lab. His exam was in the afternoon and by the time his name was called it was around 3 pm. There were 4 other mechs along with him.

It was Acy sir, the lab incharge for the day, Paulson sir was also there, with two other junior staff members. Normally the practice in lab exam is to keep the questions written in small pieces of paper and each student will have to take his lot. The questions were ready on the table and these guys were waiting for their turn. All of them including Dasan submitted their records and hall tickets were verified; they stood there (politely).

An attender came and kept tea cups and 'parippu vadas' on the table infront of teachers, (a usual practice). Acy sir asked Dasan to take his lot, he called his name and asked, "ok, take".

Dasan looked there, he found tea cups and 'parippuvada', he was so confused, already had lunch from the canteen, but it was 2 hours back, he never expected such an offering, that too from Acy sir who was notorious for student unfriendliness.

"No sir, thanks", he replied.

Acy sir was surprised, his voice raised, "doy take it, I'm asking you Mr. Dasan", he yelled.

Dasan was reluctant again, "Sir I had it just now, pls don't compell me", professor got angry, " I say you take, or else I will mark u absent", he cried, his sound was heared all around the lab.

Dasan absorbed all the streangth, prayed all known Gods, walked straight and took two 'parippuvadas' and started eating!!!!

He got 85 marks for the lab...!

Dasan and Solar Eclipse:

Dasan was the centre of attraction of our batch. Every semester there will be some Dasan adventure. Those who don't know Dasan, he was our batch mate, while at Kothamangalam Engineering College. A tall guy with thin moustache and typical Kottayam accent, he was from mechanical. He used to talk a lot in his trademark top pitched voice and most of us don't know his full name and called him simply Dasan. He stayed at a lodge near to college called EVM, with his friends.

During our second year in college, there was a solar eclipse which was partially visible in India. It was a transitional period and the myths regarding eclipses were being eliminated from the puiblic mind. Various science forums and schools were providing assistance to those interested public to watch the eclipse safely. As a science enthusiast Dasan too wanted to have a look at the 'celestial hungama'.

Dasan had a friend, Arun Shankar. His parents were doctors and he boasted to have a track record of watching all the past eclipses. Dasan realised that no one else can really help him out to watch the eclipse than Arun. The day before the event, he met Arun in his room and sought his help.

"Machaa, please help me da, I have never seen an eclipse before", he requested.

"Ok, lets try", Arun overweened, "get an x-ray film and and be there at the top of Founders' Block by tomarrow 11'0 clk. Founders' Block was the tallest building in our campus and Dasan somehow procured an x-ray slide. He was so thrilled, the very thought of watching his life's first eclipse rose his spirits, he couldn't sleep well that night.

Next day he reached the spot quite early and arranged a comfortable seat. Arun came, and eclipse started.

"Watch the sun through the film", Arun assisted "you could see dark spots emerging on its surface and slowly covering it completely, that is moon's shadow". Dasan did as told and he was satisfied, thanked Arun, fixed a drink with him at Malanad (the unofficial yet widely accepted BAR of M A College students) that evening.

Dasan didn't turn up for the drink, he was hospitalised instead. He had dizziness, headache and lost his vision partially. All friends rushed to MBMM hospital where he was entered, asked him what happened.

"Bloody Arun, he cheated me, both of us watched together and he is perfect now and I'll be blind soon, he shouted. "Did you watch the sun direct?", we asked, "NO, both of us used xray films, but I rolled it like a telescope to have a better sight"!!

Dasan lost his right eye sight.

Thanx Shane

4th Jan, 07:
The cold but pleasant morning. Sydney, the largest Australian city hosts the last test match of the Ashes, the oldest cricketing rivalry in the history.

Cheering Sydney crowd sipped beer glasses, noisy English band-music chanted loud, fluttering Union Jack, enthralling Mexican waves; looks like an extended New Year party, the true carnival of cricket, the cold breeze from the eastern port itself smelt cricket.

The golden haired, ‘not too fat but bit more’ for a cricketer walks to the pitch, to deliver his last few, to the men at the other end, twenty two yards in front, guarding their stumps with a willow blade. Thousands of kilometres away, in India, it is 5:30 AM, though under the grip of cold wave, millions of cricket fans glue to their television sets to have a glimpse of the mesmerising magic of spin bowling and the wizard, SHANE WARNE.

This magician revolutionised the art of slow bowling, where wrist did the work, right from early nineties to his last match in an era where bowlers constantly lost their edge to batsmen as well as the less helping conditions. But he stood tall, his bluff and bluster and mischief and innocence somehow intact, beheaded more preys in the longer version of the game, beating his quicker counter parts.

In the SCG, near the official logo of 3G Mobile, the co-sponsor of Cricket Australia, we read the words, ‘Thanx Shane’. We too chant in his final match, ‘Thanx Shane’, not for bringing beauty to the game, but for preaching it.

Salutations to the king of spin bowling who was more famous (than loved)!