My train was late by 45 minutes and I was feeling bored. I was waiting and playing game on my mobile that every Indian loves to play in NOKIA i.e Snake game. Three times I made new high scores there. Still my snake was eating and eating and getting larger also to make more scores..In the mean time, one elderly voice disturbed me and my snake got dead in my game…The man was asking me for the time table of Tapaswini Express. I told him that it’s about 45 min late. His eyebrow as well as lips made some curves. He got shocked…He sat by my side and introduced himself as Mr.Barik. By profession he was doing nothing. I cursed my fate for getting such type of creature with me. I started to avoid him but he followed me like hutch…I think u can better understand. Finally I got a chair at platform and he sat nearby me. Then the conversation followed.Mr.barik:-Well Mr.Das…what do u do????
I replied:-Job in a company.
Mr.barik:-Which company???(He was very anxious to know..)
I replied:-Vedanta..
Mr.barik:-Oh…I have one of my brothers working there and he is a manager. He is a very eminent personality there.
I thought that Vedanta is an aluminum industry or film industry..Why he is saying eminent personality???Then Mr.Barik started saying about his brother. Started from his childhood days. How his brother was a great student/scholar, social worker etc.. I thought to add his brother’s name in India’s freedom struggle book, which we are reading for our IAS exam. I thought that playing snake was better rather than hearing these stories. I was only replying OK..Every eminent person of the state is his relative..Starting from singer Tapu Mishra to Chief minister Naveen Pattnaik,all are his relatives or friends.
Then I asked :-Is Gopabandhu Das is also your relative/friend??
Mr.Barik:-Yes,but not blood relative.
I said:-Oh..I see.
Mr.Barik:-Why u came Bhubaneswar???
I replied:-To get some books for IAS exam.
Mr.Barik:-Are you appearing for IAS??
I replied:-Yes, appeared prelims this time.
Mr.barik:-Then I want to give some tips for the exam.
I was enjoying the creature and said ok.
Mr.Barik:-IAS interview is very tough. You should be very careful while talking with them,walking and answering.
I said:- Yes,I know..
Then he started talking about how to face interview.
Mr.barik:-First enter the room and touch the feet of the interviewers. It will fetch good marks to you and then take your seat. Answer all questions they will ask you. Then after interview get finished, touch their feet again and don’t move back rather walk backward steps till the door.
I thought, whether I will go to UPSC interview or dance Odissi Mangalacharana before Lord Jagganath???Why to walk backward steps???? He also advised me to wear black dress. I don’t know what made him to think so. What to do with black dress??? I am a candidate to be interviewed or magician???? When all these questions were running in my mind then Tapaswini Express entered platform no.1 and Mr.Barik started running with his bag to the General compartment…After that I called him loudly and said ”Nice meeting u Barik babu”.
After thinking all these things again, I laughed loudly..And thanked my fate that last 40 minutes were very humorous for me…I thought that Mr.Barik was better than my snake in My NOKIA…..Whatever he may be but he made me laugh for some time…
JGD
4:04 pm(as per my laptop time)
30/05/2012
