Tuesday, January 31, 2006

My Ramaiah Days-7(Resnick and Halliday)

Walking along the road, I asked A** "Do you have a Resnick and Halliday?"."Yes" he replied hesitatingly.I didn't sense any reason for hesitation and asked him "Can I have those problems xeroxed?".I was confounded by his reply.He thought for a while and said "I am sorry.The book will be split open if xeroxed.I can't give it for a xerox".This is the first time that I was listening to that "funda" (as we call in IIT).The class was just over and we were asked to solve all the problems from the first chapter of Resnick and Halliday.

I didn't know that it was a very important book.Thinking that a xerox will do, I was tempted to ask this guy.He used to walk back with me to the main road,where he took an auto home,along with a few other friends of mine.It was already a month since we met,and I was foolish again to expect help from people.

I didn't know what to do.I was thinking all the while about the homework.I didn't even know where Adarsh Book Depot (the official store for IIT books)was.And I really felt shocked for the second time.(You remember the question paper story on the second day, I suppose.) All the way home I was thinking of nothing but his reply.

"You can imagine a sphere as a collection of disks and proceed"Mr. Surendranath was lecturing.I was able to understand that a sphere can be seen as a collection of disks. That's ok,but what to do?Where to proceed?I realised that I missed out something important, thinking of this Resnick and Halliday fiasco.I felt stupid.Why is this eating into my brain? Perhaps it was the first time I was listening to that funda.

Luckily Arun came to my rescue.He is one of those friends I mentioned above.[Later this fellow was to become the best friend I ever had in Hyderabad.He was the one who understood me,my problems and stood by me in times of need.](Thank you very much,my dear Arun.)He told me"Vallabha,I have a Resnick.Come to my home and get it xeroxed this sunday".I will never forget the way I was recieved by his parents.His mother treated me like her own son and his father spoke to me very well.By that time Arun already knew about the trouble I was facing there.I think he had told his parents about this.His father narrated his journey to IIT and I felt very much at home.I got the book xeroxed and that problem ended there.Of course, its an entirely different issue that ,later,not only did I come to know where Adarsh was,but also bought myself a Resnick and Halliday.

1 comment:

Kanthi Kiran said...

wow ...Just wow! iam sure u will agree, now that we know us that i would have given u resnick... coming to think of it ..i had two!!
Who was this guy ! who the hell was this guy.. i understand now why u hate that period... excellant narration. Though sour at that time, i bet these memories are sweet now!