One day I was walking back to the bus-stop after a class.A student was walking a few paces ahead of me. He stopped at the same bus-stop as me.It was for the first time that I was seeing him.Soon a 113Y arrived,and I got in.To my surprise, he too got in and sat beside me.After a few minutes, I asked him "Are you from Ramaiah?"
"Yes."
"Which year?"
"Second year"
I was interested."How do you like the classes?"
"They are good."
"In your first year,were you able to follow all that was taught?"
"Yes of course."
This answer saddened me greatly.I was still unable to follow the mathematics that was being taught there.Two months or so have already gone by.This was contrary to what was told by Ramaiah sir on the day of counselling."At first,you may not understand what is being taught,but in a month or so,you will be able to catch up."I told the senior that I was not able to follow the classes.He gave a life-less laugh."Try to pay more attention", he suggested.
"Ticket,ticket"the conductor arrived.I bought myself a ticket to Punjagutta.I put the change in my wallet and pushed it into my trouser-pocket.I turned back to the senior,and was soon busy seeking explanations to all my problems in the insti.But to my dismay,his answers were short and terse.
I got down at Punjagutta and took an auto home.By the time I had to pay,I fumbled for the wallet and recieved a rude shock.It wasn't there.I searched and found enough change in a pocket, which I promptly handed over to the auto driver.I tried to recollect where I missed it.May be I didn't put it back properly after I bought a ticket in the bus.It should have slipped down.I didn't know what to do.Though it didn't have much money, the thought of losing something made me feel uncomfortable.
All that day I couldn't tell my uncle about the lost wallet.I was very hesitant to do that.The next day,just an hour before starting for the class I asked him for some money.
"What happened to the hundred I gave you two days ago?"
"I lost the wallet."
"May be you didn't notice,some one would have picked your pocket in the bus."
"I took a metro express,it wasn't crowded."
"So you were careless.How can you keep losing money like this Vallabha.You are not a small boy."
I recieved a good lecture from my uncle that day.Then, as a punishment or what ever my pocket money* was cut down to a double digit from a triple digit figure.To be more precise, it was cut down from Hundred rupees at a time to more frequent payments of Twenty rupees at a time.I was forbidden from possessing a wallet,and I started carrying money in my shirt pocket.This habit continued for a long time.Even in Gowtham, I never had a wallet.Only after I made it to IIT did I ever think of buying one.
Last summer, during the vacation I met my uncle at my grandmother's home.He said "I have something for you" and handed over a packet.I was surprised on opening it, for, it was a dark red leather WALLET.
*Pocket-money (n):The maximum amount of money that I can have at any point of time.
"Yes."
"Which year?"
"Second year"
I was interested."How do you like the classes?"
"They are good."
"In your first year,were you able to follow all that was taught?"
"Yes of course."
This answer saddened me greatly.I was still unable to follow the mathematics that was being taught there.Two months or so have already gone by.This was contrary to what was told by Ramaiah sir on the day of counselling."At first,you may not understand what is being taught,but in a month or so,you will be able to catch up."I told the senior that I was not able to follow the classes.He gave a life-less laugh."Try to pay more attention", he suggested.
"Ticket,ticket"the conductor arrived.I bought myself a ticket to Punjagutta.I put the change in my wallet and pushed it into my trouser-pocket.I turned back to the senior,and was soon busy seeking explanations to all my problems in the insti.But to my dismay,his answers were short and terse.
I got down at Punjagutta and took an auto home.By the time I had to pay,I fumbled for the wallet and recieved a rude shock.It wasn't there.I searched and found enough change in a pocket, which I promptly handed over to the auto driver.I tried to recollect where I missed it.May be I didn't put it back properly after I bought a ticket in the bus.It should have slipped down.I didn't know what to do.Though it didn't have much money, the thought of losing something made me feel uncomfortable.
All that day I couldn't tell my uncle about the lost wallet.I was very hesitant to do that.The next day,just an hour before starting for the class I asked him for some money.
"What happened to the hundred I gave you two days ago?"
"I lost the wallet."
"May be you didn't notice,some one would have picked your pocket in the bus."
"I took a metro express,it wasn't crowded."
"So you were careless.How can you keep losing money like this Vallabha.You are not a small boy."
I recieved a good lecture from my uncle that day.Then, as a punishment or what ever my pocket money* was cut down to a double digit from a triple digit figure.To be more precise, it was cut down from Hundred rupees at a time to more frequent payments of Twenty rupees at a time.I was forbidden from possessing a wallet,and I started carrying money in my shirt pocket.This habit continued for a long time.Even in Gowtham, I never had a wallet.Only after I made it to IIT did I ever think of buying one.
Last summer, during the vacation I met my uncle at my grandmother's home.He said "I have something for you" and handed over a packet.I was surprised on opening it, for, it was a dark red leather WALLET.
*Pocket-money (n):The maximum amount of money that I can have at any point of time.
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