Memories of Nellore-I

It was two months or so after i had returned to Chennai,after a sweet-sour stay at Hyderabad.I was hoping to get into a Ph.D program (particularly IMPRS,Germany).Meanwhile i needed money to fund my efforts to do that.To take care of admission tests,email,printouts,etc..I had to find job .So i started looking for two kinds of jobs:teaching or writing.For the first time I was finding the going tough ...well there are always some first times:-) While all this was happening my parents were very supportive of me.
Then out of the blue,I got a call from my friend about a vacany in a new engineering college in Nellore, Andhra Pradesh. My initial enquiries led me to believe that it was the best job that I could ask for:9 hrs of teaching everyweek.I would also get back home on Saturday evenings.Perfect!!.So with a sense of relief I packed my certificates and couple of clothes and started a jouney which would all atonce be tiring as well as gratifying.Something that would teach me to be more Human,teach me to care for people.

4am the day of the journey:
I walk to the shed of the bus service I was going to use.
4.45am :
I pay the conductor an additional 10 rupees to go all the way to the mofussil bustand in Madras.
5.30am :
The bus is quite full and starts on its journey to Nellore.
9.45am:
I ask for Marymatha church and the conductor tells me to get down.
9.47am:
It is hot and I stare at barren lands before me.No sign of any engineering college.I look for the train tracks that I was supposed to find.At a distance i see a big grey structure coming up.With disbelief I walk towards it.

10.15am:
I reach the structure and ask for Mr.Y. I am received by a short pleasant man dreesed in a white dhoti and shirt.He introduces himself as shiva and starts talking in tamil(all the time with a wide smile on his face).This was the man with whomI was going to spend the majority of my next 10 months.I also get to meet Mr Y.

10.30:
Mr Y. goes through my certificates and talks about the college.He is a very pleasant gentleman and I like him instantly.

11am:
Mr. Y.and Mr.S. take me to a class room and ask me to give a lecture.After my presentation,Mr Y.says that I am good but would need to work on a couple of aspects as a teacher and Mr S. nods his head in agreement.

12.30:
I get my appointment letter.It is signed by Mr.S.It is then I know that Mr S. is the chairman of the college.All the time he was humble and his simple attire and smooth talk really threw me off track.

1.30pm:
All three of us dine at Mr.S's place and I am already at home in their presence. I tell them I shall be back in a couple of days.

4.30pm:
I board the bus to Madras.