Failures  Are  The  Pillars  Of  Success :  Ancient  Consolation


It all started when I decided that it's high time to have had my passport done.  Hence I 
got my passport form,  in June, and as it had to happen, did not feel the strong urge to
submit it till november. Finally when I saw many of my clssmates have already done so, I
regreeted my 'lethe' and decided to do to submit the form next tuesday. Fortunately, I
got Somanth, one of my classmates to accompany me with his own form. There starts the
story.

By Monday night, most of my classmates knew that the next morning I was going to get up
early to submit my passport form. Hence the whole of that evening, all sorts of advices 
from all sorts of people ushered on me. What I could gather from that,was that 
submittting your passport form is a long and tedious affair, which needs one's waking up 
as early as possible, and stand in an unimaginably long queue for hours to get your call. 
But never worry, patience has it's sweet reward...'mera number ayega'. Anyway, all my 
advisors knowing pretty surely that for the next morning I had set my alarm clock to 7, 
did not miss the chance of bugging me till 2 in the night. Anyway, the next morning found 
me running with toothbrush/ papers/ pens/simply running/ wake up somnath ( he did not 
seem to have any worries)/ run again/ finally catch a bus to the passport ofice. Nice 
morning, nice healthy air, it all seemed a perfect ad for a successful day. 

The queue had not got 'that' long, and we were happy to find only 70 people before us. I 
had brought biscuits to eat, water to drink, story book to read ( lacked only a pillow) 
and kept myself busy with them. Suddenly Somnath cried 'shit !'. A crow has paid it's 
sacred due to mankind. However , to my surprise Somnath mentioned that this is supposed 
to be a good omen. Never mind! We started chatting with a young man standing in front of 
us and got extremely 'frust' when we learned that he is a passout from IIT,Kgp. in '97 
and has already got married and has a baby for whom he is in the queue.  Time passes 
slowly, though not unbearbly and at about 10:30, the crowd started moving in. After some 
time, we reached the acceptance window, Somnath ahead of me. His business went on smooth, 
and my turn arrived. I passed my completed form through the window. 'Show me the 
originals' spoke the voice from the other side. OH MY GOD! I DID NOT BRING THE RATION 
CARD ORIGINAL.  I pleaded 'COME ON, I HAVE THE PHOTOCOPIES ATTESTED, WHY THE ORIGINAL'. 
But man proposes, god disposes. And my cries were disposed. 'Sorry, Rule is a Rule, I 
cannot accept your application.' Soumik your application for heaven is discarded, GO TO 
HELL!!!

I came out very morose, got into a tram, and did not speak a word till we reached Boys' 
Hostel.

But, ' All is not lost', I soon recovered my spirits, not to forget the ration card, and 
set the date of the next Tuesday, for the next combat. History repeated itself, people 
spent till 1:30 in the night giving me 'honest' advices till I turned aggressive. This 
time I was alone so the whole lot of running was boring. However I reached the queue 
comfortably at no. 68. First I searched for a crow to stand below it. Believe me, there 
wasn't a single one. Hence I chose a suitable sunshade to stand below in the hope that in 
the near future some of the crows might feel like taking rest on it. I stood there having 
nothing to do at first, but soon found myself, due to the previous experience, as an 
expert advisor on the pitfalls of the application form. Free counselling to people soon 
aroused the anger of those standing there to help similarly against a charge. But before 
they could do much, the door opened, and the crowd rushed in. Aha! that same room which 
laughed at me last Tuesday. It's now my turn to laugh at you. I held the ration card 
zealously while submitting my form through the window. 'WHERE IS THE BABY ?' Voice behind 
the window screamed while having a look at my birth certificate. 'BABY???!!! OF COURSE I 
AM THE BABY!'. 'OKAY, SHOW ME YOUR NAME  IN THIS CERTIFICATE'. I snatched the 
certificate. Inspected it from top to bottom. My father's name, given, mother's name, 
given, doctor's name, given, clinic's name, given....but child's name : ------- (simply 
dash, how insulting!). I got so angry, that I walked to Esplanade, bought cassettes at 
Symphony, came back here, ate in Ambrosia, spent some more money, until my worries for my 
pocket overcame my worries for the passport, and I cooled down. ( This method is pretty 
effective, you can try it out!)


I was determined not to let the third chance go unsuccessful. Got hold of my ICSE admit 
card, and all other papers you can't even dream of, together with their xerox copies, and 
went out the very next day, bunking an exam and the other classes of the day. I did 
everything unconventional this time. Nobody knew of my plans, got up late, reached the 
office at 12 noon ( it closes at 1), and though I was a little nervous, everything went 
smoothly. YES, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, I WAS FINALLY SUCCESSFUL. And do you know, how much 
time the whole business took me this time...ONLY 20 MINUITES!!!


IN CONCLUSION : I simply adore Captain Haddock. I have so much in common with him!