Days UnderCloud: Volume I: "Wake me Up when September Ends"

Days UnderCloud #1

24th August '19:

Urvi, Reyna and Navo present me this vibrantly festooned page of Bengali Matrimonial with 'Surkhiyaan' written on top. The trio also finally signed 'Batman: The Killing Joke' graphic novel that they had gifted me on my 20th birthday almost 3 years ago. (Faraz still hasn't signed it). I had to leave their company early to complete the shopping list for lbsnaa, Mussoorie where I'd be spending about hundred days under clouds...clouds of more water vapour and less smoke.

We met for the first time in dozens of months. Underground days had come to an end (for the time being).

Days UnderCloud #2

August '19

I have been witnessing a daily tsunami of 'customary Bandhgala photos' being taken by my batchmates in front of the academy's "Sheelam Param Bhushanam". I haven't got one this week. Little do I know that I won't have one till the last week of the Foundation Course.

I have been a little hesitant about photos. More important chores have kept me busy: 'survival' being a priority.

All I think about lately is 'dress code'. A guy who roamed around in pop culture t-shirts n boxers all the time, must now come to terms with the ways of an officer.

Suits, ties, polished shoes, ironed shirts stare at me and smirk. On sundays, I smirk back.

This picture is from our dear IFS Shubham's birthday treat. It is perhaps the first and the last IFS outing we'll have in Mussoorie.

Smirk smirk. :P

Days UnderCloud #3

31st August '19

First trek to Kempty.

An interesting way adopted by the academy to teach us that it's all about the journey and not the destination- coz none of us reached Kempty Falls. (Later we realised it was a trek to Kempty VILLAGE and NOT Falls!)

Such ignorance on our part I tell you!

But ignorance is bliss - quite apparent from my expression here. And ignorance is fun- meet our dearest Nandini and know it!

It didn't rain that day. And I'm glad I didn't stab anyone accidentally with my Umbrella.

Humming along the tunes of Queen, LedZep and MJ with Sagar kept the ignorance alive n kickin!

I think I did stab (poke rather) him once during 'Billie Jean'.

Days UnderCloud #4

9th September '19

Visit to Raphael, NIVH Dehradun.

My fixation with backpacks has remained intact. The habit of an office bag/briefcase seems like a distant possibility as of now.

Identity cards have been an interesting concept in our lives: Right from kindergarten to being issued a senior citizen or pensioner card, we usually don't identify ourselves with the person in the photo. There's always a different beard, different specs or an absence of a double chin here and there.

There's sometimes a 'Mr' in ur mother's name slot or an interchange of month and day in your D.O.B.

Your ID card is a prop for your friends to tease you,

and for some curious little minds, a fascinating toy.

Days UnderCloud #5

Another weekend, another trek.

Lal Tibba is one of the highest points in Mussoorie. On my trek to Benog Hill the previous week, my ankle had the honour of being passionately embraced by a big fat Leech. Though i was able to eliminate it, the blood didn't stop flowing for two days.

Lot of lessons were drawn from that trek:

1. When in leech territory, run!

2. White socks on treks is a bad idea.

3. Salt has magical powers.

These were taken into account and that resulted into a great experience at Lal Tibba the next week.

We ended up roaming around Landour the whole day and that walking route soon became a staple for every weekend.

Days UnderCloud #6

22nd September 2019

We presented JEANS today- not just a play, but a playground (with all kinds of swings and slides). The point of existing in the hills of Mussoorie, for this fortnight, came to pass today. The previous 15 days have given me almost everything that I would have seeked during my time in Lbsnaa: a group of 15 people who know how to go crazy once in a while (Some were naturale, some had to learn; but by the end everyone reached the desired level of 'Esprit de corps').

We perhaps still don't entirely know what that means.

But we all got the gist.

Days UnderCloud #7

26th September '19

The most glorious day of my academy tenure. When you are appointed the Mess Duty Officer (MDO) for 8 hours, you must realise that you have borrowed those hours from your time in heaven.

It's an official pass to bunk classes. And that means it's time for some 'real knowledge'. I'd never learnt so much on any of the other days. From preparing bills, sanctioning supplies, countersigning/verifying transactions to hanging around the store, the bakery, the dining hall, the cafe and learning how they functioned and catered to a massive strength of 400 on a daily basis- it was a day well spent.

This photo was clicked by Tara Chand ji, the mess in-charge. We both burst into laughter after seeing my expression against the magnificent background of eggs, milk packets and butter tikias.

I also got time to watch 'Hitchcock/Truffaut'- the only documentary I managed to watch at Mussoorie.

Days UnderCloud #8

30th September '19

Mid term exams are here. And I have perhaps developed a habit of staring into nothingness (which feels quite similar to certain subjects like Mngmt and Pub Ad masquerading as 'legit' courses- i know that's a biased personal opinion coming from someone who has never been acquainted with those subjects...but even after shaking hands with each other and introducing ourselves at the foundation course, i still don't believe that they exist. Maybe they feel the same way about me; i say that because these subjects seemed to be different altogether when it came to exams.) The best I could do was dress up for it and try to 'behave' like a professional.. At the end of the day it's all about what they call 'Management and Behavioural Sciences'. The exam was fun though. Real fun- says the Child ego-state. :)