Turning Point

Year 2002.
CPMT (Medical entrance examination for the medical colleges in UP) result was out. Being a stud in my school life, many hopes were attached to me. My parents knew that I will crack the nut. I did, but my rank was good enough only to get BDS (not MBBS).

More than thousand students (mostly accompanied by their parents) were collected in the huge counseling hall with hopes and dreams of becoming a doctor. Roll numbers were called and students were moving towards counseling board room. I had already filled the form and was about to take admission in a dental college. When my roll number was called, I moved towards the counseling board along with my dad. The girl (8 out of 10) just before me was talking to counselors about the availability of the seats in different colleges. She was discussing more about the same college I was planning to join. An exciting thought ran into my mind. I started imagining her sitting next to me in the classroom. I closed my eyes and I saw that professor is dictating something and all students are writing. She is sitting so close to me that as I moved my hand to start writing, my shoulders touched with hers. She turned her head and our eyes met. She smiled. I found myself smiling standing in the queue. The girl was still filling the form.
My parents always wanted me to be a doctor, though they never specified but they always meant MBBS doctor. I knew they are not happy with my decision of joining BDS. The girl had got admission in that dental college. I found my future classmate smiling. Her father too was looking happy. “Either her father is dentist or he knows that my daughter is not capable enough to get MBBS” I thought. My turn came and I started filling the form. Seats were available in the college. I saw the girl watching me writing the same college name. She smiled. I knew I am born to be a dentist.
“Are you’re sure that you are comfortable with BDS” dad asked. “Yeah” I replied
Would you like to try one more year?
“No papa. I don’t want to waste one more year” I had filled the form and my arm was moving towards the counselor to handover the form along with the bank draft of 20K to block the seat.
We always wanted you to become MBBS doctor but its fine. If you are happy we are happy.
I looked in my dad’s eye. I saw myself standing in a white apron and stethoscope around my neck. I did not look like a dentist. I was looking like a surgeon. I pulled back my hand.
I will prepare one more year. I told to my dad.
I did. Next year, I did not even get BDS. Life has decided something else

Year 2005
I was irritated. The address mentioned in my admit card of MAT (entrance exam for B grade B schools) had some problems. I wasn’t able to get the centre of my test. Gomti Nagar in Lucknow is a big residential colony which is divided in to many khands (blocks) starting with V (Vipul khand, Vineet khand, Vishal Khand etc). My center was a “St Bosco school” in Viraj khand. I had searched all the roads in Viraj khand but I did not find the school. Even the locals were not able to help me. I was on a rikshaw and after the search continued for over 30 minutes, Rikshewale bhaiya got angry. I paid him some money and started walking. I saw my watch. It was 9.55 am. Test had to start at 10.
I was helpless. I had started thinking of doing MBA just before two months and MAT was the only entrance exam (having atleast OK type college) left at that time. If I could not join any college through this test I would definitely have to sit atleast 6 months at home doing nothing.
“Excuse me; do you know where St Bosco School is?” Some female voice knocked my ears. She was 8.5-9 out of 10 girl. She was in the back seat of a car and some driver looking person was driving it.
“I would have been sitting inside the class reading instructions if I had” I replied in not so polite tone. She saw me in surprise, waited for few seconds and understanding the situation, she said, “come inside. You will take years to find the college by walk”
The girl suddenly changed the way my destiny was behaving. The next man we asked the address was probably “LORD BRAMHA” himself. He said “this school is not in Viraj khand, it’s in Virat khand. 5-6 km from here. Probably it is a type error”. He told us the way.
I looked towards the sky from the car window and said to God “man, typo error in the admit card of my entrance exam. What were you planning to do with me”?
We reached the center at 10.15 pm. When I finished the test, I realized that I did not say thanks to the girl. When we reached in the school I was in so hurry that neither did I say thanks to the girl nor I saw which classroom she went into. My eyes were looking everywhere to find the girl. “If I find her I will say thanks and I will ask her for coffee also. After all she is a nice girl and she is pretty too. A rare combination” I was talking to myself. I had reached at the main entrance of school when I saw the girl. We waved to each other and I started moving towards her. Suddenly, a Papa type person came into existence from nowhere and the girl started talking to him. I stopped……… I could not say thanks.
I got good percentile in MAT. Joined Amity. Fell in love. Got campus placement. Moved to Hyderabad. Broke up. Came to Bangalore. Started another job. Met thousands of new people and so many wonderful friends. Overall, last 5 years have been wonderful. All because of that girl who gave me lift that day. Leave coffee, I could not even ask her name.
That day when I talked to God while going towards my centre, he had given the reply of my question. I just could not hear it then.
“Dude, typo error was from your fellow humans. I sent someone to help. And coz you are close to me, that someone was a girl. An 8.5 out of 10 girl.”