OOTY TOUR OF 2007 !!!

 

OOTY TOUR OF 2007

Written by: - ARINDAM SAIN

Part – 01

Arindam: - Sir, one client will come today. He used to study with me at St. Thomas Engineering College. His name is Farooque.

Debojyoti: - Is he a good student? Where is he working right now? If he is not a studious kind of a guy, don’t suggest him to go for the MBA Distance course of ICFAI. He will not pass the course after 3 years also.

Arindam: - No, Sir. Farooque is a good student. Before doing B-TECH in IT, he has also pursued B.Sc degree in Physics. I went to his house once to celebrate the Eid festival. He is a Muslim but his family is a very educated family. His father is a reputed doctor and all his family members are highly educated.

Debojyoti: - Ok, ok, I understand. When is he coming?

Arindam: - He will come at 4 PM today. I have an internal exam on Operations Research at 3.30 PM. The exam will be of 2 hours duration. So, I cannot attend Farooque in this SAP office.

Debojyoti: - Aah…don’t worry. I am there, naah…Farooque is your friend, naah…Baash…he will get enrolled in the MBA Distance course of ICFAI within this week. You can challenge my words.

Arindam: - Sir, when you are there in this office as a boss, then hardly any client will reject our selling product.

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Debraj: - Ei, Arindam, where are you going?

Arindam: - Just going down to have a cup of tea and some snacks from James’ tea shop.

Debraj: - Arrey, you can drink tea anytime. James’ tea shop will always be there for you. Debojyoti Sir wants to talk to you. It is very important.

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Debraj: - Sir, Arindam has come.

Debojoyti: - Aah! Arindam, there is a good news for you. Farooque will enroll in this week only. Now, as you have given 3 clients for SAP in this quarter, you are eligible to go for the Conference in Ooty. Are you interested to go to Ooty?

Arindam: - Ooty? But, before the semester exams, will it be feasible? Attendance will be an issue.

Debojyoti: - attendance will not be an issue. All the teachers will give you attendance if you are going to attend SAP conference. Don’t worry about exams. If you go to Ooty for 3 days, it is not going to hamper your education. Anyway, you people just study at the night before the exam. So, what’s the big deal if you go for the conference before the exam?

Debarjun: - Ha ha ha…you have said the correct thing, Sir. We study in the previous day of the examination only.

Arindam: - but, one thing I don’t understand, Sir, that what is the purpose of this SAP Conference?

Debojyoti: - What? You are yet to know the purpose of it? My goodness! Ei, Angshuman, why have I recruited you as a SAP Officer? A SAP trainee who has given 7 clients till now does not know what is the purpose of this conference? How funny! Angshuman, please tell about the conference to Arindam in details.

Angshuman: - Sir, I have called Arindam in my cabin so many times, but he is least interested to interact with me. Ei, Arindam, come here. I will tell you in details about the SAP conference.

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Angshuman: - Arindam, first of all, you have to understand what is SAP? What is SAP? Tell me?

Arindam: - SAP means Stipendiary Assignment Program.

Angshuman: - aah…that is just the full form. That is not the definition of SAP. See, you are doing full time MBA degree in Finance from ICFAI Business School of Kolkata. Now, this ICFAI University has a unique system. ICFAI gives the chance to all its full time MBA students to become a SAP Trainee or a Part-time employee of ICFAI. Here, you are a full time student of MBA and also a part time employee of ICFAI. As a part time employee of ICFAI, you are given the opportunity to sell the ICFAI educational products to professionals as an agent. A TCS employee who does not have a MBA degree is always eager to do a distance MBA course from ICFAI as ICFAI has a good brand after IIM, XLRI, IMT and Narsee Monjee. Now, as a full time student of ICFAI, when you sell a MBA Distance course package to a TCS employee at 84,000 bucks, then you get a commission of 7790 bucks.

Arindam: - Aah…these things I also know. Till now, I have given 7 clients. I have already received the money for 4 clients in the last quarter which is around 26,110 bucks exclusive of TDS. But, why a SAP trainee needs to go to a conference?

Angshuman: - Don’t regard it as a conference. Rather it is a meeting on the quarterly results or performance. In this conference, SAP trainees and officers of all the different branches of ICFAI Business School will assemble at Ooty to discuss about their sales figures, targets achieved, any issues regarding the selling of ICFAI products and about their profitable target market potentials. Arindam, ICFAI is just like a corporate body only, which is providing you a MBA degree. Basically, ICFAI was formed by a group of Chartered Financial Accountants (CFAs) only.

Arindam: - Then the conference will be a very boring one. For going to Ooty, at least, there will be expense of around 5000 bucks from my pocket.

Angshuman: - Who told you all these bullshit things? You don’t have to spend a single penny. It is a sponsored tour from ICFAI for all the talented SAP trainees like you. And believe me, the lunch, dinner and drinks are all free of cost; even the lodging also. You will enjoy the Conference of Ooty. So, what have you decided? Are you willing to go or not?

Arindam: - of course, yes, I want to go to Ooty. I don’t know whether I will get any chance to go to Ooty in future or not and that too with our college friends.

Angshuman: - That’s the spirit. Tomorrow, at 5.30 PM, Debojyoti Sir has called a meeting in this office only to make the final list of SAP trainees, who will be going to Ooty Conference. Be present in this office tomorrow within 5.30 PM.

Arindam: - No problem, Angshuman daa, I will be there. Now, I need to go. It is already 8.30 PM. Thakurpukur is very far from this Sector-V of Salt Lake City.

Angshuman: - Oh! My goodness, you stay too far. At least, it will take 1.5 hours from here to reach your home. Anyway, see you tomorrow. Good night.

Part- 02

Debojyoti: - So, here is the final list of the people, who are going for the Ooty Conference. The names are: - Debraj, Anupam, Vartika, Koustav, Sunny, Arindam, Arnab, Deepti, Debarjun, Debolina, Sumanta, Angshuman and me. Accha, let me introduce you all to our newly recruited SAP Officer. His name is Sumanta. From now on, both Sumanta and Angshuman will guide all the SAP trainees of IBS (ICFAI Business School) Kolkata.

Sunny: - Sir, so, 13 people are going for this conference?

Debojyoti: - No, wait, there are another 2 persons from IBS Bhubaneswar. Himangshu, the SAP officer will board at Bhubaneswar with his SAP trainee Deepak.

Vartika: - Why IBS Bhubaneswar people will also go with us?

Debojyoti: - arrey, babah, I am the SAP Manager of Eastern zone of ICFAI. I have been given the responsibility to look after the SAP office of both IBS Kolkata and IBS Bhubaneswar branch.

Koustav: - Sir, we will be going by flight or train?

Debojyoti: - You people want to go by flight? Then, you have to pay extra 1000 bucks each because ICFAI has provided money for the 2^nd Sleeper class train tickets for each SAP trainee both for arrival and departure.

Arnab: - No, no, Sir. We will go by train only. We don’t want to go by Air Deccan or Indigo.

Debraj: - yes, Sir! Train will be a feasible one.

Debojyoti: - Ok, then I will do one thing. I will book 15 tickets online through IRCTC portal. I have an account there. But, one thing I am telling you beforehand that after booking the train tickets, if anyone withdraws himself from this conference, then he needs to pay the price of his ticket.

Debolina: - We will go by which train?

Arindam: - Sir, what will be our route to reach Ooty?

Debojyoti: - We will go to Chennai by Coromandel Express. We will reach Chennai in the late evening. We have to stay in any lodge in Chennai to spend that night. The next morning, we will arrange a bus, which will take us to Ooty. Otherwise, there is a train also which goes to Coimbatore from Chennai. That train is around 10.30 PM.

Deepti: - No, Sir. It will become a very hectic journey. We will reach in the evening and then again we have to board the night-train. Very hectic, Sir!

Debojyoti: - Yeah, it will become a hectic one. Also, what if the Coromandel train reaches Chennai at 5-6 hours late? So, it is better that we will go to Ooty by bus from Chennai. Accha, another thing, that I must tell all of you. Don’t think that as Ooty is in South India, so, there is no need to take warm clothes for this tour. Ooty is a hill station and it has a decent height too. It is the Nilgiri range. It is mandatory that you take warm clothes like sweaters and jackets with you in this tour. Another thing, I want to mention is that as it is a conference, a black or blue colored blazer and a formal tie is a must. If you don’t wear blazer, then you will become an odd-man out in that conference room. Those who don’t have a blazer should buy it within this week.

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Arindam: - A blazer is very costly. A blazer costs around 6000 bucks.

Arnab: - See, Sain daa, in any case, you have to buy a blazer. Our placement officer, Ms. Sumita has already announced that there will be a photo-shoot for every student of IBS Kolkata, before the Campus Placement starts. In that photo shoot, you have to wear a blazer and a tie. IBS placement team will send your passport photos and resumes to different corporate for the recruitment process. My girlfriend was saying that there is a ‘Bazaar Kolkata’ mall in Kankurgachi area, where they are offering 30% discount on the price if you buy clothes of worth 3000 bucks. Also, John Millers is giving the offer of ‘Buy 1 and get 1 free’. My girlfriend also has a card of ‘Bazaar Kolkata’ which gives you 10% discount on the MRP of each product inside that mall.

Arindam: - Dhaath…I don’t believe in these offers. These are just eye-wash. When you will go there to buy something, they will come out with some new rules.

Arnab: - ok, we can at least try out, naah. Tomorrow evening, we can go and visit that mall.

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Arindam: - You were right, Arnab. This blazer cost 3999 bucks. For buying this blazer, I will get another blazer free as per the recent offer of ‘John Millers’.

Arnab: - As per my girlfriend’s discount card, the MRP will come down to 3599 bucks. Now, as per the ‘Bazaar Kolkata’ mall offer, you will get 30% discount on 3599 bucks. So, ultimately, to buy these 2 blazers of ‘John Millers’ you need to pay 2520 bucks. Sain daa…you should give us a treat to me and my girlfriend today.

Arindam: - Yeah, yeah, don’t worry. I will give both of you a treat. I am very happy to get a blazer at a price of 1260 bucks each, he he he…I never expected it…Arnab, you should have taken Finance as your specialization rather than Marketing. Anyway, let us go out from this shopping mall. I have to do packing also after going back to my house. Tomorrow, the Coromandel Express will start at 2.35 PM from Howrah Station.

Part – 03

Debraj: - Arrey, Sir told us that only 13 people will go from IBS Kolkata, but, I am seeing more people from our IBS Kolkata here.

Sumanta: - Oh! We have not told you people. Agarwal, Kedia, Pandey, Chawla, Rathi and John also confirmed that they also want to attend the Ooty Conference.

Debarjun: - But, Sir has already booked our tickets. Where from they got their tickets?

Angshuman: - They booked their tickets through Tatkal reservation. All of them got the reserved seats except Agarwal and Pandey.

Debolina: - Students of Section –A of our IBS Kolkata are like that only. They are so lazy in taking any decision. They could have taken their decision 10 days ago, when Sir asked them.

Anupam: - Hey, don’t blame our Section – A students like that. We were skeptical about the internal exams. Luckily, all the internal exams have ended last week. That’s why; these people have taken the decision to go to Ooty. John is not from Section – A. He is from your Section – B only.

Deepti: - Hey, guys, stop this discussion now. The Coromandel Express is entering the platform. Sir is calling all of us. We should now board the train. Come on.

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Debojyoti: - Accha, let me tell you one thing. All of us have luckily got seats in S-8 coach. Only the IBS Bhubaneswar team got the seat in S-5 coach because their tickets I have not booked. Himangshu has booked their tickets from Bhubaneswar. Anyway, now board the train.

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Anupam: - Sir, when will we reach Chennai?

Debojyoti: - Arrey, babah…why are you so restless? We have only spent 1.5 hours in this train. The train has now reached Kharagpur station only. Chennai is very far from here. We will reach Chennai tomorrow at 5.45 PM. The train will stop in this Kharagpur platform for 10 minutes. Go down and refresh yourself by eating tea or cold drinks.

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Arindam: - This is the longest platform of India.

Kedia: - not only in India, I think that Kharagpur platform is the largest platform in the World. Nowhere, you will find such a long platform. Can you see the end point of this platform? You cannot see, as it is very long.

Agarwal: - Kharagpur is a far better place than Kolkata.

Debarjun: - dhaath…what are you saying?

Agarwal: - Seriously, yaar! I am not joking. One of my maternal uncle’s sons used to study in IIT Kharagpur. Later he became a junior faculty of R&D department in IIT Kharagpur only. After marriage, he has settled down in Kharagpur only. As per his opinion, Kharagpur town is a very peaceful town and it is also a cosmopolitan town. There is hardly any problem for any person coming from West Bengal to settle down in Kharagpur town.

Anupam: - The train has already given a horn. The signal is green now. Come on; let us go inside the train now.

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Debraj: - Ei Sumanta daa, have you brought that thing?

Sumanta: - What thing?

Debraj: - Arrey, how can you forget that? Ooty is a hill station. It has a chilly weather. You told me that you will bring two small nips of ‘Royal Stag’.

Sumanta: - Paagol naaki…Have I gone crazy? I just jokingly said that I will bring two small bottles of whisky. Debraj, you are a student of ICFAI, but both me and Angshuman are permanent employees of ICFAI. We have to take care of our job first. In Ooty, we will surely get a bar to drink whisky. Don’t worry.

Vartika: - Chee…Debraj…you have become a drunkard nowadays.

Arindam: - Ha ha ha…you cannot blame Debraj for that. Actually, ICFAI has motivated us to become drunkards. If you display your IBS Kolkata ID card in the Opium Bar of Sector-V, then you will get 10% discount on any hard drinks. I repeat. The discount is only on hard drinks, not on any soft drinks or any food item.

Sumanta: - Arrey, is it so, Debraj? You have never told me. That’s why; you always meet your clients inside the Opium bar.

Debraj: - Yeah, you are right, Sumanta daa. You should always do the marketing inside a bar while drinking with your client. The client also understands about your selling product very easily while drinking hard drinks and ultimately he decides to buy that product.

Angshuman: - Hmm…ok…after coming back from this Ooty tour, we will sit together inside the Opium bar.

Debojyoti: - Ei, you people are having a gala time inside the coach. I can hear the voice of you people from that end of this coach. So, what you people are discussing about?

Anupam:- Sir, just now, Debraj was saying that if you want to sell any product then you must give free whisky pegs to your customer as an initial treat.

Debojyoti: - Ha ha ha…Debraj, now I understand how you have become a Diamond Achiever in this quarter. See, every marketing person has their own unique idea of selling products. There is no harm in it, but, you should not compromise with the ethical values of marketing. Whatever product you sell, that product should satisfy the customer; otherwise, your marketing career can end at anytime. Marketing is a game of wanting the needs and needing the wants.

Deepti: - Please Sir! We are on a tour. Please don’t start the topic of marketing here inside this train also. We will learn about marketing inside the SAP office only.

Debojyoti: - Ha ha ha…ok, ok…Ei, Angshuman, the train is about to enter Bhubaneswar. Himangshu and Deepak will board from there. Please ensure that they don’t fall in any kind of trouble while boarding the train.

Part – 04

Angshuman: - Hi, I am Angshuman, the SAP officer of IBS Kolkata. He is my colleague. His name is Sumanta.

Sumanta: - Hi, You are Himangshu, right!

Himangshu: - Yeah, yeah…you people are in which coach?

Sumanta: - We are in S-8 only. Debojyoti Sir is inside that coach only.

Himangshu: - Oh! This coach is S-5. Can we go to S-8 through the internal entrance of this train?

Angshuman: - Yeah, yeah, of course you can. We came from there only. Do one thing. Both you and Deepak go and meet Debojyoti Sir. In the meantime, I and Sumanta will sit inside this S-5 coach. Accha, also after going to S-8 coach, just tell Arindam and Debraj, to come here at S-5 coach.

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Arindam: - Ei, Angshuman da, why have you called me and Debraj here in S-5 coach? Himangshu went there in S-8 coach and asked Debojyoti Sir, ‘Who is Arindam and Debraj? Angshuman is calling them in S-5 coach’.

Sumanta: - Ha ha ha…Sir will also come in this S-5 coach to see what we are actually doing here.

Angshuman: - S-8 coach is very boring. Look at this S-5 coach. Everywhere you can see some beautiful young ladies. S-8 is full of old or middle aged people, who are either reading magazines or sleeping. At least, in S-5 coach, it is a very lively atmosphere. Everywhere, you can see the passengers are giggling and gossiping around. I bought a pack of cards in the Bhubaneswar platform. Come on, let us play cards.

Debraj: - Yeah, we can play 29.

Sumanta: - 29? Kitty party women play that game. Chee…Debraj, you are a man. You should play Bray, Call-Bray and Hearts.

Angshuman: - Sumanta, you have missed out to name the real game of cards for any gentleman in this world. It is the game of ‘Bridge’. In my opinion, ‘Bridge’ is the toughest of all the games of cards. It is not so easy to play ‘Bridge’.

Arindam: - Forget it. Let us play Call-Bray only. Take out a piece of paper and pen. At least we can spend some time inside this train by playing cards. Baah…that black young lady sitting just opposite to you looks very hot.

Angshuman: - aah..Arindam…don’t praise a girl in front of her. She will not pay attention towards you. Just pretend as if you are not at all looking at that girl. If you follow this strategy, then automatically, that girl will stare at you to know why are you not looking at her, despite, she being such a hot lady.

Debraj: - Uff…Angshuman daa, you should open a consultancy firm and name it as ‘Love Guru Consultancy’.

Sumanta: - Ha ha ha…uff…Debraj…sometimes, your comments are like chocolate bombs of Diwali festival.

Pantry Boy: - Dinner! Dinner! Sir, do you want to order dinner?

Arindam: - What is there for dinner? Is there a pantry inside this Coromandel Express?

Pantry Boy: - Yes, Sir. There is a pantry, but we don’t cook food inside that pantry. We will buy meals from a particular platform and then we will just heat the food inside our pantry and serve it to you. For dinner, there is Veg Curry- Rice, Egg Curry- Rice and Chicken Curry-Rice. You can also take Chapatti instead of rice.

Arindam: - Ok, write down 1 Veg Curry Rice for me.

Debraj: - for me too.

Sumanta: - Arrey, why you people are ordering Veg Curry- Rice? Go for the Chicken Curry –Rice, naah. Come on, you people are on a tour. Just enjoy the food, yaar.

Arindam: - Actually, I use the wash-room of the train only for urinating only. I don’t perform that second big thing inside the wash room of a train. The wash rooms are so unhygienic.

Angshuman: - Even we also don’t do that thing inside these dirty wash rooms. But, that does not mean that you will stop eating Chicken Curry – Rice, while travelling in a train. Hey, bhai, we want to order 4 Chicken Curry dishes. Accha, deliver those dishes at the seat number: - 51, 53, 48 and 49 of S-8 coach.

Pantry Boy: - Ok, saab…not an issue. The dinner will be served around 8.30 PM.

********************************************

Debraj: - The Chicken pieces were good but the gravy had no taste at all. At least, they gave a mango pickle sachet, which was tastier than the Chicken Curry gravy.

Sumanta: - But, the quality of rice was good. They gave 2 chapattis also, which was not at all bad.

Arindam: - Jaah…case! I forgot to bring a packet of ‘Pudin Hara’ tablet. I ate Chicken curry tonight. I don’t know what kind of pressure I will have to bear inside my large intestine tomorrow.

Debolina: - Ha ha ha…Ei, Arindam, have you ever chewed Pudin Hara tablet?

Arindam: - Yeah, I did it once in my lifetime to wipe out the smell of beer from my mouth, before entering my house, otherwise, my parents would have understood that I drink beer. But, alas, after I chewed that Pudin Hara tablet, I started vomiting everything. I suggest everyone not to chew Pudin Hara tablet even by mistake also. The taste is pathetic.

Debarjun: - Nothing will happen if you don’t eat Pudin Hara tablet tonight. Go to sleep. It is already 10 PM now. Everyone inside this coach has started sleeping.

Arindam: - Hmm…I can’t sleep while travelling in the train. It is very difficult. Anyway, let me try. Good night.

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Anupam: - Kya re Sain? You have not slept yet, he he he…I am also awake like a night owl. Even Rathi and Pandey are also awake.

Arindam: - The train is not moving. Where are we now? It is 3.10 AM now.

Rathi: - We have reached Vishakhapatnam station. The train will halt here for around 25 minutes. It will change the engine here. The train will now start moving in the opposite direction because the engine of the front side of the train will be removed and a new engine will get attached in the rear side of this train.

Pandey: - That’s an illusion. The train will not go in the opposite direction. It will go in the southern direction only. Only as per our reference frame, we think that the Coromandel Express starts moving in the opposite direction after Vishakhapatnam station.

Part – 05

Deepti: - Ei, wake up. You are sleeping like a Kumbhakarna inside the train.

Arindam: - Uff…What happened? Why are you disturbing me? I am sleeping in my own upper berth. What is your problem?

Deepti: - Arrey, baapre…you are reacting like anything! Sir told me to wake you up. It is already 10.30 AM now. The Pantry Boy is asking everyone whether anyone is left in our group, who wants to order for lunch. We have ordered our meal, only you are left to order.

Arindam: - Ok, ok, order Veg Curry- Rice for me.

Debojyoti: - Ei, Sain, wake up. Why are you still sleeping? Are you ok?

Arindam: - Yes, Sir, I am fine. Actually, I was awake till 4 AM last night.

Debojyoti: - Ok, 6 hours of sleep is enough. Now, come down from your upper berth. The more you sleep in a train journey, the more tired you will feel.

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Vartika: - We are feeling bored, Sir. Sir, let us play Antakshari. At least, it will be a great time pass for us and we will not feel bored also.

Koustav: - Yes, Sir, Vartika is right. Let us play it.

Debojyoti: - You people play, naah…Why you want me to sing songs?

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Chawla: - Ha ha ha…hey guys, do you know what is happening at that end of this S-8 coach. Vartika is singing songs with her ‘Rakhi Sawant’ style voice.

Angshuman: - he he he…ei, come on; let us become the audience of that special Antakshari round.

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Arindam: - Wow! Vortika, you are really a good singer. Hmm…I must appreciate that.

Deepti: - Vartika, I know Arindam very well. Don’t take it as a compliment. He is saying that because you have a boyish type of voice.

Vartika: - Sir, I will kill Arindam. I am telling you, Sir. Why he is calling me Vortika instead of Vartika.

Debojyoti: - aaha…Arindam is a Bengali boy. Bengali people always have a tendency to pronounce the letter ‘O’ very much.

Debraj: - Vartika, you should feel lucky enough that Arindam has not called your name as ‘Vatika’, the coconut oil company, he he he…

Vartika: - I will not sing. Every time, I start singing, Arindam will pass some comments. I will not sing anymore.

John: - Sir, let us give Arindam a severe punishment. Arindam will also have to sing in the Antakshari round and the moment he starts singing, Vartika will pass some comments.

Agarwal: - Haan haan…that will be the right punishment for him.

Debojyoti: - Ei, Sain, come and sit here. You also have to sing songs.

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Vartika: - Dhaath…Arindam has no other songs in his store. For every letter, he is singing the songs of Kishore Kumar only. Those songs are too old-fashioned.

Arindam: - Aiyee…what the hell are you saying? Do you know who Kishore Kumar is? Kishore is the ‘Key-shore’ of Indian Music. Before the advent of Kishore Kumar, Indian Music was at bay.

Deepti: - but, nowadays, no one listens to ‘Kishore Kumar’ songs. Now is the age of disco and pop music. Hip-hop type songs, you know.

Sunny: - No, Deepti, old is always gold. In those days, a playback singer used to sing with a plain music at the background. Nowadays, even if a playback singer has a bad voice, you cannot even recognize it because too many instruments are used to create the music for that song. You have to appreciate that the playback singers of those days had good voice than the singers of today. Take the example of Himesh only. He sings with his nose, but due to hip-hop background music, his songs become super hit in discotheques.

Anupam: - Sir, our train is running through Tamil Nadu now. Within few hours, we will reach Chennai.

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Kedia: - The Chennai station is not as big as Howrah station but is cleaner than Howrah station.

Debojyoti: - Accha, listen to me. Let me tell you about our plans. We will stay tonight at Venkateshwara lodge. We will take 1 hour to freshen ourselves. Now, it is 5.30 PM. At 6.30 PM, we will go to Marina beach.

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Arnab: - beside this Venkateswara lodge, there is a Bengali hotel. The funny thing is that it is written ‘Ramkrishna Hotel’ in Bengali but ‘Ramakrishna Hotel’ in English.

John: - Ha ha ha…Arnab, welcome to Tamil Nadu. Here, no one pronounces ‘Ramkrishna’ but ‘Ramakrishna’. Tamil people have a tendency to pronounce the letter ‘A’ too much.

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Debojyoti: - Can you help me out to book a Volvo bus to Ooty from Chennai tomorrow morning?

Lodge Manager: - Why wait for morning, Sir? Tonight, there is Cheran Express at 10.15 PM, which goes to Coimbatore. From Coimbatore, take any bus to reach Ooty.

Debojyoti:- But, I have not booked any tickets of Cheran express by fearing that Coromandel Express may enter Chennai Central 6 hours behind the schedule time.

Lodge Manager: - No, Sir. Coromandel Express is the No.1 superfast express train of South India. Anyway, I am not only a lodge manager but a travel agent too. How many people are you in number?

Debojyoti: - We are 21 in number.

Lodge Manager: - Don’t worry, I will arrange 21 confirmed tickets. But, you have to pay extra 50 bucks for each ticket.

Debojyoti: - Ok, done. Just arrange it. I will pay for the tickets now.

Lodge Manager:- And sir, as you are only going to spend 4 hours in our Venkateswara lodge, so, I will charge only 60% of the rent for 6 rooms that you have booked for 12 hours.

Debojyoti: - Thanks a lot. What is your good name?

Lodge Manager: - I am Ramamurthy. People call me as Murthy only. You can call me by that name only.

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MRK: - Hello! Yeah, Debojyoti, tell me, where have you reached till now?

Debojyoti: - Sir, I am in Chennai right now, with my team. We will reach Coimbatore at around 5.15 AM tomorrow morning. So, Sir, kindly can you send any bus for us to Coimbatore station?

MRK: - Yeah, yeah, don’t worry. I will tell the Sterling resort officials. They will send a bus to Coimbatore. But, I think that the bus will reach Coimbatore station at around 7.15 AM. So, you have to wait for 2 hours in that Coimbatore platform only. By the way, how many are you in number?

Debojyoti: - 21 people, Sir.

MRK: - Ok, done. The bus will reach Coimbatore at 7.15 AM. You will reach Ooty by 10.30 or 11 AM.

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Debojyoti: - Oh! All of you are ready to go to Marina Beach. That’s good. Accha, I have one announcement. There is a slight change in our tour plan. We are not going to stay here tonight. We will board the Cheran express tonight, which will start from Chennai Central at 10.15 PM. We will come back from Marina beach within 8 PM and then we will log out from this lodge. After that, we will have our dinner in the nearby restaurant and then board the Cheran Express. Come on; let us go to Marina beach now.

Part -06

Deepak: - Sir, this Marina beach has a stretch of sandy surface of around 1 Km from the Marina Beach Road. To see the water of the Bay of Bengal, one has to walk around 1 Km from the Beach Road. In our Puri, the stretch of the sandy surface is lesser than this beach.

Himangshu: - Yeah, you are right. But, don’t worry, as the night progresses, the tidal waves will increase and the sea water will start hitting the rocks near the Marina Beach road.

Rathi: - This Marina beach was more beautiful before the Tsunami. The Tsunami just devastated this beach. When the Tsunami came in the morning, some people were playing football in the Marina beach. Almost all died in that Tsunami.

Himangshu: - Nowadays, there are instruments in the meteorological department to predict the Tsunami beforehand. In that time, no one even expected that Chennai people have to experience a Tsunami.

Debarjun: - How this Tsunami takes place? Is it a sea storm?

Himangshu: - No, no, it is an earthquake only, but in this case, the epicenter of the earthquake lies under the sea bed only. See, the earthquake takes place due to the drifting of tectonic plates and humans have no control on the Earth’s inner crust or molten lava that lies at the center of the earth. Now, after every 10 or 15 years, as per scientific calculations, tectonic plates are bound to drift by at least half an inch. That small drifting is more than enough to produce an earthquake of at least 3.7 magnitudes in the Richter scale. When the tectonic plates under the sea bed starts drifting, there is an earthquake in the sea. As a result, the sea waves rises by around 10-15 meters and hit the nearest shores. Now, the Japanese, Hawaiian and Andaman-Nicobar coastal people experience mild Tsunamis at least once within every 2 years.

Deepak: - What is that in our left side? I can see a white colored construction.

Debarjun: - That is an amusement park for children. Look at the right side of this beach. At a distance of around 2 Km from here, there is a light house. Maybe, the Chennai port is nearby. This Marina beach is one of the longest beaches of India. Though, some portions of this beach have become a danger zone after Tsunami, but still it has not lost its glory. What is not there in this beach! All the vendors are moving here and there. There are several floodlights inside this area. Under those lights local people are playing football. Couples are also enjoying themselves. College students are gossiping among themselves while sitting on the rocks. Many types of Conch-Shells are on display. All the ‘Jhinuk-malas’ are getting sold. This beach is not as congested as Digha or Puri beach, but, still it is not bad at all.

John: - This Marina beach is the heart of Chennai people. All Chennai college students re-unite here in this beach. If there would have been no Marina beach in Chennai, then Chennai would have been a boring place to live in. Do you people know that many film shootings are also done here? A song of ‘Yuva’ film was also shooted here. Even the roadside restaurants on this Marina beach are world famous. The 70 mm dhosha was first started in a roadside restaurant of the Marina Beach Road only. Later that dhosha became a special menu in all 5-star South Indian hotels.

Chawla: - What kind of dhosha is that?

John: - It is the longest dhosha. If you eat that dhosha, believe me, for another 6 hours, you will not feel hungry. Even the masala that they give inside it contains paneer. The cost of 1 plate 70 mm dhosha is at least 35 bucks. Nowadays, the restaurant people have reduced the length of the dhosha. But, in 1990’s this dhosha used to get served in a plate with 4 –folds. At present, the cost-cutting theory has reduced the brand value of this dhosha.

Angshuman: - We are in the Marina beach and it is evening now, that’s why, we cannot see the color of the sea water. But, unlike the waters of Digha or Bakkhali beach, the water color of Marina beach is greenish blue. In daytime, if you come to Marina beach, then you will be delighted to see that water color.

Anupam: - I would like to bath in this water, but, alas, we are going to stay in Chennai only for few hours.

Himangshu: - Don’t underestimate the tidal waves of Marina beach. They are deadly too. But, don’t worry; we will surely bath in the Marina beach in this tour only. See, today is 3^rd February 2007. We have conference for 3 days. That is 5^th, 6^th and 7^th February. We will come back to Chennai again on 8^th February morning from Coimbatore. Our Coromandel Express train is on 9^th February morning. Therefore, we are getting the whole day of 8^th February to spend in Chennai.

Arindam: - Fantastic! On that day, we will bath here in the Marina beach.

Pandey: - Has anyone of you ever visited Pondicherry? It is not too far from Chennai. Instead of wasting time in Chennai for the whole day on 8^th February, we can go to Pondicherry and spend just 2 hours there and then come back to Chennai again.

Arindam: - It will be a very hectic one. I have visited Pondicherry, when I was in Class – VII. The Pondicherry is totally a French Colony. There is an Aurobindo Ashram, where the hospitality is too good. In that time, you had to pay only 15 bucks per day. For those 15 bucks, you can drink horlicks, bournvita, tea or coffee with biscuits or buns as a breakfast. Lunch and dinner are very healthy. The food is only for vegetarians. No meat or fish is allowed. To stay there, the rent was only 25 bucks at that time. Now, what is the rate, I don’t know. But, Aurobindo Ashram still serves the poor people in Pondicherry. Also, there is another ashram of ‘Sree Maa’. I don’t know the full name of ‘Sree-Maa’, but, that Ashram is also good. There is a road in Pondicherry, which is just beside the Bay of Bengal. The blue tidal waves are really great to watch, while standing on that road. Rameswaram and Tiruchirapalli are not so far from Pondicherry. Even there are direct buses to Kanyakumari from Pondicherry.

Agarwal: - Kanyakumari! Yes, that is another fabulous place; one should visit at least once in his lifetime. Kanyakumari is the last point of India. The Indira Point is very famous worldwide.

Sumanta: - Kanyakumari is famous for another reason, not for the last point of India. Swami Vivekananda started walking from Kolkata and decided to visit all the villages of India by his foot only as a hermit. He never used to wear shoes, but a typical type of hardened footwear known as ‘Kharams’. Even our God Ram used to wear ‘Kharams’ in those days. When Swami Vivekananda reached Kanyakumari, he spotted a big rock in the meeting point of Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea. Somehow, he sensed that his mother goddess Kali was calling him from that rock. He felt that. He wanted to reach to that rock, but found no boat. But, still he has to go as his mother has called him. With firm determination, Swami Vivekananda jumped into the sea waters and swam that distance to reach the rock. He started his meditation while sitting on that rock. After 2 days, some Tamil fishermen spotted Swami Vivakananda. Later on, all the coastal people came to see this special hermit who is meditating constantly for continuous 5 days while sitting on that rock. Then the next part of the story is history now. Tamil Hindu people vowed in front of Swami Vivekananda and decided to help him to create a United Hindu force of the World. Even today, if you visit Kanyakumari, you can see the ‘Vivekananda Shila’ or Vivakananda Rock is there. Even a Vivekananda Ashram is there for the poor people.

Arindam: - Both Rishi Aurobindo and Swami Vivekananda got no help in Bengal in their youth days, but, Tamil people gave them the space to create a united Hindu society. That’s a credit for all the Tamils which have to be appreciated by all the Bengalis.

Debraj: - Ei, Debojyoti Sir is calling now. We need to go back to the lodge. It is already 7.15 PM.

Part – 07

Arindam: - Where were you people? Everyone was saying that the girls are missing in this Marina Beach.

Debolina: - Ha ha ha…when you people were busy in gossiping while sitting on the sandy surface; Deepti, Vartika, Sunny, Kedia ,Koustav, Sir and me were busy in shopping. I have bought two ‘Shankh’ made of conch-shells. Sir has bought two beautiful goddess’ statues made of conch-shells. Sunny has also bought some special gifts made of conch-shells for his girlfriend.

Arindam: - Ok, ok, I don’t want to hear about who has bought what thing. Wherever you go, you girls always have a tendency to do shopping. You have come to the Marina Beach; enjoy the beautiful scenery of the beach. But, no, instead of doing that, you people have started doing shopping here…How funny! Anyway, now, get inside the auto to reach the lodge. Also you people will take too much time to log out from your lodge room. I am very much sure about that also.

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Koustav: - Sir, the Tamil meal of this restaurant is pathetic. It will surely lead to acidity. Dhosha or Idli plate is not enough for me in dinner. I want to have some heavy meal, other than Tamil meal.

Debojyoti: - aaha…ok, those you want to eat Tamil meal, eat it. The rest of you can pack some other foods from the Chennai Central station to eat it inside the Cheran Express.

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Arindam: - This Tamil meal is not so bad, but all the curries are so sour in taste. In every curry, they have used either tamarind water or tomatoes.

Sumanta: - But, the chicken curry is a standard one. They have given 6 pieces of meat in a plate. The price of the meal is not so expensive also. Chicken curry-rice meal is 35 bucks and Veg curry-rice meal is 25 bucks.

Debraj: - Boss, at least, this Tamil meal is far better than the Chicken Curry-Rice, that I ate inside the Coromandel Express.

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Debojyoti: - Accha, our coach number in Cheran Express is S-6. We have seat numbers from 10 to 22 and then from 45 to 52.

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Prof. Srinivasan: - Where are you people going?

Pandey: - We are going to Ooty to attend a conference of ICFAI. We are all from the same college.

Prof. Srinivasan: - You people are studying in which college?

Kedia: - We are studying full time MBA course in ICFAI Business School of Kolkata. We are at the end of second semester now.

Prof. Srinivasan: - This is a 2 years course or a 3 years course. I mean, when are you people going to pass out?

Agarwal: - We will pass out in 2008.

Prof. Srinivasan: - hmm…you people are doing your MBA at the right time. The global economy is in a great boom. The Indian economy will also improve further in 2008. Already, the bull runs are going on in both Sensex and Nifty.

Arindam: - Are you associated with any financial institution?

Prof. Srinivasan: - No, I am a Professor of Electronics Department in IIT –Chennai campus. My house is in Mettupalayam. I am going there only.

Chawla: - Where is this Mettupalayam?

Prof. Srinivasan: - It is just before Coimbatore only. You can also go to Ooty by getting down at Mettupalayam only. By the way, how many of you have taken Finance as your specialization?

Pandey: - I have taken Finance. Why sir?

Prof. Srinivasan:- Boss, please don’t mind, but, I have started investing in share market from the last month because I am seeing all my colleagues are making huge profit by investing in the market. In the campus, they often discuss about risk and return. I have bought some shares of Renuka sugars and Sterlite because I have more faith in manufacturing sector rather than in services sector. But, one of my colleagues was saying that these rupee appreciations will back-fire our Indian economic growth. Is it true? Will I sell all those shares? See, I am a new player in the stock market. You people are studying MBA in Finance, maybe, you can suggest something.

Pandey: - Well, I have no idea at all. But, just wait and watch with patience.

Arindam: - Sir, who is your broker?

Prof. Srinivasan: - I am trading through Karvy.

Arindam: - Karvy is bogus. Their analyses are bullshits. Either trade with the help of Anand Rathi or Sharekhan. I am also a trader of stock market. That’s why, I am telling you. Don’t ignore the services sector, especially the private banks. They will boom at the end of 2007. Also, Tata Steel and Balrampur Chini are going to rise. Moreover, personally, I don’t understand why rupee appreciation will hamper the growth of the economy. Indian economy is not made up of services sector only. Indian government should utilize the rupee appreciation to import quality goods and machineries as much they can. This is a golden opportunity for Indian manufacturing industry.

Prof. Srinivasan: - You are somewhat saying the correct thing because every market has its own saturation point. Once, this Sensex or Nifty reaches the saturation point in 2008, the rupee will start depreciating automatically. Anyway, in stock market, everyone has to learn every day, by burning their own hands, but, I am fearing that it may become an addiction for me, he he he…Well, now it is already 11.55 PM. I need to sleep a little bit. I hope that you people will not mind if I put off the light.

Kedia: - Not at all, Sir. Good night, Sir.

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Debraj: - Baah, this train is perfectly on time. It has entered Coimbatore station at 5.05 AM. We have to get down now.

Debarjun: - Baapre, it is so cold out here in Coimbatore…Uhhu ….uhhhu….I need to wear a sweater now.

Debojyoti: - Arrey, you people are shivering in this temperature only. It is hardly 9 degree Celsius here in Coimbatore. In Ooty, you will find a temperature of around 4 degree Celsius because it is the month of February and this year; even Kolkata has recorded a lowest temperature of around 9.1 degree Celsius. Anyway, all of you take out your sweaters or jackets and wear it. We have to wait in this Coimbatore platform till 7 AM for the bus.

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Arindam: - Ha ha ha…look at those middle aged women. They have no hairs in their head, he he he…they are all ‘Nyara-Mundi’, he he he…They are wearing either vermilion colored clothes or black clothes. They are having a typical tilak in their head. The tilak has three white horizontal lines with a yellow and red colored rounded spot in between the lines. Men are also wearing the same dress, but those men have not shaved their heads like the women. My goodness, all of them are bare-footed. They are all waiting in this Coimbatore station platform for a train. Where are all these people going?

Deepti: - They are all devotees of Goddess Rajarajeswari. So, Arindam, better don’t laugh at them like an idiot. They are all waiting for a train, which will go to Alleppey. Alleppey is also known as Alappuzah. It is a very sacred place of Kerala, where the festival of Navarathri takes place. These devotees have to follow certain rules and regulations before visiting the Goddess Rajarajeswari and they are doing that only.

Arindam: - Oh! I was not aware of this thing. I would I know about Keralian festivals and its rituals; being a Bengali person. By the way, how do you know all these things?

Deepti: - I have been seeing these devotees since my childhood. Many devotees visit Alleppey from Andhra Pradesh.

Arindam: - Ei, just hang on. You told me once that you have done your schooling and engineering degree from Pune, but, how come do you know about the devotees of Andhra Pradesh. Very funny!

Deepti: - Nothing is funny in it. My hometown is Vizag, but, I have studied in Pune and spend most of my time there only. That’s why; even today, if you leave me alone in any unknown street of Vizag, I will not be able to reach my home in that city, he he he…

Arindam: - hmm…now, I understand. But, one thing I have to appreciate that the people of Andhra Pradesh are great believers of Hindu Gods and Goddesses than the people of any other community. Take the example of Tirupathi Devasthanam only. It is world famous. The God Balaji is proud of his Andhra Pradesh people.

Deepti: - The rituals of Alleppey festival are tougher than the rituals of Tirupathi. Have you ever visited Tirupathi?

Arindam: - Yeah, only once, when I was a school boy. My grandpa had a last wish to visit Tiruapthi once and we all went there. I still remember those red buses of APSRTC travelling up the Tirupathi hill on those swinging roads. The temperature at Tirupathi Devasthanam is very cold. We stayed in a Dharmashala. Babah, the water in that Dharmashala was as cold as an ice. My grandpa caught cold in Tirupathi itself. After coming back to Kolkata, he suffered from a deadly fever and ultimately expired after one week. See the fun. My grandpa went to see God Balaji and Balaji took away his life in a great fashion. The villagers of my grandpa said that God Balaji liked my grandpa and that is why, he pulled my grandpa up in the heaven. Really, sometimes, the Indian villagers make some funny statements.

Deepti: - Uff, you talk too much. Once you start talking, you don’t stop so easily. But, in this situation, it was good for me. I didn’t felt bored, he he he…

Debojyoti: - Hey, the bus has come. Come on, let us board the bus.

Part- 08

Sumanta: - There are two loudspeakers inside this bus. One is above the 3^rd seat and another one is above the last seat, where we are sitting now.

Sunny: - Hmm…the quality of the loudspeakers are not so bad, but I am not liking these Tamil songs , which are getting played in the MP3 player of the bus driver’s cabin.

John: - Sir, please request the bus driver or the bus conductor to change the CD inside the MP3 player. We don’t want to hear these Tamil songs.

Angshuman: - Ha ha ha…We don’t understand Tamil, but the Tamil songs have all those peculiar musical beats. These songs will make you dance at anytime.

Debraj: - The Tamil language is very tough. Salaa Tamil er baccha gulo ki jeh keror meror boley, bojhai daaye. How these Tamil people pronounce their tough Tamil alphabets, I really wonder.

Arnab: - Actually, all the South Indian languages have evolved from Sanskrit only. That’s why; these languages are very tough to pronounce.

Angshuman: - Bengali language also evolved from Sanskrit. But, it is not so tough.

John:- No, no, basically, Bengali language came into existence after double refining the Sanskrit language, but, the Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil and Telugu still have many original Sanskrit words. South Indian languages are just a form of Sanskrit language only, whereas Bengali language is the easier refinement of Sanskrit language. It is like; juices extracted from the Sugarcane are the South Indian languages and the Sugar formed in the factory is the Bengali language. That’s why; the Bengali language is easier to pronounce.

Arindam: - Hmm…there are many similarities among all the Dravidian languages, that’s why; any South Indian actor can act in any South Indian language films.

John: - No, boss, you are wrong. Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil and Telugu languages have no similarities among them.

Chawla: - Thank God. Now, they are playing some Hindi movie songs in these loudspeakers.

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Vartika: - Guys, the bus has stopped here because we need to take our lunch here. This place is known as Mettupalayam. Now it is 9.30 AM. We will get down and have our lunch in the Kerala Restaurant.

Agarwal: - Ha ha ha…Vartika has become our guide now. Chalo, chalo…let us have our lunch….bahut bhookh lagaa hain humko…

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Venky: - Welcome to Kerala Restaurant, Sir. I am the Manager of this restaurant. How many people are you in number?

Debojyoti: - We are 21 in number.

Venky: - Ok, Sir, take your seats and order the food dishes. The dishes will be served within 20 minutes.

Debojyoti: - Ok, not a problem. Thank you.

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Angshuman: - Ei, tomra ki khabey? In the menu card, all the dishes are Keralian dishes. I have no idea, which dish is what?

Sunny: - Oh! Angshuman daa, don’t worry. We have John with us. He knows which Keralian dishes are good and tasty because he is a Keralian.

Koustav: - John, you are a Keralian? My goodness, you speak Bengali like a Bengali person only. I hardly had doubts that you are a non-Bengali.

John: - Ha ha ha…actually, my mom is a Bengali and my dad is a Keralian. That’s why; I have learnt both Malayalam and Bengali. Anyway, I will order some good Keralite dishes.

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Arindam: - Baah…at least these Keralian foods are not spicy, but, it has some kind of sweetness in it, that I cannot explain by words. This Keralian paratha is somewhat different. It tastes more or less like laccha paratha with a slight sweetness in it. Also, the chicken pieces of this chicken curry have been steamed first and then it has been added into the curry. Keralian dishes are like half-Indian and half-Chinese food items.

Vartika: - Ha ha ha…ei, Arindam, you don’t have to comment on Keralian dishes. You are now eating it, naah. So, just enjoy eating it.

John: - Accha, in the Bengali society, you people have a festival of ‘Makar Sankranti’ right? During that festival, my mom used to cook some ‘Peethey – Pooli’, which are the sweet dishes made by using Rice, Gur and Sugar. Now, in Kerala, you will find coconut and banana trees almost everywhere. That’s why; Keralian people use coconuts, coconut oils and bananas in preparing almost every food item. Wait, I will order another food item, which you will enjoy as it tastes like Bengali ‘Gur-Peethey’. The name of the food item is Banana Pakoda. The banana is dried first and then sugar is added to it. Then the white layer of the coconut is rubbed on a sharp knife or Bengali ‘Bhonti’ to get tiny granules of coconut. These tiny granules of coconuts are added with a half litre of milk to make coconut milk paste. Now, that dried coconut is kept immersed into this paste for 15 minutes. Now, you take out this wet dried piece of banana and mix it with wet flours. Then, just fry the banana piece. The outer portion is flour and inside it, there is the sweet dried banana. When you will bite it, you will feel as if you are eating a biscuit, but it is a fried banana piece.

Arnab: - Wow, really, this banana pakoda has a good taste. I have also heard that in Kerala, people eat banana chips instead of potato chips.

John: - Yeah, you are right. But, you may not like banana chips because it is fried in coconut oil only. Hey, let us eat these banana pakodas as early as possible because Sir is calling us to get inside the bus.

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Pandey: - Now, we are entering Ooty. After Mettupalayam, there is a hilly range, which is the Nilgiri range.

Debolina: - Ei, look at both sides of the road. Everywhere, I can see big eucalyptus trees and pine trees with small bunglows inside those woods.

Deepti: - Eucalyptus oil of Ooty is famous worldwide. I will surely buy a bottle of eucalyptus oil after reaching Ooty.

Vartika: - Not only eucalyptus oil, but the chocolates of Ooty are also famous. My uncle visited Ooty last year. He gave me one packet of chocolates after going back to Kolkata. Believe me, the taste of those chocolates were too good. It was far better than a Dairy Milk chocolate bar.

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Himangshu: - We have done a blunder. We should have brought a camera with us. The greenish sceneries of Ooty are just fabulous.

Deepak: - I have heard that Nilgiri range is famous for Coffee, but, in this hilly range, I am seeing tea gardens everywhere. Look there, all the poor women workers are plucking the tea leaves. They are having a big basket at their back. They are plucking the leaves and keeping it there.

Angshuman: - Arrey, Deepak, look at that hilly range. Can you see a big factory? That factory is a tea factory. Don’t think that plucking the tea leaves only is sufficient. There are many processes involved inside a tea factory. Blending is done. Different flavors are added. There are Tea-testers, who will taste the tea and will then recommend it for the next stage.

Sumanta: - Oi toh! I have a spotted a Coffee garden. Look at the left side of our bus. It is a coffee garden. Coffee tree leaves are just useless. You need to take out those coffee beans only, which are the fruits of a coffee tree.

Debarjun: - Accha, where are we basically going? Our bus is going up through this hilly range in second gear for around 6 Km. Where is the main Ooty?

Sumanta: - Ha ha ha…We have entered Ooty 5 minutes ago. Look there! That is the Ooty Lake, just behind the Ooty bus terminus. Now, our bus will take that southward road to go to the Fern Hill. The Sterling Resort is on the Fern Hill only.

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Kedia: - Now, we are going upwards towards the Fern Hill. Hey, I can see a village on that hilly range. There are at least 10 -12 houses in that village. All the farming has been done by using Terrace cultivation procedure. That is, they have cut the sloping part of the hilly region in the form of a plain terrace. Then they will clog the waters inside that terrace to do the rice cultivation.

Rathi: - Our Bus has reached Sterling Resort. Wow! Can you imagine a big 5- Star Hotel on the top of a hill? Great, boss. Let us get down from the bus.

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Debojyoti: - Accha, listen to me. All the SAP trainees will stay in a bunglow and the SAP Officers and the SAP Managers have to stay inside the main hotel premises. The bunglows are just at half a kilometer distance from the main building of the hotel. For IBS Kolkata SAP Trainees, they have allotted 3 bunglows. Each bunglow has two floors. In each floor, there is a kitchen, washroom and two bedrooms with two double beds. Therefore, in each bunglow, at least 6 people can stay easily. In our group, there are 17 SAP trainees including Deepak of IBS Bhubaneswar. Therefore, just move towards your respective bunglows. The three bunglow numbers are B-10, D-13 and F -14. These B, D and F are the block names. Sterling Resort has block numbers from A to G with 10 bunglows in each block. Just freshen up. I will meet you people at 1 PM in B-10 bunglow to discuss about the presentations and other activities of the Conference.

Part – 09

Arnab: - Sain daa, I have found a common room inside this Sterling resort. What is not there in that common room! Carrom board, Video game play station, Table Tennis Board, Magazines and Gym are there.

Arindam: - Taai naaki! Now it is 12.15 PM. Sir will come at 1 PM. Still, there is time. Come on; let us visit the common room. Already, I am seeing too many beautiful girls here and there. The IBS Gurgaon girls are staying just opposite to our bunglow. Out of those 5 girls, I liked one girl. She has a curly boy’s cut hair, but her face is very sweet. When she smiles, uff…I can’t express it further by words only. Come on, let’s go.

Debraj: - Ei, wait, wait. I will also go. I am also ready. Just let me comb my hair a little bit.

Arnab: - By the way, where is our other roommate, Debarjun?

Debraj: - He is busy in fulfilling the orders of his girlfriend. He has gone to the nearby store in this Sterling Resort to buy some Shampoo sachets for Deepti, he he he…Bhai, we are still single, we are lucky, at least, we enjoy every tour.

Arindam: - All are not idiots like Debarjun. He is the boyfriend of Deepti; which is ok. But, that does not mean that whatever Deepti will order, he has to obey or fulfill that. After all, Debarjun is a man, yaar!

Arnab: - That is their personal problem. Let us not interfere in their love story. Come on; let us now go and play carom in the common room.

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Arindam: - See the fun! Already, the carom board has been booked by two young ladies. Debraj, you please ask them, when they are going to end their game.

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Debraj: - Hi, have you people just started playing the carom?

Rita: - No, we have already played for 15 minutes, why? You people want to play carom? Ok, ok, this is our last game only. Don’t worry! We will go after this game.

Nupur: - You people are from which IBS?

Debraj: - We are from IBS Kolkata and where are you from?

Nupur: - We are from IBS Mumbai. I am Nupur and she is Rita. What’s your name?

Debraj: - I am Debraj and he is Arnab. Both of us are from IBS Kolkata.

Arindam: - Your name is Nupur. Hmm…are you a Bengali? Nupur is a Bengali name.

Arnab: - Ei, re, ei Sain daar suru holo. Debraj, no one is playing Table Tennis now. Let us play Table Tennis. Let Sain da talk with these girls?

Nupur: - No, I am not a Bengali. I live in Mumbai. What’s your name?

Arindam:- I am Sain; Arindam Sain.

Nupur: - Thank God! At least, your name is not James Bond.

Arindam: - Ha ha ha…you are very smart…hmm…You are looking good in this pink colored woolen cap.

Nupur: - Thanks. Actually, it is too cold in Ooty. That’s why, I wore it.

Rita: - Hey, Nupur, come on, let’s go now. Subhash Sir has called a meeting at 12.45 PM.

Nupur: - Ok, Arindam, see you later, bye.

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Arnab: - Ki Sain da…meye taakey pachando holo bujhi…

Arindam: - Nothing like that. I thought she may be a Bengali. That’s why; I started talking. But, she is a Marathi, because she lives in Mumbai.

Debraj: - Hey, Sain, take one Table Tennis bat and play with us. We will not play carom now.

Arindam: - Table Tennis is not my cup of tea. I have tried my level best to learn the art of table tennis, but, I cannot keep the ping-pong ball within the table tennis board, whenever I hit the ball. It always goes out.

Arnab: - It’s all about practice, Sain da, practice. Table Tennis is one the best indoor games of the world, which requires lots of concentration and sharpness of your eyes. Table Tennis is a famous indoor game of Bengal. Almost in every college, there is at least a Table Tennis board in the common room.

Arindam: - Yeah, that I know. After football, if Bengal has earned fame and reputation in any game, then it is in Table Tennis only. Bengali women are expert in playing table tennis.

Debraj: - Ha ha ha…Your sentence has a dual meaning. I understand that. In our IBS Kolkata campus, there is no common room. Every year, Shantonu Roy promises a common room, but it does not get implemented.

Arnab: - No, Subarna Madam has told us that this year, there will be a common room in our WDC building. Accha, it is already 12.50 PM. Let us go now. Sir will be waiting for us.

******************************************************

Debojyoti: - The presentation slides are ready, naah? Ok, show me the slides. This is whose laptop?

Arnab: - It is mine, Sir. Don’t worry; this laptop has no virus and no defects till now.

Debojyoti: - Aah…why the slides are so colorful? Sain, why you always make colorful slides? This is a corporate presentation; just make it black and white, naah…

Debraj: - Sir, the slides are looking good. The combination of silver color and light blue color is also soothing to our eyes. Arindam is expert in making all these colorful slides with some multimedia applications.

Arindam: - Sir, if you would have given us more time, then we would have prepared a better slide by using Macromedia Flash or Dreamweaver. There is one boy in our Section – B, whose name is Saraf. He has knowledge about Multimadia as he did a course from ‘Aptech Multimedia’ for 4 months.

Debojyoti: - Ok, ok, this slide will do. But, just make another two slides for the IBS-Bhubaneswar people, because they will give the presentation with us only. Accha, another thing, let me tell you. In the presentation, just introduce yourself, tell your SAP achieving points of this quarter and then tell how you have got the leads and converted into prospects to bring ultimate business. There is a ‘Best Presentation Award’ prize in this Conference. So, I want everyone to give the corporate presentation very confidently and without stammering, while standing on the dais.

John: - Sir, Section – B students are expert in giving presentations. Don’t worry about that, Sir. But, what are the other activities in this SAP Conference?

Debojyoti: - On 5^th February 2007, that is, on the first day, the Managing Director of ICFAI Business School will address everyone for at least half an hour. Then, MRK, the Head of SAP program in ICFAI will address everyone. Then it will continue. Basically, in the 1^st half of 1^st day, all the great persons of ICFAI will give their presentations. Then after the lunch, all the IBS SAP Managers and the Trainees will give the presentations. In between; at 9.30 AM, there will be a tea session. At 10 AM, there will be a Photo Shoot Session of all the IBS branches separately with MRK and the Chief Guest of this Conference. All the achievers of SAP will be given the respective awards. After all the presentations, which will end by 4.30 PM, there will be some management games for the SAP Trainees. There are prizes for those management games. In the night of 1^st day, there will be a DJ Night, where you need to enjoy and rock.

Deepti: - Wow! I will take part in those management games. Those games look funny but are very intelligent games.

Debojyoti: - Accha, in the 2^nd day, there will be the announcement of the results of presentations. Then, there will be a cultural program, where there will be dramas, anchoring competition, Ad Campaigns, Singing Competition, Antakshari Round, Dance, Musical Instruments playing competition and fashion show. In the fashion show, this time, they have kept three themes. The themes in serial order are: - summer, winter and trendy. You have to show your creativity in the trendy fashion show. Now, in the 3^rd day, it is a touring day. On that day, we will log out from Sterling Resort. The bus will take us to different tourist points of Ooty. After viewing all those spots, the bus will drop us at Coimbatore station, where we have to board Cheran Express at 5.30 PM on 7^th February 2007. Don’t worry; I have already booked the return tickets of Cheran Express and Coromandel Express through IRCTC from the Cyber Café inside the Sterling Resort reception building.

Part – 10

Arindam: - Oh! You people have already started practicing for the cultural program! What is it?

Sunny: - This is Synthesizer. You can produce almost any sound with this musical instrument.

Arindam: - Can you produce a trumpet sound or a whistling sound by using this instrument?

Sunny: - of course, why not? Here it is. Just listen to it.

Arindam: - Wow! Technology and science has improved the music also. That’s great.

Arnab: - Hey, John, are you going to play the drums?

John: - Yeah, I have always been a great drummer in our Don Bosco School. We had a fantastic school band.

Debraj: - Who is going to sing the songs?

Koustav: - Hey Debraj, I am singing the songs. Is there any problem?

Debraj: - Arrey, Koustav daa…can there be any problem, when you are going to rock the stage with your voice?

Angshuman: - Ha ha ha…well said, Debraj. Accha, Koustav, you people will be performing which songs?

Koustav: - There are 4 Kishore Kumar songs, 3 Kumar Sanu songs and 2 good songs from ‘Euphoria’ band.

Rathi: - Euphoria band? What is that? I am hearing the name of that band for the first time.

Agarwal: - Arrey, you have not heard those songs, ‘Yaar meri dhadkan naare’ and ‘Maaye ree’ .

Rathi: - Yeah, yeah…in one of those song videos, I have seen Rimi Sen of ‘Dhoom’ also.

Sunny: - Yeah, you are right, Rathi. Dr. Palash is the lead singer in ‘Euphoria’ band.

Koustav: - Mr. Palash is a doctor cum playback singer. The ‘Euphoria’ band performs in many college fests also.

Angshuman: - Ei, Sain, let them practice those songs. Come on, Himangshu and Deepak are waiting for us. Let us roam to some places outside this Sterling Resort.

*****************************************************

Arindam: - Let us walk through this road and see what is there? The sun has come out now. Since morning, the condition was overcast.

Angshuman: - Wow! Look at those lush green valleys all around this road. As the sun came out from behind the clouds, the sunshine was more than enough to brighten the greenish colors of those valleys. Some cows are grazing on those valleys. Farmers are working. I can also see some beautiful flowers including sunflowers.

Himangshu: - Boss, I don’t know what the hell is going to happen in this SAP Conference, but, for one thing, I am satisfied with ICFAI that they have selected a location like Ooty for their conference.

Deepak: - Sir, surely, Ooty is the Switzerland of South India. You will not be able to see these kinds of beautiful sceneries elsewhere in South India.

Arindam: - Is it not that place, where the shooting of the film ‘Raaz’ took place? There was a scene in the film ‘Raaz’, where the Ghost lady blocked the car of Dino Morea in front of a small bridge and there was a village on the left side of the road and a forest on the right side of the road. This is exactly that place, where we are standing. The song ‘Aap ki pyar mein’ has been filmed inside this forest only. I am damn sure about that.

Angshuman: - Well, I have not seen the film ‘Raaz’. I don’t know also whether the shooting of that film was done in Ooty or not. But, how are you sure about this place after seeing that movie only. Here, all the forests look same only. Anyway, let us proceed further. I can hear the sound of a train. There must be a train line nearby.

Deepak: - There it is. I have spotted the train. The train looks like a Toy Train running on steam engine. The train is coming towards that second bridge. Come on; let us go to that bridge.

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Himangshu: - accha, accha, now, I understand, where from this train line is coming? There is a train line from Ooty to Connoor. The toy train runs on a single track. The toy train journey from Ooty to Connoor is just fabulous. I have read about it in a travel book. There are many tunnels in that rail road and the sceneries are just awesome. I hope that we will surely ride the toy train in this tour.

Deepak: - the toy train is about to pass under this second bridge, on which we are standing. This is a very old train line. The toy train is also having the old-fashioned coaches like old horse-coaches of Queen Victoria of England.

Angshuman: - Ha ha ha…Who knows! Maybe, this toy train of Ooty started running under the British Rule only.

Arindam: - There is no mobile phone tower in this Fern Hill. My Tata Indicomm connection is not working here.

Deepak: - Tata Indicomm toh door ki baath hain…Even my BSNL mobile phone is not functioning here. Aah…I can see a small shop there, where it is written ‘STD/ISD/ Local Call’. There must be a landline phone. From there, we can make a call to our house.

Himangshu: - Arrey, you people could have made a call at your house by using the landline connection at the Sterling Resort reception hall only.

Arindam: - Sterling Resort charges 5 bucks per minute for STD calls, whereas in this public booth, the STD charges are 3 paisa per 1 second. So, why should I pay more for STD calls in Sterling Resort? Every day, I will make a call to my house from this public booth only.

Angshuman: - Ha ha ha…ei naa holey bangaalir seyana buddhi…he he he…go and make the call. Then, I will also make a call to my house at Durgapur.

***********************************************

Arindam: - So, Angshuman daa, your hometown is in Durgapur…hmm…You are staying here in Kolkata in a PG…hmm…what is your future plan? This job of a SAP Officer in ICFAI has no job security at all. Moreover, it is a marketing job. Once the market gets saturated, any marketing organization fails to increase their sales, unless, they launch new products in the market. So, Angshuman daa, you must be looking for other jobs also, side by side.

Angshuman: - No, I will not do any job after 2 months. I will resign from ICFAI in the April 2007 only. I have some other plans. I have a family business. My dad, uncles and nephews are all engaged in colliery transportation business in the outskirts of Durgarpur, Raniganj, Asansol and Dhanbad areas. We have all those vehicles, which is used to transport coals to the factories from the coal mines. You are laughing! But, many people don’t have any idea that how much profitable is this transport business. Coal companies like Coal India Limited pays handsome money to these transport companies. Only by doing this business, my dad earns at least 25,000 bucks per month. Even I don’t get that much amount as a salary. I have studied MBA, that’s why; I had an ego that I will not engage myself in that family business. But, after spending more than 3 years in Marketing industry, I am now realizing that if you are a MBA guy, then entrepreneurship is the best profession for you. My dad and uncles are not graduates also. But, still they are doing profitable business. I am a MBA guy. If I invest some portion of my money, which I have earned in my 3 years career as a Marketing person, then I am bound to maximize the profits of my family business.

Arindam: - Hmm…it sounds good, but, controlling a family business is not always easy. Moreover, you don’t need a MBA guy to control and look after a colliery transport business. Anyway, I am feeling hungry now. Let us now go and have our lunch.

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Debraj: - Dhaath…today, it’s a very chilly weather in Ooty. I wanted to have some rum or whisky, but, the sad thing is that this Sterling Resort does not sell whisky or rum bottle to their customers.

Arindam: - What are you saying? There is a bar at the right side of the Sterling Resort main building. Have you gone inside that bar?

Debraj: - Yeah, I went there. Inside that bar, it is written that you have to sit there only to drink alcohols. You cannot bring any alcoholic drink outside that bar.

Arindam: - Aah…when the right hand does not work, use your left hand, naah…come with me.

********************************************************

Bartender: - No, Sir, it will be very risky for my job. It is strictly prohibited. I cannot supply any whisky bottle in your bunglow, no matter how much you pay. If I get caught, then I will be fired. Please try to understand. You people sit inside the bar and drink, naah...

Arindam: - Arrey, it is very costly inside the bar. One small peg (30 ml) of ‘Blender’s Pride’ whisky costs 130 bucks. We have not dared to go through that Menu Card any further. Tell us the price of a small nip of ‘Blender’s Pride’ whisky, if we buy it from the backdoor.

Bartender: - Actually, the bar charges 460 bucks for it, but, if I am going to take the risk for taking it outside the bar, then I will take 550 bucks.

Debraj: - Arrey, you are a bartender or a dacoit? Ei, Arindam, I don’t want to drink tonight by spending so much money. Let us go from here.

Arindam: - Accha, there has to be some bars outside this Sterling Resort. Let us try it out.

Debraj: - But, it is dark everywhere. We also don’t know the roads which lead to the nearby villages. I have forgotten to bring the torch-light also.

Arindam: - Beside the main gate of this Sterling Resort, there is a parking area for all the buses and private cars of this Sterling Resort. We will ask one of the bus drivers or conductors about the local bars.

**************************************************

Bus Driver: - Saab, there are no bars in the nearby villages. Villagers of this place are so poor that they hardly have any money to buy alcohols. But, yes, in the villages, there are small shops, where you will get the local hard drinks prepared by fermenting rice.

Debraj: - Saala, yeh toh, pakka Cholai madh er katha bolche….We have not come to Ooty to drink Chullu of Tamil Nadu. Even we don’t drink the Cholai madh of Bengal also. Boss, we want to go to a shop, where we will get branded whisky or rum. Can you tell us, where we will get it?

Bus Driver: - Then, saab, you have to go down from this Fern Hills to reach to the Ooty Lake, which is around 5 Km from here. If you want, then I can take you there in one of my friend’s jeep. But, I will charge 80 bucks for that. The bar is just beside the Ooty Bus terminus. There you can buy any whisky bottle with some discounts if you bargain with bar owner. Now, it is 8.30 PM. Decide now, saab. After 9.30 PM, the outskirts of Sterling Resort are not at all safe. Sometimes, the wild boars attack local villagers at night.

Debraj: - Sain, ektu odike chal…katha achey…it will be a very risky to go to Ooty Lake now. What is the guarantee that this person will not take us to an unknown place in his jeep? And then, if he snatches all our valuables or money also, we can do nothing in this unknown area.

Arindam: - Yeah, I was also thinking the same thing. That’s why, I was not deciding anything. Just leave it. On every weekend, anyway, we are drinking hard drinks in our Opium bar. So, there is no point in drinking in Ooty by taking so much risk and spending unnecessary money. Let us go back to our bunglow.

Debraj: - Why to our bunglow? IBS Pune and IBS Noida students have lit up a fire in the eastern side of this Sterling Resort. They are all sitting around that fire to keep their body warm. They were all singing and gossiping while sitting there. Let us go there.

******************************************************

Jaidev: - Hi, I am Jaidev from IBS Pune and this is our team. Thanks for joining us here. Actually, we had a plan to do bon-fire. But, our Sir told us that we can only lit the fire and sit around it. The bon-fire will be very costly for us and it is not allowed in this resort also. What’s your name?

Debraj: - I am Debraj and he is Arindam. We are from IBS Kolkata. All our teammates are busy in practicing for the cultural programs and the corporate presentations. But, we are just roaming here and there.

Jaidev: - Ha ha ha…you people are doing the right thing. What’s the point in coming for a tour if you don’t roam here and there with your digital camera?

Arindam: - Hey, Debraj, come here. This is the last point of this resort. Beyond this point, there is nothing at all. Everywhere there is darkness. I can feel that I am standing on a hill top in this darkness. In the north-eastern direction from this point, I can see some fire-lights in that forest. Maybe, in that forest, there is a village.

Debraj: - from that forest, this Sterling resort is surely looking like a British Castle in the darkness. I am damn sure about that. Sain, humans always run away from darkness, but, many people don’t feel that darkness also has its own beauty which gives you motivation to demand for more lights. Come on; let us now go for dinner.

Part – 11

Sunny: - Ei, what kind of a tie-knot is that? Re-tie it.

Arindam: - I don’t know how to tie the knot of a tie, he he he…My mom tied the knot of this tie and I just kept it that way inside my bag. In my school days, my mom used to tie the knot of a tie on Monday. I used to wear the tie with that same tied knot till Friday of that week, without untying the knot of the tie.

Arnab: - Ha ha ha…give me your tie. I will make a fantastic stylish knot for this tie.

Sumanta: - Hey, you people are not ready, yet! It is already 7.15 AM. You need to take your breakfast and then have to enter the conference room within 7.55 AM. Accha, these are all your ID tags for attending this conference. Don’t forget to wear your respective ID tags before entering the conference room. Without the ID tags, you will not be allowed inside the conference room. These are your breakfast, lunch and tea coupons. Just show these coupons before taking your food items. Don’t lose it. Just hurry up. I and Angshuman will be there inside the conference room. All the IBS Kolkata people are sitting at the right hand corner of the backside of the conference room.

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Pandey: - The presentations of the eminent speakers and the chief guests of ICFAI are so boring. Hey, look at the pamphlet of this conference. There will be a class on ‘Global Leadership’ to be taken by Prof. Banerjee. Do you remember this Prof. Banerjee? He is a part-time faculty of ‘Business Environment and Global Leadership’ in IIM-Kolkata. He has his own business consultancy firm in Kolkata. The firm mainly consults regarding the corporate governance and the legal affairs of the corporate world. He has taken 2 sessions on the topic of ‘Soft-Skills Vs Hard Skills’ in our IBS Kolkata. I attended that session. He is just an amazing professor. His class is after our photo shoot session.

Rathi: - Hmm…that sounds good. At least, in his class, we will not feel sleepy and bored, he he he…

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Alpa: - Oops! I am so sorry. I have not noticed that you are standing behind me. I collided with you unknowingly and some drops of tea have fallen on your shoes from the tea-cup in your hand. Sorry!

Arindam: - Arrey, it’s ok. I was also gossiping with my friends. I have also not seen you standing beside me. I am also sorry. Anyway, it’s ok. Let me see, what is written in our ID tag. Hmm….you are Alpa from IBS Hyderabad. Okkk! Are you a Telugu girl? Your surname does not sound to be of Andhra Pradesh.

Alpa: - Your name is Arindam. You are from IBS Kolkata. Okkk! Hmm…anyone can make out by your appearance that you are a typical Bengali, he he he…please don’t take it otherwise, but your English accent also has a Bengali touch, he he he…No, Arindam, I am not a girl from Andhra Pradesh. My ancestral place is basically in Salem. But, at present, my parents have constructed their own house in Coimbatore.

Arindam: - Oho! So, Ooty is so near to your house. You can become our tourist guide only, he he he…Accha, I have heard that the IBS-Hyderabad campus will be getting shifted from Banjara Hills to a place, which is at the outskirts of Hyderabad?

Alpa: - Yeah, that’s true. But, that place is at least at a 90 Km distance from the main city of Hyderabad. Our entire campus of IBS Hyderabad will get shifted in 2008. That will be a fully residential campus. I visited that new campus. The campus is inside a forest area, he he he….

Anupam: - Ei, Arindam, Debojyoti Sir is calling all the trainees of IBS Kolkata at that point. There will be a photo shoot of IBS Kolkata students.

****************************************************

Prof. Banerjee: - Good morning, everyone! In this conference, I have been requested to take a small session on ‘Global Leadership’, so that you people can have some idea about leadership. I hope that all my students sitting inside this conference room will not feel sleepy in this class. After all; you people just had a cup of tea and tea is a stimulant drink. My first question to you people is that ‘What is a stimulant?’ Can anybody answer it?

Jeevan: - Sir, I am Jeevan from IBS Bangalore. Sir, Stimulant is that force or an object which gives you extra energy or activates you to perform any activity with double enthusiasm.

Prof. Banerjee: - Then, my next question will be, ‘What is the difference between motivation and stimulant?’

Tara: - Sir, I am Tara from IBS Ahmedabad. Sir, there is hardly any difference between motivation and stimulant. A stimulant is tangible and motivation is non-tangible.

Prof. Banerjee: - Exactly! You are right. Now, let me ask you another question, ‘Was Adolf Hitler a good leader?’

Tara: - Yes, Sir. He was a great leader of World History. Under him, the entire Germany became a single force.

Prof. Banerjee: - Then, if that was the case, then why there were at least 12 major cases, where his own soldiers planned to assassin him? If a people of Germany accepted Hitler as their leader, then why there was a need for a ‘Valkyrie’ operation? The answer is a big ‘No’. Hitler was not a great leader. Rather, I would say that Mahatma Gandhi was a great leader.

Praveen from IBS Kochi: - Sir, then, you want to say that non-violence is the main mantra of an effective leadership.

Prof. Banerjee: - The concept of violence and non-violence does not define leadership. If you analyze in details, then you come to know that both violence and non-violence go hand-in hand or complimentary to each other. Both forces are needed to counter an evil force, but there has to be a balance between the two forces. That balancing act is the trait of leadership. As a leader, you should know, where the strength of your team lies and what are the loopholes that you need to rectify.

Sunita of IBS Bangalore:- So, you are saying about SWOT analysis?

Prof. Banerjee: - Exactly! Many people say that SWOT is just a concept of marketing and it should only be used in market research only. But, they don’t ask the very basic question, ‘Why the hell are we doing market research by using SWOT analysis?’ It is because; as Major Generals or Soldiers, we want to know the exact position or condition of our brigade before going for the war. Based on the SWOT analysis result, a leader needs to motivate or channelize his team to win a battle. So, what trait of leadership is coming out here? It is ‘Flexibility’. As a leader, I am now changing my prior decisions as per the current requirements. That quality makes you a Global Leader. But, instead of doing that, if you say that ‘I am the leader. I am next to God. Whatever I have decided earlier, that is full and final, no matter, if my teammates die also’, then, in this case, you are acting as an ‘Autocratic’ leader. You will remain as a local leader till a certain limited point of time, but you will never become a Global Leader. Today, in this modern age of Globalization, every future manager has to think in terms of ‘Global Leadership’. We often say in management classes that, ‘Think out-of –the box’. Now, what is that ‘box’ is referred to here. Here the ‘box’ means the virtual shell of egoism, stiff decisions and autocratic nature. To become a Global Leader, you need to come out of that box to take flexible decisions in accordance to your innovative ideas. ‘Global Leadership’ quality cannot be created within a leader, unless that leader considers the whole world to be a small ‘Global Village’, where there are several villages with each village having its own unique cultures and traditional values. So, at the end of the day, one thing you have to keep in mind that to be a successful leader of the future, you have to be a motivator, a team player and a quality decision maker. These three qualities should work in parallel; otherwise, you will fail to bring out output from your team members. I can make out from the facial expressions of you people that many of my statements went above your head. But, never mind, once you will enter the corporate world, you will learn everything about leadership from your own daily experiences only. Always regard each day of your work life as a new day of learning for your life and then only you can feel that your heart is acting as your automatic motivator. That’s all; I wanted to say in this session. See you again, later. You can go for your lunch now and after that all the SAP Trainees of all IBS branches need to give their corporate presentations.

******************************************************

Angshuman: - Sir, How was our corporate presentation?

Debojyoti: - Not bad at all! It was ok. Everyone gave their presentation in a very decent manner. The presentation slides were also looking cool.

Chawla:- Sir, Sain was holding the microphone with his left hand in such a fashion as if he was going to sing instead of giving presentation.

Debojyoti: - Ha ha ha…yeah, yeah, I have also noticed that. Ei, Sain, are you a lefty? I have observed you in this tour. You were always taking your entire luggage in your left hand only. Then, on the dais also, you hold the microphone with your left hand. In the picnic, you were bowling with your left hand. You are lefty, naah?

Arindam: - Yes, Sir, you are right. I have double the strength in my left hand than in my right hand. Even in my childhood days, I used to eat food and write alphabets with my left hand. Somehow, my parents were successful to make me understand that I should eat food with my right hand only. Also, afterwards, I started writing alphabets with my right hand only.

Debojyoti: - Ok, ok, I understand. Accha, now just take your respective seats and please be quiet because IBS Ahmedabad team has already started giving their corporate presentations. Boss, what a fantastic presentation slides they have made! It is completely a multimedia application. Hey, Arindam, next time, we need to make a terrific presentation slide, which will contain some fabulous multimedia applications. Just request Saraf of your Section – B to meet me once.

Arindam: - Ok, Sir. Not an issue. Arnab also knows where Saraf stays. Even if Saraf does not come to college for his CA Final exam preparation, Arnab can visit his house to make him create multimedia slides.

***************************************************

Debarjun: - Hey, this is a management game, I know. But, why you, Deepti and Vartika are running here and there?

Debolina: - The first management game is ‘Treasure Hunt’, which has been organized by IBS-Gurgaon. In this ‘Treasure Hunt’ game, there are 20 hidden items. Whichever team can find out maximum number of hidden items, will win the game! First, we were given a small code. Based on that, we found out the 1^st hidden item. The place, where we got the 1^st hidden item, there was a small piece of paper with another code. Based on that code, we found out the 2^nd item. As per the recent announcement, IBS – Mumbai team has collected 7 hidden items. We have collected only 4 hidden items.

Debarjun: - ok, tell me the code. I can help you out by signaling from there.

Debolina: - Be careful. The organizers of this game are keeping strict vigilance. If they find that you are helping us from outside, then we will be suspended from the game.

Debarjun: - They will not be able to catch me. Just tell me the code.

Debolina: - The code is ‘Golden Chocolate Ball shining on a silver colored flower vase’. But the irony is that I, Deepti and Vartika are yet to see any silver colored vase in this resort.

Debarjun: - Ok, you people keep on running. I will also start searching that vase.

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Arnab: - Ei, Debarjun, we are going to visit Ooty Lake now. Will you go with us?

Debarjun: - No, no, I need to help the ‘Treasure Hunt’ participants of IBS Kolkata. I am now searching for a silver colored vase. Have you people seen any vase like that?

Arindam: - Vase? Vase means what?

Debraj: - Abbey, idiot, Vase means ‘Phool-Daani’ in Bengali. Kono rupoli phool daani dekhechish ki?

Arindam: - Haan achey toh? I have seen that. Just beside the common room, there is a staircase, which is going to the 2^nd floor. There is a library and beside that library, there is a room, where four small aquariums are kept. In that room, there is a small table, where a 16 inch ‘Videocon’ TV is kept. Just on top of that TV, there is the silver colored vase. When you and Arnab were playing Table Tennis, I just went upstairs for 5 minutes to see what is there?

Debarjun: - Thank you, boss. Thank you. I need to tell it to Debolina. Ok, bye.

Angshuman: - Satyi, Sain, your mind is very sharp. Whatever you see once, you don’t forget it very easily.

Arindam: - Aah…my mind is not sharp. All credit goes to my brain. It captures the image and stores it in a special database. Whenever, I want to recollect any image, my brain works like ‘Google Search Engine’ and displays the result to me with proper data mining.

Sumanta: - Uff…sometimes, what the craps you say! Really, I don’t understand any head or tail of it. Better, let us not waste our time. I have found out a local bus stand just half a kilometer distance from the main entrance of this resort. We will board a local bus, which will take us to Ooty Lake.

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Bus Conductor: - You people want to get down at Ooty Lake? Ok, each ticket costs 5 bucks from here.

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Sumanta: - Very strange! We got down from the bus in this Ooty Bus terminus. In the Bus terminus, there is a signboard, where it is written as ‘Ooty Lake’. But, I cannot find any lake behind the bus terminus. Ei, Hiumangshu, just ask any local people about the Ooty Lake?

Himangshu: - Where is this Ooty Lake?

Local person: - Sir, you need to go another 2 Km through this lane to reach the Ooty Lake. You can ride on a pony to reach the Ooty Lake. The pony-owner will charge only 20 bucks per half an hour of each pony ride.

Himangshu: - No, no, we don’t need any pony ride. Our Bus No. 11 is strong enough to cover a distance of 2 Km very easily. Come on, guys, let us walk towards Ooty Lake from this Ooty Bus Terminus.

Part – 12

Deepak: - We have walked for around 5 minutes from the Ooty bus terminus. Now, we can see some good private bunglows on both sides of this lane. Oh! There is an amusement park for children on the left side of the road. That’s quite good. There must be a convent school nearby, because many little children enjoying in this amusement park are wearing a navy-blue and white colored uniform.

Angshuman: - The private bunglows in this area are architecturally very beautiful. By looking at these private bunglows, you can have an idea about the economic condition of the people living in Ooty. There are no middle-class people in Ooty. Either there are big fishes who earn at least 50,000 bucks a month or there are poor fellows who earn only a mere 5,000 bucks per month. Hey, look there, that must be the boundary wall of the Ooty Lake. Yes, indeed it is; because, I can see a wall-plate on that boundary wall, where it is written ‘Ootacamund Lake’. We have to walk on the pavement beside this boundary wall to reach to the main entrance of the lake.

Debraj: - Ootacamund! Hmm…I think that Ooty is the name given by British people. The original Tamil name of this place is Ootacamund.

Arindam: - Maybe or may not be. Who cares? What’s in a name!

Arnab: - That was said by William Shakespeare long ago. But the funny thing was that he wrote that quotation and below that quotation, he wrote his own name only. If there is nothing in a name, then, why William Shakespeare wrote his own name below that quotation?

Sumanta: - Ha ha ha…well said, Arnab. Accha, is this Ooty Lake, a natural lake?

Angshuman: - Yeah, it’s a natural one. We have reached the entrance of the lake. Baah…this lake looks so beautiful. The lake water is very clear and transparent to a certain depth. There is a small forest at the other side of the lake. On that side, there are so many eucalyptus and pine trees. Their shadows are falling on the lake water, which makes the lake water look somewhat greenish in that area. What is that queue for?

Debraj: - That queue is for boating. There are three types of boat. One is speed boat. Another one is paddling boat, where 4 people can paddle together. The third one is the ordinary machine- boat, where there will be a boat-driver. The machine –boat has the capacity to board at least 20 passengers.

Himangshu: - We can go for boating with the paddling boat only. We are 6 in number. So, 3 can sit in one boat. But, will they allow only 3 persons sitting in that paddle boat, instead of 4 people? Or, we can do one thing. 4 people will sit in one paddling boat and the other 2 will sit in another paddling boat. That will maintain the balance of two boats.

Angshuman: - Ok, done, come on, let us book the tickets. The entrance fee to this lake is 10 bucks each and for boating with the paddling boat, it is 40 bucks each.

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Arindam: - Uff…I thought paddling a boat is as easy as paddling a cycle. But, paddling a boat requires more energy than paddling a cycle.

Debraj: - Ha ha ha…actually, this paddling boat is for 4 people. But, only you and I are paddling this boat.

Sumanta: - Ei, Debraj and Arindam, haafiye gele naaki….come on, keep on paddling. We are going to the other side of the lake, near that forest. Come on; chase our boat if you can.

Debraj: - Oh! Sumanta daa…you are indirectly challenging us. Ok, we will beat you in the boat race. Arindam, paddle the boat faster as we need to beat them.

Arindam: - Let me take a rest for a while. You paddle the boat faster for 5 minutes and then I will take over. Let me just control the steering stick of the boat efficiently. Hey, Debraj, we will take the boat diagonally to reach that point. That is the shortest route. They cannot beat us, because ‘Too many efficient sailors in a boat slow down the speed of the boat’.

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Sumanta: - Arrey, we could have won the boat race, but, both Deepak and Arnab started fighting with the steering. They don’t even know that if you want to go to the left direction, then the steering stick pointer should be pointed towards the right direction of the boat. Anyway, we are all sweating in this chilly weather after paddling the boats, he he he…Come on, let us go back to the land and take some rest.

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Cap Seller: - Topi! Topi! Sirf 10 rupiya mein…Only 10 rupees!

Himangshu: - Ei, topiwala! Iddhar aao…How much is these woolen caps?

Cap Seller: - Only 10 bucks, Sir.

Debraj: - Ei sabbash….it is very cheap. Even in Esplanade market also, you will not get these good quality woolen caps for 40 bucks also. It is just 10 bucks here. We can buy several caps from here and then sell it to our friends for 50 bucks. Ei, topiwala, give me 10 woolen caps.

Arnab: - Uff, Debraj, wherever you go, you start doing profitable business. I will also buy these woolen caps. Wait, let me call Bipasha on her mobile phone to know, which colored cap does she want? Oh, Yes! In this Ooty Lake, my Airtel Mobile connection has full tower. Let me call her.

Deepak: - Who is Bipasha?

Sumanta: - Obviously, Arnab is not calling Bipasha Basu, he he he…Bipasha is his girlfriend.

Arindam: - Now, I understand where from that Nupur bought this Pink colored woolen cap that she was wearing yesterday. Hmm…it means that the IBS Mumbai team has already visited this Ooty Lake before us.

Angshuman: - IBS Mumbai checked in to Sterling Resort one day before us. So, they got time to visit all these places. Come on; let us buy some woolen caps. Ei, Sumanta, there are some stalls, which is selling some jackets at cheap prices. You can have a look at it.

Sumanta: - I have already checked all those jackets. They are demanding too much price for those jackets. Ei, Deepak, where from you got that fried Maize –stick. The maize-stick is too long, yaar.

Deepak: - Only for 3 bucks, I have bought this long fried maize-stick. The taste of this fried maize is amazing. Just buy one stick and eat it.

Arnab: - Hey, Debraj. I have found a chocolate shop just on the opposite pavement of this main entrance of Ooty Lake. Come on; let us buy some chocolates. Tell everyone that we are going to that shop only.

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Chocolate shop owner:- This is white caramel chocolate (30 bucks/Kg), this is cashew nut chocolate (35 bucks/Kg), this is mixed fruits & nuts chocolate (40 bucks/Kg), this is brown cocoa chocolate (45 bucks/Kg). All these chocolates are made by local people only, Sir. That’s why; the price is very cheap. You can taste some samples of it, Sir.

Arindam: - Ei, sabbash…heavy khetey bey…You will forget eating Dairy Milk chocolates if you eat these chocolates. I am not fond of chocolates, but, still, I will buy these chocolates. Hey, boss, do one thing, pack 2 Kg of Brown Cocoa, 1 Kg of Caramel Chocolate, 1 Kg of cashew nut chocolate and 500 gm of Mixed fruits & Nuts chocolates. How much I need to pay?

Chocolate shop owner: - Sir, it is 175 bucks.

Sumanta: - Dhhurrh…dhurrh…Sain, tumi toh kichui tamon kinley naah…already, Arnab and Debraj have bought chocolates of worth 500 bucks each. I will also buy at least 10 Kg of Chocolates. I will keep it inside the refrigerator of my house and eat one small piece of it every day.

Angshuman: - Ei, you people buy whatever chocolates you need to buy as early as possible. Again, I can see some dark clouds. If it starts raining, then it will become a problem for us to reach Sterling resort from here. It is already 5.30 PM now.

Part – 13

Vartika: - What? You people went to Ooty Lake and you people have not told us also. That is very bad. We were busy in playing management games and you people were having a nice time. Wait, I will complain it to Debojyoti Sir.

Debraj: - Ha ha ha…arrey, I have bought woolen caps for you people. But, you have to give me 30 bucks for each cap.

Arnab: - Ei, Vartika, Debraj is trying to do business with you. He bought these woolen caps in 10 bucks from the Ooty Lake.

Arindam: - Arrey, why you girls are taking so much tension? Tomorrow, in the afternoon, everyone will be busy in practicing for cultural drama, songs and fashion shows. In that period, you people can go to Ooty Lake, naah…

Deepti: - Yeah, that is a nice idea. Debarjun, tomorrow, we will go to the Ooty Lake.

Debarjun: - But, I have to practice for the fashion show. Ok, on one condition, I will take you to Ooty Lake. You people have to come back within 7 PM to Sterling Resort, because the fashion show will start from 9.30 PM onwards.

Debolina: - Ok, done. Debojyoti Sir, Koustav and Sunny will also go with us tomorrow.

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Arindam: - Hey, Nupur! The DJ Night has started. All our IBS Kolkata people have already started dancing, but your IBS Mumbai people are yet to rock the floor.

Nupur: - It is only 8.30 PM. Mumbaikars start hitting the floors after 10 PM.

Arindam: - Oh! Everything starts late in Mumbai. There is a saying that ‘Early to rise and early to bed keeps you healthy’. That theory does not work in Mumbai. I think that the Mumbaikars follow the theory of ‘Late to Bed and late to rise keeps your wealthy’.

Nupur: - Ha ha ha…for your kind information, Arindam; unlike Kolkata, the city of Mumbai never sleeps. So, the concept of early or late rising and early or late to bed is invalid in Mumbai. You can wake up and go to sleep anytime in Mumbai. Nobody cares about your daily activities. By the way, in this chilly weather, you are just wearing a full sleeve shirt only. Your blood is too hot or what?

Arindam: - aah…I am going to dance there. Automatically, I will start sweating after 10 minutes inside the air-conditioned discotheque. All the IBS Kolkata people are feeling too cold in Ooty, that’s why; they are warming up their body by dancing only.

Nupur: - Ok, ok, go and dance now. IBS Mumbai people will join you all later in the discotheque.

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Vartika: - Ha ha ha…Sir, in this discotheque, just watch all our IBS Kolkata people. They are dancing, as if; they are dancing in Babughat on Bijoya Dashami night.

Debojyoti: - Besh korche…Bangaalir cholera bangaalir maton nachbe naa toh ki, South Indian dance naachbe…By the way, this DJ Night has been organized for you students only. Why you all IBS Kolkata girls are not dancing? Instead of dancing, you people are passing comments on others’ dancing style. That is not fair.

Vartika: - It is very congested. This discotheque is too small for 212 SAP trainees to dance together. Also, I don’t like to dance too much in discos. Sir, why are you not going there and dancing?

Debojyoti: - I am waiting for all the IBS staffs to come. Once they come here, I will dance with them. In our college days, there was no concept of these DJ nights. In our college days, there used to be an annual fest. There, a singer used to sing on the stage and we used to dance with his songs. Nowadays, in every city, all the discos and pubs are growing in numbers. In our days, only big businessmen and hi-fi society people used to visit discos. But, now, even the bus conductors also visit the discos, he he he…

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Sumanta: - Ei, who was that girl dancing with you for 5 minutes. You have no choice basically. You are dancing with any girl who is willing to dance with you.

Arindam: - Dhaath…teri ki…taatey ki Mahabharat asuddho hoye galo…Come on, shake your legs.

Debraj: - Ei, Sumanta daa…Debarjun is staring at all those hot girls of IBS Gurgaon. He has a fixed girlfriend; still he is looking at those hot chicks.

Angshuman: - Where is Deepti? Just complain to her once, automatically, Debarjun will stop staring at hot girls. But, one thing I have to appreciate that IBS Bangalore, IBS Pune and IBS Gurgaon has too many hot girls. You cannot ignore them at any discos.

Arindam: - You are absolutely right, Angshuman daa…You just select one girl out of them, I will do the setting for you.

Angshuman: - Dhaath…you always think beyond my imagination. In Bengali, there is a saying, ‘Sudhu dekhley hobe, khorcha achey’. Therefore, at this moment, just let us concentrate on dancing rather than thinking about those hot girls.

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Arnab: - Good morning, Sain da…Now, wake up. It is already 10.30 AM now. I have heard that last night, you were dancing till 1.30 AM.

Arindam: - I was not dancing; the DJ was making me dance with his superb Punjabi Bhangra and Western hip-hop remixes. Arrey baapre, my body parts are paining now. I can hardly move my legs and arms freely.

Debraj: - Ha ha ha…my body parts are paining too. I think that the yesterday disco night was a real exercise session for us. We don’t need to go to gym for another 2 weeks, he he he…

Arnab: - Accha, now, get up. Today, we have so many works to do. We have to collect all the clothes for the fashion show and start practicing. Sain da, will you walk on the ramp?

Arindam: - Pagol naaki...I love to walk on streets only, not on ramp. Rather, if you people want, I can help you people at the backstage.

Debraj: - Ok, you don’t have to walk. Hey, Arnab, you and I are going to walk on the ramp. Also Pandey, Rathi, Debarjun, Kedia, Sunny and Koustav can walk the ramp. Chawla will take care of the backstage.

Arnab: - Sain da, don’t think that you have no work to do.

Arindam: - aaah…I am very tired after dancing last night. Don’t give me any work to do today. Let me take rest and roam here and there.

Arnab: - Mamabari abdaar peyecho…You have to write a fantastic dialogue for our Trendy theme. Before the start of the fashion show, we will say that dialogue and then the ramp walk will start with a background music running at the background.

Arindam: - I have never seen a fashion show where someone will say a dialogue before the ramp walk. Wait, I have some other idea. Arnab, yesterday, I was playing Winamp in your laptop. You have a good collection of songs in your laptop. There is a Bengali song of ‘Kaya’ band which starts with a fantastic folk music tune. Now, that music tune is for around 30 seconds in that song. I will cut that tune from that .MP3 song file with the VCD cutter, which is also there in your laptop. Use that tune as background music for the Summer theme. Wait; let me play that song of ‘Kaya’ band.

Debraj: - Yeah, yeah, this tune is good. I was not even aware of the fact that there is a Bengali band, whose name is ‘Kaya’. Where from do you get the information of these Bengali bands?

Arindam: - Arrey, it is not a new Bengali band. I was in 3^rd Year of my Engineering College, when I went for a tour to Adra of Purulia with my friends. There inside our rented cab, the cab driver was playing the cassette of ‘Kaya’ band. We all liked the songs. There is a song, ‘Jigija gijang…jigija gijang re…toke liye polaye jaabo re…’

Arnab: - Ha ha ha…ok, ok. Accha, for the winter theme, we can use this tune of ‘Enigma’ band.

Arindam: - No, no, don’t use this. This tune is very common. Everyone has heard the 1^st flute tune of ‘Enigma’ band. Use this tune. This tune of ‘Enigma’ was copied by our great Nachiketa. Have you heard the song, ‘E aaa eyaa ye…’.This tune is basically from ‘Enigma’.

Arnab: - Jeeyo mama…byapok music…Accha, for the trendy theme, I want to use this song at the background. The song is from the film ‘Pyar ka side effects’. The song is ‘O paappey pyar kar ke pachtayaa’.

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Arnab: - No, no, Rathi. You are not doing it the right way. You are walking like a local goonda. This is ramp walk, man. Just keep your head still. Your eyes should be towards the audience and walk with a cool facial expression. After reaching this point of the ramp, just stop. Look at your other partner and then look at the audience and then turn back and start walking. Then again stop a little bit. Just turn around and look at the audience and then start walking to return to backstage. Yeah, yeah, Debarjun, you are doing great. Pandey, your hand is looking stiff while walking. Keep it loose, man.

Anupam: - Ha ha ha…Our Arnab should have opted for ‘Fashion Industry’ instead of studying MBA in Marketing.

Chawla: - Ha ha ha…but, Arnab have enthusiasm towards the ramp walk. The way he is guiding the entire team is really cool, man. We hardly have any idea about ramp walk. We are learning from Arnab only. Arrey, Sain bhai, where were you? You have forgotten us, baba? You have hardly entered inside our bunglow. Come, come.

Arindam: - I was watching the ramp walk practice of IBS Bangalore. They are doing it on a balcony of G block. Boss, the way they are practicing, as if they are professional ramp walkers. All the IBS team has girls in their ramp walk except IBS Kolkata.

Chawla: - Deepti, Vartika and Debolina are not fit for ramp walk. Vartika is practicing the anchoring role. She will anchor all our programs of IBS Kolkata team. Deepti and Debolina are practicing some elocutions, which they will perform. Hey, where are you going now? Sit inside the room and watch the practice.

Arindam: - Dhassh…I am feeling bored now. Let me explore the outskirts of Sterling resort.

Part – 14

Laxmi: - Don’t pluck that flower, Uncle. This is very bad. Let it be like that only.

Arindam: - Oh! Sorry! Actually, this light blue colored small flower is so beautiful that I got tempted. Anyway, I will not pluck it.

Laxmi: - Actually, this is our garden. Every day, I pour waters on these trees. I don’t let anyone to pluck flowers from this garden.

Arindam: - What is your name? You are in which class now?

Laxmi: - My name is Laxmi. I study in class IV. What is your name, Uncle?

Arindam: - You can call me, Sain uncle.

Laxmi: - Sain…Oh! You know Tamil, naah.

Arindam: - No, no, I am not the Sain of Tamil Nadu. I am from West Bengal. So, you don’t understand Hindi. You only understand English and Tamil, hmm…

Laxmi: - I have never seen you in this village before. Where from you came?

Arindam: - Ha ha ha…I came down from that little staircase. On that hill, there is Sterling Resort. I am staying there now. Yesterday evening only, I saw this small staircase, which is leading to this muddy road. Yesterday, it was dark; that’s why, I didn’t come to this muddy road. Today in this afternoon, I have nothing to do. That’s why; I am walking on this muddy road. Can you take me to your village?

Laxmi: - Ok, Sain uncle. I will take you there. Wait; let me pluck this flower for you. Take it. You have to walk with me for another 10 minutes, because our village is on that hilly range. Can you see these lands at the backside of the Sterling resort? These lands are owned by my father only.

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Laxmi’s mother: - Oh! Sit here. Hardly, I have seen any tourist visiting our village. Saab, do you want to buy anything?

Arindam: - no, no, nothing like that. I just wanted to visit this village. I was walking on that muddy road beside the big boundary wall of Sterling Resort. I met your daughter there. So, I just came here. That’s all. Accha, you people are farmers only?

Laxmi’s mother: - Yes, saab. My husband has gone to the field to take out some cauliflowers. In the evening, he will sell those in the local market. If you want, I can give you one big cauliflower also. It is just 10 bucks.

Arindam: - No, no, what I will do with a cauliflower. I am staying in that Sterling resort…

Laxmi: - Sain uncle, there is another Sterling resort in this area.

Laxmi’s mother: - Yeah, my daughter is telling the right thing. This Sterling resort is on Fern Hill. There is another Sterling resort on that hill on the backside of this village. Come here, I will show you. Can you see some flags on that hill and some cars parked there. That is also a Sterling resort.

Arindam: - Ok, it’s already 5.50 PM now. I need to go back to Sterling resort. Your village is very small. I can hardly see 4 houses in this village.

Laxmi’s mother: - He he he…We all are family members. My husband has three elder brothers. My husband is the youngest of all. All my brother-in-laws are staying in this village with their wives and children. It was nice talking to you. What’s your name, saab.

Arindam: - Baash…Sain yaad rakhiye…kaafi hain…he he he…

Laxmi’s mother: - Phir kabhi aayiega saab.

Laxmi: - Bye, uncle. Don’t forget to keep that lovely flower in your purse. You will remember me, whenever you will see that flower.

Arindam: - Ha ha ha…Yeah, yeah…I will not forget you, dear. Bye, Laxmi.

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Debraj: - Where were you, boss? We were searching for you?

Arindam: - I was in my room only. I was just having a nice afternoon nap in my room.

Arnab: - Yeah, I told you Debraj, that Sain is sleeping. Bekaar, you were taking tensions.

Debraj: - Well, we were busy in our practice. I have not got any time to go to our bunglow. Anyway, come on; let us go the cultural hall. The Cultural program is about to start now.

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Pandey: - Ha ha ha…the drama performed by IBS Hyderabad people was too good. What was the name of that girl, who performed that fantastic act?

Kedia: - Oh! She was Alpa. But, I think that the drama performed by IBS Pune people was not bad at all. Anyway, now the singing competition will start. Let us see, who sings well.

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Angshuman: - Ei, our Koustav, Sunny and John have just rocked the cultural program. All the other singers were not so good.

Debraj: - Koustav daa has a good voice, no doubt about that. But, there are better singers than Koustav daa in our IBS Kolkata. Chattan of our Section- B has a better voice than Koustav daa…Chattan is the pet name. Actually, his name is Arun Gaur.

Sumanta: - Sunny is expert in using that synthesizer. He was producing fantastic music. John was also good with his drums. But, I have also liked the voice of Anchal, the SAP officer of IBS Noida. Also, that boy, Vijay of IBS Bangalore, was superb with that classical carnatic dhol. Hsssh….now, the dance competition will start.

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Arindam: - Hats off to you, boss. The way you performed that classical dance, it was just mind-blowing. I am totally clean bowled. I have expected that a Marathi girl is so expert in classical dancing.

Nupur: - Thanks for the compliments. But, I am not a Marathi. I am a Rajasthani girl of Jaipur. All students studying in IBS Mumbai are not Marathi, idiot.

Arindam: - Ok, ok, whatever, it is. I just wanted to tell you that no matter in which company you join after your MBA, never give up dancing. You are really a good dancer.

Nupur: - Arindam, in corporate world, a person doesn’t get any time for extra-curricular activities.

Arindam: - Hmm…yeah, I know, it is very difficult. But, whenever you get a chance to dance in any cultural events in your company, don’t hesitate to perform.

Nupur: - Ok, ok, I will try to do that. Now, I have to change my dress for the fashion show. Ok, bye.

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Arindam: - Uff…IBS Bangalore girls are just rocking. They are so hot and sizzling in their ‘summer theme’ ramp walk.

Debolina: - Issh…you are such a naughty boy…chee…

Arindam: - Jaah babah…What is the point in attending a fashion show, if as a man, you will not feel excited by seeing those hot girls walking on the ramp. Now, you are feeling jealous on those hot girls, chee…Who told you not to walk on the ramp?

Debolina: - I hail from a middle-class traditional Bengali family. Sorry, I cannot wear those mini-skirts and walk in front of everyone.

Arindam: - Aah…that I know…that is why, I am your good friend, naah…These hot girls are not my friends. Hey, Anupam, what is the name of the IBS Bangalore girl who just rocked the ramp?

Anupam: - She is Nikita. Why? You want to talk to her? He he he…She is a very good and talented girl.

Arindam: - Yeah, I know that. She gave a nice corporate presentation also. I will talk to her later tonight.

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Debojyoti: - Ei, all of you are ready. Ok, now board the bus. Before boarding the bus, bid goodbye to all your new friends from other IBS campuses, because today on 7^th February 2007, we are going to check out from this Sterling Resort.

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Arindam: - Chalo…I will see you again in the next conference.

Nupur: - I am not going to come in the next conference.

Arindam: - Why? Why? Then, who will perform the classical dance? I will be waiting for the next conference to see your classical dance again. Take care and bye.

Nupur: - Uff, you are an idiot. Neither you understand anything nor do you try to understand. Ok, you also take care and bye.

Jaidev: - Hey, Arindam, are you in Orkut. Then, I will add you there.

Arindam: - Sure, sure, why not? I am there in Orkut to flirt with or pull the legs of any beautiful girls, but that does not mean that I don’t add any male friends, he he he…Don’t worry, I will send the friend requests to both of you.

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Debojyoti: - We are now going to Ooty Railway station. From there, we will start our journey towards Connoor in the toy train.

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Angshuman: - Wow! This is going to be a terrific experience for us. All the coaches of this toy train are old-fashioned but a classic one. Inside all the coaches, the IBS students have already started singing songs. In each coache, you can hear different song.

Arindam: - Then, why the hell are we sitting mum in our coach? Hey, everybody, come on, let us also shout and sing inside our coach. Let this toy train journey begin with a huge musical uproar.

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Anupam: - Ha ha ha…whenever the train is crossing inside the tunnel, I am putting my fingers on my ears…ha ha ha…otherwise, I will become deaf. Everyone is shouting, oooo haaaa…..oooo hooo…..tunnnnnel……oooohaaa….

Kedia: - Yeah…that’s what makes the tour more enjoyable. Look at the right side of the train. On one side of the valley it is raining and on one side there is sunshine. It will be a fabulous picture. Let me click it.

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Deepti: - We have reached Connoor so early. Let us again go back to Ooty by this toy train only, he he he…

Vartika: - This is a ride of around 45 minutes, I think. Come on; let us get down to Connoor station now.

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Sumanta: - Hey, there is a dummy rail engine outside this Connoor station. Come on; let us have a photo shoot in front of that rail engine.

Rathi: - Yes, of course.

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Debojyoti: - Accha, now listen to me. Our bus will now go to SIM’s Park of Connoor. There we will get our food packets. We need to have our lunch inside that SIM’s park. There is a guide for our tour. His name is Surya. He will show you all the important spots during our tour.

Surya: - Sir, Just get inside the bus. I will show you all the important locations. But, before going to SIM’s park, we will take you to Dodabetta peak.

Part – 15

Rathi: - I have come across this word ‘Dodabetta’ in our school geography book. But, I don’t remember that what is so special about it?

Koustav: - Dodabetta is the highest peak of the Nilgiri range. It is not a peak also. It is the topmost range of nilgiris, you can say.

Surya: - Ladies and Gentlemen, please all of you look through the right side windows of this bus. Can you see the tea gardens on the right side of this road? This is the tea garden, where many film songs were filmed. Even the Bollywood actor Dilip Kumar came here once upon a time to shoot for a filmy song with his beloved Saira Banu.

Agarwal: - I am damn sure that the name of the film was ‘Sagina Mahato’. Was it so?

Surya: - Sorry, I also don’t know the name of the film. Before me, my uncle was the tour guide of this bus. He used to make this statement to all those tourists in his time. I am just repeating his words only. Ok, now look at the left side of this road. This is the guest house which has been created by another great Bollywood actor whose name is Mithun Chakraborty.

Rathi: - Oye…Mithun daa ney Ooty mein kyon guest house banaya…oye…

Anupam:- Ha ha ha…Rathi bhai…you are expert in doing the mimicry of our Mithun daa.

Sunny: - Mithun toh saala parar mastaan chilo…But, he got the offer to act in the film ‘Disco Dancer’. After that film, he never looked back. Till date, Mithun has done more than 600 films in his career, which is itself a record. Also he has bagged two national awards. One was for ‘Mrigaya’ film and another one for ‘Tahader Katha’. As a serious parallel cinema actor, he is excellent, but, I really wonder why the hell he signs those bullshit Bengali films like ‘Phatakesto’. In those films, he looks very cheap. Pooro keora laage….What a dialogue it is indeed? ‘Maarbo ekhaney, laash porbey shashaney’.

Deepti: - What is the meaning of this dialogue?

Arindam: - It means, ‘Woh idhaar marega…aur tumhara laash porega keoratala ke shoshan mein’.

Debarjun: - Ha ha ha…uff, Sain, boss, either you speak in Bengali or English. Your Hindi is just pathetic. It is not ‘porega’, it will be ‘girega’.

Arindam: - Ok, ok, it is all similar, yaar. Do you people know the real name of Mithun? Mithun is just his screen name. The real name of Mithun is Gouranga Chakraborty. The word ‘Gouranga’ means Gourer Anga, that is, the body of God Krishna.

Angshuman: - He he he…uff baapre baap, Sain. Don’t make us laugh now. But, one thing is sure that Mithun is doing great business in South India. He has even opened a production house in South India. He is producing South Indian films with all the Bengali stories. And in Bengal, ‘Venkatesh Films’ is producing all Bengali movies with South Indian stories. It is basically a business with the exchange policy of stories, he he he…

Surya: - We have reached Dodabetta peak. All of you please get down from the bus to enjoy this Dodabetta area.

**************************************************************

Arindam: - Sir, there is a ropeway in that area. We can ride on ropeway to view the entire Nilgiri range.

Debojyoti: - No, no, the ropeway is now under construction and it is basically for the local people to travel from one valley to the other within a short time. Due to heavy thunderstorm last night, there are some technical faults in the electrical wires. Come on; let us go to that side of this Dodabetta.

**************************************************************

John: - Wow! This is just fabulous, man. I am feeling like I am in heaven now. Look at the left side. There are two rainbows. One is a big one and above that valley which is at a far distant, there is another small rainbow. On the right side, there are grey colored clouds, and within those clouds, there is a small gap through which the sun’s rays are hitting the valleys. It is looking like as if; our God is focusing a torch light on that valley. Fantastic! Everyone must visit this Dodabetta range.

Angshuman: - Hmm…you are right, John. The weather is also cool. Sometimes, there is sunshine, sometimes, it is drizzling. Ei, I can see an Ice Cream stall there. If anyone is interested in licking ice-creams, just follow me.

**************************************************************

Angshuman: - What is the price of this bar-stick?

Ice Cream Stall Owner: - Sir, it is only 10 bucks. I have Orange, Mango, Pineapple, Chocolate and Milk flavor. Which one will you take?

Angshuman: - Give me Milk flavor only. Ei, tomra je jaar flavor choose kore naao.

Arindam: - give me the mango flavor. Ha ha ha….ei, the company name of this Ice-Cream is ‘Jamai’. It is written on the packet of the bar-stick, ‘Jamai Ice –Cream’.

Debraj: - He he he…in South India, there is a ‘Jamai’ company. Oh! This is a height of comedy. Anyway, this ‘Jamai’ ice-cream tastes good. The taste is far better than the ice creams of Bengal. The Ice-Cream Stall Owner should export some ‘Jamai’ Ice creams to our West Bengal, he he he…

Sumanta: - Ei, Sain, just come to that side. I and Angshuman need to talk with you regarding a very important topic to have some fun…he he he…

*******************************************************

Angshuman: - Yesterday, Debolina was saying that you have fallen in love with a girl of IBS Mumbai!

Sumanta: - Chee…chee…Sain, you have no choice at all. She looks like any mediocre girl. Moreover, she is not at all fit for you. Believe me, I am telling you as your elder brother that you will get far better girl in your life. Also she is a non-Bengali girl. Is there any dearth of decent beautiful girls in our West Bengal?

Arindam: - My goodness! The water is flowing from where to where! I have just praised that girl for her dance performance. I have no other intention towards her. I really don’t know why Debolina is spreading such rumors about me.

Angshuman: - Yes, I was also having doubts on Debolina’s statements. Sumanta, I told you earlier, that Sain is not at all interested in that non-Bengali girl. Debolina is just jokingly spreading the rumors.

Arindam: - Well, Angshuman daa, Debolina was also telling me that you have praised the SAP officer of IBS Noida and you are having some infatuation towards her.

Angshuman: - Hey, now you are pulling my legs. That’s not fair.

Arindam: - Baah…you can pull my legs, that is ok, and if I do the same with you, that is not fair! How funny!

Angshuman: - Not only me. Even Sumanta is also in the queue.

Arindam: - Ha ha ha…See the fun! I don’t know about you people. But, if someone has started spreading rumors about my love affairs then let it spread like a fire in the jungle. It will act as a protective shield for me in IBS Kolkata. In IBS Kolkata, there is not a single girl who is fit for me. But, I have got the information that at least 6 girls are interested in me. Maybe it’s a rumor, but, still, why should I take the risks?

Sumanta: - Ha ha ha…no, the information that you have got is a correct one. I and Angshuman know those 6 girls. Out of those 6 girls, 2 are SAP trainees and 1 of them has come with us in this tour. Better be careful from her in this tour.

Arindam: - I am aware of that. Don’t worry; I am expert in handling her.

Sumanta: - Handle with care and caution, otherwise, you may burn your hands.

Arindam: - Aah…there are enough stocks of ‘Burnol’ antiseptic cream in the market.

Angshuman: - Uff, Sain, tumi ekti seyana maal. But, don’t fall in love with that non-Bengali girl. Your life will be ruined.

Arindam: - Don’t worry, she will remain as my friend only. Anyway, forget this bullshit topic. We are on a tour. Let us enjoy it. Come on; now we will go to the Botanical garden of Ooty.

Part – 16

Arindam: - Hyanccho….aa aah….Hyanccho! Uff…babah re babah…

Deepti: - Uff…you have sneezed for 9^th time consecutively.

Arnab: - Sain daa…where have you kept the small bottle of eucalyptus oil?

Arindam: - It is inside my bag only. Why?

Arnab: - Just take out that bottle and pour some drops of eucalyptus oil on your handkerchief. Then just smell it.

Sumanta: - Eucalyptus oil bottle. Hey, where from you got that?

Arindam: - Ha ha ha…I and Arnab bought that from a small shop inside the Sterling Resort. The shop is on the 1^st floor of the main building of Sterling Resort. In between the reception hall and the conference hall, there is a staircase. Just take that staircase and on the 1^st floor, you will find that shop. This small bottle of eucalyptus oil costs 80 bucks. This oil is useful for those people like me who sneezes too much or have allergies of cough and cold. Let me smell my handkerchief after pouring some drops of this oil in it. Umm…aaaahh…the smell of eucalyptus oil is as similar as a ‘Vicks’ inhaler.

Angshuman: - What is the point in telling us now? Next time if we visit Sterling resort, then only we will buy it from that shop. Now, we have reached the Botanical garden. Come on; let us get down from this bus.

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Vartika: - Hey, I can see everyone just roaming here and there in this botanical garden. See there; Prasanna, the SAP officer of Hyderabad is observing each and every flower in this garden very minutely. Prasanna has a good singing voice. In the cultural event, she sang all the classical songs like a professional singer.

Koustav: - Even Subhash Sir, the SAP Manager of Mumbai also has a good voice. Basically, he is a fan of Kishore Kumar. In the cultural event, he sang all the classic numbers of our great Kishore daa. Accha, what is the name of that dark-skinned SAP officer of Pune?

Vartika: - He is Joseph Sir. He is basically a typical Konkani person. The way he was dancing the traditional Konkani dance in the discotheque…baapre, it was just too good. There is a Konkani dance, where everyone wears a small cap, which looks like a small cone. Then in a group, those Konkani people start dancing in front of their boat in the beach to celebrate their success of fishing in the Arabian Sea. Joseph Sir was performing that dance only, in the discotheque. The dance is more or less a fusion of African snake dance and ‘Santhal’ tribal dance of Bengal. IBS Pune has two SAP officers. Another officer who is bulky and fair-skinned is Milind Sir. He is expert in dramas. The drama of IBS Pune was directed by Milind Sir only.

Sunny: - Do you know that the girl of IBS Pune, who played the role of ‘Champa’ in the drama, is a Bengali girl. His name is Neha, but, she was speaking in Bengali with her friends. Maybe, her hometown is Kolkata only. But in the cultural event, one thing I liked the most; the ramp-walk of all the SAP officers and managers.

Koustav: - Yeah, yeah, I also enjoyed that show. Ha ha ha…the theme was the ‘Don’ theme, where everyone has to wear a sunglass and walk like a Don. The background music was the title music of the film ‘Don’. If Shahrukh rocked in the film, then all the SAP officers and managers of ICFAI rocked on the ramp of Sterling resort, he he he…Ranbir Sir of IBS Gurgaon and Sharma Sir of IBS Noida were the show stealers in that ramp walk. Even the SAP officer of Bangalore rocked with her lovely white colored saree. What is her name?

Vartika: - Her name is Vandana, but, don’t try to think anything else about her because she is already married.

Sunny: - Ha ha ha...Vartika…nowadays, a married woman looks more beautiful than the single ones. I don’t know why, but that is the truth.

Koustav: - Hmm…So, you are also impressed by seeing her on the ramp. My goodness, hey, look there. Our Angshuman daa and Sumanta daa are talking with Anchal, the SAP officer of Noida. Chalo, chalo, let us go and enjoy the moment, he he he…

*************************************************************

Angshuman: - Your voice is very sweet and sober. You should not give up singing at any cost.

Sumanta: - Yeah, Angshuman is right. Accha, Anchal, you joined ICFAI recently?

Anchal: - No, I joined 5 months back. Somehow, due to some personal reasons, I didn’t attend the last SAP Conference in Goa.

Angshuman: - Can I have your mobile number? We are all under ICFAI. Our job role is similar only. So, who knows, maybe, we need to co-operate with each other in many situations.

Anchal: - Yeah, sure, why not? Tell me your number. I will give you a miss call and then you save it in your mobile phone.

Angshuman: - Yeah, I got the miss call. I will save the number. Thank you, Anchal. Are you in Google Talk?

Anchal: - Yeah, I am! Even I am in Orkut too. You can add me there also. Sumanta, you can also add me. Nowadays, the social networking sites have become a cost cutting tool for any corporate. We don’t need to waste our mobile phone balance by talking to each other. We can chat with each other in Gtalk, while working in our respective office only.

Sumanta: - Baah, Anchal, you are really a smart girl. It is a nice idea. I will chat with you in my free hours.

Anchal: - It’s ok. Accha, I need to go now. Sharma Sir is calling me. I will catch you up later in Gtalk or Orkut. Bye for now.

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Koustav: - Arrey, Angshuman daa…you are swimming in the deep under-waters of the sea and drinking fresh sweet water…he he he….Great…great…you are also a great khiladi.

Angshuman: - How can you ignore roses, though, it has some thorns in it?

Sumanta: - Ha ha ha…well said, Angshuman…that is very true.

Vartika: - Hmm…but here the problem is, that for one girl, there are two contestants…he he he…as if , ‘Ek phool aur do maali’, ha ha ha…

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Pandey: - We are feeling hungry now. For around half an hour, we are walking in this botanical garden. Hey, Agarwal, let us go and collect our food packets now.

Agarwal: - Arrey, it is now 12.35 PM only and you are so hungry and looking very tired.

Pandey: - Anyone will feel tired after walking for half an hour in this garden. This botanical garden is not on a plain terrain but on a hilly terrain. We entered this garden from the main entrance. After that, we are walking down and down on the staircases. This botanical garden has three levels. At the first level, there are small shrubs and some important herbal plants. In the second level, there are big trees which are at least 100 years old. In the last level, that is, at the extreme down and plain level, there is a small lake and beside that lake there is a garden full of different colored roses. Even there are boating facilities in that lake. Just beside that rose garden, there is a house, where reptiles, snakes and fishes are kept in small glass rooms. So, you can understand how much big this botanical garden is. Basically, this garden has become a lovers’ spot. All couples want to enjoy themselves inside a botanical garden.

Agarwal: - But, still it is not as big as the Botanical garden of Shibpur in Howrah district of West Bengal. In that botanical garden, there is a tree at the end point of that garden, which is at least 400 years old and still that tree is alive.

Part – 17

Agarwal: - Ha ha ha…in our meal packet, why they have given two bananas?

Pandey: - Why? What is wrong in that? Banana is a fruit that gives you more energy than any other fruits.

Agarwal: - That is ok! But, we are not monkeys that we will eat bananas with our daily meal.

Pandey: - Humans are evolved apes only and apes are a special breed of monkeys only. So, as per scientific logic, monkeys are the predecessors of human beings. A monkey is smarter than any human, that’s why, it always eats banana to keep itself energized all the time. Even if you have done overeating then this banana helps you to vomit all the foods, so that you feel relaxed.

Agarwal: - Ha ha ha…now I understand why in the ICC World Cup in England, Ashish Nehra was eating bananas after he lost his energy while bowling against England. I think, in that match only, Ashish Nehra took 6 wickets. Hmm…he got too much energy after eating those bananas.

Pandey: - Now, stop talking and concentrate on eating. Sain is coming towards us. If he starts talking, then any discussion will not stop until any conclusion comes out. He will keep on gossiping. Really, Bengali people are expert in gossiping, he he he…

Arindam: - Hey, where from you people have got this food packet? I am also feeling hungry. I need to collect it.

Agarwal: - Angshuman daa has collected all the food packets for IBS Kolkata and kept it with him only. There he is! He is sitting under that tree.

***********************************************************

Angshuman: - You are yet to take your food packet. That’s why; I was thinking that who has not taken the food packet from me. Everybody has already started eating and you are yet to collect your food packet. Where were you?

Arindam: - I went to the last corner of this botanical garden. Just at the right hand corner of the lake, I have found a tree, which is 120 years old. Below that tree, there is a bench. I was relaxing there. I cannot spell the biological name of that tree now. It is very big. But that tree really looks beautiful. The color of the skin of the tree is a combination of yellow ochre and light brown color.

Angshuman: - Baah…then we will go down there and have a photo-shoot of our entire IBS Kolkata group. Anyway, I am also yet to take my lunch. Agarwal and Pandey have found out a lovely place to eat their food. They are sitting on a grassy slope under an oak-type tree. Come on, let us go there and have our lunch.

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Arindam: - You are from Section- A, right? Hmm…I have hardly seen you in the college campus. Even I have never seen Agarwal and Rathi also. They are also from your section only.

Pandey: - I have also never seen your face in our college. But, I have heard your name from many people. I don’t know for what reason, people know your name. Anyway, your hometown is Kolkata or you are from outside West Bengal?

Arindam: - No, no, I am from South West Kolkata only. You are from?

Pandey: - I stay in Liluah of Howrah district. Basically, our ancestral home is in UP.

Arindam: - Hmm…and what about you Agarwal? You are from Kolkata also?

Agarwal: - No, no, I am from Kokrajhar of Assam.

Angshuman: - My goodness! The day before yesterday only, there was a massive firing in Kokrajhar area. At least, 50 people have died. Assam is a very dangerous state. If Marathis are the racists of Western India, then Assamese, Nagas and Manipuri are the racists of Eastern India. Even I have heard that the Assamese people are brutally abusing and killing Bengali workers also in that state. Very soon, all these racist Assamese will be kicked out from West Bengal. Just wait and watch.

Agarwal: - All Assamese people are not racists. There are some sections of people who want to divide Assam into Bodoland. Then there is Chinese administration which is supplying arms and money to the unemployed youth of North-Eastern India to make them terrorists. The Ulfa group is also dangerous in Assam. Even some Assamese living in Bangladesh are also involved in the terror act of Assam. We are Marwari. My dad is a government employee. He got posting in Kokrajhar, which is why, we are there. We have no sympathy towards Assam. But, yes, Assam is a nice place in terms of its natural scenic beauty. But, somehow, Assamese do not want improvement in their own state. Even the Indian Government is somewhat callous towards the utilization of the natural resources in and around Brahmaputra River.

Rathi: - Hmm…everyone in India feels proud that it is a country where ‘Unity in Diversity’ exists, but the reality is somewhat different. The racial discrimination among the Indian people always hampers the socio-economic growth of India. I would rather be happy to see India as a country of several cosmopolitan states clubbed together, like it is there in the United States of America.

Angshuman: - Well said, Rathi. But, it is easier said than done because this is India. In USA, a political leader must have a MBA degree from Harvard University or any other reputed University, but, in India, even a mere Class – V pass person can become a great political leader. It is not the common people but the politicians who create the division in our society intentionally to gain votes. By the way, Rathi, where are you from?

Rathi: - I am from Rajasthan. My parents are now living in Barmer. I have one elder sister. She has got married last month. Now, my parents are thinking of shifting to Jaisalmer. My aunt lives in Jaisalmer. But, I don’t want to settle down in any of the cities of Rajasthan. A highly educated person cannot stay for long in Rajasthan because the illiterate and poor people always start playing politics on him at every level. That is the reason why, you will find that all the educated or highly qualified traders or businessman go out of Rajasthan to establish their business and then open some small outlets of their business in Rajasthan.

Arindam: - Barmer! Wow! Have you seen the Bengali film ‘Sonar Kella’ (The Golden Fort) of Satyajit Ray. You must watch that film with sub-titles. There is a fort in Barmer, which has been constructed with limestone. Satyajit Ray wrote a story on that fort. You must watch that film to know about that fabulous story.

Angshuman: - Accha, Rathi, is the camel’s milk very tasty? I have not tasted it yet, but, Lalmohan Babu of ‘Sonar Kella’ liked the tea very much, which was prepared with camel’s milk.

Rathi: - Yeah, it is tasty, provided that, you can handle the peculiar smell of that milk. Your body will become very hot after drinking camel’s milk. Rajasthan is basically full of deserts. In deserts, during daytime, it is extreme hot and during nights, the temperature drops to around 5 to 6 degree Celsius also. Poor people drink those camels’s milk before going to sleep to keep themselves warm.

Pandey: - Hey guys! Debojyoti Sir is calling us now. Let us go there.

*************************************************************

Debojyoti: - Vartika has found out a fantastic tree under which we will take a group photo. That tree is in downward direction of this garden. Come on, let us go there.

*************************************************************

Arindam: - This is the same tree about which I was talking to you.

Angshuman: - Really, it is a fantastic tree. Come on; let us sit together under this tree to pose for a group photo.

Sunny: - Come on, everybody. One, two, three, ready, smile please. Aaaiye…I have clicked on the camera. The group photo has been taken. Wow! The photo looks awesome.

Agarwal: - Ha ha ha…After hearing ‘one, two, three’ from Sunny, I am becoming nostalgic.

Arindam: - Why? What is so nostalgic about it?

Agarwal: - I learned the Tamil numerals from a bus conductor in Sterling Resort. In Tamil, they say, ‘Urh, Rand, Nul………’

Arindam: - Ha ha ha…What is Urh?

Agarwal:- Urh means 1, Rand means 2, Nul means 3…and it goes on…I don’t remember all the Tamil numerals…but, I like to pronounce those Tamil numerals, ‘Urh, Rand, Nul….’, he he he…

Deepti: - Guys! It is already 2.10 PM now. We need to go near our bus now. We will now go to Suicide point.

Arindam: - Suicide Point! Babah…no one of us wants to commit suicide. We are happy with our happy life…he he he…

Deepti: - Idiot! That is a tourist spot of Ooty. Uuh…now, keep your mouth shut and start walking towards the exit gate of this botanical garden.

Arindam: - Ha ha ha…ok, ok, Deepti madam…as you order us…he he he…arrey, why are you hitting me at my back with your soft palms? Aah…I was just kidding, he he he…

Part – 18

Arindam: - Where is the suicide point? I came down from our bus just now. I can see that the road has ended here. At the right side of this road, there are four small shops and on the left side of the road, there is a staircase.

John: - I think, we have to take this staircase to reach the topmost point of this hill. We have to climb around 432 meters with the help of this staircase.

Debraj: - Ha ha ha…to commit suicide, a person has to climb this hill after walking for half an hour on this staircase. To commit suicide why a person needs to do so much hard work?

Vartika: - Yeah, Debraj, you made a valid point. Tamil people are basically fools. They do hard work before committing suicide also, he he he…

Debarjun: - Hey, you people are wasting too much time in gossiping about the topic of suicide. Come on; let us start climbing this hill.

*****************************************************

Himangshu: - Just a while ago, some drizzles took place here. That’s why, the staircase is wet. The stairs are made of stones only and due to trees on both sides of this staircase, the stairs have become slippery.

Deepak: - Uff, Sir, we are walking on these steep stairs for 20 minutes. How far is the suicide point?

Himansghu: - We have almost reached the point. It is just another 15-16 steps away.

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Arindam: - Wow, this suicide point just looks fabulous. I can spot three villages and some paddy lands on my left side. On my right side, there is a dense jungle and rocky cliffs. Yeah, this is the place from where people start jumping. See here. There is a stone idol which has been marked with vermilions. In the trunks of adjacent trees, people have tied papers with the help of strings. Let me see, what is written in these papers, though the papers are already wet due to rainfall. This must be a suicide note. This suicide note is a fresh one which means that someone has committed suicide either today or yesterday in this place. Oho! All the letters are in Tamil in this suicide note.

Kedia: - How a person can commit suicide after coming to this point, I really wonder! This is such a fabulous place! When you stand here, you feel like standing on heaven. Then why do you need to jump down from this point to go to hell?

Arindam: - Not only suicide. Even if anyone murders a person and throw that dead body from this suicide point, then Tamil policemen will consider that as a suicide only, unless a detailed forensic investigation takes place. Hey, Sunny, don’t go near that barricade. The rods of that barricade are very loose. Don’t touch that barricade. It can lead to a severe accident, as that barricade can fall down at anytime.

Sunny: - We have spent lots of time here. Come on, let us go down. This place is not at all safe. Already I have seen three local people roaming at this point with vermilions in their heads. Who knows, after we leave the place, they will commit suicide by jumping from this point. It is not always true that the local Tamil people commit suicide due to depressions or poverty. Sometimes, people commit suicide as a sacrifice to their Hindu God. In Tamil rituals, it is still believed that in a particular festival after every 10 years; at least, one member of a family has to sacrifice their life in the name of God.

Arindam: - Hmm…arrey, look at that valley on the extreme right side from here. Can you see it? The valley is looking like a nose. It seems as if a demon is sleeping there and we can see his big green colored nose, he he he…

Chawla: - Dear Mr. Sain, that is not a sleeping demon’s nose, that is a valley only, but due to its bulging geographical topography, that particular point of the valley is known as ‘Dolphin’s Nose’. We will go there now.

Arindam: - Dolphin has a nose? Is Dolphin not a fish?

Kedia: - Uff…now, don’t start discussing about dolphins, please. Now, come on; let us start going down from this place.

*****************************************************************

Arnab: - Sain da…come here. Out of these 4 shops, I have found a shop, where Ooty Tea packets are getting sold.

Arindam: - Oh! That’s cool. We are yet to buy any tea packet from Ooty. Come on, then, let us buy some tea packets.

*****************************************************************

Arindam: - Tell us, which flavored tea will be of good taste?

Tea Shop Owner: - Sir, Chocolate Tea is more tasty. But, Ginger Tea is good for health. Chocolate tea is 140 bucks per Kg and Ginger tea is 160 per Kg.

Arnab: - What about the plain tea?

Tea Shop Owner: - Plain Ooty tea is 120 bucks per Kg.

Arindam: - Hmm…ok, do one thing. Give me 1 Kg of plain Ooty Tea, 500 gms of Chocolate tea and 250 gms of Ginger tea. Accha, while packing it in different polythene container, please paste a small level on it, so that I can understand which polythene container contains which flavored tea. Accha, how much I have to pay?

Tea Shop Owner: - Only 230 bucks, Sir.

*************************************************************

Debraj: - The girls of our IBS Kolkata are yet to come down from that Suicide point. They are still there. Come on; let us play some game in the meanwhile.

Arnab: - I have a tennis ball in my bag. Wait, let me take it out. We can play ‘catch-catch’ game here.

Angshuman: - Ei, wait, I will also play. Sumanta, Rathi, Sain, Chawla and Kedia. Come here. Just form a circle. We will play catch practice. Whoever misses the catch will be out of this circle, which means, he is disqualified.

*************************************************************

Rathi: - Come on, Sain. Just beat Angshuman daa… Only you two are left in the last round of this game. Angshuman daa has won this game for 3 times. Hardly, Angshuman daa is missing any catch. Don’t miss the catch….Ei, jaah, Sain, you have missed the catch!

Arindam: - Ei, this is foul. Angshuman daa, you are throwing the ball beyond my reach. How can I catch it? No, no, the game is still on. You have not won. Wait, I will throw the ball in such a manner that you cannot even see the ball to catch it. But, where is the ball? Arrey, very funny! I saw the ball coming in this direction only.

Debolina: - Ha ha ha…Arindam, forget the tennis ball now. The black monkey has taken the catch. It is sitting on that small cliff and seeing the tennis ball as if it has never seen a tennis ball before.

Arindam: - Ei, ball taa deh…nahole lyaj kete haathey dhoriye dabo…

Vartika: - Sir, Sir, see, what Arindam is doing there? The black monkey is holding the tennis ball in its hand and our Arindam is demanding the ball from the black monkey. There is our Arindam. He is holding a long bamboo in his hand and shouting at the black monkey and the black monkey is just laughing at him while holding the ball in its hand.

Debojyoti: - Ei, Sain…arrey, it is not your Bengali monkey. It is a Tamil monkey and that too of this suicide point. It has never seen a green colored tennis ball. The black monkey is even trying to bite that green colored tennis ball by assuming it as a guava, he he he…Leave the monkey alone. If the monkey attacks you, then there is no hospital nearby to do your treatment.

Arindam: - Don’t worry, Sir. I am expert in handling these monkeys. In our Kolkata house, almost in every weekend, a group of monkeys come to our terrace because there is a Badam (nut) tree just adjacent to our terrace. I just start chasing them with a bamboo stick on the terrace. The monkeys don’t attack me because they fear that I might hit them on their head to kill them at one shot. But, I only pretend to hit them. I don’t hit them at all.

Debojyoti: - Ha ha ha…I think that this black monkey has understood your words. It has released the tennis ball from its hand and is just staring at you. Ei, give that black monkey something to eat. Wait; let me buy a dozen of bananas for the monkey. The monkey is just staring at us. Oh! It is so happy to get those 6 bananas. It is laughing now, he he he…It is a good black monkey, though it lives in a jungle.

Part – 19

Debojyoti: - Accha, everyone listen to me. It is already 4.10 PM. We don’t have enough time to visit ‘Dolphin’s Nose’ now. We will now start our journey towards Coimbatore. We have to board the train from Coimbatore at 10.05 PM. In any case, there is nothing so special in ‘Dolphin’s Nose’. From there, you can view the Nilgiri range only.

Vartika: - Sir, everyone knows that grapes are sour when we cannot eat it.

Debojyoti: - Ha ha ha…actually, we don’t have time in our hand; otherwise, we have gone to that place. Anyway, next time, if we come to Ooty for conference, then we will surely visit ‘Dolphin’s Nose’.

Deepti: - Sir, at least, can we have some tea and snacks somewhere. We are feeling hungry now. We had our lunch at around 12 noon.

Debojyoti: - Yeah, yeah, we will have tea and snacks just after 30 minutes. There is a good tiffin center on the roadside. We can have tea and snacks there only.

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Debarjun: - Uff…thank God, we have reached the tiffin center. I am feeling so sleepy that I badly need a cup of hot tea. Come on; let us get down from the bus.

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Arindam: - Arrey, you people are still here. I thought that you people have already gone.

Jaidev: - No, no, we are still in Ooty for some minutes more, he he he…Our bus is on the way to Coimbatore. We were all feeling sleepy and tired. That’s why; we all decided to get down at this tiffin center and have some tea or snacks.

Arindam: - You are from IBS Pune. Then, why you people are travelling in the bus of IBS Mumbai team?

Jaidev: - Arrey, yaar. Mumbai and Pune are just close to each other. Hardly 3-4 hours bus distance from each other. So, why, IBS Pune need to hire another bus for that?

Arindam: - Hmm…at least, Mumbai is still nearer to Ooty. Our Kolkata is very far from this place.

Jaidev: - Mumbai is not so close to Ooty. We will board a train from Coimbatore today to reach Mangalore. From Mangalore, there is another train to Mumbai. From Mumbai, we will go by bus to Pune. So, in the Indian map, Mumbai looks closer to Ooty, but, actually, the train line is very lengthy as it has to cross the entire Konkan coast of Karnataka. Anyway, I have to make a call at my house from this PCO booth. See you in the next conference.

Arindam: - Yeah, yeah, sure; see you next time.

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Nupur: - Excuse me! Can you please wash your hands a little bit faster? Our bus is about to start. They are waiting for me.

Arindam: - Oh! Yeah, you are excused!

Nupur: - Oh! You! You were washing your hands while turning back. That’s why; I have not noticed you. You take too much time to wash your hands.

Arindam: - hmm…you are in a hurry to go back to your IBS Mumbai bus. Well, who knows, when can I see you again?

Nupur: - Why? Why? Are you not coming in the next SAP conference?

Arindam: - No, I am not coming. You are also not coming, naah?

Nupur:- Why should I come and dance in the next SAP conference if someone will not be there to see my dance, hee hee hee…Arindam, we will see each other again in the next SAP Conference. Take care. This time, I will not bid you goodbye, kyon ki, we will meet again…

Arindam: - Ha ha ha…bahut chalak ho…yeah, yeah, we will meet again after 6 months. Take care.

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Debolina: - aaha re…Sain…bechara…The bus of IBS Mumbai has gone now. You may be feeling so depressed about that.

Arindam: - Hmm…Debolina, everyone has to go. Some goes earlier and some goes later.

Debolina: - Do you like her? The way you were talking with her, it seems as if you know her for years.

Arindam: - Again, you have started! She is just my friend. Yes, I like her because she is a good dancer. What is your problem in that?

Debolina: - Wow! That’s good. But, I have never seen you praising any girl in IBS Kolkata, that’s why; I am suspicious that you may have fallen in love with her. Why you like her so much? If I would have performed a classical dance like her, would you have praised me the same way?

Arindam: - Uff…you girls cannot think anything in a very simple manner. Girls always have a tendency to complicate even little and unimportant issues. I really wonder why God has created woman. Now, let me tell you the truth. See, I met this girl in the common room of Sterling resort. At that time, I thought that she is just a Marathi girl and you know I dislike Marathis due to their racist nature. Later, when I saw her classical dance, I realized that this girl hails from a family, where traditional values are given priority. Any girl can perform hip-hop and western dance, but a girl cannot perform classical dance without practice, dedication and passion towards it. The way she performed that dance with natural facial expression, I felt as if when she was dancing on the stage, she was totally in her own fantasy world of classical dance. That dance impressed me. Later also, I came to know that she is a Rajasthani girl. Automatically, some respect grew in my heart towards her as she hails from the land of Rajput Queen, Padmini. Thanks to Abanindranath Tagore of Bengal for that.

Debolina: - as a result, you are having infatuation towards her!

Arindam: - It is not infatuation but admiration.

Debolina: - What is the guarantee that this admiration will not transform into an infatuation?

Arindam: - My heart always remains in my control. By the way, why should I have infatuation towards a girl who is already engaged with someone? She has a boyfriend with whom he will have her engagement next month. Moreover, she is yet to rule over my mind. So, your question is totally invalid in this regard.

Debolina: - Has she told you that she is engaged with someone? You are taking the information given by Vartika as an authentic one! How funny! I have read her eyes. She was staring at you, while she was having tea and snacks. Even after finishing her tea and snacks, she was sitting on her table and was waiting for the moment, when you will go to the wash basin to wash your hands.

Arindam: - Uff…you girls only notice all this bullshit things. Debolina, you are thinking too much about her. I am again telling you that we have nothing in between us. Even she also regards me as a friend only, nothing beyond that. Moreover, she is a non-Bengali girl.

Debolina: - Exactly! Now, come to the real point. You have also read her eyes and I know you are expert in it. But, as she is a non-Bengali girl, you are intentionally ignoring the entire fact. Till date, you had girlfriends, who are all Bengali. Show me any of your love relationship which has become successful till now.

Arindam: - How does the factor of Bengali or non-Bengali girls come into play here? This is India! Here economy decides the fate of any love relationship. If a boy has no money in his wallet, there is a 90% chance that his love story will end at anytime. That does not mean that Bengali girls are pathetic in maintaining their love relationship. Bengali girls are very caring and don’t play politics with their boyfriend, whereas non-Bengali girls play politics with their boyfriends and utilizes them like slaves. Now I am telling you this thing from my experience only.

Debolina: - Arindam, I have done my studies from Kendriya Vidyalaya School. I had more non-Bengali girls than Bengali girls as friends. I have always got help from my non-Bengali friends but not from the Bengali friends during bad times. Bengali girls are the ones who play politics with their boyfriends. Now I am telling you this thing from my experience. Let me tell you another thing straight on your face that you are not fit for any Bengali girl. A Bengali girl always prefers their boyfriend to be an introvert, shy and of cunning type, whereas a non-Bengali girl prefers to have an extrovert, simple, straightforward and fun loving boyfriend. Your character falls in the second category. You are such an extrovert and fun-loving guy that a Bengali girl will always ditch you. A non-Bengali girl will never let you go from her love relationship but the irony is that you are yet to have a non-Bengali girlfriend in your life.

Arindam: - What? What? My goodness! What have you said just now? All went above my head. Wait; let me take another cup of hot tea. Uff…baapre baap. By the way, Debolina, why the hell are you so jealous on her?

Debolina: - It is for the same reason only. I am sitting beside you with a cup of tea. When she saw that, she felt jealous also. So, you know the answer, dear.

Arindam: - hmm…actually, we boys don’t want to know the answers of some questions because we always love to live a happy-go-lucky life. I am not ruling out the fact that I will never have a non-Bengali girlfriend, but, at least, a non-Bengali girl should know our Bengali culture. You know, after all, how a person can sacrifice his own culture in the name of a love relationship with a girl of another culture. That’s why, I still prefer Bengali girls only.

Debolina: - Thank God! I am a Bengali girl!

Arindam: - I said that I prefer Bengali girls. I have not said that I will make any Bengali girl like you as my girlfriend.

Debolina: - uuh…I will regard you as my boyfriend…uuh….Have you seen your face in the mirror?

Arindam: - Hmm…Debrup should have come in this Ooty Conference. He is really missing his beloved one….he he he…aaah…ouch…why are you beating me now? This is the problem with you girls! You people cannot tolerate the brutal truth.

Debolina: - I thought you are an idiot. But, you are a ‘Gyaan-Paapi’. From outside, you look like a foolish child but you are very experienced and matured guy from inside. It is very easy for a girl to become your friend but that much difficult to become your girlfriend.

Arindam: - Ha ha ha...Actually, my heart is not as strong as my firewall. My smart brain is my firewall, which blocks some girls from becoming my girlfriend. I had no other choice. Wherever I go, someone falls in love. I cannot shout at them and say, ‘Hey, you young lady, why the hell have you fallen in love with me?’

Debolina: - Uff…it is very difficult to defeat you in the war of words. That’s why; many girls are always scared of your flirting in Orkut.

Arindam: - I flirt with girls to know their psychology. It is like beating the trumpets to test the quality of its sounds.

Debolina: - Ok, ok, I also know that. Now, Sir is calling us to get inside the bus. It is already 5.35 PM now. We can have our war of words after going back to IBS Kolkata also. You are yet to finish this cup of tea! What is the point in taking a cup of hot tea, if you will drink it as a cold drink?

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Debojyoti: - Accha, listen to me. We will all have our dinner at the Kerala Restaurant only. Does anyone have any problem in eating Keralite dishes, please raise your hand? Oh! No one has any problem! Everyone is ready to eat Keralite dishes again. That’s great.

Part – 20

Debojyoti: - How are you, Venky? We are back again in your Kerala Restaurant. Now it is 7.15 PM. Can we order any food item for dinner now?

Venki: - Well, it’s too early. My cooks are still cooking foods in the kitchen. You can order your dishes, but, you have to wait for another half an hour. All the food items will be cooked by 8 PM.

Debojyoti: - Ok, ok, not a problem at all. Just send someone to take the order from the respective tables. Hey, Venky, is there any cultural event in your restaurant tonight? I can see a guy ready to sing on a song while standing on a dais. Even two other persons are ready with their musical instruments.

Venky: - Oh! That is a daily affair in this restaurant. Local people of Mettupalayam will start flocking inside this restaurant after 9 PM. Some comes for dinner. Some comes for drink. Even there are couples who come here to dine, drink and dance also. That guy is Ravikant. He is the lead singer in our restaurant. The two other persons who are ready with their musical instruments are Shekharan and D’Costa. Sometimes, they also sing some good songs. Our customers give them money, if they feel satisfied with their songs. Every night, this restaurant earns at least 1000 bucks from the customers as ‘appreciation money’ for the songs. 5 months ago, Ravikant’s father expired due to cardiac arrest. After that incident, Ravikant was looking for work here and there to earn money. I knew that he has a good singing voice. I requested him to sing in my restaurant. Now, he is earning around 6000 bucks per month by singing here. It is more than enough for him to take care of his mother and younger sister. Ravikant is studying in a college. This is his final year.

Debojyoti: - Hmm…you have done a great job, Venky. You have given the right job to a right person. Ravikant has a good singing voice. He is singing the songs of Kishore Kumar very well.

Venky: - This is not his original voice. He is just customizing his voice to copy Kishore Kumar. He sings with his original voice, when he sings the Tamil songs or the Konkani folk songs. His mother is a Konkani and his father is a Keralite. So, he knows many Konkani as well as Malayalam songs.

Debojyoti: - What is there in his hand? I can see him singing while looking at a notebook.

Venky: - Sir, for a South Indian, it is very difficult to remember the lyrics of Hindi songs. That’s why; he wrote all the lyrics of Golden Hindi songs in a notebook in English language. When he sings, he just refers to that notebook only.

Debojyoti: - Wow! That’s great! Can I sing some songs while seeing that notebook?

Venky: - Yeah, yeah, why not! The stage is all yours, Sir.

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Vartika: - My goodness! Hey guys, there is a breaking news. Look there! Our Debojyoti Sir is about to sing a song while standing on that dais. Let us give him a good round of applause.

Debojyoti: - ‘Phoolon ke rang se…dil ki kalam se…andhi ne toka…duniya ne mujhko pukaara…itna madhur tera mera pyar…lena hoga janam humein kai kai baar…’

Koustav: - Wow! You are going great, Sir. Hey, our Debojyoti Sir also has a good singing voice.

Arindam: - I have heard that song for many times in the radio. Is it the song of the film ‘Prem Pujari’ ?

Vartika: - I don’t know the name of the film. Only thing I know that the evergreen actor, Dev Anand was giving lips in that Kishore Kumar’s song.

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Debojyoti: - Ok, Venky! See you again if we visit Ooty next time. The food items were nice. Goodbye for now.

Venky: - Yeah, yeah…you are always welcome Sir. Goodbye, Sir.

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Debojyoti: - Hey, what happened?

Bus Conductor: - It’s a tyre puncture, Sir. Don’t worry; we will change it within 10 minutes.

Debojyoti: - Oho! Already, we are running late. We have to reach the Coimbatore station within 25 minutes.

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Debojyoti: - Everyone listen to me. We just have 5 minutes in our hand. Our bus has reached Coimbatore station. The train is at platform No. 2. Our coach number is S-4. The bus conductor is at the roof top of this bus. He will bring down the entire luggage from that roof top. Just take your respective luggage and start running towards Platform No.2. If we miss the train, then we have to stay in any lodge in Coimbatore tonight at our own cost.

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Sumanta: - Uff, baapre, baap….It was like a military training. We were just running with our luggage in the platform. Anyway, luckily, we have boarded the train.

Angshuman: - Hmm…I am also sweating now. Anyway, let us now go to sleep. Everyone is looking tired in our group. All are planning to go to sleep. When will this train reach Chennai?

Sumanta: - It will reach Chennai tomorrow morning. Now go to sleep. Goodnight.

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Murthy: - Good morning, Sir. So, how was your Ooty trip?

Debojyoti: - Oh! It was just great. Accha, allot 7 rooms to us for 1 day.

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Kedia: - We will board Coromandel Express tomorrow morning. Today, we have to spend the entire day in Chennai. So, what’s our plan today?

Sunny: - Today, we will go to T Nagar market. John was saying that in that market, the prices of all the items are very cheap. It is just like our Esplanade Super market area. After shopping in T Nagar, we will come back to our lodge. We will keep all our shopping items in our respective room. Then, we will have our lunch. After the lunch, we will spend the entire afternoon and evening in Marina Beach.

Pandey: - Baah! That’s a nice plan. Now, it is 9.30 AM. You people will be ready by what time?

Koustav: - Don’t worry! We will have our lunch at around 11 AM. Then we will head towards T Nagar. Why? Do you need to go somewhere else?

Pandey: - Yeah, actually, there is a Ganesh temple just in the opposite lane of Apollo Hospital. I have to visit that temple.

Sunny: - Yeah, yeah, you take your time. But, just make sure that you are in the reception hall of this lodge before 11 AM. We will go for lunch together.

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Agarwal: - We are going to Ganesh temple to perform a puja. Is anyone interested to go to the Ganesh temple, they can come with us?

Arnab: - Yeah, yeah, I want to go. Hey, Debraj and Sain daa…come on, let’s go to that temple. What will you do by sitting idle inside the lodge?

Arindam: - Hmm…you are right. But, I will not perform any puja. I always visit temple to see the statues and architecture of the temple, he he he…Come on; let’s go.

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Agarwal: - We have to open our shoes and keep it outside the temple. There is a shoe keeper who will take 10 bucks to keep our shoes in a secure place. When we will come out of the temple, we have to collect our shoes by showing this small token to this shoe keeper.

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Debraj: - Baah…this Ganesh temple is not bad at all. It is not just a Ganesh temple. I can see at least 5 different statues of South Indian Gods inside this temple. Sain, you are not at all praying pranaam to any of these Gods and Goddesses. Are you an atheist?

Arindam: - I am neither an atheist nor a worshipper of God but I believe in God. That’s more than enough for me. Hey, look there! I can see a statue of goddess Durga totally in black color. I have never seen such an idol of Goddess Durga in my life.

Pandey: - Goddess Durga has many appearances. The dacoits of South India never used to worship Goddess Kali but Goddess Durga only.

Arnab: - Ha ha ha…for your kind information, Goddess Kali is the Goddess Durga only.

Agarwal: - See there! All the South Indian middle –aged women are singing the hymns with so much enthusiasm. That’s really great. Let us also sit inside this temple and listen to them. I can see an old man sitting quietly in that corner of the temple and meditating. Why people meditate? It is so boring.

Arindam: - It looks boring, but it increases your concentration power. We don’t do that. That’s a different issue. But the people who meditate regularly become peaceful people and their brain doesn’t get distracted so easily. Perseverance quality also increases. Anyway, let us go from here now. I am already feeling hungry.

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Debojyoti: - Today, you people don’t have to eat Tamil meals. You people can order for any food item. We have ample time. Just relax and eat whatever you want to eat. This restaurant is a good one. It has North Indian, South Indian, Chinese and Mughlai dishes.

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Chawla: - We are all eating either Dhoshas or Idli or Bada. But, Sain is eating a very awkward dish. I don’t know what is he actually eating?

Arindam: - Ha ha ha…I am eating Mixed Paneer Utthapam. The plate costs only 35 bucks, which is just 5 bucks more than your Dhosha, Idli and Bada plates. The taste is just awesome. I don’t know how this Utthapam is prepared. But, it is like a bread of rice which contains onions, tomatoes and paneers inside it. It really tastes awesome with sambhar and white colored coconut paste. I don’t think that I will feel hungry for next 6 hours after eating this. Also, I have ordered for a Mango Milk Shake after this.

Agarwal:- Ha ha ha…Arindam, make sure that you don’t feel any internal pressure in your large intestine after eating these things, because we have to walk a lot at T Nagar market.

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Debojyoti: - All of you have taken your lunch. OK! Now, we will walk towards the local railway platform. Just opposite to the Chennai Central Station, there are several travel agencies. We have to walk through the pavement beside those travel agencies. After walking for 5 minutes on that pavement, we will get a crossing. We will cross that crossing and walk for another 2 minutes. Then there will be a lane on our left hand side where several fruit sellers are selling fruits. We will take that lane and walk for another 3 minutes to reach the local railway platform.

Part – 21

Anupam: - The local trains of Chennai have lesser number of seats in their compartment in comparison to the local trains of Kolkata. But, the Chennai local trains are so neat and clean. Thank God, there is no Vendor Compartment in this train. Railway Ministry should run a separate train for vendors only. Accha, Angshuman daa, after how many stoppages will we reach Thyagarajanagar?

Angshuman: - Thyagarajanagar? Oh! Accha, accha, the full form of T Nagar is Thyagarajanagar. Hmm…in the train ticket, it is written as Thyagarajanagar only. After 5 stoppages, we will reach T Nagar station. There is a staircase at the right side of the T Nagar platform. We have to walk down the staircase to reach the T Nagar market.

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Sunny: - This is the lane of T Nagar market! Babah…it is as congested as our Burrabazar market of Kolkata.

Arindam: - in this market, I can see so many jewel shops. After a gap of 2-3 shops, you will find a jewel shop. Either it is ‘Dhanalaxmi Jewellery’ or ‘Swarnanjali Jewellers’. The names of all the jewel shops are somewhat similar but their owners are different. There are some garment shops where every item is on sale. The branded cotton shirts are displayed inside that shop with 50% discount on their MRP. Is it ‘Chaitra Sale’ in Chennai?

John: - Ha ha ha…well said, Arindam. But, let me tell you one thing that this is the only commercial place of Chennai where you can buy any product at huge discounts on any day in a year. For 365 days, there are discount sales in this T Nagar market.

Debarjun: - Hey guys, I have found a shop where electronics watches can be bought within 100 bucks each. Just come with me.

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Debraj: - What is the price of this wrist watch?

Watch Shop Owner: - Only 80 bucks, Sir. Basically, it is a second hand wrist watch. But this wrist watch is working absolutely fine.

Sumanta: - Yeh chori ka maal hain kya?

Watch Shop Owner: - Ussey aapko kya lena dena saab…you are getting this wrist watch at a cheap price. Just buy it, naah…This wrist watch will cost you around 499 bucks in any Titan showroom. Also we have some fabulous Timex Waterproof wrist watches which cost around 1500 bucks. We are selling these wrist watches only at 180 or 200 bucks.

Angshuman: - Baah… is it so? Just show us those Timex watches. If we like it, then we will buy it.

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Vartika: - Sir, what are you doing here inside this jewel shop?

Debojyoti: - Arrey, Vartika, the price of Gold in this jewel shop is really cheaper than the price of Gold in Kolkata.

Vartika: - What are you saying, Sir? The price of Gold is uniform everywhere.

Debojyoti: - Ha ha ha…that I know. But, in this jewel shop, they give more discounts than any Kolkata jewel shop. Moreover, the quality of jewels is far better here.

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Arindam: - See the fun! Our Debojyoti Sir will buy some jewels from this T Nagar market. One thing I don’t understand that there are so many jewel shops near to each other, but, still, there is no dearth of customers. In every jewel shop, there are so many customers. Really, South Indians are too fond of jewels. Also, I can see in the front side of every jewel shop, there is an electronic screen which is displaying the current prices of Gold.

Deepti: - Arindam, We, the South Indians always regard Golden jewels as our assets. You have no idea that almost in every South Indian house, there is a secret place, where Gold jewels are kept hidden. The South Indian people don’t keep all their jewels in banks. You will be even stunned to hear that recently one of my friends got married. Her father gave golden jewels of worth 5 lakhs INR to his son-in-law. In South India, it is a ritual that in dowry, you have to give golden jewels.

Arindam: - Hmm…I have also heard that in ancient India, South India was the hub of gemstones and jewels. Pearls were also found in South India only. In ancient South India, Gold used to be found like sands lying on road.

Deepti: - Quite true! The Pallavas and the Cholas had so many jewels that they were even planning to make a golden temple in South India.

Debarjun: - He he he…Golden temple is there in Amritsar and Amritsar is in North India.

Deepti: - That’s a different thing, but, South India is still rich in gemstones and golden jewels.

Arindam: - Hey, Deepti, how much golden jewels has your father kept in his store for your dowry, he he he…

Deepti: - Shut up! I will not marry a boy who wants golden jewels as dowry.

Arindam: - So, you want to say that your current boyfriend will not demand dowry when he wants to marry you.

Deepti: - Uff, just stop it. It’s too early for me to discuss about these things.

Debarjun: - Ha ha ha…Sain…babah…please stop this topic. Hey, look! Koustav has entered inside a shop to buy Kanchivaram sarees for his girlfriend. Come on; let us go inside that shop.

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Arindam: - What is so special about Kanchivaram Sarees? Every one of us has entered inside this shop to see some Kanchivaram sarees.

Debolina: - It is made of pure silk. Now, don’t ask me what is silk and what is silkworm?

Arindam: - No, I have the idea about silk, but, is a saree made from silk very comfortable for a woman or is it just a hype to wear this saree as it is a very costly saree? By the way, how much it costs?

Sumanta: - Why? You want to buy a Kanchivaram saree? Why you want to know the price? Look at this Kanchivaram saree. This is only 1999 bucks in this T Nagar market. Just guess what can be its price in Kolkata?

Arindam: - Hardly it will be 2500 bucks only.

Sumanta: - No, you will not get this Kanchivaram saree in Kolkata below 4500 bucks. I can assure you that. In Bengal, a new bride always wears a Benarasi saree because Benarasi sarees are cheaper than Kanchivaram sarees, whereas in South India, a new bride wears a Kanchivaram saree. I just need to make a call to my mom and elder sister. After getting the confirmation from them, I will buy two Kanchivaram sarees from this shop.

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Chawla: - Sir, everyone has done some shopping, but, Debraj, Arnab and Arindam have done no shopping in this T Nagar market.

Debojyoti: - Se ki? Why? Have you people not liked anything to buy?

Arnab: - We have not done shopping on a large scale. I and Debraj have bought a wrist watch for 80 bucks, which is looking good in our wrist.

Debojyoti: - Sain, what about you?

Arindam: - I have bought 5 packets of Keralite banana chips, 2 packets of Tamilian Mixtures, 2 South Indian lockets and a packet of special coconut laddoos. This laddoo packet costs 5 bucks only but it has around 20 coconut laddoos.

Debojyoti: - Ha ha ha…you better open a South Indian snacks and sweets shop in Kolkata, he he he…Ei, all of you listen to me…if we don’t get any food to eat in the Coromandel Express, then we will eat all these laddoos and Keralite banana chips that has been bought by our Sain…he he he…Anyway, jokes apart, now, let us go back to our lodge to keep our shopping packets. Then, we will go to Marina Beach.

John: - Sir, why again to Marina Beach? We can go to Elliot’s Beach near Besant Nagar. It is also a good beach.

Vartika: - Yes, Sir. John is right. I, Deepti, Debarjun, Chawla, Pandey, Rathi, John, Debolina, Koustav, Sunny and Agarwal have already decided to go to Eliot’s beach. You also have to go with us.

Debojyoti: - Ok, ok, I will go to Eliot’s Beach. What about the others?

Angshuman: - We will go to Marina Beach, Sir. We will not go back to the lodge. We will go direct to Marina Beach from here. We have not done so much shopping, that’s why.

Debojyoti: - Ok, not an issue. But, we will meet each other at 8.30 PM in front of Silver Jubilee Restaurant to have our dinner.

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Deepak: - Already, I have seen two Spencers shopping mall in Chennai now. All the shopping malls are under Spencers only. Sir, have you noticed one thing in Chennai. There are so many over-bridges and subways almost in every crossing. No pedestrians are allowed to cross the road by walking on zebra lines; where there is a over-bridge or subway, otherwise, that pedestrian will be fined by the Chennai traffic police. The Chennai traffic policemen are very strict and disciplined. That’s why; Chennai have the record of lowest number of road accidents in respect to other Metropolitan cities.

Himangshu: - Hmm…you are quite right. Hey, we can enter inside the Spencers mall also for some time. It is now 2.30 PM. There is so much heat outside. We will spend some time inside this shopping mall. Then around 4 PM, we will go to Marina beach. Ok, naah!

Sumanta: - Yeah, yeah, that is fine.

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Arindam: - aah…it is so cool inside. The one reason why I like shopping malls is that it is completely air-conditioned. If you want to cool yourself, just enter any shopping mall and keep roaming here and there.

Arnab: - Hey, what is this office in the ground floor. I can see a trading terminal. Also, all the exchange rates of foreign currencies are written in respect to our INR.

Angshuman: - This is a forex terminal. If any foreigner wants to change his own nation’s currency to INR, then he can change it here. It is basically a subsidiary branch of Singapore Bank. You can even do foreign exchange trading in share market through their channel.

Debraj: - Why Singapore Bank has opened their subsidiary branch in Chennai only? Singapore Bank is not there in Kolkata!

Sumanta: - Arrey, babah, Singapore is very near to Chennai. If you go to Singapore, then you will find that around 90% of the Indians living in Singapore are Tamils only. Come on; let us go upstairs to see all those foreign girls roaming here and there to do window shopping. At around 4 PM, we will go outside this shopping mall and take an auto to reach Marina Beach.

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Auto Driver: - No, Sir, I will not go to Marina Beach. This is Sir Tayagaraya Road. Hardly, you will get any auto from this road which will take you to Marina Beach. Just do one thing. Just walk through that road for 5 minutes and then take the right hand side road to reach Usman Road. From Usman Road, you will get any auto which goes to Marina Beach or you can board a bus from West Mambalam also. An Auto driver will take 80 bucks but the bus fare is only 7 bucks each.

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Himangshu: - It is very difficult to communicate with these Tamil people. Whatever you ask them, they will just nod their head. Whether they are saying yes or no, you cannot make out. I took around 10 minutes to make this Tamil auto driver understand that we want to go to Marina Beach and we will give that fare only, which will be displayed in the meter. They don’t even understand Hindi.

Angshuman: - It is not that they don’t understand Hindi. They intentionally pretend to ignore Hindi. Even Tamil people don’t allow many cinema halls to show Bollywood films. Their favorite actor is Rajanikanth and they regard him as their God. I have also heard that a section of Tamil people don’t regard themselves as Indians also.

Arindam: - Na ghar ka na ghat kaa…Tamil people are considered as terrorists in Sri Lanka. Now, if these Tamil people don’t want to remain as Indians, then where will they go? He he he…Is Maldives and Singapore government so liberal towards these communal Tamil people?

Anupam: - Hmm…that’s a problem. Dhurrh…We are travelling in the auto for last 10 minutes. I am yet to spot a Chennai girl who looks beautiful. All are dark-skinned.

Deepak: - You stay in Chennai for 1 year, you will look like an African only. The weather of Chennai is such that for 9 months in a year, there is summer. Only in December, they get some rainfall. The winter season is unknown here. In January and February only, the temperature is somewhat cooler.

Auto Driver: - Sir, we have reached Marina Beach.

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Angshuman: - Hey, Anupam and Deepak. You people have a bath in the Marina Beach waters. We are going to see the aquarium at the left side of this beach. We will be back in an hour or you people can join us there also after your bath.

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Debraj: - Really, how quickly these 7 days have passed? Sometimes, 1 day looks so long and sometimes 7 days look so short. I am feeling as if we started our journey towards Chennai just a few moments ago and now we are sitting inside the Coromandel Express which is speeding towards Kolkata.

Arnab: - I have not attended any such conference in my life before. I liked the tour. I will attend all the SAP conference in future also.

Arindam: - After this “OOTY TOUR OF 2007”, our next SAP Conference will be in Goa, just a month before the Durga Puja of 2007. Don’t worry; IBS Kolkata will rock there again.

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Sumanta: - Uff…we have entered Santragachi station half an hour ago. But, we are yet to enter Howrah station. The number of platforms of Howrah should be increased to reduce the delays caused due to late ‘green-signaling’.

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Debojyoti: - We have reached Howrah station. All of you please take care of your luggage. The coolies of Howrah station have a tendency to pull anyone’s luggage without taking permissions. Let us get down now. Accha, listen to me. I am planning to organize a small party for all the SAP Trainees who have attended the Ooty conference. Every year, I give that treat as some funds are allocated to IBS Kolkata for entertainment of its SAP trainees. We will also meet our College Dean to show the awards that we have received in this Conference. So, today, just go home and take a nice sleep. See you all tomorrow at our SAP office. Good bye.

THE END