From: sp2@cec1.wustl.edu (Sundara Pandian)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.tamil
Subject: PirivOm, SanthippOm - episode 4
Date: 1 Sep 1992 21:34:02 -0500
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu


[ Posted For : Krishna Raj ]

From : M.P.Krishna Raj
E-mail : raj@cs.odu.edu 

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                      episode 4

As he  tried to get up, Raghupathi again tripped down. 
Everybody laughed at him.

Without looking at anybody he examined the chair and sat on that.


One tall chap ,moved and sat next to Raghu and said,


"Hi, I'm Sam McGuire!, Call me Sam" and shook his hand.
"Ignore them. Morons. Everything will be O.K once lecture begins." 
 
Raghu controlled his emotions  with great difficulty.


It not easy to accept Prof.Hamilton as professor.He was very young.
He was wearing rimless specks. When he smiled with tainted teeth, 
 wrinkles on his cheeks indicated his age.  He sat on the edge 
of the table and introduced himself.


Raghu scanned the class.  Ninety four students . He had to move with
them till the  end of the semester. His acquitance with the class was not
very pleasant. Everybody had some sort of illwill towards him. 
They had affleunce in their character. Raghu felt everybody was looking
at him as a  creature. He slowly started to concentrate on
what Prof.Hamilton was saying.

" All of you need not like me"..He leaned on the chair , 
and did not glance at anyone in the class. "Even if you hate, 
I won't bother. But,...You should realize the importance, why
you have come to this school. If you are fortunate , few of
you will become doyens in industry. Only few of you.. When
 attending my class, it is better  being attired in formal wear.
I also like that. From today, from this moment your learning
starts. There is no point in posting that to next class.
So..here is your first assignment. " He gave bundles of papers
to the students sitting in the periphery. Those papers hopped
from hand to hand and Raghupathi got one set. He didn't feel
that he could understand something from that. There was a 
description of a  cement company facing bankruptcy. It urged
the students to write in 1500 words, what to do to extricate
the company from that dire situation. Raghupathi felt that
uphill task. How he could write without being taught?.    


Everybody was eating hamburger in the cafeteria.  They
were talking happily. Every item had some meat produce
added to that. Raghu slowly started feeling
that he was going to suffer in America.  He sat
underneath a tree and started to think about writing
his feelings to Appa(dad). ...I should not come to a
conclusion on the very first day itself.....


The whole week went off, without Raghu  grasping 
anything. Nobody talked to him. Evenings were slightly
cold. He was in disarray mood and inclined to walk out
from the lecture manytimes. Where to go. To return
to Mohan's home he need to reach world trade center by
subway and from there he has to go by ferry. Raghu
felt very unconfortable with this predicament. Everybody
sprang towards their car once the class was over.
Raghu walked alone. He reached the subway station near the
school. When he was walking in the stair he was
soaked in fear and awe. One youth was singin with guitar.
few coins around him. His tune reverbrating everywhere. 
Cold air was blowing from somewhere. Four blacks were
waiting for Raghu. "Hi.Man.Give me a $". Ragu was startled
and frozen with mortal fear. One guy put his hand in Raghu's
pocket. Another guy shaked him. Coin dropped on the platform. 
Train arrived by this time. Three of them got into the train
and laughed at him. Raghu was immoblized and unable to  get in to the
train. Raghu collected the coins from the floor. 
He lost all the bills to them. He took the scattered
notebooks. he sat on the bench and wiped his eyes with
the kerchief and wept. He didn't know why he was weeping
and wept and wept.