Having had my School and College education in the sleepy, lazy Palghat whose people are harmless and helpful to a fault, I was planning to do MBA in 1984. It was not easy to get admission to MBA those days. MBA was being offered only in Cochin University and Calicut University, with a total of 25 seats in Cochin and 15 in Calicut, making it a total of 40 for the whole of Kerala. Taking away the reserved seats, Calicut had only 7 seats for students from the unreserved open category. There was a Management Aptitude Test lasting 3 hours followed by a Group Discussion for the selected candidates and then a Personal Interview. 50% weightage was given for the Degree marks and 50% for the entrance Test/GD/Interview.
After the interview was over, we were told that the results would be published on the notice board on 31st October 1984. My father was an Executive Engineer in Electricity Board (KSEB) in Chittur, Palghat. The KSEB lorry goes regularly to Calicut, 140 kms away, to replenish the materials in the store. Since University Campus is on the way, I hoped into the lorry, carrying a pocket transistor, for India was playing Pakistan in Pakistan that day. We left at 5 am and I reached the campus by 9 am. I was thrilled to see my name as the first (and I got a damned good University Merit Scholarship for qualifying first - a princely sum of Rs 20,000, which more than covered up my tuition fee and hostel fee for 2 years ). I was on top of the world, for getting a MBA admission, even in Calicut University was an achievement. The alternate option was to join for Post Graduation in Physics or English with future looking bleak. Back in 1984, there were hardly any career choices, unlike today. I waited at Ramanattukara for the lorry to come back, hearing on the transistor India batting against Pakistan. Since there was no telephone at our home, I had no way of calling up father and tell him the good news that I got into MBA.
Suddenly, the radio started blaring out soulful shehnai indicating the death of someone, but there were no announcement. Lorry came back and we started our journey back. We saw people forming small groups on the road side. The radio was still silent but for the music. We stopped en route for a cup of tea and heard the first whispers that Indira Gandhi was probably assassinated. We sensed trouble, and made haste to Palghat.
The situation outside was getting ugly by the minute. Agitated Congress workers had started blocking the traffic. Shutters were down. People were talking in sotto voce in huddles. Deathly silence hung in the air. My driver was getting worried. The lorry was full of expensive Electrical materials, for which he was responsible. We reached Managalamkunnu, when our luck ran out. The Road was blocked. Left with no option, we parked the lorry safely in the local electricity office. We were hungry and thirsty. The time was around 1 in the afternoon. All the hotels, tea shops and even the petty shops were closed. We had no idea how long we will have to wait till we resume the journey. Some good samaritans of the electricity board brought some food for us from their home. It was the most delicious meal I have eaten ever.
I had no way of intimating my parents. By 6 pm, I had taken a decision. I started walking. It was still about 80 kms to my home. I walked a while, then I will get a local transport like tractor or motor cycle or a jeep which will take me till the next road block, again back to walking. It was a bizarre and crazy journey, that lasted till 3 am, when I finally stumbled into my brother's friends house in Palghat, still 15 kms away from my home. I was tired, fatigued, famished and on the verge of collapse. I decided to stay with him till situation calms down. Next day, by evening when it was safe for us to drive, he took out his Vijay Scooter and dropped me at my home.
I still remember my father sitting, with absolutely no care in the world, in his Easy Chair on the portico, writing cross words. He looked up, saw me and said gruffly,
"9 Across- Dead End"
I looked blankly at him.
"3-2-3", he said indicating the blank columns
I replied automatically, " Cul-de-Sac"
Saying that, I walked in, turned my head at the top of stairs and told him,
"By the way, I got my MBA admission"
