It's a very hot Sunday afternoon, with nothing to do. The room feels like a furnace and I'm sweating profusely. I can hear the buzzing sound of the generator from a distance, constantly reminding me that there is no electricity for the last 3 ½ hours and is not showing any sign of coming back any soon. I try to divert my frustrated mind towards the still fan blades, with a magical thinking that if I stare at the fan blades long and hard enough, it might just start moving. And so I keep on looking intensely like a pseudo Neo or Zedi knight, hoping to make them move. Just as I give up and curse loudly, announcing my sense of disbelief, the fan blades start moving gradually with a screeching noise, indicating the 'Magic' (!) has indeed worked and the electricity has finally come back. As I silently thank the 'Force' for this magic, I cannot but help myself predict that the electricity will eventually go away again in sometime during the day. This coming and going of electricity has now become a regular affair in our lives for the past 2 years. Yet whenever it occurs, I react in the same way, with the same intensity as I had done the first time, 2 years back. And this thought suddenly takes me on a ride back to the past and a recap of all the happenings in past 2 years starts projecting inside my brain, revoking some strong and some not so strong memories. But if I have to put down in words, then the real story began much earlier, about 3 years during my Masters final year. Surprisingly till Masters, I had almost chalked out my future plans - of what I am going to do next, where I am going to be. And maintaining the same, I had already planned by the final days of my PG days that I'm going to do M. Phil from Central Institute of Psychiatry, Kanke, Ranchi. Ok so why CIP, as this place is popularly known, why not from C.U. itself?? Aye, if I need to explain the 'why', then I will have to be little circumstantial, but I promise sincerely that I'd come back to the main point.
It all started with my first visit to Ranchi in February, 2009. It was an academic trip organized by our Applied Psychology department for training in clinical related issues. At first, we were supposed to go to CIP for a week training, but as they were having some exams, or that's what we were told, they could not arrange for all of our accommodation, so we ended up in having our training from RINPAS - the state run psychiatric institute. Finally when the week was almost over, our teachers finally managed to get permission for visiting CIP for an hour or so. I don't really remember much about it (I've real memory problems - should apply some memory test on self once), but what I do remember is that during the two minutes auto ride from RINPAS to CIP, I could not help but appreciate the beauty of the road - the multitude of tree branches bending together as if to make an archway, the vivid greenery on both sides, the gentle Autumn breeze caressing us,......truly speaking I felt like I'm going to some kinda heaven. And as soon as our eyes fell on the green board on which in bold letters the name 'Central Institute of Psychiatry' was written, our hearts were filled with a sense of reverence, because somewhere down the line, we knew that we were standing in front of a remarkable landmark in the history of Psychiatry in our nation. And once inside, as I was walking past the wards towards the Satyanand teaching block, I knew it that yes, this is it. This is the place of dreams...my land of Utopia...this is where I wanted to be. And I had very quietly visualized myself walking down this same road, seeing patients after a year. And Aye!!! I had decided right at that moment that I'm coming for my M.Phil here!!!!
Thus started my preparation for clearing the M.Phil entrance exam here. I was so engrossed into getting here, that I did not study seriously for the C.U M.Phil entrance exam and as a result I did not qualify and hell yeah that got me into lots of shit!!! First got a huge scolding from parents, got a kick in my butt that it's not so easy and that I might be missing on other opportunities if I continue being only serious for CIP. So started an ordeal which was quite painful for me, given the kind of lazy person I am and gingerly I started weighing out the other options too, but deep down I'd pray to get in CIP. Anyways forget about how I prepared or how I gave my CIP exam coz that would be another story, but my 'salvation' came when I saw my name in the list of qualified candidates. I was ecstatic, I felt all my prayers have been answered and immediately I asked my father to cancel the tickets to Bangalore, where I had another entrance exam for NIMHANS. I was in this ecstatic mood even when I went for the interview at CIP. I explained the panel how badly I wanted to be in CIP, did not really care who were sitting, how they were reacting to my Affective psychosis or even when they were laughing. Actually where they found my answers funny or were laughing at me, I am still doubtful, but the Director was so impressed with me, or so I thought, he immediately told me after I finished my monologue, 'Welcome to CIP'. And hence began my journey, but I'd divulge in the details some other day. Till then 'Picture abhi baki hai mere dost!'.................