Friday The 13th

Last Friday was Friday the 13th. Not as scary as the fact that it was also the day that my Microprocessor lab test was held. Normally, any lab test, or any test for that matter does not freak me out. But this one was different from the others in the fact that a certain G.S.Rath was the teacher handling the lab. I was almost sure he would turn up dressed up as Jason.

G.S Rath, is no ordinary teacher. By one of my friend's generalization that every department has such a species of Rath(Chemical-P.Rath, Computer Science-S.K.Rath), he is the Rath of the ECE Department. But there are some virtues that sets this particular Rath apart. He is a senior citizen, so is senile and unpredictable. So is my grandfather, you say? But this guy, he will conjure a reason out of thin air to shout and admonish, and dismiss you as a "NIT Bigshot". Consider this. We were not able to write a program he asked us to run. A GMAT took the pains of writing the program, running it on an 8086 emulator on his laptop, debug it, get a printout of that program, and turn out prepared for the next class. He even brought his laptop to the lab to troubleshoot. But, very predictably, the program did not work on the 8086 kit. So he approaches GSR. And GSR scolds him for bringing a laptop to the lab, even as majority of us are discovering innovative ways to pass the time in the lab. But that is what senile old Professors do, don't they? Well, he is not a Rath for no reason. He also cracks these God-level PJs and swears at students in all languages, like Oriya, Sanskrit,etc. Just recently he lavished praise upon someone as being a "tirotpati banaro", or something like that. It's Sanskrit for a monkey whose brain has been ripped out of it's skull. Or sample this, during a lab class, when not a single soul was able to execute a program, he very smugly says," I have set up a Microprocessor Lab in narako(Oriya for hell). Does anyone wan't to go there?", and starts laughing with a vile satisfaction, as if his nemesis has been paraded naked on a donkey. This sparked of a debate that the reason GSR will not die, is because Yamaraj is also afraid of him!

So, on a Friday the 13th, I prepared myself to face this monster (whom I shall nickname G.S wRath), and answer his questions in the viva voce. Turns out I picked up an chit with an easy program, but the program won't run. So I reluctanlty ask GS wRath why this is happening. Quite predicatably, he smacks his head hard with his palm, and expresses his discontent with a high pitched "Huuuh!". He then gives us a hint, along with niceties like,"Your brain has melted". But the program runs, and GS wRath is satisfied.

All said and done, I feel the senile and vitriolic nature, not to mention those unbeleivably wild PJs, is why everyone will remember him for a long time. He is no doubt brash with students, but during the lab exams, he handled even the dumbest people with patience, giving them hints and trying to make them realize their mistakes.