Disaster Managed

6 December, 2007 – a day when our notions of exams were shattered. No longer can we associate orderly seating arrangements, neat stacks of answer sheets and question papers on teacher's table, strict deadlines, the quiet, tense atmosphere, and nervous students writing their answers, without a glance to the neighbour's sheet, with exams. Maybe last one needs modification – nervous students writing their answers, stealing glances to their neighbour's sheet.

It so happened that on December 6 we had our last semester exam – Disaster Management, and it was not only our last semester exam but also our last exam in post-graduation. And we all know how much we study for the last exam. Coupled with loss of interest in grades, we had hardly touched the pamphlets and book. So, Preets and I decided to sit side by side in the last row and, just like this blog, write our exam in collaboration.

Finally, our teacher arrived and distributed the answer sheets. We were prepared for the worst when she started dictating the questions. She dictated the first question – that's an easy one – and stopped. We both were waiting for another question but instead came the announcement that we were to finish that one question in as-much-time-we-want. Hurray! That's what we call 'icing on the cake'.

Finally after doing stretching for five minutes, discussing the answer with each other for another five and commenting on our classmates for another five, we started our exam. Quite obviously, we decided on the outline together, adding few things from here and there. Are you wondering, how we managed that? Well, it's not a difficult task, especially when the teacher is busy dictating questions to another class which is giving exam with you and which starts discussing the question with teacher itself. They were discussing with teacher and we were discussing it amongst ourselves - we believe in equality. After all, bade bujurgo ne kaha hai – 'two is better than one' and we definitely believe in that.

I got bored after an hour of exam; Teacher was still discussing the questions with the other class and my class was still writing. How boring! Just then the idea of writing a blog popped up in my mind and obviously it had to be shared with Preets. So what if exam is going on! Sadly, she was taking it seriously – the exam I mean – and therefore, asked me to keep my mouth shut and let her concentrate on the exam. Just then, Teacher announced that she is going for her meeting which would take more than an hour. She left and her chair and her table was occupied by a girl from that 'other' class, who also happened to be our best friend. Her presence and absence of our teacher stimulated new thoughts in my mind – our coming party. And obviously they also need to be shared. I firmly believe that such dangerous or exciting thoughts should not be allowed to stay in mind for long; immediately share them.

Being a lazy person that I am and the momentarily-serious Preets had become, I just shouted to our best friend that I have got some new ideas for our party. That took away whatever seriousness Preets was faking!!!! We both started discussing our party; occasionally shouting few of the interesting ideas to our best friend at teacher's table, totally oblivious to 18 other students in the class who, we both are pretty sure, were quite serious about the exam.

Sooner they found a way out. We saw few of our classmates getting up from their seats. Since they were serious about the exam we knew they couldn't have finished yet, so we asked them the reason; we are always the first ones to leave the classroom after exam – lazy big bones to write too much. Apparently, having decided that we were a hopeless case and that no amount of persuasion will stop us from bantering, they had decided to leave the class and find a quiet one. Well, that was the end of our exciting chitchat as we were reminded of our exam by our friend; we at least listen to her. Sigh; we glanced at each other and then at our answer sheets from which incomplete answer was glaring at us. We started writing....

Another half an hour and we had returned to our chitchat with occasional blotting of answer sheet with ball pen; this time volume lower and total absence of shouting to other friend, who obviously was feeling neglected, quite apparent from the looks she was throwing at us. That continued till we finished our exam. I was the first one to do the honour, so I took the liberty of roaming around the class and filling in our friend with few of the newer ideas. Our classmates had, by then, resigned themselves to their fate and our manners, as if they had an option! Soon I was joined by Preets; we disturbed the class for some time and then went to our chai wala to celebrate the end of our Examination Saga.

God knows what grades will we get in this exam but seeing the condition we were in at the start of the exam, we can easily say – Disaster Managed. Harry Potter fans, are we?