AUTOBIOGRAPHY : XXII

My first college life

The rural boy now in a capital city and aspiring for recognition .
It was not easy; nor had. I really had not any aspiration or plan but my father monitored it on me . Though I got a good first Division with even letters marks in 2 or 3 subjects , I did not really want to be anything except enjoying my urban ife . I came from Barisal in july and was late for any ggod college includng Presidency or scottsh church. Now only Banga-basi or Ripon college was wide open for refugee-immigrants.But enchanted by dazzling Calcutta -life, I became suddeny ambitious and romantic and wanted to be in Scottish church college , where , as I learnt , it was Co-education and plenty of beautiful girls from rich class.. All along in my vilage life , I was bound by all types of restrictions . Even if I tried to talk to my cousin-sisters , I would be scolded by seniors ,even six months older . So now with my better result I almost became bold enough in facing my father(he was a leo and every one of us, in family, was like sheep to him) but now I was a village boy with 1st division, to my credit. So wanted to try to be, as what I wanted to be ! The famous prof. of Mathematics in scottish church college was mMdhusudan Sarkar and he was from our district and was known to us through relationship. So I ventured , one day and met him and opened up my desire to be admitted. He listened and then told -' you have good marks but you are late by a month. So get into any college near your home'. But I tried to be persistent with my desire to be in a Scottish Church college. He looked intently at me for a few second then hit me straight -' you want this college becuse there is co-education, which means there are girls ?' He almost hit me between my eyes and I was fumbling for words but was trying to stand the storm . Then he told sharply ' Go home . you are getting to the wrong track. Coming from a remote village , you are already proving yourself a spoilt boy and girls will spoil you more . Go home and get into any college that is still open for you. Nowyou can go.' ....
I dion't know how any one, knocked by Mohammed ali did stand the ground but I could not and was staggarring back home.Next time I was in Bangabasi College and had jolly good time there, enjoying the freedom of college life without competetion or restrictions of school-ife in a village.And - I found myself.