April 12, 2009

When illness becomes a luxury you can't afford

No. This isn't my first experience with illness as a luxury ... nevertheless, I'm amazed at how it ACTUALLY is a luxury! Being the VOC {(Voice of the Class) - a term coined by my classmates to replace the conventional CR - class representative}; I agree that the college management expects me to be present in class 9 on 10 days! And me being me, I diligently oblige them.

HowEVER, there are days when I'm GENUINELY unwell, and would like to be home, just laze around and take a breather. These are 'coincidentally' the days when the Dean decides to pay us a 'surprise' visit to check on attendance. And, courtesy my stars, on that day the attendance is at an all-time low of just 6 people outta 22! The obvious question pops, "Whrz the CR?" "Sir, she's absent." "WHAT? The CR herself is absent???"

Then follows a personal phone call from the Dean's cellphone to my cellphone (right in front of my classmates) ... tempered with questions, demands, commands, and "I want you in college as soon as possible with a justification for today's low attendance and your absence!" Obviously, none of what I said on phone has mattered to him, all he wants is me in college right away. "Yes Sir, I'll be there in 20 mins."

No, it ain't rocket science to handle the responsibilities of a VOC of an MBA class, nevertheless... a VOC is an individual first who is as vulnerable to the common flu or mild headache as anyone else, and very much deserves the 25% absence period that is alloted by the University guidelines in the 75% compulsory attendance mandate! Give us a break, let us put our feet up n chill out sometime.

I don't know if its my lack of intelligence or that my brain weighs 11-12% lesser than a male brain, BUT, and this is a big but... BUT, I simply do not have an answer to the question, "Why is the rest of your class absent?"

Amazing! I started writing this post on the day this incident happened.. April 12... and today is May 14! Looking back, its funny :) Therefore, no hard feelings! Sab maaf, itni choti life mein kitna waqt naraaz rahoon? I've moved on and realized that THIS is what makes my life here so much more interesting :) 

I admire Kailash Kher. In "Allah ke Bande," he says,

'Kal ko apne saath mein le le
Dard bhi tere kaam aayega..'

Point noted Sirji :)

Aabha.