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| Mukarji Block (R, S & T, Dec. 2014, Photo by Jacob Matthan) |
In my first year in college (1960-19661) I was in Mukarji Block Room S2. Mr. Summerscale was our Block Tutor.
He was a real gentleman and would regularly host us for a cup of tea and biscuits and discuss any problems he or we had. As he was also in charge of the Shakespeare Society, there were regular sessions where a few of the girls from Miranda House would come to his study and there were readings from Shakespeare plays.
I was not really into Shakespeare, but occasionally joined in as he called us to be part of the session. Tony Jaitly, a Cathedralite like me), twins, Roshan (who acted as Gandhi in the film) and former Indian Ambassadoir HE Aftab Seth and advertising producer Zaffar Hai are those I recall who used to be regular participants.
Kundan Singh was my gyp (all three years) and he would make sure we had sufficient snacks for all of us including plenty of Sukhiya's barfis and samosas!
Transistor radios were forbidden in residence. Mr. Summerscale knew that I had a Short Wave radio and I would tune in to BBC World Service in the late evenings.
He checked with my immediate neighbour (I think it was Ramani) if it disturbed him. He said it did not, so he let me keep it but advised me to use it with headphones! Occasionally he would drop on on sSaturday afternons to check the sports news.
I do not think he took part in College sports but he did look like a cricketer!
In our second year, Rev. Luck, a Canadian pastor, who took over from Rev. Jarvis, was our Block Tutor.
On the whole he was pleasant personality, but he did have a temper, as can be understood from this incident.
I had exchanged rooms with my friend Rajagopalan Narayan, so I was in Room S8, a room on the verandah side. I do not know why Rajen wanted to change, but for me it was good. (My speculation is conveyed in an earlier blog entry!)
I closed the corridor door permanently and only used the verandah side door.
We had a habit of playing bridge late into the night outside my room on the verandah. Several guys used to come and watch and there was a lot of chit chat after every rubber.
One night we were unusually boisterous. Suddenly, Rev. Luck arrived from the garden side of the verandah. His face was flaming red. He stormed onto the verandah, and without saying a word took the entire pack of cards and ripped them apart dead centre into two halves and stormed off,
Not a word was said, but the message was quite clear. We had obviously disturbed his beauty sleep.
We all dispersed, all mad at his behaviour.
The next day there was a lot of discussion as to how we should retaliate.
Some suggested flooding his room by connecting the garden hose and pushing it under the door. This idea seemed to excite everyone till I quickly shot it down.
I said it would be pointless as the one who would suffer would only be Kundan Singh who would have to clean up the mess.
As I was the JCR President and I had the keys to the JCR, we decided that our bridge sessions in the night would be moved to the back room of the JCR. We could use it as late as we wanted. I got permission from Princi Sircar and Dean Rajpal, so was born the Bridge Club of our college.
Regular players were the Rai twins, Suraj and Chandra, Tich Arun Agarwal, and Swaminathan Aiyar (Economic Times financial correspondent and younger brother of Mani Shankar Aiyar).
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| Ajay Verma, my bosom friend, when he visited us in Oulu. |
My regular partner was late Ajay Verma.
In the first ever JCR Bridge Tournament the finals was between the Rai twins and Ajay and myself.
It was cliff hanger and it went to the last deal where Ajay and I bid 7 clubs and the Rai twins bid 7 spades, a quite unbelieveable bid that only the paranormal communication between the twins could call, and they made it!
Rev. Luck could, therefore, enjoy his beauty sleep!
