Hope you read the title as vieee-va and not vi-va. Do you believe in luck? Well, at least probability is science.
A few Engineering "Workshop" were part of our graduation curriculum. Foundry workshop was first of the series. The floor had series of rusted machines and tools. It gave an initial feelings of an old time car mechanic shop. Not the type I would have preferred to be for long. Over four months, each week had to spend four hours - actually doing nothing. Finally end of it had to appear for a viva. The foundry workshop viva set the pattern .
They paired students by a natural algorithm - flow of roll numbers.. and pushed them for viva together. To start with I was uncertain on the pair dynamics to follow. Later realized I was lucky!
By virtue of roll number my workshop partner was the uncontested best! He knew all. With time and more workshop vivas we got tuned. Oops .. I got tuned as he had not much to gain form me but I did. He carried loads of knowledge to viva room while I just had my common sense switched on - in case ever needed. Apart from occasional re-framing of what my partner said I just had a smile on my face to offer in such interview. Our scores were same for such workshop in the semester. Sheer Luck - you thought - right? Well let me tell you the next part..
It was my 5th semester. I had a bad cough two days before the scheduled Lathe Workshop viva. Over confident I still thought I could make it for the interview - the companionship was by then more of a habit than luck.
The night before the viva I was detected with acute bronchitis. In the dark hostel room I laid all alone with high fever under medication when all my classmates appeared for their vivas. The thought that I would have to give the viva alone kicked multiple sentiments mixed with fear and stress. At one point realized what was paining me was not the uncertainty of future that I had to tackle by self, but more than that I was lamenting the missed opportunity of a seamless partnership. Can luck vanish suddenly?
So much can change over a week ! In 3 more days Babri Masjid was pulled down. Curfew was launched , college came to a stall. At national level a history was created. For me off-course a small chapter of realization.One month down the line I was given a chance to face the viva - this time all alone.
It went well - I was second highest on this Workshop score. To give that simple viva I had studied more than a subject in my semester. It had an indirect good impact on my overall grades too.
Well not that I turned to be a great scorer - off course not .. Just that I realized what is risk of dependency.
Great Analysis .....
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