Missing the Train does help Sometimes - 735

MISSING THE TRAIN DOES HELP SOMETIMES 

Tirunelveli  : Year 2002 ,13 th May  : My son Haarish and I were on the Nellai Express Train Bound for Chennai . The counselling Session for Admission to the Tamil Nadu Engineering Colleges was Scheduled on May 15 th at 9.00 AM at the Anna University Campus to be precise .

As can only be imagined , we were tense , hoping and praying that Haarish would be able to get Admission in the Course that he had in mind and that too at an Engineering College of good repute . Other parents as co passengers with their wards and with anxiety written all over their faces only added more fear and concern on us . My good old friend Dr Bhagirathan was also there on a similar errand accompanying his Daughter but I think for a Medical Seat . This poor Doctor has to this day the dubious distinction of extracting the maximum number of my  Tooth , of course at my request !!

We lodged ourselves in my BIL s House at Vadapalani and with more than 24 hrs on our hand , we went through the permutation and combinations of matching the Colleges and Courses for the Umpteenth Time .

Agasthiarpatty : 14 th May 2002 : My Wife and Daughter Anoobala had planned a visit to Tirunelveli to make some purchases for my daughter who was then Studying at National Engineering College at  Kovilpatty . They had planned to catch the 8.00 AM Passenger Train at Ambasamudram for Tirunelveli . Call it fate , destiny  , sheer luck or Gods Will or by any other name , they were both late in getting up that  morning and had to postpone their departure to the next train scheduled in the afternoon .

Agasthiarpatty : 14 th May 2002 - 10 AM : Our Home Landline Phone Rings ( Mobile Phones were  yet to make their presence  in this part of the World) . My Wife picks up the phone . It is a call from the Admission Centre of the PSG COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY - COIMBATORE . They informed that my Son had been successful at the Examination and Interview for the 5 Year MS SOFTWARE ENGINEERING Course and that he should present himself with the Fees of Rs 35000 on the 16 th of May 2002 . 

My Wife called us up at Chennai and informed us of the Super Good News . PSG COLLEGE WAS RECOGNISED AS ONE OF THE PREMIUM ENGINEERING COLLEGES IN THE COUNTRY . After much deliberation , the following sequence of action were discussed and  agreed .

A } Self and Haarish after attending the Counselling and Securing a seat in some college as a fall back option proceed to Coimbatore by Bus . 

B } My Wife after doing the necessary Bank Operations , proceed to Coimbatore by the Morning Passenger Train from Tirunelveli .

C } Whoever arrived first should wait for the other  by sitting below the Huge  Clock at Coimbatore Junction , Platform No 1,

D } We all 3 stay in a Lodge near Coimbatore Railway Station and proceed to The PSG Tech the next Morning and Secure the Admission .

Everything went as planned and even as I pen this Blog from Canada , my Son too is Happily settled with a Handsome Job in Canada .

THERE WERE NO MOBILE PHONES THEN .NOT EVEN THE BUTTON TYPE HAD MADE ITS PRESENCE . THE  ONLY MODE OF CONTACT WAS BY THE NOT SO RELIABLE LANDLINE  . MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER BEING LATE IN GETTING UP AND NOT BEING ABLE TO CATCH THE MORNING PASSENGER TRAIN FROM AMBASAMUDRAM TO TIRUNELVELI ON 14 TH MAY 2002 DID GO A LONG WAY IN MAKING THIS HAPPEN .