Osmanabad days - Parag Adkine

College of Engineering, Osmanabad Maharastra
(Image courtesy : Google)

                  


      With heavy bag on my shoulder and big red trunk in hand I entered the old hostel of Terna public charity Trust's college of Engineering in Osmanabad. It was August 1999.I was student of Industrial Electronics Engineering there for 3 months before I got admission to Mumbai again in 6th C round of CAP (Common Admission procedure).The  hostel building was quite away from College building,so students used to cross the valley between the college building and hostel. The valley route was short cut except for Monsoon period. My first impression of college was really bad, but I didn't had any choice left as I myself chose that option just because I wanted to be an Engineer.

          

             I was first Mumbai boy of my batch who took admission there. And after few days another boy from Malad joined our college.On first day in hostel I met my new room parteners Parag & Bhushan. Before actually joining there I had spoke with Bhushan on phone twice.So when I saw him, I felt some relief.He was quite jolly kind of person & friendly with everyone.My dad & his father knew each other, so obviously he became my first friend in college & room partner in hostel.        

              But the second room partner was quite an interesting  personality. His name was Parag Adkine. When I entered in the room,the strong smell of Tobacco started burning my nose hairs. Parag had habit of chewing tobacco.He was around 3 yrs elder than me,but was quite short in height.His eyes were quite small like Chinese people.He greeted me, helped me to put my luggage and went out to meet warden of hostel to arrange one more cot in room. In first impression itself I realized that he had really helpful nature.His hairs were white in-between and he had a scar on his face. When he left outside our room, Bhushan told me in low voice to beware of this person, as he was drop-out guy and was appearing in First year engineering for the third time. 

           In few days we became good friends.Parag was indeed a good hearted person,he helped me and Bhushan on every stage in those days.He knew how to make good relationships and in real sense he got respect from all new juniors due to his kind & helpful nature. He deveoped good relationships even with every teaching & non teaching faculty of college and even with principal. Everyone liked his nature. He always used to meet people with smile on his face and warmth in heart. But he was Sad from inside.He never shared his sorrows with us, but always tried to solve probems of others . He was really bad in studies and so completely lost interest in studies after failures.

          Parag used to help every single new-comer of college. Right from accompanying  them to city for shopping of trunks, mugs, buckets to saving juniors from getting ragged from senior, he used to help everyone with all his heart.Freshers used to take list of books and authors from him & he used to share all his experience of subject teachers with us.He very well knew teaching methods of all the teachers,and he knew what they expects from students in answer sheet, surprisingly he never used this knowledge for himself. But he guided everyone properly.He helped Bhushan to get another room as our room was quite close to main entrance & so quite noisy.     

             Parag knew that I was not happy there.He knew that I was bright student & deserved good college, so when I got re-admission to Mumbai University he was quite happy for me. He took me and Bhushan for lunch to Osmanabad city bar. He ordered Beer for himself and some food for us.I was literary emotional to see someone giving treat to me for my own  good news.

        When I came back to Mumbai again, I became quite busy in coping up with the studies of my  Chemical Technology course.I was there in college when 3/4th of syllabus was already over. But during Diwali  vacation I phoned Bhushan at his home in Nashik. I tried to connect with Parag on Osmanabad hostel landline, but we could never meet again.

         One year later, Bhushan called me and gave me a shocking news that Parag Adkine committed suiside in hostel as he once again failed to clear his first year of Engineering. The news made me numb. I started recollecting every single memory associated with him... We lost a good friend and a really good human being.  

 A good human being with many good qualities ended his life.... 

  just because he could not become a good student.

    And here we are leaving our life.... 

     and 

   still struggling to become a good  'human being'  !!!