Life is a Voyage

 

One day you will leave, safety of the harbor;

Into the ocean of unknowns and the knowns,

Waves of despair will come and go,

Tides of sorrow will be high and low.

But beyond the horizon it is a beautiful world,

Let your hopes keep the doors ajar.

Enjoy the sail along the way,

Even if you are cast away.

Life is not the ports you dock,

Nor it is the seas you cross,

Captain your ship in life's voyage,

Journey is what matters for us.

As you move ahead in life 

Keep in mind what you leave behind

When you face, troubled water;

Be calm Be patient & drop the anchor. 

Be like water, or a star

Guide fellow travelers, near & far.

Share your joys & spread the smiles

All around you and all the while.

*****

Happy 2nd Birthday Misha

Maa, Bapa

13-January-2022

How did I become a Chemical Engineer ?

I have never resisted life, as it happened to me. Like a fluid takes the path of least resistance, my life has almost always taken the path of least resistance. I studied
in 3 schools in 1st 10 years (from Class-1 to 10) of my academic life, and by default these schools were chosen based on their proximity to my house. Although there was an entrance examination for Class-VI in our school, it was a certainty that I would crack it. Getting admission to a government college for 10+2 in the town where I lived was also certain based on my 10th mark and other available options were not even considered. 

First serious time for decision making in academics came during the choice of subjects, whether to take Biology or Statistics along with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics, when I was joining 10th+2. It was based on what I wanted to became. If I wanted to became a doctor then Biology is a must and if engineer then it is ideal if I take Statistics along with PCM. Like every middle class family I had only two choices, either doctor or engineer. Deep down I knew I wanted to be an Engineer. To be specific a Computer Engineer because that is what I used to hear / read in papers. It is a different fact that till that point of time I had touched a computer only once in our school when I got a chance to type my name. Some how computers looked cool to me and I wanted to have a good time with one. But my father wanted to see his son as a doctor. So Biology was my 4th Optional i.e the subject with least priority.

But the decision of not becoming an doctor was a gradual one, which developed over a period of time since childhood. In earlier times, there used to be vaccination program in school where every children were given vaccines. The vaccines used to be very painful and many of the children caught fever. During one such vaccination drive, I could not walk up to home after vaccination and vomited in between. From that day there was a fear for needles and syringes. This fear gradually became stronger over a period of time and every time I took and injections. On next vaccination drive, somehow went home but was brought back. Any time, I visited a hospital, the smell of the disinfectant would drive me nuts. Whenever visited a doctor I would pray that he prescribe a medicine instead of an injection. But final nail on the coffins of a being a doctor was an incident which happened in 1999.

In the summer of 1999, we visited to see an ailing grandmother of a friend While administering saline through veins, there was a small trickle of blood and I do not know why but I fainted at the spot looking at the trickle of blood. The doctor, instead of attending the grandmother, started to attend me. That day a small needle attached to a plastic tube declared that I wont be a medical doctor anymore (I still have a dream of earning a PhD, for Dr. title).

Fast forward to 3 years. In July 2002, I had to make another career choice. Which branch to choose during counselling? By this time, I came to knew that there are other branches of engineering apart from Computer one. My rank in the entrance examination was not that good to have a choice in selecting branches in NITs. One of my fathers senior colleague while visiting our home advised that I should study chemical engineering and joined ONGC. He gave his brothers example, who was working in Assam. [ Later I came to know his brother was working in Indian Oil, Guwahati Refinery, not ONGC]. One of my Professor had advised to joined NIT, irrespective of branch. So, one thing was sure that I wanted to study in a NIT and I expected that I would get a seat among Comp Sc, Electrical, Electronics and Instrumentation and Mechanical. 

During counselling, NIT Rourkela Mechanical seat filled up in by the the rank 110 or 120. Next choice was to go to an NIT out side state. There was no seat left for other top NITs like Trichy, Surtakal. NIT Bhopal had only one seat left in Mechnical and was secretly hoping to get it. But the guy with the rank 137 (mine was 143 in State JEE) also thought the same and picked up the seat. I was devastated. Now I had to go to NIT Surat where I was getting almost all branches. So when my turn came to go to the dais for giving my choice I had already decided to go with Surat. Just before I wanted to lock Surat, my father dropped a bomb. He said, "Your mother want you to study inside Odisha". For that condition to be satisfied, I had two options, either study Chemical Engineering in NIT Rourkela or Comp Science in UCE Burla (presently known as VSSUT) or CET, Bhubaneswar. Among Physics, Maths and Chemistry I hated Chemistry. I thought that Chemical engineering will be full of organic and inorganic chemistry and I can not read those shit again for 4 years. But then I had to lose NIT seat also. In this dillemma I spent almost 5-10 minutes on the dais and finally, very reluctantly, I choose Chemical Engineering. I was so frustrated that I remained gloomy for next 3-4 days. 

After I joined NIT, there was a ray of home. If I perform well in 1st semester, I could change the branch. One of my school senior, was also a senior in NIT had done that when he topped Chemical Engineering in his 1st Semester. So my next target was to earn Rank-1 or 2 in the department. When the results were declared, I was placed 5th or 6th in the Department. Top 2 students changed their branch and thus I became a Chemical Engineer.

3 years later in 2005, I again had a chance to switch field from Chemical Engineering to IT field. But things had changed by that time. I had a fair idea that, chemical engineering can be studied without a big knowledge of Chemistry. There are fields in Chemical Engineering which do not require deep understanding of Chemistry. More over the visit to Damanjodi and Guwahati in summer training, had somehow inspired me to join a core chemical engineering company.

Hence during the placements in July 2005, I decided not to appear for IT companies. That was big decision then. But on hindsight it was Nash Equilibrium in practice. I wanted non IT job and my friends wanted IT jobs. So by choosing to do what is best for our own interest, we were doing overall good for the group by avoiding competition with each other. After I got placed in Indian Oil, I permanently became a chemical engineer. The advise by my fathers senior colleague turned out to be prophetic.

2 Free Cycles and Life in Between

Like every child, learning to ride a bicycle was particularly a happy moment for me. Initially while learning, I tried with my father's cycle. It was an old design Hero Cycle. Since the height of the cycle was greater than mine, balancing it was difficult. My left hand controlled the handle and the right one balanced the body weight by holding the cross bar while the armpit rested on the cycle's seat. Initially only one pedal was used by the right foot and the other foot was used for multiple purpose like for support as well as a braking medium in emergency. This arrangement was not particularly a stable one to ride and resulted in frequent falls and resultant scars. On one occasion, while riding the bicycle on a slope on the road towards the river, I had a very bad fall and my right shin bone had a big swelling after it hit a stone. Since I was not able to walk for few days, my mother used to carry me in her arms to the school and back. The wound has left a scar, which is still prominent till date. I use it now as any physical identification mark if it is required in any forms. With practice, gradually I learned to use both the hands and pedals. When I was 8 years old, a second hand cycle was bought for my elder sister, which did not have a cross bar. It was easy to ride and I honed my cycling skills with it. Since school was very near to home I did not need a cycle. Only after my sister returned from her school, I used to ride it. This arrangement was continuous till I reached Class 6. 

It was 1994 and I moved to a bigger school in town. Since it was approximately 3-4 kms, walking daily was not an option. My father was a teacher in the same school, so initially for few months, I used to go with him in his cycle. While returning, either we used to come together or I used to come with any of the school seniors who stayed in our locality. Being a teachers son, hardly any one refused a ride. But this arrangement was not sustainable in long term. Because I needed a cycle for the morning tuition classes and my father had tuition to take during evening hours in town. Discussion started in our home to buy me a cycle. During that time most common cycle was Hero Cycles. It was designed well and sturdy also, but only demerit was the looks. Most of the old generation people used this cycle, hence I did not like this type of cycle. I wanted to buy BSA-SLR or Photon, two cycles which were trendy, colorful and which I thought would do justice to my age and generation. But life had other plans. In the same year during Dusserha, my father bought 4 lottery tickets (or Rs 2 each) in the name of all 4 family members. The tickets numbers were 314,315,316,317. I being the youngest got the ticket no 317, which incidentally won the 3rd prize, which was a cycle. The make was hero jet. So my dream of owning a trendy cycle was not fulfilled. The cycle was dark green in color. Few accessories that were not supplied originally was installed.  I got my name and nick name printed with radium stickers on the chain guard. It glowed bright in night time when external light fell on it. Additional, handle bars were used for safety purpose. Cycles needed care also. Every Sunday, while taking bath in the river, the cycle was properly washed. On the afternoons oil and grease was applied on the chains, bearings and brakes. Although initially I did not like it, gradually it became my partner in all my activities. I completed school in 1999 on the same cycle.

In 1999 when I joined college, the same cycle was used. By this time, we had moved to our own house built at a place farther from the town. With typical middle class mindset, buying new cycle, when already one is available in good condition, was not justified. I fitted a book carrier from my uncles cycle on the handle. It helped carrying note books in absence of a carry bag. In 1999, when for the 1st time I learned the concepts of Physics, the cycle helped a lot in experimenting with the laws of physics. Inertia of motion of water particles was understood when a wet wheel was rotated. The fundamentals of "angle of banking"  was more clear when I understood that for turning with a lower radius of curvature at same speed, you need more angle of banking. Practical use of rolling friction is demonstrated in ball bearings. The concepts of relative velocity was clear when the apparent angle of rain drops was different when I cycled at different speeds. This understanding also helped me position the umbrella better. My college was around 7 kms away from home and I had to travel twice daily, once for college classes and again for tuition. So I used to cycle around 28 kms daily for about 6 days a week. On this cycle I returned home dejected when I failed to even pass JEE in 2001 and on this cycle I toiled hard in next year to score a good rank in JEE 2002. 

Next phase of my life was spend in NIT Rourkela. For the 1st one year I did not use cycle. The hostel was near to department and there was no big requirement. In second year, when I needed cycle, I carried the same cycle in a bus to Rourkela. It was used for some time in 2nd and 3rd year but during final year it was hardly used. After completion of my B Tech, for some time I thought to leave it in campus for use by juniors but decided against it due to the emotional connect for the last 12 years. The cycle is still in my home and in running conditions. 

From 2006 till 2016, I owned a bike and car but did not ride any bicycle. In 2016 I bought another one (of my choice this time) which I used for exercise and sometimes going to township market. My wife used it for some time for cycling with her friends in township. How ever, it was used very rarely and my gardener used it more than me till 2020. The enthusiasm for regularly cycling again aroused when I visited IIT Kharagpur for my Masters in February 2020. Riding bike inside the campus is banned for students. IIT Kharagpur is in a big campus (largest technical college in India in terms of area). The hostels, departments, labs and classrooms are very far away from each other. Hence most of the student use cycles. We also hired cycles during the period for commuting from department. After return, during lock down, I made full use of the time and opportunity to cycle inside township and used to cycle 1 hour per day, to increase physical fitness. In 2021, I got a free cycle again. During the Energy Conservation month celebration, I had proposed a process scheme which could result in a potential savings of Rs 5.5 Crore/year and was awarded a very trendy bicycle having nice colors and water bottle holder. I am yet to ride the cycle but seems it will be comfortable. When i visited home in March 2021, I again rode my 27 years old bicycle which is still in running condition and all the memories of the struggle and hard work came back.

In between these two free cycles in 1994 and 2021, life has given me some wonderful memories and some failures. While the memories are good, failures hurt. As I learned during cycling, to avoid falling down you have to keep on riding and balance it in between. 

Same is with life, isn't it? Just keep on riding.

Bhishma's Greatness and Weakness - An analysis

Was Bhishma a great man?

While watching Mahabharata the other day and discussing few characters of Ramayan and Mahabharata with a friend, this question popped in my mind. Was really Bhishma a great man? Yes, he did take a vow “never to get married” and “to see his father in king of Hastinapur & to always protect the state”, he did renounce his worldly desires and his right to the throne, but was it good? Or was it a mistake? Did his vows and his subsequent actions throughout his life to observe it, resulted in a worse situation?

I asked this question to all of my contacts, (via WhatsApp Status); most of them ignored it but the very few who did respond, were divided in opinion.

My elder sister told, that yes Bhishma was wrong and so was Shantanu. Shantanu, was Bhishma’s (then known as Debabrata) father. He, once saw a tribal girl, Satyavati, and fell in love. He asked her father, her hand in marriage, but with just one condition; King Shantanu had to ensure that the off spring from Satyavati would be the next King of Hastinapur. King Shantanu refused this condition since he had already declared Debabrata as the next in line to the throne. Hence the marriage did not materialise. But the king could not take the girl out of his mind and developed an apathetic attitude towards the daily affairs of the state. A concerned Debabrata, soon found out the reason and went to Satyavati’s father to ask her hand for his father. Satyavati’s father told him his conditions for marriage. At that moment, Debabrata declared that, he would renounce his right to the throne. Then her father asked, what if the son of Debabrata demands his right to the throne? It was a valid argument. Then Debabrata told, he cannot guarantee that his off springs would not claim their right to the throne, but he can vow that he would not marry so that there will not be a possibility of an off spring. Due to this vow he was named by the Gods as “Bhishma” or the “awesome one”. So, as per my sister, Shantanu was bad because he fell in love and got married at an age where he should have been looking for a bride for his son. I disagree to my sister’s argument. At that time, it was considered normal for the kings to have more than one wife, irrespective of his age. Moreover, he did not send his son to find a solution to the problem, neither did he force Bhishma to take an oath. Many would argue that, if Bhishma had not taken the oath, the war could have been avoided. As some one had pointed out, “he should not have left the capability of successive Kings of Hastinapur to CHANCE”. I also disagree to this argument. At the time of taking the oath, he naturally could not foresee that at a certain point in future, there will be a feud inside his family for the throne.

Another of my contacts, argued that all his actions were justified since he was protecting the king and the throne. This again brings me back to the original question? Did his actions bring more good than bad? Was it foolish to observe the vows when you can foresee the state and its people getting annihilated, the vary state you wanted to protect?

 

Most of the other contacts who responded, were of the opinion that Bhishma could have done things differently, probably to stop the war. One friend said that, “he was a man, strong in thought but weak in action”. Another one said, that “one should evaluate moral correctness and change your stance in case you are on the wrong side”, i.e you should be flexible in your stance and what you are standing for. The same friend even felt that, Bhishma was taking a revenge on Hastinapur for not being its King. This may be a bit too harsh for someone like Bhishma, who had voluntarily renounced the worldly desires and pleasures.

One of my senior friends from graduation days, said that “One who can not stand for his own right (i.e. throne) cannot stand for other’s. The day he sacrificed his claim for the throne he planted a seed for the war”. In retrospection, the second sentence is true, but as mentioned earlier, he could not foresee the future. I also disagree that one who could not stand for his own right, can not stand for others. This would not be true always, especially in case of Bhishma. It was not that Bhishma was forced to abdicate his right to the throne. He did it on his own, for the sake of his love towards his father. He was also strong enough to fight for others right.

Another of my sisters (younger sister this time), argued in totally different way. She went into the story of why Bhishma was born and why his actions were required in the context of the epic. So, the story goes like this. One day a group of 8 Vasus (Astavasus) visited the Ashram of sage Vasishta. One of the Vasus’s (Prabhas) wife liked the cow Kamdhenu, a wish bearing cow, and persuaded her husband to steal it with the help of the other Vasus. Soon sage Vasishta found out and cursed all of them to be born as humans on earth. All of them pleaded guilty and asked for a softer punishment. Sage Vasishta then reduced the punishment of the 7 Vasus so that they will die and leave the earth as soon as they are born.

Only the 8^th one, Prabhas would lead a full life as human but will be one of the most powerful and illustrious man of his times. My sister argument was that, Bhishma was serving the Karmic consequences of his actions in a previous birth and so are others in Mahabharata, i.e. all the characters in Mahabharata were puppets in the grand scheme of things and were just playing their roles. I asked then, where is “conscience”? If all was pre planned than no one had a choice? But, in Mahabharata, Lord Krishna himself asked Arjuna to choose, to fight or not to fight. He told that what ever be the action will be Arjun’s choice only and Arjun only had to face the consequences. But he must choose. Inaction is not the way of the world, God himself explained. But God cannot have double standards. If Arjuna had a choice, so did Bhishma. He also had a choice to allow the dice game or not, he too had a choice to stop Draupadi’s humiliation. But he chooses to do nothing. Does it make him bad or weak? Extrapolating my sister’s argument, if all were predetermined, then there was no one bad or good. Duryodhana was neither bad nor Yudhishthira was good. It was just the actions which were bad. But we are judged by our actions in this world and in this birth only.

Inconclusive, I turned to one of my most favourite book, “The Difficulty of Being Good” to find an answer. Written by Gurcharan Das, it analyses some important Character’s of the epic in the present context. In the chapter related to Bhishma, (Bhishma’s Selflessness, Chapter-5 of the Book), the author writes,

“It is difficult to understand why this selfless hero did not get up in the assembly on that fateful day of the dice game to stop the public humiliation of Draupadi. Vidura tried, at least. Bhishma, must have known that more than anyone else in the assembly, he could have saved Draupadi. He had the authority to stop the shameful spectacle. Instead he sat there futilely discussing what was dharma and what was not. One expected him to strike Dushashana to ground when he tried to disrobe Draupadi”.

Did he not fail here? When Bhishma replies to Draupadi, that Dharma is subtle, the author argues that Bhishma appears to be in genuine conflict about what is right and what is wrong in the circumstances. The author writes,

“Naturally, he (Bhishma) views Dharma from the view point of the state policy and as the elder statesman of the Kuru Clan, his main concern is to ensure that policies are adopted to strengthen the interests of the Hastinapur and to preserve the Bharata line to which both the Pandavas and Kauravas belong. He is a public figure ad hence his arguments are cautious and legalistic. They betray an individual so caught up in the affairs of the state that moral courage has deserted him. Or is it perhaps that he worries about Hastinapur’s alliance with the Gandhara and the political implications of alienating Duryodhana’s uncle Shakuni’s powerful military state in the north west?

This means, Bhishma always viewed the proceedings through the prism of the benefit of Hastinapur. What is in for the state, not for himself but for the state. The author further says that there is no easy answer to the question, or the moral dilemma, and it is very difficult to be good. Perhaps it is also true that a good virtue like selflessness or nishkama karma has also a limitation.

I feel, that was the best explanation to the question. Bhishma might have lived all his life like a Karmayogi, performed his duty without any expectation of reward in return, but he might have, crossed a line and did not adhere to his morals when “nishkama karma” hit a limitation.

I posed this question to the author, Mr Gurcharan Das on twitter. Surprisingly he replied, may be because he must have asked himself this question while writing the book. He replied that, most of the characters of Mahabharata are ambiguous not black and white, and probably that is why the epic is so good.

Bhishma was a great administrator, a great fighter and definitely a karma yogi, but he had his moments of failure. He may not be a weak person, but maybe few times his conscience was a victim of his internal dilemma between “his duty as a guardian of the state” and “his duty as a normal human being”. Like him, many other characters of Mahabharat can also be weighed in the same parameters as Bhishma and all of them at certain point in the epic, either morally failed or took unfair means to achieve the desired objective. This makes the Mahabharat more relatable to the present times as compared to Ramayana.

Image Source:scoopwhoop.com

Back to The Classroom

On 15^th July 2002 on a bright Monday morning in Bhubaneswar my life took a significant turn. On this day I choose, it would be more appropriate to say I was forced to choose chemical engineering. The decision was taken by a reluctant engineering aspirant who had simply no other choice. Constraints for a more sought-after branch in engineering were few less marks in the entrance exams and a pleading from my mother not to venture out of Odisha. So finally, I choose to study chemical engineering in NIT Rourkela. The then HOD of Chemical Engineering, who was there for the counselling process, had even admonished me since I took very long to decide. For a 18-year-old who hated chemistry to the core, this was the end of world. I remained frustrated for 3-4 days before for I accepted the truth.

17 years later, on the very same date/day and place, the same boy started classes for an Executive M Tech Course in Process Engineering IOC-ICT Campus at Bhubaneswar. Apart from the numbers in the years column, there are many dissimilarities in the two events and associated emotions.

In between the 17 years, the boy had a sigh of relieve that Chemical Engineering is not about Chemistry. He has since fallen in love with Chemical Engineering. He got a job in one of the most reputed companies to work for as a chemical engineer. He has more strands of grey hairs than the black ones and has accumulated fats at the wrong place. More importantly he has learned that there is no end to learning and the quest for knowledge should never die.

The institute’s Bhubaneswar campus is a young one. Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai and IOC has joined hands to start the Bhubaneswar campus. From 2019 they have started the executive M Tech course. The campus is being run from the IIT Kharagpur extension center in Gajapati Nagar. So we belong to the first batch of the executive M Tech Course.

The first class, whole full day class, was taken by Prof. BN Thorat, Director of the Institute. It was more of a personal interaction rather than a technical lecture. We discussed about our life journey till date. He seems a widely read and traveled man having a vast experience in life. It was an engaging session with two-way communications. None of us felt sleepy in the post lunch session is a testimony to the quality of the conversation.

I am sure we will have exciting times ahead and our stint in the campus will be enriching for us professionally, personally and intellectually.

The Banyan Tree

It stood near the pond at the end of the village, just at the intersection between two roads going towards the farms. It has been there for as long as my grandfather remembers. It is the same as it was in his childhood, he says. May be it has lost a branch here and grown another at other end, but it is as permanent as the stars and the moon in the villagers mind. With its branches spreading very wide, it looked like an old lady sitting and guarding the village or may be guiding the wandering travellers which road to take. Often many villagers mid noon or afternoons were spent there. On the way to the pond for taking bath in the summers, it would serve as a temporary shed for many. Some would rest a little to get respite from the sultry heat, others pause here a minute to have a chat with fellow beings. Village folks coming back from the farms would untie their cattle from the cart and feed them. Women after taking a bath would stop to put a little water and flowers near the base as a sign of respect. In the afternoon children would make use of the aerial roots to swing and climb the branches. Or play marbles or gilli danda under the shadow. It provided a natural habitation for many squirrels, crows and a variety of birds. In summer its branches provided a cool resting place.

(image source: google)

I was visiting the village after a long time, may be after 20 years. On the way to the farm somehow I decided to stop little under its shadow, rest a bit and absorb the feeling of nostalgia. I cleared an area of the fallen yellow leaves near its roots and sat resting my back on the trunk and closed my eyes.

How are you?

A voice asked me which awake me from my slumber.  I looked around, and expected to see any old villager who recognised me. I didn’t find anyone; expect a dog, resting at the far end at the edge of the shades.

May be I dreamed I thought to myself and closed my eyes again.

How are you? The voice asked again. I looked up in the direction of sound; thinking may be someone playing a prank on me.

Don’t worry. It’s me... the banyan tree. The voice declared.

Do you know me? I enquired, sounding a bit perplexed at the thought of a tree talking with a human.

Yes, I know you, since you were a little kid...... said the banyan tree. I also know your father and his father....all three of you have played under my shades....at different times.

Hmm. I mumbled, in acceptance of the fact.

So how did you not forget me?

I remember all. I remember all the kids who have played under me. I also remember everyone who has ever rested under my shades.

Why do you remember all? I asked.

Because I considered them as a part of me. I thought of them as my family. My family also included the crows, the squirrels and the maina who used to stay with me.

Where have you been all these years? Asked the banyan tree.

I left the village to study in the Sundarpur, a town nearby. I replied.

Then, I got a job and working there. I added.

Sundarpur, I have over heard the name of the town from travellers. Must be a big place!!! 

Hmm...much bigger than this village. I replied.

Why this place so dirty and empty. I asked. In our childhood, it used to be a happening place.

Times have changed son. The village folks also don’t come here often. The pond’s water is polluted due to the nearby factory. No one takes bath here. Villagers also don’t go to the farms anymore. Everyone work in the factory.

And the children? I enquired.

Children don’t come to play anymore.

Why?

They have stopped playing outdoors. Now everyone plays inside their own houses in a hand held machine.

Mobiles...I thought to myself.

Also it’s very hot outside during the afternoons. He added.

You also seem to have lost few branches. I asked.

I did not lose any branches. It was cut to make the road wider. The peepul tree on the banks of the pond and the neem tree just after it also have been cut. Except the old gulmohar on the other side of the pond all trees have been cut.

A light breeze passing through the leaves made a rumbling sound as if to express its sense of displeasure.

The squirrels and the crows are still there. Occasionally the storks stop to eat their catch from the pond. In winter the south bound ones stops for a night halt.

I stood up to o near the trunk. Few places the bark had dried, just waiting to fall. A squirrel hurriedly climbed up the tree. A bird flew away sensing danger from my movement. The do rising from its siesta raised it head, looked around and then made himself comfortable in its original position.

Do you miss the old days? Are you not disappointed? I asked, gently leaning against the trunk.

Yes, sometimes I do. He replied.

We all miss the old times. Don’t you miss your childhood? Have you never been disappointed?

I sighed and replied in the affirmative.

That is part of life. The important thing in life is not to live in the past but in the present. Few branches fall, few are cut but I still row new leaves. I still try to spread my arms with the aerial roots. He flowers still flourish on the tender branches. I still spread my seeds with the help of the squirrels and the birds. Whatever happens, I still do my duty.

So should you.....just like your father does. The tree added.

A small fruit hit me on my chest and I woke up. The sun was setting. The gulmohar was just a silhouette. There was cacophony in the surroundings from the birds returning to their nest. The dog was gone. Then I realized, all along it was a dream. The tree talked to me in my dreams.

I returned home, ruminating the conversation.

Engineering in Medical Sciences

Last week was mostly spent outside of the base. Even if you do nothing, being outstation, is itself relaxing. No need to check with colleagues about the health and happiness (plant’s health and boss’s happiness😋 which are interdependent). The atmosphere in Bhubaneswar was cloudy and humid. I had to hop between two hospitals to get the opinion of specialist doctors. In recent times, frequent hospital visits have forced me to remember the basics of Zoology (The last time I was closest to a Zoology book was when Mr. Vajpayee was Indian Prime Minister, twin towers of World Trade Center were rising proudly above the New York Skyline and 11^th September was just any other normal date). 

After studying chemical engineering (especially fluid dynamics / mass transfer / transport phenomena), I am able to connect the basic fundamentals of engineering in the workings of the human body. I remember, in 7^th or 8^th Semester during the mid-term exam, the transport phenomena professor had asked a question where we had to find after how much time a tablet will mix with body fluids in the intestines. Most of us had answered wrongly, but we were given marks for correct approach. The circulating system in our body works like a complex piping network. Most important part being heart, the lungs and the kidneys apart from the blood vessels which supplies blood to various part of the body. The heart acts as a positive displacement pump, pumping fluid across the network. The kidneys functions as a filter, which filters the blood to remove impurities and pass them to the urine. The lungs are where the carbon dioxide is removed from the blood and oxygen is enriched (application of mass transfer). Imagine, you have a clogged artery or a vein; it’s like a choked pipe line or a pipe with pinched valve. Due to the restriction in the blood vessel flow will be low, hence to some part of the body less flow will go. This is sensed by the neurons present and they signal the heart (through Brain) to pump blood more vigorously (application of Process Control). This will increase the discharge pressure of the pump and blood vessels will carry blood at the higher pressure. This, in common language, we call high BP. Now since, blood pressure is high, the kidneys functions at a higher pressure. Upstream pressure of the filters (kidneys) is high with same downstream pressure. Hence, some amount of materials which should have been retained in blood is discharged to urine in kidneys. Tests results of protein in the urine indicate performance of kidneys. High blood pressure may be a cause of under performance of kidneys but not the sole reason. The blood pressure in the vessels of the eyes are also high, which increase the size of the nerves and your eyesight may be affected. If any chokage of the blood vessel is found, (for which the heart is pressure is high), a stent is provided inside the artery / vein to increase the cross sectional area or a bypass of the clogged area is provided so that blood flows without restriction. This will ease the load on the heart and failure chances are minimized. Other methods to lower blood pressure are to give medication, which relaxes the muscle of the blood vessels so that blood flow is easy. That’s how the BP medicines work. Now a day’s whenever I come across a new medical term, I Google it and read. I am happy how an exposure to engineering fundamentals has helped me understand medical science better.

The day before coming back, I had few hours to kill. I was confused between Planetarium and Museum. A little analysis of pros and cons finally landed me in Pathani Samanta Chandrashekhar Planetorium near Achary Vihar in Bhubaneswar. The last visit to a planetarium was in June 2005 with Surya. We had visited the Birla Planetarium in Kolkata. The 30 minutes show showed concepts of big bang, our solar system, black holes, galaxies, nebulas etc.

Sometimes, I wonder, how as a civilization we have made immense progress in the field of science and technology. In some areas we are going up to the nano particles level, while in others, we are measuring distance in light years. The visit to the planetarium gives you a different perspective on life. All our happiness, sorrows, worry, concern, in fact everything, is just limited to planet earth. Whatever has happened in history, all the great men and not so significant men who were ever born were born in this planet. Our planet is just a small dot in the whole universe and if you compare our life time (65-70 years), is less than a blink of eye in the galactic scale. Let’s appreciate the fact and enjoy the impermanence of our happiness, sorrows, worry, concern as well as our lives.