"From Interview to Appointment: My Journey to Becoming an Engineering College Lecturer"

 

As I started studying for the SET and NET exams, the date for the entrance exam for the MPhil program was announced. At that time, an MPhil was considered a prerequisite degree for a PhD. Students were hesitant to take direct admission to a PhD program, so they opted for an MPhil first.

Many seniors advised me to complete an MPhil before pursuing a PhD. I filled out the entrance exam form and started preparing for the MPhil exam alongside my SET/NET preparation. However, there were limited seats for the MPhil program. I appeared for the exam but couldn't secure admission. I was very upset at the time.

Later, I focused on the SET exam. I studied for 18 hours a day and appeared for the exam. I was confident I would pass the SET exam. When the results were declared, I was surprised to see that I scored well in Papers I and II, but I missed passing Paper III by just 3 marks.

I was so upset and couldn't understand what to do. I went home and shared my feelings with my mom. She consoled me and advised me to study again. This time, I decided to stay at home and focus on my studies. I remember it was the month of May 2007. I consistently studied for the SET exam. Meanwhile, a notification for the MPhil exam for the new academic year was announced. I was not willing to prepare for the MPhil again, but my friends insisted that I should give it another try.

I studied hard. I didn't know why, but failing the first attempt made me focus even more this time. I took the exam again, and this time I was confident I would top it. When the results were announced, I had indeed topped the exam. At that time, I was in Chiplun. I called Dr. Jayprakash Shinde and expressed my desire to conduct research under his guidance. He immediately agreed and asked me to come to Kolhapur to meet him.

Everyone at home, especially my mom, was happy and supportive. She agreed to send me to Kolhapur to enroll in the MPhil program. I met with Dr. J. A. Shinde and confirmed my registration. He provided extensive guidance and encouraged us to delve deeper into Indian English Literature. Prachi and I began working on our respective topics. I chose to research Indian English Drama and discovered Manjula Padmanabhan, a renowned dramatist known for her experimental and futuristic approach to drama.

I researched extensively about Manjula Padmanabhan. There's a very interesting story regarding her original dramas. Although some articles about her plays were available online, the original copies were out of print and hard to find.

One day, after college, Prachi visited a library at Bhawani Mandap on her way home. She called me, excitedly shouting, "Sarika, I found Hidden Fires!" In that moment, I felt like Archimedes discovering his Eureka! Prachi brought the book to me. I later found her other play, Lights Out, at the English and Foreign Languages University in Hyderabad. I immediately called all my friends to share the news about this play.

The only drama left to find was Harvest. Despite extensive searching, I couldn't locate it. One day, I found Manjula Padmanabhan's email address and contact number. I sent her an email, introducing myself as a research scholar from Shivaji University, Kolhapur, studying her dramas. She replied, expressing her happiness and honor that her plays were being researched and studied. She mentioned that Harvest was out of print but, appreciating my interest in her work, she sent me all her plays by courier. When my guide learned about this, he was astonished that such a renowned dramatist had sent copies of her plays personally.😊

After receiving all the plays, I began reading them and completed all the required seminars and presentations for my coursework. I finished the coursework, took the exam, and then returned home. One day, my friend Ganesh called and asked if I was interested in joining an engineering college if an opportunity arose. Needing a job, I agreed. He gave me the address of Gharda Institute of Technology in Lavel, located 16 km from Chiplun, and told me to meet the Registrar there.

The next day, I went to Lavel. When I boarded the bus, I asked the driver for a ticket to "Lelave." He replied that no such village existed. I then mentioned the engineering college, and he realized I meant "Lavel." We both started laughing. He dropped me off at the Lavel stop. I thought the college would be 5 to 10 minutes away, so I decided to walk. The lush green trees lining both sides of the road were inviting. It was the rainy season, and I had my umbrella with me. As I started walking, I initially enjoyed the experience of being in nature. To my surprise, the place was nestled in the hills, with beautiful waterfalls and verdant rice farms all around.

After walking for about 20-25 minutes, I arrived at the gate of Gharda Institute of Technology, my first institute. I entered my name in the gate register and stated the purpose of my visit. I was asked to wait in the visiting room. After about five minutes, I was advised to meet the registrar, Mr. Bhosale. I took permission and entered his office, greeting him with a smile. Without any questions, he said, "Madam, it's lunchtime. Please go to our canteen and have your lunch." I was surprised to hear that and offered to wait until he finished his lunch. But he insisted, called the canteen owner from his office, and arranged for my lunch. 

After lunch, he conducted my interview and asked numerous questions. He was impressed by my interest in research. I also mentioned that I was about to go to Hyderabad to complete the face-to-face program of my PGCTE at EFLU. After inquiring about my family, he asked me to wait in his office for 5 minutes while he went to meet the Principal. When he returned, he sent an office boy to call me. 

At that moment, I had no idea that I was about to meet a legendary figure in the engineering field, Dr. A. B. Marathe. Bhosale sir introduced us, and Marathe sir began asking me questions. We had a rigorous discussion about the communication skills of engineering students and soft skills. In the end, he informed me that a vehicle from the institute would come to my home the following evening and asked me to provide my address to the driver so I could start at the college the next day. He mentioned that, as per institute policy, I would receive the same offer as any other fresher. Additionally, he announced that I would be appointed as the warden of the Ladies' hostel along with my lectureship. There are moments when we feel as if we're over the moon; this was one of those moments for me.

 Later on, they called a faculty member who was already working there to show me the language lab. I saw the lab and my cabin. After some time, I was called back into the office. My joy knew no bounds when I received my first-ever job appointment letter. I thanked both of them for this opportunity.

I had a mobile phone with me, but unfortunately, there was no Airtel network coverage at the college, so I couldn't tell my mom the news right away. I went outside the college and found a shop that sold essentials and had a coin-operated phone. I called my mom from there and shared the news. She was thrilled to hear that I got an appointment letter on the same day as the interview. From there, I also called my friends Ganesh and Prachi to share the news.

The next day, I joined the college. I remember that, as discussed, the driver called me at noon and informed me he would come in the evening to pick up all my luggage. At 8 PM, Avinash arrived, loaded all my belongings and books, and took me to the apartment where I was supposed to live.

 It was raining heavily, and Avinash, along with another office boy, helped me carry my luggage to my room. I knocked on the door, and a recently graduated girl with a round face and a slightly dark complexion, who was talking on her mobile, opened it. "Patil madam? Roommate??" she asked loudly. I nodded and entered the room. She was the person who taught me that we shouldn't always be serious and that life is meant to be enjoyed as well.

I met a girl who was completely different from me—very fun-loving, with a casual attitude, not very systematic, but intellectually sharp. She was from Ahmadnagar and had graduated from PICT Pune. She welcomed me and showed me to my room. It was a spacious 2 BHK with beautiful views from the balcony and all the windows. After showing me my room, she continued her phone conversation with her mom, dad, and elder brother. She spoke loudly, cracked jokes, laughed heartily, and shared her first teaching experiences with her parents. Her lively behavior made me a bit uneasy. I put all my books and luggage in the cupboard assigned to me. After a while, she introduced herself as Ashwini Galande from Nagar, and I introduced myself as well. At that moment, I had no idea that I would be performing her 'Kanyadan' in the future.😄