6. Outcast

“It won’t pay much”
“My move?”
“No, Metallurgy” he smiled at me.
“Why?”
“It seems you don’t know much about our branch”
“I actually don’t. The day of the counselling was the first day I heard about it and that too because this was what was left for me and I didn’t want to drop a year” I confessed.
“Hmmm not much remains”
“In metallurgy?”
“In the game. I will defeat you in ten moves”
“I’ll try to make it eleven”
“Students of other branches don’t think too well about our branch. They look down upon us and there is not much of mixing with our branch. Computers, IT and electronics branch are revered and envied by others including our people, electrical and mechanical also stay in good esteem, then production, civil and aero are on average grounds, they enjoy decent respect. It is metallurgy branch that is an outcast; we are like the shudras the lowest class. You look very handsome to me, but there is no chance that you can make a girlfriend from any of the top branches and believe me all the beautiful girls study there and plenty of them. Our branch does not have that many girls, only five” he said.
I did not feel very good hearing all that I heard, especially those statistics about the beautiful girls, but the guy said it with such conviction that I had to believe him. The way he said ‘our branch our branch’ I had already started feeling part of this demoralized class.
“Here’s your check”
“I can escape that!”
“I knew that, but how about this one, check mate”
“Hmmm, you win”
“It was a good game…”
“Harry, that’s my name”
“Not your real name?”
“Real but not official. And what’s your name?”“Oye toon Harry te mein Tazzy, Tajender Singh Wadhera, ha ha ha ha hee hee hee” he was roaring again and I had to join him, his expressions were so cute and laughter funny. It was amazing to see him so comfortable in two contrasting shades sometimes very funny sometimes wise and logical.