zzzzZZZZ

PROLOGUE

"I am not going to sleep in today's class."

"You don't sound like that", said Ishira.

I knew my voice gave too much away. I had woken up just a few minutes back. I cleared my throat and said, "But I am NOT going to sleep in today's class. I am going to put CP; I read the case and came."

Still the same voice. I took my water bottle and sipped a little water. "You'll see, I will not sleep today", I whispered just before the class started. I told myself Marketing is my favorite course. And looked at the professor.

Yikes!

I saw Ishira glaring at me, before turning away and raising her hand to put her CP, lest the TA catch her talking to me. But why was there Yikes? Took me a while to rewind and realize she had punched me in the shoulder. In waking moments, everything happens in slow-motion and reverse-direction. Resentment spread into every inch of my body and threatened to squirt venom through each nerve ending. I realized (very slowly) that violence was not the way out. But I was not clever enough not to look at the professor again.

CHAPTER O (because this is not a chapter)

I was voted the zzz.. Globe of section B (meaning the smartest person in the section because he/she doesn't waste time sleeping in the room or listening in the class). In my defense, I happen to be sitting at the centroid of the class; whenever I wake up, I see so many people sleeping. Poor smart people, I get all the credit.

CHAPTER O (because this is also not a chapter)

".. is called Comparative Advantage. Because Ricardo can be compared to a green plumaged bird flying over the blue seas... Yikes!"

I did a sanity check on my sanity. The Ishira glare was boring into me. I easily resisted the urge to punch her back. I turned to Karan and woke him up. And tried taking notes.

CHAPTER O (this is a lesson)

Today's class was special. We practiced Supply Chain Management even while the professor tried teaching it to us. Karan would tap on my chair. I open my eyes and see him looking at Ishira. I punch Ishira in her shoulder. This is called Bullwhip effect. Sometimes, Ishira would wake me up instead. This is Pull (opposite of the usual Push). We sometimes look at other people sleeping and laugh. This is Kaizen.

I apologize for the jargon. Couldn't reign in my enthusiasm after having learnt the practical aspects of the course so well.

CHAPTER O (well, you know...)

It's amazing the kinds of things men can get used to (courtesy Arundhati Roy). I opened my eyes and saw BP laughing at me. I smiled back at him and looked around. I was surprised at the absence of the resentment. I woke Ishira up to keep her from snoring. Meanwhile, the professor woke somebody else. The somebody else was lucky that day for a change.

EPILOGUE

The battle rages within me, day in and day out - to sleep or not to sleep. And of course, when to sleep. Until I find the strength in me to make that decision, I need to find it in me to accept it when people wish me Good night before a class and Good morning after.

For those not in sec B, Ishira sits to my right, Karan to my left and BP sits (and sleeps) across the class. Thank you Ishira and Karan, for trying to keep me up in classes :-)