After a grueling day, I pulled out all the coins I had stuffed in various compartments in my bag and figured that I had to take the public transport to get home. Usually, I board the bus in the terminus itself. While I sat there waiting for the bus to move, one girl came up to me and said that she was studying in Anna University and that I should tell her where to get down. So far so good.
We were getting bored and hence we were asking very basic questions about each other’s lives. She was from Kerala and was doing her first year of engineering and had got in purely on merit. I am sure that any commerce student would be aware that there is an institution called Anna University and that engineering is a four year course.

Now it was her turn to question me. She asked me if I was a student. I answered in the affirmative. Next she asked “Which college?” I very boldly told her that I was doing ca. Her reaction was something very disturbing. She said ‘Oh, but I asked where?’ I told her the full form of ca and even told her that it is not done from a college. Even after that she asked “But what do you study in college then?”
I decided to give up and I told her the name of some college and told her that I study B.Com in college. At least after this reply of mine had she left me alone I would have had some respect for her. No, she exclaimed and said “So, you are doing commerce?” My head was spinning as to why people do not read newspapers. You do not need to read business newspapers for that. Many companies publish their financial statements in The Hindu! On seeing those will they not wonder, who are auditors?!

While I was lost in my thoughts, I could see her lips moving. Suddenly realizing that she was talking to me, I wished away all my thoughts and made an effort to listen to her. She was saying how easy life is for those doing commerce where as they had to slog their way out! Finally this conductor announced that another bus would leave the terminus as this bus had some problem. I rushed out and sat as afar as possible from that girl after reassuring her that I would inform her when she has to get down.

As the bus moved, the soft wind that brushed my hair I was wondering if any commerce graduate would agree that studying commerce was the simplest thing to do. Moreover they do not realize that they will have to study more than the B.Com students because they turn out as professionals at the end of four years but not B.com graduates. They have a longer way to go. CA? What do these letters mean for engineering students? Well, I could not come out with an answer. This girl whom I was talking to was from Kerala which is 100% literate!
Hmmmm….so that is being literate!