A ‘movie moment’ in college

Spider-man crashes into glass-walled buildings and comes out the other side, bruise-free. Batman drives into buildings, breaking the main entrance and leaving from the other end again, free of injuries.

In fact, such a feat is the norm in Hollywood, Bollywood and I’m sure Lollywood as well.

Little did I know that one such super-hero feat would also be my fate some day. It all began on a cold morning in 2009, when hundreds of students from the College of Business Management (CBM) in Karachi gathered to get registered for the semester.

It is important to mention here that students of CBM want, and must have, their desired teachers for courses.

Due to limited seats available for each class, they are willing to do just about anything. So like every other student, I too was in the queue. Exhausted by the long wait, I decided to back out and make do with whatever courses I end up with – not realising that once you’re in, there’s no way out.

As the clock hit 10am (most students were on the college premises to register for courses since 6am), people became irritable and started pushing aggressively. Whoever was in front of the “pusher”, ultimately became the pusher by default, to the person ahead of him.

For some reason, I was in the front and near the entrance. My face was stuck to the glass door and I was being pushed frantically. Scared, I tried to get out but couldn’t. My hand was getting squashed on the door handle as I watched my skin peel. I was freaked out and couldn’t move an inch.

Next thing I know, I’m lying on the ground inside the building with pieces of glass all over me and around me. Still in shock as to what had happened, a friend helped me get up. I hadn’t realised what was going on till I saw my friend in tears – I assumed I was bleeding all over, filled with cuts; didn’t know because I couldn’t see myself.

Some guards took me inside and seated me down. I saw a reflection of myself. I was fine. There were cuts, there was blood – but I was fine. I couldn’t stop laughing and crying at the same time.

I realised one thing – not everything they show in the movies is wrong. Or maybe I just got lucky.