Hostel life...–this has been a very important and integral part of my life, memories to be cherished for my lifetime. It gives a nostalgic feel when I think of hostel, friends and the merry making. Awesome four years which has taught me how to balance relationships in life. I still remember the first day of hostel when dad, mom and I landed with the big baggage, bucket and pillows (At any cost I required at least 2 pillows, but later found that I’ve been sleeping on the bare floor with my pillow snatched away from me). After all the admission process was over and greeting smiles from my fellow students who were new to the environment too, I stepped into the hostel after all the advises from mom and experiences about hostel life from my elder sister who was my super senior in the same college (although both our experiences didn’t match a bit), with mixed thoughts to achieve more and at the same time enjoy well, the fantasies I picked up from movies.
Fighting my tears, I bid good bye to mom and dad and reluctantly walked towards my block. Room no: 75 was the room allocated to me. Two pretty girls got introduced as my roommates. We chit chatted for a while, our conversation lingered around the cut-off marks, department and the town where we dwelt from. After carefully arranging the suitcases in the shelf, I slid out of my room to have a quick look of the happenings around. It was when I got introduced to two more girls who were little fun loving and bubbly, our frequencies matched well and we had little fun gossiping about the lab uniform of our college guys which resembled that of a PTC conductor. We then hurried for lunch after the announcement from warden especially for the new ones. It was supposed to be a welcome address but I didn’t feel it welcoming though rather I felt it was like a yell or cry of a bull dog. Later this became my warden’s nick name. We carried our plates hurrying for lunch; I was so scared of ragging and seniors, although my sister was my super senior she has previously warned me that I was not supposed to expect any pampering from her at college.
I’ve had many friends in school, but staying day and night with friends at hostel was totally a different and fabulous experience. That night the conversation with my roommates was a bit relaxed and moved over to hobbies and most instantaneously I was asked to sing once they learnt that I sing. They enjoyed my singing and the news spread like a wild fire and I enjoyed stardom at hostel in a couple of days, being a sister of an intelligent senior was another feather to my cap. Our hostel had very strict rules. We were supposed to be inside the hostel before 6p.m. in the evening, we were not supposed to sleep in any rooms other than the ones allocated to us, we were not allowed to use radios, transistors, walkmans etc. Entertainment strictly prohibited. We were allowed to sit in the verandah near the lawn after dinner until 8p.m after which we were supposed to go to our respective blocks with the respective wardens locking up the block doors and getting ready for attendance.
These rules were a nightmare to be in the beginning. It was only later I realized that I haven’t followed even a single rule quoted above. I had always struggled to catch hold of a bathroom to take bath; I had to hurriedly take bath since my heart would beat fast once the next person starts knocking the door asking me to come out soon. It was the first time in life I was taking up responsibilities for myself, same with almost all of my friends. I had always wanted my place to be neat and tidy and the first day evening after college when I opened my room I was quite annoyed since my bed sheet was not folded, my bathroom slippers each in different directions, my comb with hair in it and my dresses in the bucket not dried. It was when I understood that all these years I had been expecting my place to be neat but I haven’t contributed anything towards it. I started taking up these tiny responsibilities and till today enjoy doing them myself.
Spending money was quite a big challenge to me. Dad gave me Rs.100 as packet money every week plus the travel expenses. I carefully saved the money to go out for a movie or lunch with friends. We spent most of the money in our college canteen for tea and baji and during weekends at our favorite hotel Parvathi. We saved every single penny and shared whatever we had with each other. It was when I learnt the Joy of sharing and giving. Birthday celebrations are unforgettable ever green memories. Cake cutting at 12 p.m., were most of the cake goes applying on each one’s face and throwing at each other, smashing tomatoes and every possible nasty thing on each other , ragging on the birthday baby and dancing and yelling until the warden comes and thrashes us to pieces for our misbehavior. We’ve even organized treasure hunt were the birthday baby keeps running with clues for more than an hour just to find a rustic axe blade as gift.
Mmmm then rains have played a major role in my life making a few of us the iconic personalities of hostel. When there is heavy downpour irrespective of our semester exams our “rain gang” (that’s how we address our group who get wet in the rain) we get completely drenched in rain jumping and dancing in the verandah and singing or I should say yelling to the core even after many rounds of warning from our warden over the mike ordering us to get into our rooms. We were gutful to do this since we sincerely believed our warden would never come all the way from her room to our block to catch us red handed. The moment the rain subsides and we see her walking towards our block we would rush to our rooms, pick the clothes and run into the bathroom. She would come and scold my friend and roommate poor girl who would bear all the scolding for the pranks played by me, but still give a smile when I come back once warden leaves. We would try to hide ourselves each time we leave to mess hall for at least a week until she forgets the incident.
So many incidents pop up the moment I think of hostel. I’ve had bitter memories too, misunderstandings, tears, best friends moving away from me, few trying to make use of the innocent ones with respect to money and many more to quote. But these incidents have indeed taught me to face the outer world with maturity. But I would like to sincerely thank all my friends who have played an integral part in tolerating this rude and rustic girl and transforming me into what I am today. Thanks dearies for making the difference especially to Subbu, Sweety, Dhivya, Kasthuri, Sathya, Thilaga, Bama and Saras
