Blog: A step back

There are few phases in life you always want to reminisce since these were pleasant phases of life. Its probably student/college/hostel life for most of us, or it could be the one when we felt on top of the game, and rode and drove or flew almost with no hurdles or worry of wilting down before a hurdle.

 

Its been 10 years and counting since I left for home after sneaking into an engineering seat, in a university of a neat town far away from home. I was absolutely blank of what was to come and what was I to become. I had enough tools of survival but many had to be learnt. Today’s is Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya's birthday, they doyen and epitome of Indian Engineers. He was an ace, combining principles of theory to innovation of creativity did things that seem beyond compare. These things seem to be beyond compare until date until the point you confess to his genius.

 

I know I was blank but staying away from home was one of things I was looking forward to, it was one of those dreams. The hostel was unlike home, the mess food from day one was one of the bare necessities, unlike lavish food at home. Money was worth the water drops in a desert, restrictions were there but there were always boundaries to be pushed and fences to jump and the guards to be coaxed.  

 

There are plots and there are characters in the story. Then  there were those lined up by hundreds, the dreaded seniors, the soporific lecturers, the howling winds off baking bone dry summer when 45 degrees in early morning and 47 by mid afternoon were spent contemplating preparation of exams. Then there were the power cut is over by dusk so that one can enjoy a sip of ale-o-royale (here, water) and a pompous Romanesque if not a Roman bath. It was worth the wait.

Then there were was this bizarre play of number. You sneak out on a weekend night, Monday or Tuesday having a damn practical or worst an exam, u want to have this meal at a dhaba and a few drinks, and when you reach your destined dhaba you already find a dozen or more there, down with food and you merrily get lost in the din. Then there were hours before just a university exam on a cold bizarre frigid morning when u trying to store every letter in the crevices of the memory and then a roomie comes in opens the window and decides to have a sunbath before exam. You could visit the near town to get a taste of city life again, go there with there with pals with – 23 (minus 23) in cash, hangout there, watch a movie, buy a few clothes (if REALLY required) eat some sumptuousest meal, obviously watch movies and connect with internet on a break neck dial up speed and come back cash rich Rs 325 in hand. When the college started, we use to be in town early and leave late for the hostel, when the college was ending we preferred being there late and reach back to the hostel early.
 

Then there was this unquenched desire to sleep and just dream of sleeping while asleep. At times when nothing happened, the sleep was the best option to do in 20 km radius. Then there was the trip to city down town, which consisted of  two stalls of pav bhaaji, a restaurant, three or four suns and shadow types barber shop, two tailors and a couple of places where you could pay and get your long dead outgoing services of the phone resumed.

Then there were stories, setbacks tragedies, which were shared with few confidantes, told only to be heard and forgotten forever. And never to be spoken. The other side of campus there were flames and in some other corners, there was ashes. I preferred playing volleyball sparingly, hardly ever cricket, and never knew why. 

 

You had to loathe the mess except for couple of dishes, the green-tomato chutney was a huge following along with anything sweet, and some breakfast where everyone lined up, break butter was one of the delicacies that I remember along with flavoured aloo parathas. At times, there was custard with food, which was, another must haves. At times onion rasam was to be had. I must confess I had one of the more moderate experiences of my engineering days, but I have heard em all, witness to a few too.

 

A big chunk of college life was studies other bug chunk is the people who I studied with, some of those chaps were destined geniuses some worked hard, my aim was to complete it in four years. There is lot of credit to friends and mates in hostel that helped me in every way and I have no doubt without them I wouldn’t have completed my studies for a long time. 

The world as I see it today, the way I perceive people and surrounding and events has lot to do with times spent while engineering. I tell you it was a bit weird if I look back,imagine seeing a person for tweny four hours. You get up, you see your roomie, you are in the same branch and same class you see him in the class as well, He is one off your good friends so you hang out with him, since you are in the same practical batch, you end up copying the same practical, same assignments, your mess is the same, or the mode of conveyance is the same. It strikes me know as I write but I didnt when I was living it. My achievement (marvel actually/miracle probably) of becoming owes big time to my friends and class mate, I just happen to be there.

In the end, we use to exchange Diaries - slam book type and isnt that one of my favourite possession. When I think nothings going write and if I think I am acting to smart for my own good, I step back and read that diary again. These are few of the many stories. Its hard to imagine to tell about a life of those fours years in a single life time. Life was fun when we yearned for everything and earned nothing,these days we earning something and yearn for many more things.