That Place Near The Metro Station…

I guess it was tradition . I was expected to follow my cousins and go for an undergraduate programme at the University of Delhi . And since I had displayed neither an aptitude nor an interest for machines or computers (except Facebook , of course) thus far , I had hardly any reason to say no to that notion . 

It is rather common for any guy my age to have heard of millions of stories about the University without even ever stepping foot there . I was no different . Probably , I could lay claim to even a bit more . (My father is a professor in the very same University) . So , on one hand , I had students complaining that most teachers never bothered to care, or worse , turn up for class , and on the other hand , I had professors like my father complaining that kids were more interested in the canteen than the class .

But both parties emphasized on one thing , what this University actually stood for — the branding , the chilled – out culture and the awesomeness . I ’ d soon discover that judgement to be spot-on .

In the mad deluge of marks this year , I too had secured a great aggregate . One that could get me into most colleges of my choice . But , I chose a path few expected me to take . I chose an offbeat course . Earth Sciences in Hansraj College . To the surprise of many , and even amusement of some . To me , it held promise .

Once my admission was over and done with , the days leading upto the 1st day were a pain . There were entire days of nothingness , and then there were random plans of hanging out at a variety of places . From the exhilarating (Chandni Chowk) to the downright bizarre (Federation of Gamers).

The 1st day of college , 21st of July , was here and I had neither a makeover nor a new wardrobe . Maybe the big ‘’ End of Season SALE !! ’’ hoardings on most brands didn’t entice me enough .

I found like – minded excited ‘fuchhas’ on the metro station itself . Everybody had really thought hard about dressing up . Yes , there were a few fashion disasters , but most of ‘’us’’ were looking great .

The day in college was unadventurous, but expected. We were greeted by confusion, chaos and half-built classrooms . Even the introduction with seniors (a .k.a. ragging) came with a disclaimer . “It is not intended to hurt sentiments . Any awkwardness or embarassment caused is deeply regretted”.

I came across a strange incident in the canteen that day . Two guys were bragging about how much they had been to the gym in the holidays and how good they now were in arm – wrestling . Obviously , the catalyst here was a group of girls standing alongside . Suddenly , one of them took out his wallet and kept the only note present in the wallet on the table . No prizes for guessing that it was a thousand – rupee note . It was now a bet . A few tall claims were made by both interested parties , but ultimately nothing came out of it . The thousand – rupee note was swiftly withdrawn , and nobody even got to see them arm wrestle . What a shame .

At the end of the day, sitting in the Metro , where I even got a seat (Hint: Always look out for the last compartment.), I thought to myself that this was maybe just a trailer for things to come . The drama hadn’t even started… 

Manan Bhan

University of Delhi