College-Hostel

Bunking college for Movies

Oh! I was one Movie Freak !! Light House, New Empire and Globe – were my second home ! Wednesdays and Fridays were confirmed – I used to bunk college and watch movies – Hollywood movies – sometimes in Metro etc. we used to go for Hindi Movie as well – Maine Pyaar Kiya, Dil, Aashiqui, QSQT,Sajan…some of the movies of our collegehood !!

One day there was this movie –‘ Adventures of Baby Sitting’ ….the song – ‘He asked me to be his bride and then he kissed me’…the scene most probably was adapted later in a Hindi movie – Hum aapke hain kaun (gudiya ,khilone meri saheliya..pehele jaise ab mere shauk hain kaha)- anyways, I bunked college and went to watch the movie with my Zoology Hons. batch mates. Later the same evening it was suddenly decided that the Hostel-ites will go to watch the same movie – I said I will not go for I had seen the movie in the morning itself- but my friends reacted so badly to it – that I had to accompany them as well !! Same movie twice on the same day…well that’s what friends are for !!

Twice a week Outing

We were allowed to go out for shopping twice a week – from 5pm to 8pm on Tuesdays and Fridays – we used to go without fail – whether we have to buy anything or not –did not matter – just go: get out of that jail kinda – we usually went to either New Market or Gauri Hart. We took special care to look good – that is the age you see – and since we were heavily under the influence of Hindi movies – it always played at the back of our minds that maybe we’ll stumble across our ‘soul mate’.. twin self….twin soul…..oh! whatever !!…kinda ‘bas ek sanam chahiye aashiquie ke liye’ !(means : just on the look out for a Lover to try out the ‘lover-ly’ entity in us !)

Laxman Rekha and Zoology Practicals

We all had to enter inside the hostel by 4:30 or maximum by 4:45pm – any later than this , we had to carry a letter from the last Professor who took our class that there was a delay in leaving the girls – maybe because of extra time taken by the Professor (we had named the Hostel Gate as laxman Rekha – for we were not allowed to step out at all once we entered the premises)– in my case it was pretty often for last 3 periods we had Zoology Practical classes – dissecting Pigeon, guinea pig, Lata fish, Unio…even cockroach – to find out how exactly it reproduces….nervous system of garden Lizard, internal ear of shark……….

I used to apologize to Lord Krishna !

Remember folks? – I was in Mathura and while I was there – we were presented many ‘Bhagvad Geeta’ booklets – it was the fashion there – to exchange ‘Bhagvad Geeta’ booklets – both me and my sis used to read stanzas from the Geeta – for in the last chapter it is written that it pays one in the long run – helps one in the journey of life – so without fail we used to read – sometimes – when we had ample time – we even finished the entire 18 Chapters at one go ! Honestly folks – Bhagvad Geeta is ever new !

Anyways – so in Chapter 10,Stanza 31 – this is being said :

Among the purifiers, I am the wind, among warriors, I am Sri Rama. Among fishes, I am the shark; and among streams, I am the Ganges.

 

So while dissecting Shark – taking out the internal ear of shark ie. I used to sometimes wonder how Lord Krishna might be reacting …I even apologized deep in my mind for dissecting the internal ear! In my Part-I practical exam – I got this – taking out Internal ear of shark – it came out pretty well – intact ! along with this I also had to take out the male Reproductive System of Cockroach – didn’t do very well on that one though !!

Amrita Di’s Zoology Practical file

I was very poor at drawing – you know all my project works had been done by my sister. So I used to trace the diagrams of fish, pigeon etc. from the book and often my Professors used to comment – that why do you make such tiny diagrams on such huge chart sheet?!.. They all also understood that I trace but well I really could not help it !!

Later when Amrita di was passing out – I asked her for her Zoology Practical File – she gave it me – she anyway had to dispose it off. On some of the pages, there were stamp marks of ‘ checked’ – which is given in Examination Centers. So I had to select only those pages that did not have the mark. I thought of erasing the ‘stamp’ mark with the help of a blade – but was afraid of doing so – in case I got caught – it would have been so very embarrassing ! Our Teachers used to sign with pencil – so very sweet of them …I could easily erase Amrita di’s signed sheets and get them re-signed by the same Professors !!

God’s Miracle – PK Sinharoy’s Zoology Pratical Book

When I was coming back after the Durga Puja Holidays, my sister gave me some of her old books that she had while she was in Agra University. I had got them all with me and had kept in my Local Guardian’s house. Time passed and I forgot all about it – for Calcutta University had nothing to do with Agra University. Thus I never thought of those books and hardly remembered what were they all about.

One day our Zoology Professor gave us an ultimatum that if we do not get our Practical Sheets signed on Monday – she’ll never sign it again ! It was a Saturday most probably. I had to buy this book – most probably – PK Sinha Roy for Zoology Practicals . I had decided to go the College Street with Tuktuk on Sunday – and draw the diagrams coolly by Sunday night – there were just 3 –4 diagrams.

Sunday – it started to rain like cats and dogs – heavy rains – too heavy – I remember sitting on the dewaan watching the rain and wondering how on earth would I reach College Street and buy the book ! Suddenly Dida thought of doing some ‘spring cleaning’ and she called me – ‘Tina, see whether you need these books – they seem to be yours – I am cleaning this space’ – (she said it in Bengali) – I started to get up when she came and handed over the books to me. Guess what folks!? I was staring at – PK Sinharoy’s book – which I was going to buy that day itself…and was unable to go out because of heavy rains !!

Now tell me folks – why should I not be God crazy huh?!

Electricity Problem and the contradictory state of affairs !!

Often we had load shedding in the hostel and we had to light candles in order to study – but our empty college building used to be well lit – all night – with Neon lights focusing on the College Gate !! I used to tell the Matrons that we, who need the light, are having to study in candle lights – whereas the empty college area – the walls and the trees which can do without light have the Neons glaring at them !! After a lot of hullabaloo we got a line in the common room !

I was the member of the Hostel Student’s Union

First year students have to take over charge from the 2 nd year students – for the position of G-sec, Dining room Sec, First Aid …I chose the Library – there was just this one magazine of Reader’s Digest which used to come – all I had to do was (obviously read it myself first) then pass it on the Seniors – I found it a cushy job – so I opted for it – my seniors were pretty surprised to see my nomination for the post of a Librarian – they thought that I would probably contest for the G-Sec’s position !! But folks – I never liked the limelight – never ever and nor did I like to take a whole lot of responsibilities – I loath responsibilities – but anyways I just wanted to be the member of the Union – so I opted for the Librarian’s post and won by many votes…many !!

My fear of Viva Voce

I forget everything when I am being asked the simplest of questions!! Especially when I know that I am to get marks in it !

I remember, the Professor asking me to enumerate the advantages of Phylum Mollusca – the one snails, unio belong to – sea animals actually.

I was silent for a few moments – I knew 10 points but remembered the last and the least important one – it was that ‘it helps to loosen the earth thus the roots of the trees get air to breath !’

The Professor looked at me with utter amazement – I had worn pearl earrings that day – we had taken good care to look good – for we had gone to the Science College …boys will be there……

So he tried to give me a hint – you are wearing jewelry etc…can you not think on those lines…? I then remembered the very first point – Poor things are Pearl manufacturers – darling Oysters – so sweet of them to make pearls for us !! Well I get very nervous when something of ‘bookish knowledge’ is asked from me !!

Fest – Kaleidoscope and AGON of NMC

After many years of seclusion and non –participation, Lady Brabourne decided to hold the annual fest – Kaleidoscope. It had got ‘stopped’ for a lot some ruckus that the boys had created to enter our premises – some 7-8 years ago – thus it was decide by the College Authorities that no fests will be held ever in Lady Brabourn for the baboons (males of course) create a lot of unnecessary ruckus !

Anyways after a break of 7-8 years , it was again decided to have the fest. Many boys came – I wasn’t impressed by any btw. – there were good ones no doubt but then they already had some girl clinging to them.

Skits, Antakshri etc. were performed and I was amazed at the boys who were doing mono-acting and acting like girls right in front of us! Thy were so loud and blatant about he fact that ‘flat chested’ girls are no fun etc. and what amazed me more was the fact that the girls were laughing more than the boys upon hearing the cheap jokes on girls – I just got up and left the room and to be very frank – till date I have been unable to enter the psychology of such girls who laugh when their clan is being insulted !

Later I noticed that more or less the same songs, skits, cheap poetry & jokes are repeated in every fest – held any where – no change – and just the same way the same bunch of people laugh – hearing the same joke !!It amazed me no end!

We had this National Medical College (NMC) near our college and their fest was called AGON. I remember scratching one of their desks with a blade and had written ‘ A gonizing G arbage o f N MC’ – there were some fellows watching me doing so also – but they did not dare to say anything to me or even stop me !

One day we were watching Antakshri in NMC during their fest. Our seniors were sitting behind us – it was around 3:40 or so and we had decided to watch the game till 4:15 and afterwards head towards the hostel. Suddenly our seniors got up and asked us to leave with them – they just said ‘ Girls – get up – lets go – NOW’.I was surprised for we still had 20 mins to watch the show. But on seeing everyone following the Seniors – I also followed. Then later, on the way, one of my friends – who was a bit more worldly wise – told me the reason of the abrupt action. The boys had blown condoms and were playing with it like balloons ! – I had seen colorful balloons but never thought that they are condoms !! It was on this day that I confirmed my decision of never marrying a Doctor ! Yuk!! so cheap they can be !!

Another day I had visited the hospital with a friend of mine who had to go there for some check up – I heard some man screaming when I just peeped in and saw a ‘poor’ man maybe a Rickshaw puller was being given stitches and since it was paining him , he screamed – and instead of giving him some tranquilizer to benumb him or maybe instead of making him unconscious , the Doctors or assistants there – slapped him tightly across his face !

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