16th July 2002, it was the day of rapturous delight and equanimity for me because I got admission for B.Sc. into Ravenshaw College in Cuttack, which is one of the famous and prestigious colleges in eastern India. Along with that a feel of little complacency was also dwelling through my mind as that college was famous for its ragging.
So all started like this, that day at around 9 am I stepped into the college. I saw lot of students were roaming inside the campus. Some students were zipping their bikes in the college campus as if they were riding on a Moto Grand Prix track. I kept on walking towards my department having in mind that what if some seniors would come up and start playing with me the game of ragging.
The moment I reached my department I felt little relaxed as I managed to cross the way to my department without being caught up by any senior. But, but, but before I should have entered the department one sound came from somewhere around. I turned and saw one smart guy was sitting on a bike. He asked me “Are you fresher?” I said “Yes”. Then he had given an unusual stare at me from bottom to top and vice-versa.
I was wearing jeans and t-shirt. He asked me whether I wasn’t aware of the dress code there. I replied him No. He told me everything about dress code was written in the brochure (Frankly, had I been known about the dress code mentioned in the brochure then I really would have worn the required attire). He was mum for some moments and I thought he excused me for this as it was my first day.
But it wasn’t actually the excuse what I had expected. He asked introduction. I started introducing myself. He stopped me in the mid and asked me to repeat. I tried it 4 or 5 times. It was quite daunting but I didn’t let it abate all my courage and I asked him where I went wrong whilst giving the introduction. Then he told my mistakes. But the way he told me as if he was the king and I was someone like a slave. I gave my introduction for around 10 times and finally, it seemed all went well as he nodded his head.
I told him that I like playing cricket. He asked me to bowl. I just went back and started bowling. The moment I had completed bowling one very loud strident sound came from somewhere as “NO” (a treat with ridicule). I turned and saw a thin guy, looking like a South Indian comedian, chewing betel (Banaras Kaa Paan) in his mouth. I thought he was the senior and he could tell anything to me. Hence, I just thought to obey him. He asked me to bowl again. I repeated it more than 10 times. I was so intimidated that I finally asked them what was wrong with my bowling. That thin comedian guy told me that bowlers need to tell umpire about the kind of bowling they would bowl. I said “Ahh ok. Right arm over the wicket.” Then finally I bowled it without a NO bowl.
That smart guy who took my introduction actually was my super senior and the other guy, who yelled No to my bowling, was a senior (2nd year student). The smart guy asked me not to mind for the act he behaved to me. He also introduced himself to me. We both had shaked our hands. Finally he went and I went inside my department to meet the head.
This is just an incident in my college department.
About Hostel I am going to write in my next article.
:-)
Keep smiling
