nmalik121
May 28th, 2007, 12:19 PM
http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/5210/bedzt3.jpg
Masti Ki Paathshala
The admission formalities were over. Considering the 1st day of college, it went very much normal, without any harsh ragging. I was very apprehensive about taking admission in a Delhi college, far from my home in Amritsar. I didn’t dare to go to canteen for not to be ragged. So after having snacks in a small Chai-Khokha outside my college, I left for my hostel. It was ten-minutes walking distance from my college. The first day passed in counseling, talking to batch mates, knowing who belongs to where, checking out the large college campus, prospective girlfriends etc.
As I entered my room, my two room-mates were already there. Sachin and Prashant, my room-mates introduced themselves to me. We had hand-shakes amiably. Both were cool. Thank god! I went to bathroom for a good bath.
The taps in bathroom were in bad condition and fixtures were falling out of the wall. Two lizards were intruding my private space. My papa used to say that three things were always very important to adjust at a new place: Good work, Good Food and Good people! Rest could be compromised with.
“Such a nice place, such friendly people everywhere, far-far better from strict school discipline,” I murmured the words as I came out. I was quite relieved.
Two baldies (head-shaven) staring down, were sitting in my room. For a moment, I couldn’t recognize them. They were my room-mates.
“What happened?” my wide-opened mouth popped up the question.
“You too get ready buddy. It’s the rule every fresher has to follow,” said Sachin brushing his palm on his plain head. A cunning smile was reflecting on his face, while looking into the mirror.
“No, I won’t do this,” I yelled with denial & shock in my eyes.
“It is not wise to upset your seniors on the very first day; you go and shave your head right now,” Prashant advised me putting his hand on my shoulder like a concerned friend would do.
“Ohh,” I just could afford a deep sigh.
My hair had always been long except for once in my childhood, when I had popular Fouji-cut to look like smarty Akshay Khanna in Border. But I couldn’t give any competition to Akshay, I hated it and swore I'd always have long hair. Though today, Akshay Khanna was no competition (Thanks to his ever falling hair) to my massively thick, glossy, straight hair. It was sheer pain to cut my fondly-nurtured hair over a long time.
It was just the beginning!
Welcome to Ragging!
Truly, that was just the beginning. The next morning another Jor Ka Jhatka was in store for me.
“Plain head with clothes wrong-side-out,” Prashant told.
Fresher had to wear the clothes inside-out, with the inside surface on the outside, everything from socks to the cap. Another first for me, and most probably for my room-mates too!
We had just exited the hostel gate, a group of seniors called us from behind. We stopped very much where we stood earlier. Even moving a step was not possible without the seniors’ permission.
“Where are other Kabootars from your batch?” roared one senior in his heavy voice, putting his hands on hips. In fact, his voice was completely in contrast of his thin body & small round face. I would surely have a hearty laugh in a normal situation. But now, laughing at him was not a wise decision.
“You two….Yes….you two…go and bring other Kabootars here right now,” said another guy pointing towards Sachin and Prashant.
Now, I was standing alone, in the den of hungry raggers. I stepped back a little as scratching his two-day old beard; skinny guy came closer to me.
“What is this? Why you haven’t buttoned your sleeve? Hero banta hai...sala,” he fumed tucking my half-folded sleeve on my hands.
“Sir, I couldn’t button it from inside out, so…..,” I fumbled out midway. He was still staring at me. I was expecting a slap on my face. I didn’t have fear of slap but how would I control my anger after that.
“Sir…...here we are,” Sachin called from lobby of the hostel with Prashant and six other batch-mates, all with shaven-head.
“Thank God,” I heave a sigh profoundly. I was rescued.
“Only nine? If I am not wrong, this year there had been sixteen fresh admissions from outside, where are the rest of them?” skinny guy shouted at the top of his voice, “anyways...will see them later on…you Kabootars…make a line by clutching each-other’s shirt at back side similar to train compartments.”
We followed the orders from Sirs.
“Now…start running in the same manners while hooting loudly Koooooo……ooo…like a train-horn with one hand in the next one’s shirt and other hand on your mouth,” Sir enacted the whistling posture in an immaculate manner and warned too, “and remember…if anyone of you broke the chain or didn’t honk…till you reach college…he should be prepared for worse. We would be following you Kabootars on our cycles. Louder you would honk…lesser you would be ragged.”
Nine guys with shaved headed with inside-out clothes standing in a row was quite a scene to watch.
And the game begins!
Running through the market, houses and a school on the way, we were honking loudly like a train-horn hooting at its full speed. People around were enjoying our misery with smile and even laugh on their faces. First time, I got to know, how it felt to be the source of entertainment for others without laughing yourself! The short ten minutes distance from college looked like thousands miles.
First three minutes were pretty uncomfortable while we entered the market but every passing second made us more shameless and careless towards surrounding. We had begun to enjoy our misery and so our honking kept getting louder and louder with every breath. As our Rajdhani Express was approaching the college gate, it had such a deep impact on me that first time I could feel my raw personality hidden somewhere inside me. I felt liberated in literal sense.
The college was our true shelter to avoid any harsh nerve-wrecking ragging. We went to our classes with the order of gathering in canteen during lunch. Initials days were supposed to a mix of both bore and excitement. Nothing was exceptional in my case too.
Our fourth period was over and we stepped in canteen. Quite obedient Kabootars.
The canteen, a very big hall with lovely interior, very spacious with ample sitting arrangement was bubbling with joy, full of happy, chirpy faces. For me, canteen was always about fun, freedom and fultoos masti. The school canteen was all about having lots of gossips with yummy Kulchas, Rajma Chawal, Cholle Bhature, Samosa, Parantha, Chowmein, Spring Rolls,shouting, singing, constant leg-pulling of friends, planning for weekend movie or picnic. The college canteen was no different; in fact it was pretty relief to come here from heavy-duty lectures.
Sitting on the tables and banging them continuously until your order is ready, dancing and singing songs, copying a lecturer’s style, ragging of Kabootars, trying fundoo tongue twisters and playing weird pranks, talking about the latest movie, discussing the hot gizmos and latest fashion trends in the campus, and much more. There is one big fat myth that girls are talkative and gossip a lot, but the truth is guys are no less chatty. If want any proof, then you should have visited our college canteen.
The canteen was full of seniors and freshers. We got to see some eye-candy as there were few very beautiful girls among our seniors and in our batch too. Now, the girls were supposed to rag the Kabootars. The morning race had made me more confident and adventurous now.
TBC… (To Be Continued)
Masti Ki Paathshala
The admission formalities were over. Considering the 1st day of college, it went very much normal, without any harsh ragging. I was very apprehensive about taking admission in a Delhi college, far from my home in Amritsar. I didn’t dare to go to canteen for not to be ragged. So after having snacks in a small Chai-Khokha outside my college, I left for my hostel. It was ten-minutes walking distance from my college. The first day passed in counseling, talking to batch mates, knowing who belongs to where, checking out the large college campus, prospective girlfriends etc.
As I entered my room, my two room-mates were already there. Sachin and Prashant, my room-mates introduced themselves to me. We had hand-shakes amiably. Both were cool. Thank god! I went to bathroom for a good bath.
The taps in bathroom were in bad condition and fixtures were falling out of the wall. Two lizards were intruding my private space. My papa used to say that three things were always very important to adjust at a new place: Good work, Good Food and Good people! Rest could be compromised with.
“Such a nice place, such friendly people everywhere, far-far better from strict school discipline,” I murmured the words as I came out. I was quite relieved.
Two baldies (head-shaven) staring down, were sitting in my room. For a moment, I couldn’t recognize them. They were my room-mates.
“What happened?” my wide-opened mouth popped up the question.
“You too get ready buddy. It’s the rule every fresher has to follow,” said Sachin brushing his palm on his plain head. A cunning smile was reflecting on his face, while looking into the mirror.
“No, I won’t do this,” I yelled with denial & shock in my eyes.
“It is not wise to upset your seniors on the very first day; you go and shave your head right now,” Prashant advised me putting his hand on my shoulder like a concerned friend would do.
“Ohh,” I just could afford a deep sigh.
My hair had always been long except for once in my childhood, when I had popular Fouji-cut to look like smarty Akshay Khanna in Border. But I couldn’t give any competition to Akshay, I hated it and swore I'd always have long hair. Though today, Akshay Khanna was no competition (Thanks to his ever falling hair) to my massively thick, glossy, straight hair. It was sheer pain to cut my fondly-nurtured hair over a long time.
It was just the beginning!
Welcome to Ragging!
Truly, that was just the beginning. The next morning another Jor Ka Jhatka was in store for me.
“Plain head with clothes wrong-side-out,” Prashant told.
Fresher had to wear the clothes inside-out, with the inside surface on the outside, everything from socks to the cap. Another first for me, and most probably for my room-mates too!
We had just exited the hostel gate, a group of seniors called us from behind. We stopped very much where we stood earlier. Even moving a step was not possible without the seniors’ permission.
“Where are other Kabootars from your batch?” roared one senior in his heavy voice, putting his hands on hips. In fact, his voice was completely in contrast of his thin body & small round face. I would surely have a hearty laugh in a normal situation. But now, laughing at him was not a wise decision.
“You two….Yes….you two…go and bring other Kabootars here right now,” said another guy pointing towards Sachin and Prashant.
Now, I was standing alone, in the den of hungry raggers. I stepped back a little as scratching his two-day old beard; skinny guy came closer to me.
“What is this? Why you haven’t buttoned your sleeve? Hero banta hai...sala,” he fumed tucking my half-folded sleeve on my hands.
“Sir, I couldn’t button it from inside out, so…..,” I fumbled out midway. He was still staring at me. I was expecting a slap on my face. I didn’t have fear of slap but how would I control my anger after that.
“Sir…...here we are,” Sachin called from lobby of the hostel with Prashant and six other batch-mates, all with shaven-head.
“Thank God,” I heave a sigh profoundly. I was rescued.
“Only nine? If I am not wrong, this year there had been sixteen fresh admissions from outside, where are the rest of them?” skinny guy shouted at the top of his voice, “anyways...will see them later on…you Kabootars…make a line by clutching each-other’s shirt at back side similar to train compartments.”
We followed the orders from Sirs.
“Now…start running in the same manners while hooting loudly Koooooo……ooo…like a train-horn with one hand in the next one’s shirt and other hand on your mouth,” Sir enacted the whistling posture in an immaculate manner and warned too, “and remember…if anyone of you broke the chain or didn’t honk…till you reach college…he should be prepared for worse. We would be following you Kabootars on our cycles. Louder you would honk…lesser you would be ragged.”
Nine guys with shaved headed with inside-out clothes standing in a row was quite a scene to watch.
And the game begins!
Running through the market, houses and a school on the way, we were honking loudly like a train-horn hooting at its full speed. People around were enjoying our misery with smile and even laugh on their faces. First time, I got to know, how it felt to be the source of entertainment for others without laughing yourself! The short ten minutes distance from college looked like thousands miles.
First three minutes were pretty uncomfortable while we entered the market but every passing second made us more shameless and careless towards surrounding. We had begun to enjoy our misery and so our honking kept getting louder and louder with every breath. As our Rajdhani Express was approaching the college gate, it had such a deep impact on me that first time I could feel my raw personality hidden somewhere inside me. I felt liberated in literal sense.
The college was our true shelter to avoid any harsh nerve-wrecking ragging. We went to our classes with the order of gathering in canteen during lunch. Initials days were supposed to a mix of both bore and excitement. Nothing was exceptional in my case too.
Our fourth period was over and we stepped in canteen. Quite obedient Kabootars.
The canteen, a very big hall with lovely interior, very spacious with ample sitting arrangement was bubbling with joy, full of happy, chirpy faces. For me, canteen was always about fun, freedom and fultoos masti. The school canteen was all about having lots of gossips with yummy Kulchas, Rajma Chawal, Cholle Bhature, Samosa, Parantha, Chowmein, Spring Rolls,shouting, singing, constant leg-pulling of friends, planning for weekend movie or picnic. The college canteen was no different; in fact it was pretty relief to come here from heavy-duty lectures.
Sitting on the tables and banging them continuously until your order is ready, dancing and singing songs, copying a lecturer’s style, ragging of Kabootars, trying fundoo tongue twisters and playing weird pranks, talking about the latest movie, discussing the hot gizmos and latest fashion trends in the campus, and much more. There is one big fat myth that girls are talkative and gossip a lot, but the truth is guys are no less chatty. If want any proof, then you should have visited our college canteen.
The canteen was full of seniors and freshers. We got to see some eye-candy as there were few very beautiful girls among our seniors and in our batch too. Now, the girls were supposed to rag the Kabootars. The morning race had made me more confident and adventurous now.
TBC… (To Be Continued)