Having completed my interview and deciding to join AU, had ended up in the Queue for payment of fees along with my Dad when I tumbled upon another soul who is going through a similar experience. Just because our fathers had jelled well (what an irony -I am sure very few fathers would have an iota of knowledge of what their teens are composed of) it was concluded (by them, of course) that we would make ideal roommates and it was agreed that we would end up in “Mullai Illam” at a agreed date and time. But sometime as irony would have it – myself and Bun (Sree Venkatesh E&E – is there anyone calling him by this name – not sure what he is called in office) turned out to be room mates for 4 years.
The logic of putting the first year Engineering students at “Mullai Illam” was little strange. We were given to believe that we could be secluded from seniors and hence can escape ragging. This actually worked the contrary. It became very easy for the seniors to locate few of us either while going to hostel for lunch or in the evening near the “Rajendra statue” when they come out for a fag / tea and do a short time-pass. The aggressive seniors retained us for few more hours tossing us between rooms for some “Vadivelu Treatment” Going in groups, just gave a false sense of comfort that we would not be the one to get caught (law of probability) as we always moved up-down for lunch and in the evening – mostly cycling.
The hostel accountant (Mullai Illam) who enters our names in the register had a very stylish hand-writing and many of us would not have forgotten him. Just to start a D for my name , he would start 2-3 cm away from where he intends to write and put an art form which would finally turn out to be a D. For every letter or word – he would look up and see whether we are appreciative of his writing (drawing) skills – it would be better to nod in appreciation – else he would try harder which means your process can get a little longer.
For most of us – just out from the shackles of home –“Mullai Illam” was heaven. We had movies screened in rotation and hence you almost have a movie every alternate day. I am sure no dog would even watch it – if it were today, but still the fun / comments which we derived watching it together with minimal comforts is worth reliving anyday. I don’t remember if mosquitoes were non-existent in Chidamshire – have never seen any repellant used anywhere. Invariably mid course of the movie – the projector would get warmed up and stop – plunging the ground into darkness.
When I say darkness – the drum beats start echoing. I really don’t know why we used to get hyper when the power fails. We can hear high decibel screams, drum / table beats mostly by Annamalai’s self-proclaimed drummers. I remember a day – may be 1-2 months into our hostel life – Jeeva E&E creating a record breaking 7-8 buckets with his percussion skills, my bucket being a victim as well. After that our entire wing was short of buckets for the entire year – why spend on buckets when you can share – anyways most of us don’t bath at normal times and and had never been a problem as most of us bath at odd hours and some don’t at all.
The bath-rooms of the hostel is another speciality. They will have the shower pipes but not the shower nozzle. May be they wanted to avoid the “Anbe Sivam – Madhavan” type of injury. I am sure – if they put the nozzle it would clog in not time and there can be some shockers of getting some living creature. In fact –in the New block (second year) most of us get into the underground sump directly to take water for bathing.
When I talk about sharing – my mind jumps to few things which get shared invariably – so much so that the true owner loses hold over the thing – toothpaste, slippers, drafter, shoes – pretty much everything except undies. Have had hilarious instances where we had to walk wing to wing searching for some noble (sincere) hostel mate who can loan some toothpaste for the day. Lot of people would be afraid to remove slippers when they enter a room – because it could vanish no time and not only that it may not come back as the person who flicks it might lose it to another guy and it is like a chain reaction. If you see most of us going to the workshop classes – the trousers and shirt would be so much a misfit. Not that the tailors lost their art, but most workshop dresses were shared . the money from the house would have gone for a movie or cigarettes / or a treat.
Not sure if we could classify the hostel food as good or bad – but I haven’t yet seen one guy who had lost weight in the hostel – most of us doubled and few trebled. The luxury in the hostel food was just the unlimited papads in the veg mess and the vindaloo in the non-veg section. Feast was just an addition of a sweet and a cassatta – but the expectation building for the feast day was the fun part of it. The evening tiffin (Optional) is a sample – a cake and puff with a coffee / tea (flavored hot water) and a writer keenly watching to ensure he captures your name.
The greatest outing center for many months would be only movies and “Parrys Corner”. Remember my first movie in “Blue Diamond” – where we were taken over by “Seniors” – myself and Ravi (Civil or Structures) and had to sing “ Jana Gana Mana” at the End of the movie in the cycle stand – standing on the carrier with around 100 people watching. This was a “trade off” for letting us go from the theatre and not retaining us in the senior hostel.
Parrys Corner -Not sure why some one named it like that. It was neither Paris nor a Corner. The biggest treat one could get or offer there would be the Bajjis , Omlet and Rasna / Chai.
With all these, even now if you happen to talk / meet Annamalaians , the very discussion brings joy and a sparkle in the eyes. No one remembers our college for the great education it provided, it is for the greater “life” it taught us
The joy of sharing
The joy of carefree living
The joy of breaking away from past and future
The joy of glorifying and enjoying even smallest of pleasures
and
JOY OF LIVING WITH FRIENDS
WHO ARE FRIENDS FOREVER – INSPITE OF BEING IN TOUCH OR NOT.
Nanbenda'89 