I remember it like it was an hour ago.
the terror of the seniors.
the horror of being caught by one.
I remember
I had a tight schedule-
wake up(7 50), scratch my butt, mentally punch my roommate for his loud devotional singing in the morning, brush my teeth,dress up(I wish it was more like an engineering class- where you could go to college in shorts), go to class(8 00)(notice the absence of the routine morning bathroom rituals)(also any breakfast), come back(10 00), shit, wash face(bathing optional) go back for practicals(still nothing in my stomach), go to mess directly in groups of 20 and pray to god no senior catches you(12 30), try to sleep, dissection at 2, come back to room at 5, sleep and lose track of time. wake up. go to mess(this time accompanied by a anti-ragging security guard aptly named 'doberman '), get jeered at by everyone, come back to hostel, watch movies till 3 am, and sleep while one is still running.
yup. it was pretty hectic.
also did I mention the "freshers dress code" put on us by the 2nd years?
formal shirt(buttoned up to the collar), formal pants(without belt), black leather shoes(without shoe laces) and hair cut till 1 mm from the scalp(KMC 1-even the barbers knew the code)........yeah it was easy to spot us from a mile away(the point exactly)
anyways....off to some of my ragging experiences
the seniors would make ingenious ways to make us embarrass ourselves in public, however the most intensive things would be done in private.
senior: did you pass nursery?
me: (thinking its a trick question).... yes sir
s: so did you learn any nursery rhymes?
m: yes sir
s: which ones?
m: mmm....all the normal ones(1st mistake)
s: normal? then what are the abnormal ones?
m: stuttering........all of them are normal sir
s: then why do you call it normal?
m: (totally confused now) I didnt mean that.....sorry sir
s: ok, ok do you remember the story of the thirsty crow?
m: kind of
s: there's no "kind of" in medicine, is it a yes or a no?
m: yesss sir
s: good. narrate it to me in short sentences. and remember it word to word. I will ask you to repeat it.
m: ok sir(I know Im a goner now)
m: there was a crow. he was thirsty. then he saw a pot. the pot was half filled with water. the crow couldn't drink the water that way. so he found a pile of stones. and he picked up those stones. then he started to put the stones into the pot one by one. the pot started filling until his beak could reach the water. then he drank the water. and he flew away happily.
s: good story
s: ok, now repeat it with one modification
m(waiting with bated breath)
s: after each sentence add the words 'in my ass'
m: silence
s: do it!
the rest as you know is history.
My first dancing lesson:
s: do you know how to dance?
m: (gulp) sorry sir, no sir
s: ok, I will teach you
m: ok sir
s: have you ever seen a person making jalebi?(its a spiral thing like sweet specific to north india)
m: yes sir
s: ok, now move your hands as if you are making a jalebi
I do it
s: now move your legs like that(in a circular motion)
I do it
s: now move your ass like that
I do it
s: now do those simultaneously(try it is my advice to see the result)
I do it
s: good, now you know how to dance.
the simplicity of it all!
ah! good old first year.
