The Year That Was

Big Dreams, Bigger Rooms
We had everything we needed to settle into our new home. Books, clothes and aspirations being the major part of our baggage. We opened the door and our gaze settled on a room not much bigger than our study desk at home (deny all you will but study desks of prospective IITians were big). But what’s that at the back of the room? A door. My expectations rose as I hoped against hope that the back door opened into another room. But alas, my hopes vanished into thin air as I saw three earthworms in the ground behind the door.

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Bathday ….
The three golden rules of good etiquette:
Never ask a woman her age. Never ask a man his salary. Never ask an IITian the frequency of his baths.

At school we learnt, “Cleanliness is next to Godliness”. Here, in this divine institute, we’ve learnt that the emphasis is on next to.

Dude, Where’s my ragging?
Post JEE, the demons in our dreams were replaced by fire-breathing IIT seniors torturing freshies. Back in the real world, the cheerful bunch of friendly seniors was a kind of, let’s say, letdown…

Cow Poop
The scenic horizon here at IIT is dotted with beautiful trees, looming quizzes and heaps of cow poop. Had this been told to us before coming here, we’d have replied with “Bullshit!”

Who Moved my Girls?
Indeed, who did?

Leopard, Leopard, Burning Bright
We thought we knew what competition is, having slain the JEE monster. But, coming here gave an altogether new meaning to the phrase “Survival of the Fittest”. It’s a real jungle out there.

"Cadet, Aage Chal"
On every (read oh-so rare) Saturday mornings. In uniform. Polished shoes, a mild hangover from the previous night. Need I say more? Almost forgot the NP....

Cow Poop - Revisited
This time round we're talking about the delicious stuff that's served in our messes (how aptly named!) So the mess food pales in comparison to mama's cooking, but surely it isn't that bad? "More bullshit!"

That, friends, was the year that was. Welcome to the Real World.