Winter Mornings... And a Plate of Kachori

Winter Mornings are my favourite. They are cold, foggy and you just want to continue sleeping endlessly curled up in that “Razzai”. The rays of sunlight through the fog seem ever so fresh and welcoming. The morning tea/coffee tastes so much more delicious. 

People may say that there is hardly any winter in Hyderabad, it is summer 365 days. Point taken, but the early mornings do get slightly chilly and the morning tea/coffee still tastes more delicious at this time of the year. More importantly, I love being curled up in my “Razzai” and sleeping that little bit extra every winter morning.

About a year ago, exactly at this time of the year, I had got my first job offer and was sleeping peacefully curled up in the “Razzai”, while bunking Prof. Jawed’s first class in the morning. Let me share with you the scene of that morning.

Location: Room No. 59, ‘C’-Wing, Sapphire Hostel, Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad.

It’s 7.30 in the morning. The alarm rings... “Good morning! ...Good morning! ...It’s time to wake up” (Yes it’s my alarm tone, an unknown lady wakes me up every day with her sexy voice :P). I put the alarm to snooze and sleep again hoping to wake up in five minutes. The snoozing of five minutes turns to sleeping of two hours and I finally wake up at 9.30. 

Oh Shit! “Jawed ki class phir miss kar di”. Realizing that I would never make it in time for the next class at 9.40, I call up my friend to say “Bhai, Please proxy laga dena yaar”. 

Phone Rings...

Friend: Hello... (Still Sleeping)

Me: Bhai, proxy ......... Abe so raha hai kya??? 

Friend: Haan yaar, abhi utha hun

Me: Abe time dekha hai... 9.30. ... Jawed ki class miss ho gayi!!!!

Friend: Bhak saala... and he blurts out a spell of expletives!!!

Me: Matiya yaar... chal Kachori khane chalte hain...! 

Friend: Thek hai, Jaldi aa jayio...nai toh khatam ho jayegi!

I get ready and head to my friend’s room. On my way, I peep into Dev and Sam’s room to check if any one of them had gone to the class. No chance of that happening!!! They were still sleeping and as I was about to leave Dev wakes up and says in that typical ‘Banarsi’ tone of his... ‘yaar ho sake toh proxy laga dena’

Me, Dev and Shalabh @ Canteen!

We reach canteen, put our legs up and shout... ‘Robin do plate kachori lana yaar’. On his phatphatiya scooter comes our ‘Jigyasa’. Looking tensed, he asks...Bhai attendance li kya aaj ??... and we both start laughing at his face!!!

Soon we are joined by Waffy, Jhabru, Maddu, Tingri, Pandey and others... and the ‘Bakchodi of Mining 2k11’ begins!!!

Today, a year later, I wake up on a chilly Hyderabad morning. I inadvertently pick up the phone to dial my friends number only to realise... that I am in Flat No. 402 and not in Room No. 59.

P.S... This post is dedicated to my friend Shalabh Malik, for all those winter mornings in which we bunked the class and went, just to have that Rs 4  Plate Kachori!

P.S... Deeps... Thank You for giving me the idea of writing this post! 

An Upgrade to hostel life!!!

Hostel Days! ... Each time, I talk with anyone of my batch mates those memories just come flooding back. No Jhanjhat and No Jhigjhig.... Bindaas full on Masti ...that’s what it was.

Having moved on from the laid back and lazy 'Hostel Days' to the present, fast and stretched to the limit, 'Bachelor Days', I finally get a day to dwell on my thoughts. The day I spent today, is typical to what I would have done on a lazy Sunday in ISM, albeit that it’s an Upgrade to Hostel Life. How??? Read on...

• In the hostel, you live in a twin-sharing room as dirty and messy as it can get. Now, you share a 3 BHK flat and your flat is the same even though you have a ‘Bai’ and pay her for keeping it clean.
• In the hostel, you invariably get late for the first class and then finally take a ‘Cycle Rickshaw’ to make it in time for the attendance. Now also you invariably get late for office and then drive your bike at break neck speed to reach office in time.
• In the hostel you sit together with friends and all of you throw slangs at the professors for not giving enough marks. Now also you sit together with your colleagues and discuss how you are being paid less compared to your competitors, though in a slightly dignified language.
• In the hostel you have to satisfy yourselves with whatever the mess has to offer. Now you have a cook and choose to eat what you want and even have McDonalds and Dominos at your disposal. But after a few months you realise that you no longer fit into your college jeans and need to reduce that pot belly coming up!
• When you are in the hostel your parents ask ... Do you have a girlfriend???...Are you in a relationship??? Now, your parents are ready to give you the license and ask... Why don’t you get married and start a family??? (Not the case with me, but definitely with some of my seniors and elder friends!)
• In the hostel you spend your dad’s money without the slightest hesitation for movies, girlfriends, boozing etc. etc. and had to give an explanation as to how and why you spent it. Now you spend your own money for the same things and don’t have to explain it to anyone. But one thing remains same... At the end of the month you had zero balance then, and you have zero balance now also!!!

Life moves on. You have a new job, You move to a new place, You meet new people but 'You' remain constant.

In hostel You learnt ‘Matiyana’, You learnt ‘Bakchodi’, You learnt giving ‘Fundaes’ but most importantly You learnt to how to be a ‘Bhokali’ ISMITE. (Even if you aren’t :P)

Hostel Days... Those were the best days of my life!!!

M@verick’s signing off... Proud to be a product of Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad!

P.S. For those who don’t understand the words used in the last paragraph... Get in touch with any ISMITE and he/she will explain in detail the meaning of these! :)