Chinese fried rice and fried balls (manchurian) was obviously the most sasta and tasty alternative to mess food; young, ravenous stomachs could be satisfied for Rs 25-30 each. The stall-owners and chefs would let it slip that they had a special Chinese ingredient, but ever since it was discovered that the two “boys” were Nepalis born in India, there was some doubt about what that ingredient was. Nevertheless, it came in two styles: spicy and more spicy. Manish and gang chose the latter and rushed to the nearby mithaiwala for a serving of shrikhand to round off the meal.

There’s something to be said about not mixing (Indian) Chinese food and milk products; Manish’s stomach was grumbling by the time they had walked back to the hostel.

Manish: Yaar, thoda stomach is paining. Main jaldi oopar jata hoon.

Swami: Haha... I told you don’t eat my manchurian, you greedy-cock. Now suffer.

Manish: I ate just one of your balls and you’re cribbing so much. Oooiiieeeee… see you.

Thomas: Go, go… don’t do it here. Hope you get some water in the loo.

Fifteen minutes later, in AS4. About 11pm.

Thomas: So, you’re done! Ooof! Close the door quickly… the smell is unbearable.

Manish: Oh, sorry. There wasn’t any water in the toilet. I just found half a bucket of water there, luckily.

Swami: Ooyy! That was my bucket, no? I had kept it for the morning. Bugger, what will I do now?

Manish: We can think about morning when it comes. Right now, my stomach is in a bad shape.

Thomas: Control, Manish, control. We have no water left with us.

Manish: Shit man! I don’t know why we can’t even get some water in this bloody hostel! Can’t even shit in peace.

Thomas: Why don’t you try the C-block, they have water that side. Last time I found water in CS block toilet when every other block was dry.

Manish: Yeah, I will check if I have to go again. Swami, you had some tablet, no, for stomach upset?

Swami: Let me see, I think there was one left. You need at least 2-3 for immediate impact.

Manish: Boss, gimme whatever you have!!

It was 2am. Manish jumped up from his bed and ran to the toilet. Hope there is some water, he prayed as he opened the tap. Nope, nothing there. Should I check in CS block? Ooopss, can’t wait any longer! He rushed inside, into the second (and only other) toilet. Thank God, I kept those papers in my pockets before I slept!

It was 5am. Manish hadn’t slept much for the past three hours. He was alternatively cursing the hostel and everyone associated with it and praying for his stomach to become ok. He got up. He almost choked as he stepped out into the corridor; there was no way he could use the toilets in his blocks now. He held his stomach and wobbled his way across towards the CS block. Wow!! He could actually hear the sound of water as he reached the CS toilets; thank God!

Amit was stepping out of the toilet when he spotted Manish entering CS block.

Amit: Kya Manish? Itna subah subah? Kisko jagane aaye ho?

Manish: Nahin yaar. No water in our block. Pet gadbad hai.

Amit: Kyaa yaar! Tum AS block waale hamesha idhar aa jaate ho. Hamara paani finish kar dete ho.

Manish: Kya karen Amit… kuch problem hai hamaare water-tank mein. Achcha, baad mein baat karen… mujhe thoda urgent lagi hai.

Amit: Yaar, us din Thomas bhi yahi bol raha tha aur aadha ghanta nahaa ke gaya. Full water finished. Don’t mind, par ham doosron ko allow nahin karenge. CS block ka decision hai.

Manish: Yaar, baad mein discuss karte hain… abhi tenshun hai pet mein.

Amit: Please yaar, jhagda ho jaayega. Tu kidhar aur chala jaa.

Manish: Can’t wait… ooohhhh… (running into the toilet)

Amit: Oye, ruk… saala… oye Ramu, Mitesh… utho, dekho yeh Manish hamare bathroom mein ghus gaya!!

Ramu and Mitesh, sleepy-eyed, joined Amit near the toilets.

Amit: Manish! Jaldi baahar aa be… nahin to oopar se joota phekenge.

Ramu: Joota kyon kharab kar rahe ho… idhar kachda pada hoga, wahi phekenge!

Manish (from inside): Arre guys! I got food poisoning yaar. Kuch to consider karo. Main yahan naachne ya nahaane thode hi aaya hoon.

Mitesh: Aisa story ham bahoot sun chuke hain. Arre Amit, yeh baalti to utha… sandaas ke saath saath iska nahana bhi finish kar denge. Ek, do, teen….

Manish: Yaar, paani waste kyon kar rahe ho! Ooiieeee… (voice drowned.)

Now that ragging was over, Manish felt at ease. Almost a month had passed since he had left home. During ragging, he had felt terribly home-sick, often considering running away from the hostel, at least for the weekends. It was only the company of Swami and Thomas that helped him tide over those difficult days. Now that ragging was behind them, and hostel conditions had become bearable (not through improvement but by resetting expectations downwards), Manish was looking forward to engineering college life. 

And, of course, there was Prema.

Section B was in the Drawing Hall for the Engineering Drawing class. They were learning how to draw straight lines. And practise hand-writing. Kindergarten revisited, Manish thought. Sound of shuffling feet, sudden silence in the hall and Prema made a hurried entry into the room. She went to the Professor at the front of the large hall, sharp words ensued. Manish could not help noticing.

Prema walked back, with a scowl on her face. She was looking for her roll-number on the drawing tables that were laid out in several long lines. Manish noticed that the table next to his was vacant, but such things happened only in Hindi films, no? In a sudden vote of confidence for Bollywood, Prema stopped at that table and took her seat, in a huff. By the time she had opened her bag and took out an assortment of pencils and other drawing instruments, Manish had given up even the pretension of completing his straight lines.

Not having heard the Professor's instructions at the beginning, Prema looked around in confusion. "Hi. Do you remember me, we met in the canteen?" Manish awoke from his reverie. Those words were not his mental ramblings; he had heard them being spoken. In the sweet voice of Prema. "Yyyess. Yes. Of course." What a question! The whole college was talking about her, and she wants to know if I remember her.

Prema: Thank God, there is someone I know next to me. I have no idea what to do in this class.

Manish: Oh! no problem. No problem.

Prema: Thanks. Can you tell me what is to be done?

Manish: We are supposed to practise straight lines, alphabet and numbers today. Do you have the text book with you?

Prema: Wait, I have a drawing book - let me show it you. N D Bhatt. Is that the one?

Manish: That's right. We have to do the exercises from Chapter 1. First of all, you have to clip the drawing sheet to the board here.

Prema: Thanks a lot, hmmm... what is your name? I am sorry I forgot.

Manish: Mm.. Manish.

Prema: I am Prema.

Manish: I know...

The next evening. Thomas and Manish are at the mess.