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Monday, January 15, 2007

Finger prints on window panes .....

A new life starts here from now, All the best....Achan kissed my forehead and got into the car......
....saw those tear-filled eyes of Amma and the proud look on Acha's face and the ever giggling face of my little sister, shouting have fun Dhiii...Byeeeee, Miss you.............
blurred image of the car through tear-filled eyes......



I do not know how long I stood at the gate waving at them as the car disappeared into the distance....
With a heavy heart and cursing my decision of choosing the college away from home, I walked back to the door of the hostel...
The countless brown and black eyes.....the cream-colored walls with brown border....I searched for one familiar face....no, not any...

Room number 171, I reconfirmed before I unlocked the door....Malayalam
Two cots and the folded bed tied tightly by Achan, a large green suitcase which saw the light only when we left to Kerala for summer vacations, a new black stroller which had a number lock on it, with all my certificates and some cash (I could still hear Achan's voice asking me to be careful with my belongings), my red leather bag and Chinju all arranged to the left side of the room.

I kept wondering what to do now, Saturday evening at home, its usually malayalam movie time on Surya, munching Amma's parippuvada, laughter, and teasing Amma about the manglish pronunciations.......
but this evening was empty....

Amma had given me a list of things to do after she left, make the bed arrange your cupboard.....

I looked at the bottle green painted metal cot on the other side.....wonder who would come there....I heard a knock on the door, it was the administrator at the office, "your roommate will join only after a month, don’t wait for anybody today"
I smiled back and nodded my head in positive....
you can lock your door, she said and walked away...

I left the door half-open....we never closed doors at home.....only the main door closed when it was time to wind the day.......
some things dontdon't change...I can never lock myself up in a room when am alone even now...




I am going to be all by myself for a month now...is that what it meant...all the consoling about having a roommate for a company from Amma and Achan suddenly went into the drain...living away from home, for someone like me who was born and raised in the closed cocoon of love and affection from parents, was the toughest thing ever............ But I was supposed to be a brave girl....,

With great difficulty I untied the knots and spread the new bed on the cot.....
For the first time in my life, I had a bed all to myself....no more sharing with Smithu, no more pulling the ends of the blanket towards each other...I felt a little weird...
I donno if I was happy…….or excited then?

Made the bed with the new bedspreads, emptied the clothes in the suitcase and pushed the suitcase under my cot, arranged my cupboard, opened the new black stroller and pulled out the photo frame in it...A picture of us four placed it on the side table and placed ganu too on the side table along with the little lamp Amma had packed me.
Pulled out the cream-colored fiber plate and the steel glass and spoons and kept them in one of the racks of the cupboard along with the pickle....

It took almost three hours to set up everything and was kind of dusky when I looked out of the window....the green fields and to a corner the college building...
maybe the stream was behind the college.... I guessed...had heard someone speak about a stream when I was filling up my joining form...

I sat on the bed and looked around...everything was so quiet.......and I was feeling hungry too....should I just stay in the room and have the bread and jam amma has packed or should I go to the dining room...I don't even know anybody...how do I go and eat out alone....??? Thoughts flashed into my brain

I looked at the ceiling and stared at the rotating fan.....it buzzed .....that buzz was going to be the lullaby for the next two years of my life.....
Amma Achan and Smi would have reached home...what would they be doing....I wondered....a few hours and I was already homesick....

Someone knocked at the door, I looked up, A tall, slender girl with straight hair smiled at me.
Am Sandhya, Next door...:),
saw the door open....
do you want to come down for dinner......we are all going for dinner ??

I had a sense of relief at having someone to talk to ........
someone to give the unknown newcomer a warm welcome and company ...

I thanked her, grabbed my plate and glass and hopped behind her....I don’t have a count on the many meals that we have had together in that rectangular dining hall of our hostel.... but that night though was the start of a friendship that would grow and last forever...



Am glad I left that door open ...so happy that you stepped into my room and to my life Sandu....

10 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Good one Preekutty....
enikk eshtapettu....

reminds me of the day when my parents left me in the hostel :)
goody

3:24 AM GMT+5:30  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

ahhhh
I just went back to my hostel room reading this........

perfect...
keep writing

Sweety Thomas

7:16 AM GMT+5:30  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

this is the story of me and Riya......
I just went back to that first day at hostel.....
your post brought a smile girl

write more

7:45 AM GMT+5:30  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi,
am Jeevan,
my hostel was exactly like how you described...
nice post..:)
keep writing.....:)

8:41 AM GMT+5:30  
Blogger Smitha Nair said...

Goodies diiii...
All All r gone... those old familiar faces... ;)

12:42 PM GMT+5:30  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Too good!!!! .. Everyone who has stayed in a hostel can relate to this post and you have written it beautifully..loved the style..keep writing Pree...
Sona.

7:15 PM GMT+5:30  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

agreed....
Friends for life time....thats how they happen...
Friends meet when it is time , they keep each other going ........

Nice post :)

Sridhar

2:12 AM GMT+5:30  
Blogger Unknown said...

kollaam othiri nannaayittundu...

7:00 AM GMT+5:30  
Blogger Unknown said...

Really good one.Very well written.Reminded me of my hostel days!!!

Keep up the good work!!!!!!!!!!!!

4:12 AM GMT+5:30  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

oyyyy ye to apni kahani hey!!!!

Shonaaaaa shoonaaaa..
you are the best !!!

Deepa

12:38 AM GMT+5:30  

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