Pure Entertainment!

Right after dinner, some girls would stay on in the common room adjoining the dining hall to watch some TV while others would proceed to their rooms..........either to their own or to their friend's.

Those days there weren't many TV channels like we have these days. We just had DD (Doordarshan) and one of the favourite programme was "Chitrahaar" ...which was a medley. This was at 8.30pm if I re-call and used to draw the biggest crowd........just about when dinner got over. More than the actual scene happening on the TV, it was the antics of some of the girls which made it more enjoyable. It starts with the Sponser's (NIRMA) advertisement. Nearly all the girls would join in singing the jingle, "Nirma washing powder...". When "Chitrahaar" started, apart from the antics there would be comments on the actors & actresses style, clothes, etc. It was actually quite hilarious....I got to see a few, during my stay in M.H.H.....thanks to some of my avid TV watching friends.

Personally, I never liked viewing TV.....with a crowd!

Miss Underworld Nite

The ragging in the hostel.......slowly was becoming fewer as the days passed. It would soon be over.........the last day....night to be precise was to be the "Miss Underworld Nite". We didn't have a welcome dinner as such.........this was to be it.

All of us "Freshers" were told to dress up as an Underworld Character. It was like a Fancy Dress Do......except that the Seniors were in their usual attire.........some even in their nightclothes! This was the last time when the Seniors would get to rag this batch of "Freshers" and so they were all out to make the most of it! M.H.H. Mess - the dining hall was indeed a long hall. At the beginning when you enter, there's the long table where the Warden, the Housekeeper & the Nurse would sit overlooking us students who were seated in 3 rows of tables. Now, there was a mike too nearby. We were to introduce ourselves as the character we were impersonating and then run through the rows where the Seniors sat with their legs stretched out so as to trip you when you ran through as well as grab you..........do not undertsand what they got out of it..........it was so childish!

Well, we had girls dressed as Ghosts.........with white sheets as their costumes with holes for the eyes, then loads of witches all dressed in black...with blackened faces and who when they cackled looked more hideous as some of their teeth were blackened too! Then, there were others dressed as thieves, dacoits...........a friend of mine was dressed as the famous Dacoit Queen, Phoolan Devi!

As for me, hmmmm I went dressed as a Gangster's Moll! My name was called out....they now had a "Good Name" for me, finally.........they had to come up with one.........everyone was given a name tag card....I guess it was a tradition?! As I said, my name was called out... "Fresher Bah!" Why? "M was a perfect sheep. Whenever we asked her to do something, all she said was "Bah!" Hmmm I would have to agree on this! As I said in my earlier posts, I just refused to be ragged. Me being a Goat (Capricorn that I am) ....comparison with a sheep... not far off too! After this, I crooned as seductively as I could, "Like a Virgin....." Madonna's hit song!

At the end of all this fancy parade, we were served a sumptuous dinner. Officially, ragging was now closed. At last!

Our Hangout

K.Nags............Kamla Nagar for those who are not from the University.....and not into the Miranda Lingo......was a hangout for all of us here in the University Campus.......North Campus to be precise. Yes, there are 2 Campus - the North & the South..........and of course the North Campus is the best! No, I mean it really! Ask anyone! Most of the Top colleges were here in the North and all at a walking distance.

Well, coming to where I started.....K.Nags.....this was the place where we bought all our course books..........this was the place where we bought greeting cards for all occasions..........and occasions were plenty!..........Birthdays........Valentine Day.....Holi.....Raksha Bandhan... Diwali....Christmas...New Year.....and also for no occasion cards....simply!....Missing you...Sorry...

Then, there was this "Chana Bhatura" (Indian Bread with chickpeas) stall in a "galli" (lane).........."Chacha's". Chacha in Hindi means an Uncle. In India, everybody was an Uncle or an Aunt..........we do not address as Mr or Mrs....that would have been rude. This is the Indian culture. Coming to "Chacha's", this was a really popular place with all. The food was delicious and the price reasonable. One had to wait.....to be served.........not in line though! Just hang around in front of the stall!

Another popular place with us, was the place where we would either have cold coffee or badam milk....."Badam" meaning almond. A trip to K.Nags was incomplete without having a drink........and this was really delicious.........especially the badam milk..........nutritious as well as tasty.....We would see that all the badam pieces at the bottom were tossed to our mouth along with the last bit of the milk..........full value of the money paid!

I also must tell about the corner cold drink shop where we would so often stop for a refreshing drink...........of "kancha nimbu"! No, this is not an exotic drink...........just plain old lemonade in a bottle with a marble for a stopper! Kancha is marble and nimbu is lemon in Hindi. The marble in the bottle would be punched in to remove it and masala (spices) which was black salt, pepper, etc would be added, shaken and a straw inserted and given to us. It was yummy!

Lastly, this was a place to see and to be seen...........for many boys & girls!

Dress like a "Behenji"

Continuing with the ragging...........One of the silly things which the "Freshers" were made to do by the Seniors was to dress up like "Behenji" for the day or for a week. This means even going for your classes and everywhere else dressed like that or you've had it!

The word "Behenji" actually means sister (Behen) with the suffix ji (mark of respect). Here in the University, College, hostel, the word meant an outcast...you were not hip, smart & happening...... something to look down upon. So to be one... or act like one was....demeaning.

Now, to dress like a "Behenji" meant wearing salwar (the bottom part of a Punjabi suit) with a T-shirt, oily hair braided if long and to cover the head with the dupatta (scarf/stole) and lastly to wear a big Bindi on the forehead.

How utterly silly!

Meals in the Hostel

We were served four square meals!

Breakfast was rationed.....the milk, cornflakes, bread & butter and we could either have an egg or a fruit! Tea was unlimited. Choosing between the egg or the fruit...........it was a major decision....at least for me! I was not a tea drinker back then, so I just had the bread & butter and the egg and went for my classes. The milk was kept aside to be consumed late at night.......... made into coffee to be precise!

Lunch was one meal that I seldom skipped, even though every week the menu would be repeated. Some girls would know precisely what we were getting............I never did............good in one way....at least there was the element of surprise that I could look forward to. "Kadi"(made with curd & gram flour) & "Rajma" (Kidney Beans) were the favourites of nearly everyone. All "Dals" (lentils) were described by their color. Girls would ask, "What's for lunch?" to those who have already had....and the reply would be "Red Dal" or "Yellow Dal" or "Green Dal". There was also a "Dal" which we all knew as "Flying Saucer". I still don't know their actual names!

Tea was served with some snack. I only went for the snack as I didn't have tea. Tea again was unlimited while the snack was rationed...one "Samosa" or one "Bread Pakoda" or one "Aloo Chop" or one..... At times, they would make teeny-weeny "Pakodies".......these we would get a handful. One should see the girls having their tea..........they didn't use the normal tea cups...they had these huge Coffee Mugs....... some even drank their's in Beer Mugs!

Dinner time, the Mess was packed unlike Lunch time when the girls used to come in as per their class schedule or when they felt like during the time limit. As in lunch, we were served Rice, "Chappati" (Indian Bread), "Dal", "Subzi" (Vegetables) and curd. We were also given dessert! This could either be Custard, "Kheer" (sweet rice cooked in milk with dry fruits) or even half a Watermelon............during the watermelon season!

My First & Last Ragging

I had escaped ragging so far. Seniors knew more about me than I thought.......they knew me as the Pilot's daughter.........Dad being in the Air Force! Seems they had been enquiring about me. They were really eager to meet me. These ragging sessions were conducted in little groups....and there were a couple of groups who were credited as being the Worst Raggers..... headed by Seniors who were BAD.

So far, I had just heard from my room mate & friends what happens in these session...and what they are made to do. So, when I got a call from this Notorious Group, I decided to check it out for myself. I entered along with a couple of other girls, the smoke filled room. There were Seniors on the beds....on the chairs...perched on the table....standing/leaning against the wall.... in short it was house full....nay, room full! They stared us down.......blew smoke from the corner of their mouth.... like the bad guys in the movies....they tried intimidating us. Was I scared? No. It was disgusting.........the bullying part....

They asked me to introduce...I didn't have a "Good Name" so far.....they couldn't come up with one either. Then, being an English Hons Student, I did the "Reading". I guess they didn't have much fun with me.

This was my first & last ragging session in Miranda House....I chose to experience it first hand.

My head held high....

I was told that I walked with my head held high & my nose up in the air.........well, nothing wrong at that but I guess while you were new to the Hostel/College, one was expected to have shown some fear of the Seniors & perhaps was expected to have shuffled along with your head touching your chin when you were around them! My upbringing & the nuns in the school had instilled in me what the correct posture should be so I just couldn't change to suit the Seniors!

The Seniors called me Snooty....Haughty...........none of which was/is true! A Pilot's daughter?........hmmmm.........partly true..........as Dad was in the Air Force....flying branch...