Happy Days

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I can't give a better title to my college days.

Well my days definitely didn’t start the way it generally does in the movies but definitely ended on a high note.

The fabric weaved itself around me, creating a gentle mother like environment. It’s more like the campus being the mother & the city, a somewhat formidable, aunt.

Just like different people have different tastes like some like Jeans (actually most), some like cotton, etc., I'll try to describe the fabric that gave me comfort.

The first highly noticeable difference was there was never the concept of the day, daybreak and night. There used to be some distinct boundaries to them till I entered insti. But almost as soon as I entered I understood, here, in college life, the day drifts into night and the night blends & becomes day without you being aware of it. The days become continuous; Today just flows into Tomorrow, like the functions mathematicians love.

When I just started I hated Chennai, Oh boy! Did I just hate it?

Reasons? Many.

Firstly it’s very very very hot. So initially I've never ventured outside except for movies, mall & of course beach (finally something that is cool in Chennai).

Well things have obviously changed in the course of time. I've found my wolf pack, and with the wolf pack any crazy/ stupid destination seems worthy enough and before I realized it became my home in a very subtle way without my knowledge. The longing for this home used to be quite apparent when I'm anywhere else other than Chennai.

Lazily going to Tarams to get a ginger tea or the mirchi bhajji by Andhra Mess, hitting Ascendas the moment we got chance, the ultra-awesome veggie dishes by Sangeetha, Dominos door delivery, 1+1 by Dominos on every Friday (for which they used to come on an auto-rickshaw); And of course the ever exquisite filter coffee at Tiffanys (a moment of silence here, No more Tiffanys in IIT L), cheap yet yummy Paniyaram at Campus Cafe, OAT with friends and the cutlet there, many a times I used to go to a movie just to enjoy the cutlet with friends, rides in the insti bus, all these slowly wound themselves around our lives.

The discussions at CCDs, not to forget the Devil's Own, the perpetual problem with insti net, Gigs of data download from DC++ (that’s my preferred software, I know few use Apex though), helping a friend messup with his laptop and of course putting a nightout later to solve it, fun with pals in DCF; going to DKC and TBR for the pristine Air Conditioning, the perpetually worn Hostel/ Saarang/ Shaastra Tee shirts; 

matches in common room, skirmishes of cricket vs. Football, going to hostel where there is HD connection, altercations between supporters in the common room during IPL; The cycle repairs, movie marathons with friends on Saturday nights, back to back serials seasons (my first was Mentalist); Holi & Diwali, and bickering about hostel sweets that never came, ice cream nights where table manners were the last thing you'd notice, overflowing ice cream liquid, protesting over the injustice in flavors the wing got, nightouts, shopping, trips to Tada, Tirupathi etc., with friends; Cheesy hostel nights, with the awesome to yuck range of costumes, never ending DJs;

cycling at odd hours (were there ever any odd hours, I don’t think so?), travails due to monkeys, the unique white Blackbuck (which usually can be seen frolicking in front of Godav or behind Taramani Guest House), long queues at ATMs, hungry-but-no-time-gurunath-noodles, the ever awesome Elec coffee shop (claps and whistles), election fever and the (un)expected results, everything seem to evoke a grand memory.

Every morning checking out on remaining number of classes we can bunk (that was difficult) so as not endup with a W, running to class after waking up late, enjoying breakfast when not having the 8 O' clock class, forgetting calci on exams, begging the proff for Attendance, befriending the TA, queues in xerox shop the night before an exam, crowd at gurunath coffee shop the midnight before an exam, last minute worries about exam venue (trust me it sucks), fundaes with Seniors where no one came on time (you endup doing the same after becoming senior), posing for RGs, are now fond memories.

Awesome HS courses (*wink*wink), anticipation of the girls for Saarang, filmy couples & associated rumors, jealous stares and gossips;

Nervousness before placements, new formals for the occasion, struggling with the knots of tie, pain through the ordeal, smugness after the achievement; BTP, becoming friends with lab seniors, weekly discussions and those software gods;

'She' accepting friend request and slowly establishing connection leading to friendship and… (Happy Dance)!!!

Andhra Mess, Pizzas and lots of Coke;

Not to forget our awesome max insti lingo, all these bring forth a smile to my face.

I miss the chit-chat at guru, the walk along the road from Godav to Tiffanys via SAC, and the usual detours to new hostels to enjoy some fresh evening air, the happiness in the air, with kids frolicking around, near new faculty buildings Kurinji, the pleasant night breeze on hostel terrace, which is so perfect for a long call with her.

I miss checking for coupons/ couriers at the security and the sight of the computers in our DCF.

My eyes are sore for the sight of delivery vehicles of the e-commerce website which seem to lurch on campus roads forever.

There are many more small yet beautiful things and details which made my BTech life extraordinary and super cool. J

I wish I can go back to being that freshie being ragged at 2 am, by asking to exactly reproduce the Michael Jackson steps which were just shown.

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