Yet Another Software Junk | മറ്റൊരു പാഴ്‌ജന്മം

When I got a fairly good rank in Kerala Entrance, my Father was sure about getting an admission in GEC, Thrissur. He was not at all bothered about the stream . But only thing he insisted was about the College ie., GEC, Thrissur. I was sure about getting a seat in Electrical branch. All my cousins were in that stream in same College( 'admitted' to CSE a couple of days before the first class). He didn't allow me to opt any other College and hence I missed a Hostel life.

You could see a Businessman's eye to cut down the hostel expenses and a usual parent's mind to get a full control over a teenager, his Kadinjool (first born) and a loving father's heart to spend more time with his son.

So I became a day-scholar. Did I Miss anything?
Yes, I lost
A wide opportunity to see the outer world.
A chance to live with a crowd to know the meaning of Adjustment and sharing.
A good chance to know others feelings and pulse.
A fair chance to know the self-money-management.

I lost a chance to run a BIG Mess, the pleasure of bargaining for the massive amount of groceries for the mess and save money (pacha malayalathil moshanam) to face the discrepancies in the final account settling.

I lost a chance to fully involved in drama rehearsals, dance practices etc. I am still sad about not being able to act in Dhanush' Skit in 6th semester on the theme of Malayalam Movie- Niram. All characters in this skit were my old classmates with minor changes in their names to make it funny, vangana rames aka Anjana, pikkas (Mallu tone for pickaxe) aka Vikas , vaneesh aka Suneesh are just a few example . He was succeeded in stitching most of the events happened very often in the college. I strongly suspected that the hostellers purposefully avoided us (day-scholars).

But I was happy to say that they were kind enough to make me main dancer in the cultural program. Couldn't they find a shorter guy than me?

I lost a chance to go out in the middle of the night and eat Mutta-Porotta, Dosa or whatever available that time from a thattukada

I lost a chance to lay down on the College Cricket Ground in night and watch the stars.
I lost a chance to visit tharavaadu at least once. (my father has 36 eyes in the town)
I lost a chance to become a Raja Ravi Varma by putting my hands in drawing on the walls.
I lost a chance to be nostalgic by visiting my hostel room after 5 or 10 or 20 years.

Anyhow we decided to live in the College Hostel for a week. Mel, Vikas, Bijoy- do you remember?

"Father, I want to complete my final year project."
"Good..at least you started thinking about the project in the last month"
"That is the Engg. College Style, you may not know"
"eda I also passed through your age..."
"...Ok what do you want from me to complete your project"
"I just want your permission to stay in the hostel for a week; so that we can work together to finish the project..."
"...Mel, vikas and Bijoy .. all are staying with me"
" Is Bijoy also coming..."
"...then you may go"

Bijoy was a star in my home. What an innocent fellow!!!
"you must watch and follow Bijoy...", Mom reminds me once in a month.
"...I afraid that he might ruin himselfif you walk along with him" she added.
"Of course, I'll try to", I promissed. (happy to announce that I kept my words ;-)

May be April 21st is one of the unforgettable day in the hostel, Chit-chat till mid-night !!!
We shared our old crushes, just crushes !! Hours flew like a second.
It was 4AM when we decided to stop and sleep. We were supposed to touch our final yearproject at least on the last day :-(

Other highlighted thing was eating Mutta-kolli from thattukada at Mid-night.

But I am so glad to realize that
I still keep a good relationship wuth my local friends; Still, whenever I go home, I meet a couple of friends every time; they are still keeping the local Thrissur accent and I am loosing my trademark tone :-( even it become tougher for me to understand the current Thrissur slangs !!!
"ippo evide kidanna thiriyanne ?" my local football team-player asked once.
I took a few seconds to realize that he is asking where I am working now !!!

I am blessed to enjoy ammachi's exotic dishes for all of my life except these 2 years. Sometimes it is horrible even to hear about the junk hostel food.

Needn't worry about food; everything is ready on time; I can show my anger for a minor mistake in meals or curries;"enthoram uppa ithu!!! oru kottakkundalo"( a lot of salt !!!)
Mom always complains to father "athai ee chekkane kondu hostelil nirthu ; ennale ivan padikku". (send him to Hostel to teach a lesson)

Needn't wash my clothes !!! what a Lucky I was !!!

Needn't worry about Money, "appacha oru 20 roopa"; ha ha.
"appacha oru 250 roopa; oru textbook vangikkana"; that was my main resource to eat out ;-)
Occasionally he is ready to give money for that; but no thrill in it ;-)

Day-scholar-ship allowed me to work in CLC and was a librarian for 5 years. Could see a lot of people throughout. Activities like arranging tournaments, book fairs, competitions, fights duing meetings ..I will never get such things in a Hostel.

"might" be continued...

Part I :Touching 5 years after we split
Part II : Once WE lived there
Part III : Changes