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Chapter 2- D Day

The admission date was scheduled for October but thanks to the never ending formalities and political disruptions that arise every year around the engineering admissions, the date got postponed to the end of November. 

Come November 22 and I set foot for the first time in the CET - a massive campus sprawled across acres of land. We were asked to assemble in the CETAA hall of the college where the principal greeted us and congratulated us for being part of the best college in Kerala. Parents all around beamed with pride over their off springs who according to the principal were the creamy layer. My father glanced at me as if I had just won the Oscar. Well, not bad, I thought I could sure cash on this one, while the aura lasted i.e. 

Post session we moved onto the admissions floor in the main building. People already had kicked off conversations like they knew each other for ages. Its like humans, esp Mallus have an inbuilt radar that help them track down another fellow being by picking on familiarity from their dialect, demeanour, (while the more racist ones had upgraded radars to identify their own). So total strangers were chatting off gleefully near the admission office their only sense of belonging being their common home grounds or immediate neighbourhoods and more importantly the engineering branch their kids belonged to. 

I too kicked off conversation with their progeny especially with those with whom I would end up sharing a bench in the near future. Some parents chose to isolate themselves to groups based on the facts such as local nativity, the apparent "superiority" of the branch their children would be enrolling in  (yes, it exists, though there is a tough comeptiton between Electronics and IT as to which one supercedes the other) …as my turn came into submit my documents I realized I had forgotten to bring my conduct certificate from the previous educational institution. I was expecting some kind of ruckus over the issue from the admission officer but he seemed to be unperturbed though he did rub me the wrong way by highlighting my rank and the fact that it was pretty low considering that it was my second trial at the exams. I wanted to give him a piece of my mind by saying that I still was ahead of a two lakh other people who had attempted the exam and also had chosen to opt for a seat based on merit and not payment but better sense prevailed since I did not want to create a scene (not on the first day itself). I guess he picked up on my response from the glare I gave him to which his prompt response was, “you better bring in your conduct certificate in a week” 

"why, why is it so important? I asked. 

"How do we know you are not a crazy one or a one with a criminal taste, say one who threw a bottle at the administration," he asked in jest. 

I heard some giggles and he was thoroughly enjoying the response. 

"Well, I can assure you that I have a good record based on the certificate I will deliver tomorrow but I who is to say I wont pick up new habits soon," I replied. 

I could see that he did not enjoy the retort and so quickly collected my papers and moved on lest he delay my admission procedure. 

And thus I was a Cetian, officially, rumoured to be a special species that were envied by many in the state but also frowned upon for they are known to develop an overbearing attitude within a year of enrolment. Well, we will have to wait and see, wont we. 

So the next stop was the hostel, now this part I dreaded for my last memory of staying at a hostel had been quite horrible. Pathetic food, an overly curious spinster for a matron, really not a very endearing experience. Besides this was a hostel that housed over 300 gals not just from all parts of Kerala, but also the NR and the islanders (andamans, lakshwadeep). That’s a whole lot of cultural confusion under one roof and of course there were THE SENIORS. People have a tendency to pick on me- the reasons are manifold – I am a little overbearing as a result of my height and structure, I was atleast 5 ft 8 if not more, and my NRI upbringing had put me a bit away from the skinny side, and worst of all I had a resting bitch face (face that bore an attitude of superiority even if I didn’t have one). People always thought I was a snob or an overly haughty person. This most certianly guaranteed trouble for me wherever I went.

So myself and my new found acquaintance Divya and our respective parents got down in front of the
hostel from the car while seniors screened us from a distance; there were muffled whispers, we even saw a few pointing fingers at us. The matron, a short plump lady with spectatcles, awaited us, she seemed warm and affectionate as if welcoming the newly wed bride into the new house. Sure enough, it would be only a matter of time before she transformed into the typical mother in law from the Malayalam serials we were so familiar with. 

She politely informed us that the rooms were all currently occupied. This was music to our ears, of course. Both Divya and I were hoping to get a paying guest accommodation to avert the possibility of confronting seniors. But to our dismay the matron said that we could move into the common room where currently the newer admissions were being accommodated. It was a temporary adjustment, a matter of one or two weeks after which rooms would become available as a batch of arkee seniors would be graduating. Well, its better than sharing a room with the seniors I thought. So we were a bit relieved as we were done for the day. All that remained was to go back to the hotel, get ready for the next day when I would officially enter my department.

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