Hostel life has taught me many important things which I really could not learn at home. To live with variety of people, with various distinguish habits, believes and religion too. Experience always teaches us something, no matter bad experience or a good one!

I was in 3rd semester when Swati Dahiya ma’am asked me to attend a “Training Cum Awareness” program on plant biotechnology organized by DST (Department of Science and Technology), Chandigarh in H.A.U. (Haryana Agricultural University), Hisar.

“Two students from each college can attend this program. Be there on time and for further details contact Dr. Reena Yadav there.” Mam handed over a papers to us.

On the scheduled day, Anamika and I reached DST. We were around 30 students from different colleges of Haryana standing in the queue and getting our registration done. For the whole day, we attended the lectures and learnt a lot about advancements in plant biotechnology. Then arrived the time to think about accommodation. It was around 5 pm when the authority of DST decided to provide us the accommodation in farmers’ hostel for all us, 9 girls. They left us at the door of farmers’ hostel and all of us thought that because it must be a farmer’s hostel, farmers’ might be living there with their families and we went to our apartment where we were provided with 4 rooms.

“Hey, light of our room is not working. Do you know where we can complain?” Neha from a college of Karnal came to our room.

“No, we should go downstairs. May be we can find some official there.” I said to her wearing my slippers to accompany her.

We went downstairs and searched for any official, but we were unable to find anybody. In front was a door, slowly we opened the door. We were expecting some help but all in vain! Rather we were shocked to find the room full of boys watching T.V. actually it was common room of the so called farmers’ hostel! Then we came to know that we were in a boys’ hostel! But we didn’t have any option, and we thought that authorities must have already considered all the options!

Later, we went for dinner at faculty lounge at around 8pm. Actual problem started at this point! The boys were sitting with us on dinner table and they were curious to know about us!

“Can you pass the water?” A Boy sitting opposite to us asked pointing towards jug of water.

With this help, they started talking to us.

“You were staying in faculty hostel?” He enquired.

“No, we are in Farmers’ Hostel.” We did not know their intentions.

We took it casually and interacted with them, but it was like they got some sparrows stuck in their cage. After dinner, we went to our rooms and were just preparing to play some game. It was 9:00 pm., suddenly there was a Knock! Knock! Knock! We all were shocked! Who could be there at this time?

We girls were alone in boys’ hostel. We ignored the knock, but it was followed by the next. They were some residents’ boys of that hostel only, we didn’t open the door. Then the conversation began with the door closed between the two sides. They asked us for blankets and they were convincing us to open the door. They were pushing the doors hard when we refused to open the door as by the time we had realized that they were drunk. Moreover the doors of the room were in really bad condition and window panes were of glass that could easily be broken. The walls of verandah were so low that an average person could cross them!!

We called up our associated teacher and requested her to come to hostel. Meanwhile the knock at the door still continued. They were trying to find out some way that they could enter in the room. We asked them to leave, but they started arguing with us in local dialect, Haryanvi.

“Madam kaambal dedo”, pat came the reply! “Bhai, Koi Kaambal koni aadey. Samajh me koni aandi tanney” One of us answered them!

“Accha madam ek baar darwaaja to khol do, Hum dekh laan haan bhitar aake k kaambal hain k koni.” He argued.

“Jad bata di koni koi kaambal, samajh me koni aawe? Kon si bhasha samajh me aawe hai?” she tried to make him go!!

This conversation made us shiver. We were scared but tried a lot to control situation and not to show them our fear!  We have been studying in co-ed since nursery but never had an experience of arguing with the drunken boys. Then we didn’t reply to any of their comments or knock, we just called again our ma’am and waited for her. Time seemed to have slowed down to a staggering halt. Finally ma’am arrived with her husband and an official.

“What was happening here?”  Reena Ma’am asked the watchman.

But he was a big liar! He said, he warned us to bolt the door perfectly and blah, blah, blah!! He was just making his own stories before ma’am. But ma’am was really very understanding. She just ignored him and asked us for our wish.

“See, I had no idea you may face this situation. I can stay with you here for whole night.” She was very humble.

But all of us were determined to leave that hostel!

“No Ma’am, we cannot stay here. Please arrange a single room for us; we will manage, but not here!”  All of us said in unison.

Then ma’am took us to her home. It was around 11.30 pm. All of us were in the home of a stranger but still feeling secure! We set our beddings on floor, had tea and went to our beds. The insecurity, fear and anger I felt in those four hours, is unforgettable! On the next day, we left for our training session and in evening for our home after felicitation program.

While sitting in the bus on the way to our home, the whole scene was coming in front of my eyes. This was really a very scary experience! Away from our home, parents, expecting help from a stranger. All that was a big dilemma! But I really thank that lady.

I realized why my mother used to keep me instructing all the time not to leave hostel late in evening. Precaution is better than cure. One needs to always be ready for all kind of situation in life, especially when we are living away from home.

“Mumma will be worried and will pour a tank of questions on me. For that sake please don’t say anything to her.” I narrated the whole story to papa with disclaimer.

“Don’t worry about that. I know you must be fine and always remember these experiences are meant to teach us. You are now more mature and bold after this incident. Think like that, whatever happened in life is for good sake only.” Papa said to me.

“Yeah! For this I thank you to allow me to have this exposure. You have shown me the world and it’s both parts, good and bad.”

It was heartbreaking to hear sudden demise of Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam last evening. He left the world corporeal but will stay in our hearts always. He was the real hero and inspiration for the children, youth and people who love to live their lives differently. We all work for the earnings but he worked because he loved to do so. Even he died doing what he loves, teaching. A forever Teacher, a Missile Man, a President and a great human he was.

Everyone has to die one day but when and how we don’t know. We all will die one day but who will when we will die, this matters a lot. He does not get married but the whole world was his family. He loved and inspired people beside their religion, gender, designation and social status. He understood the value of youth of a nation so he always loved to spare his quality time with them. One could see him doing jogging in Commonwealth village during his stay in Delhi after his Presidency. He was a great leader, an extraordinary human and a forever young and thoughtful person. A scientist, a writer, a reluctant politician and a person with forever smile defines him well.

He passes away, we all are paying tribute to him, country is mourning and Tamil Nadu has announced a week’s mourning period to pay homage to him. But his death question our existence, is it sufficient to pay tribute in this way only? No, I feel the real way to pay tribute to him is to follow his path of learning, hard work, open mindedness and secularism.  We should also live our life loving our work, whatever it is, inspiring all who comes around us. If we can learn few of his teaching, if not all, that will be the real tribute in my eyes. We salute you Dr. Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam, for enlighten and inspiring our lives, we promise you we will keep the flambeau live to show path to the coming generations.

I remember one incident from my visit to Himachal Pradesh during my childhood days. People living there are simple and pure hearted. People in Himachal are very sweet, innocent and helping. They live in nature and far away from pretentions. One day, we were going to some temple for worshipping.

“Mumma, I am feeling thirsty.” I said to Mumma showing her the empty Bisleri bottle.

“Oh! its finished, first visit the temple then we will buy another one for you. Whom will we ask for water.”

“No, I am feeling thirsty. I cannot walk anymore.” I was not in a habit of walking long distances at least at high altitude. In mountains, shops are not in large number as we see in plain areas. Mumma did not have any option but to ask pandit in temple.

He pointed to a home and asked us to fetch water from there. I was shy asking some unknown people for water but my thirst took away my shyness and I stepped towards that house.

“Yes, coming.” Some lady answered in her local language.

“Namaste, Please come.” She invited me and Mumma to her home realizing that we are new to the place.

She was wearing normal suit like us but wearing dhatu on head instead of dupatta. Dhatu is the local name of this small piece of cloth that only married ladies wear in this area of Himachal. This is like Sindoor here that differentiates married ladies from the unmarried. Unmarried ladies keep their heads naked while married ladies wear these dhatu all the time.

“Thanks, we shall be thankful if you can give one glass of water. My daughter is feeling thirsty and we could not find any shop nearby else we could have purchased a Bisleri.” Mumma explained her as in Haryana we hardly find any well off person asking for water to some strangers. Only beggars and robbers do so. So, Mumma was explaining her but she was treating us like V.I.P. as if is she was following the slogan Atithi Devo Bhavah!!

“Please come, No need to remove shoes.” She requested again and tried to make us feel at home when she noticed that I was removing shoes.

We entered the house; neat and clean wooden floor was making it different from compacted room with marble floor of our house. The house was filled with a pure fragrance and all the things were placed in a tidy way.

Her daughter brought the water, I gulped three glasses. The water was so good that it had no match. No need to purify the purest form of water coming from springs.

As I was about to put the glass on table, an old lady came from inside with a plate full of various fruits in her hand. Number of wrinkles on her face were more than crumples on bed sheet after my fight with Subodh. I was stunned to know that she was 104. People living in mountains do ample physical work and hence stay fit even in centuries.

“Can I take a photo with you?” I asked her ebulliently.

She smiled and said something in the local language which was translated by her daughter in law.

I took a photo with her, thanked her and we were about to leave.

“Please finish these fruits.” The lady insists.

“No, No thanks. We are getting late for our worship. Thank you for the water.” Mumma said to her giving explanation.

The old lady said something which means we should sit for some more time and she entered an igloo like room with her bent back. It reminded me of Vaishno Mata Cave even that is wider than this igloo. She came out in minutes with a bag carrying plum, raw almonds, Cashew and other local fruits.

Her daughter-in-law translated whatever she wanted to say to us. I was overwhelmed with the treatment these people give to even strangers.

“Mumma, we never pack remaining biscuits or sweets to the guests coming to our home. Why they gave us this packet?” I asked Mumma pulling the bag up as it was carrying my favorite fruits.

Even she was unanswerable.