Those hours in Boys' Hostel
2:41 AM
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.”
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