Life went on without much change for the first week. I was not making much public contact those days as I met with a bitter incident on the second night itself. So somehow survived the first wave. Actually it was me who misunderstood Manjesh sir’s wrath. Later Amal told me something about his character. Manjesh sir never tolerated arguments. So if you happen to come across his wrath, its best to keep quiet. Otherwise he will just destroy you. I just got incinerated…
Speaking of Manjesh sir I just forgot to mention another name. There was another terror at palahouse (I mean another warden), named Thomas sir. We used to hear scary stories about him. Legend has it that Thomas sir made ghost visits to rooms and busted “uzhapyfying” students and made them stand outside the hostel all night. There were also rumors that he used to practically throw students out of their rooms, if they were caught violating the rules of Pala house. Luckily he got engaged when our batch got into the hostel and Manjesh sir became the chief warden. Another sir also had the charge. Biji sir. But he was restricted to ground floor. Moreover he was kinda fun. Biji sir who moved around with those very famous dialogues “Do do do do do, nna paripadi…..padikkanonnum illae???” was an all time favorite to all of us.
Pala house after a week’s analysis was the worst of my nightmares coming true. Day after day after day I came to hate that place. But all these desperate times I made some great companies. The trio from Pathanamthitta, Balu B Nalukettil, Rahul Raghav and Sibi B Abraham, occupying the rooms 64,65 and 66 respectively. The three were quiet a great company. Their rooms were across the study room. My room (Room number 61) was the room overlooking chief warden’s room. All evening Manjesh sir and Biji sir was stuffed inside that room watching TV. This was the time when we used to do all our errands to other rooms. First week was the only week when I made minimum contact with other rooms. In other words first week was the only week with me inside my own room. It was also the only week that I turned on my fan.
My routines were also very straight forward. The day started with me in the bed. Later me in the bathroom ( I used to bathe during those days). After that, me before the payphone calling home. The time when I had to complain about anything and every thing here at Pala house. A trip to Royees canteen. Gobbling up a couple of dosas and here I go again to brilliant. There a hectic 8 hour schedule. Before noon all my battery would go empty. After a recharge from the canteen again back in class. Evening, there was a small tea break before we departed for the hostel. After that we would hop into the bus to Pala house.
The situation at Pala house was not so yielding for the first week. The more I restricted myself to that room of mine, the more I came to hate the place. My room overlooked the warden’s room in the 1st floor. So out of of boredom if I ever come to open the windows, I found myself locking eyes with Manjesh sir. It made me suffocate with shame and guilt. If he came round by my room at night, he found me on the bed, with a book in my lap and my eyelids weighing down. He used to groan in disgust and went past my room. The more I tried to be obedient and harmless, the more I irritated him.
Pala House also had this custom of weekly meetings after every weekly exam. We would assemble in the courtyard and Manjesh sir would preside over the entire session. On the first week, he called upon a meeting just to reinforce the hard and past rules of pala house. He talked about the results in Pala house in the bygone years and the level of discipline that is maintained in the hostel. And he listed out all our shortcomings. When he was pointing out the mistakes we made in this short span of 3 days, he used small instances to justify his point.
“Kurachu perund. Pandu schoolil padikkunna kaalathu combine study cheytha ormayil study roomil poyirunnu discussion. Avar avarude time kalayanatho potte. Baaki studentsnem kudi distract cheyyunnu. Oruthane njn pidichu chaadichittund. Athu ningalkkellam oru paadamaakatte. Ini melal study roomil discussion kettu pokaruth…”
I knew he was referring to me. It was like salt over wound. “Damn, he doesn’t like me”, I thought.
And he didn’t stop with that. He also referred indirectly that top floor was the most careless floor. It made me look like an idiot among my new found friends. I prayed hard for this to be over. I was cent percent homesick. I was cent percent claustrophobic. Pala house also had the system of politely abstaining you from going home often. If you wanted to go home, you should convince Manjesh sir that if you don’t go, the whole world would fall apart at home. Even that won’t convince him. So naturally being a doofus, this humble narrator of yours, never had the courage to ask permission to go home for that weekend.
Saturday went without much hustle. sunday morning I found myself curled under my bed sheet shivering with a fever. At last, all my inner toil showed up as a nasty fever. Luckily my dad showed up at hostel. He might have come by to review how his loyal son was thriving in the new universe. But he found a sick son, shivering like a cold turnip. So he took me to the hospital nearby (‘Cherupushpam hospital: you got a fever, drink this and eat this. You got a stomach ache, drink this and eat this…… and if you don’t get well, then go to hell….)
The next day, Monday, was the very first weekly test for us. And here I was down with a good old fever. But my courage didn’t die (You know nothing, all you have is courage, right?…. Which means you can face the worst result without fear…)
I wrote the exam in turbo speed. Scribbled and bubbled and tossed the paper to the invigilator. Didn’t wait for another soul to get out of the exam hall. Dad was waiting outside. I just ran to Manjesh sir, somehow blurted out that I was ill and wanted to go home. I never knew what his reply was. I didn’t wait for that. I boarded a train and was home before afternoon. Of course I got an injection from the hospital, but at that cost, I was relieved. I was happy. A ‘pause and reflect’ moment for me. Of course nothing was wrong with me that I shall discontinue the whole thing. I needed to move forward. Before this fever went away and I was alright and back in that lousy room of mine, I needed some hardening. I needed some thought provoking……….
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