I was raised for most part of my life in Darjeeling, a beautiful and small hill station at the foothills of himalayas in West Bengal. I was accustomed to the peaceful environment of the place with close proximity to nature. I did my schooling right from the primary to the higher secondary here in Darjeeling, all in all Darjeeling had a great impact on me both socially and culturally. For my higher education, I would have to leave the place, and adjusting to a new city would, on one hand, be thrilling and exciting but overwhelming on the other. It would be a far cry from the peace and serenity here. However, secretly I was looking forward to it.
Delhi: The city that would shape me as an adult
After a lot of toil, tears and hard work I managed to secure admission in Hindu College, University of Delhi. Little did I know that this college would have such a big impact on me. Needless to say, I was in exaltation not only because of clearing the cutoff but also because it meant that Delhi was waiting for me with all its experience and entirety.
A couple of months later I was disillusioned only to realise that the year was 2020 and the pandemic had just begun. It felt unjust, it felt frustrating, all my life so far was school and home with boundations and when my time had come to taste freedom for once in my life, it seemed that perhaps destiny wanted to teach me a lesson of patience. The story of pandemic demands a separate blog but to summarise, it was a year and half-long penance with lots of lessons where the blues did not seem to end and one where the silver lining did not seem to appear.
Only hope kept the zeal alive. The advent of the spring of 2022 brought with itself some hope, the lockdown was lifted and my intuition suggested to me that soon the colleges would be reopened. With that hope I went to Delhi, despite the uncertainty. As luck would have it prayers were answered, the colleges soon reopened.
To date I vividly remember the first day when I met my friends from Google meet, WhatsApp and Instagram in person, the smile on our faces the happiness felt knew no bounds. I promised to myself, although I have only a year and half left with me, I would make the best use of it. The first few months were nothing short of euphoria. The fun of exploring the city, visiting cafes and hanging out with friends in person made life once again fun. Hindu seemed to promise something in times to come.
The middle years and the goodbyes
As the euphoria subsided and normalcy returned, life once again felt normal. I grew accustomed to the ways of life away from home, in Kamla Nagar, a surrounding neighbourhood in DU. Kamla was a bustling place that would never sleep, it was densely populated, the streets were narrow and anything natural did not seem to exist. It was everything but peaceful. It was in stark contrast to what I had experienced so far in life in Darjeeling.
Unlike in school, I made friends with a lot of people from everywhere in the country, thanks to the diversity offered by DU. I made friends across every department of my college barring one or two, I also made friends in the PG where I stayed in Kamla. Socialising wasn't the best of my skills but they say that necessity is the mother of all inventions and I was no exception, I was now spending most of my time with them, from attending classes to eating, to hanging out in the mornings and in the nights. I did not realise that I was subconsciously getting used to their ways and idiosyncrasies. From living in solitude to appreciating their camaraderie , I changed. I developed a deep bond that I would share for the years to come.
Education so far was restricted to the four walls of the classroom, but Hindu was a marked departure from that monotonous experience. All my life I was the topper who ran after grades but Hindu changed that, although I was doing well in my course, I understood that life had much more to offer. Marks did not bother me too much now. I was actively participating in Buniyaad-The Civil Services Society of my college. I was also taking up responsibilities, organising events and participating in class and college politics. Academic studies had become just another part of my life and not my life.
The days and months flew in no time. Time had come to say goodbye, farewell was nearing. By the end of third year I had made friends and memories for life, I knew that I was making memories that I would cherish for my life to come. The red walls of the college were deeply etched in my heart. The lanes of the North Campus, where I had walked the best steps of my life, seemed to disappear soon. Kamla which made me obnoxious initially held me tightly and now I did not want to leave. I did not want to be disenchanted. But the ways of time are different, it paid no heed to how I felt. I had to leave soon. I had to be nonchalant on my farewell.
Adulting: Reflections
Perhaps, the best thing about time is that it changes and it did change me. Hindu would be that transformative part of my life which would turn me, from a studious teen, into a mature adult. I was not the same person after those three years, these years would shape my perception for the life to come. In the way I made friends, friends for life. Perhaps they are the ones who would take a stand for you behind your back and they are the ones that stood in your hard times. Without them those three years would be meaningless.
In retrospect I realise that saying no to opportunities due to peer perception or shyness is saying no to development. No one would derive pleasure out of giving interviews to the Societies, taking up responsibility to organise an event might not be the most pleasurable of activities. But they are necessary because they add quality to your experience, these things teach you that which the schools have not. It is true that when you do all these activities you might not get adequate time for studies.
But life is not all about grades and marks, the ones that are not scoring well on exams are not any inferior, they might be focussing elsewhere. We should perhaps be less judgemental and DU taught me this in the best possible manner.
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