My first memory about losing something important gives way to this story 12 yrs later, when I just started going to Degree college of Engineering. New college, new city and new friends, Bangalore being a metropolitan city was my first exposure to independence, mixed cultures and finding myself. Coming from Baroda was not a hindrance but i felt the usual apprehensions and jitters. Girls in general have to go through a lot of s*%t, especially if u don't belong from the core city.
My college categorized us all who did not belong from Karnataka as north Indian's. We were given lectures in half kannada, half English and when questioned were asked to learn the local 'twisted' language. I have been travelling every few years due to my parents transferable job, but 'English' or our national language 'Hindi' was used everywhere (till i landed to mars overnight) .
After the initial adjustments I was learning to see the positive sides of college life. I made friends, got elected to be the editor of our college newsletter, was gaining popularity for my singing, dancing and other talents.
Things were changing in our hostile premises too, between the co-ed environment friendships were being built, relations being formed. Our professors encouraged us for extra-curricular's and hence in our college's history an all girls band was being formed.
Back then in the year 2002, engineering was tough for an artist like me. Luxuries like cars and gadgets were still to trend, money was not abused and behind the barriers. But still we dreaded studying and i was still in my creative world with my own confusions. To top it all we girls were daring to be bold in our racial discriminating college of the south, where everyone was against us. In the meanwhile i happen to have a crush on a cute senior knowing little that every guy in the college was eyeing my love progression. I am not a shy person and I come across as a pretty bold girl, so I being myself never cared a damn. After our first semester exams we heaved a sigh of relief when our annual festival was announced. Our girl band 'INSURGE' was formed with much fanfare and we were singing our hearts out lending a song to every soul who needed it. In between rehearsals and some harmless flirting, I started to get threats from my seniors, my batch mates and some unknown people for being friends with the wrong people (they being the right one’s of course).
Soon it was time for our annual college fest, we were thrilled and quite happy to be performing. Our show was a hit, my contentment short lived when the news of my stolen bike hit me on the face. The planned robbery had taken place during our performance. Instantly the threats I've been getting started to resonate in my head, those teases, the name calling and that one man who meant to do harm. Luck still held my hand and the same night I was informed that our hostel guard, who was on campus duty identified my vehicle because of the Gujarat number plate. He caught the local guy who told him that he’s taking it for a quick repair which he didn't believe and called the cops. ' Lost and found ' YES, but I got my bike only after a month and that too after fighting a proper case. Hard times in an unknown city for sure as this was only the beginning to my many accounts of life.
Two things that I learnt in that procedure. A - Fighting alone doesn't always help and B - you have to have the proper connections especially in moments like this. I was new, inexperienced and couldn't talk the language. But i stood my ground, took it one at a time and grasped the workings of people's mind :)
Money might get you everything, but not
your lost goods always..!
My college categorized us all who did not belong from Karnataka as north Indian's. We were given lectures in half kannada, half English and when questioned were asked to learn the local 'twisted' language. I have been travelling every few years due to my parents transferable job, but 'English' or our national language 'Hindi' was used everywhere (till i landed to mars overnight) .
After the initial adjustments I was learning to see the positive sides of college life. I made friends, got elected to be the editor of our college newsletter, was gaining popularity for my singing, dancing and other talents.
Things were changing in our hostile premises too, between the co-ed environment friendships were being built, relations being formed. Our professors encouraged us for extra-curricular's and hence in our college's history an all girls band was being formed.
Back then in the year 2002, engineering was tough for an artist like me. Luxuries like cars and gadgets were still to trend, money was not abused and behind the barriers. But still we dreaded studying and i was still in my creative world with my own confusions. To top it all we girls were daring to be bold in our racial discriminating college of the south, where everyone was against us. In the meanwhile i happen to have a crush on a cute senior knowing little that every guy in the college was eyeing my love progression. I am not a shy person and I come across as a pretty bold girl, so I being myself never cared a damn. After our first semester exams we heaved a sigh of relief when our annual festival was announced. Our girl band 'INSURGE' was formed with much fanfare and we were singing our hearts out lending a song to every soul who needed it. In between rehearsals and some harmless flirting, I started to get threats from my seniors, my batch mates and some unknown people for being friends with the wrong people (they being the right one’s of course).
Soon it was time for our annual college fest, we were thrilled and quite happy to be performing. Our show was a hit, my contentment short lived when the news of my stolen bike hit me on the face. The planned robbery had taken place during our performance. Instantly the threats I've been getting started to resonate in my head, those teases, the name calling and that one man who meant to do harm. Luck still held my hand and the same night I was informed that our hostel guard, who was on campus duty identified my vehicle because of the Gujarat number plate. He caught the local guy who told him that he’s taking it for a quick repair which he didn't believe and called the cops. ' Lost and found ' YES, but I got my bike only after a month and that too after fighting a proper case. Hard times in an unknown city for sure as this was only the beginning to my many accounts of life.
Two things that I learnt in that procedure. A - Fighting alone doesn't always help and B - you have to have the proper connections especially in moments like this. I was new, inexperienced and couldn't talk the language. But i stood my ground, took it one at a time and grasped the workings of people's mind :)
Money might get you everything, but not
your lost goods always..!
