Vetti Post..trying to blog again,,!!

My mobile goes "squeak and tring". I wake up first. The first one to wake up always, due to the misfortune of studying in a college that starts before an average human had his morning breakfast and ended exactly at school timings. Maybe I should consider myself lucky that it closes early, in comparison to other colleges which are virtually a part of Madras, but are actually not! I revert back to school days when I gave up on having to arrange books according to time table day by day, eventually carrying a whole sack of books everyday! Life hadn't changed much between school and college - only thing was, now I was carrying the same load - "as per the time table"! After that small errand, I get into the actual business of doing my early morning duties, and get ready at the neck of the moment, grabbing my ID in one hand and my bag on the other, with a peck on Mom's cheek, I utter a "hurried- scared of running late sorta Goodbye" and step out.

The gates creak loudly and I try as far as possible to minimise the noise by walking deliberately and tapping my sandals hard to cover up. Dumb? I know..thank you...!!! I see my watchman sitting by the stone pavement near the gate, give him a weak smile and walk towards glory - my bus stop. I reach the stop just in time, thanking my lucky stars.My driver and me, share a wonderful chemistry! Now, don't give me that look...I just meant that he knew when I was gonna turn by the street and wave my hands and stop the bus on mid route,for which he gives me liberal doses of scoldings, aided by his accomplice - Domi, my adorable co-passenger who happens to be a close friend!. I usually come up with the same excuse "Anna late ayiduchu na!"(meaning..I was running late bro..) and he would let me off with that. Thank God ! This driver Anna is one who can make you feel the ride on a dusty old mahabalipuram road, like a Venice Gondola ride. He is prefect when it comes to applying brakes, always an inch away from the bus ahead,making us lose our minds for a minute!One of the rare occasions when I witness pin drop silence in bus. He smiles at no one in particular at the rear view mirror, and if we noticed that look, it would be like another feather on his cap!

We would reach college pretty late, when compared to other volvo-valluvar-buses! Our college is still into the underdeveloped rickety bus usage category. Surprisingly enough,myself and Domi would always find something or the other very amusing, from the moment we step down till the moment we reach the chem dept block for breakfast. We usually reach the place giggling, glad to meet the smiles of our other buddies, sharing the same mockery we had witnessed 2 minutes back. Sometimes I become wistful, amidst laughter, thinking and wishing we had been in the same dept and class. But would that have been as special as this relationship? I dint know! I reach my class , usually alone. I enjoy the walk across the lawn, escaping the smelly water fountain sprinklers and trying not to step on anything "non-human"! Class has me sitting beside my best associate(Sharmi) when it comes to getting through a "rigmarolish" mass transfer period with a cow-man -cross for a teacher,who with great difficulty makes sure that we don't understand a word of what he "tries" to tell us!

After endurance of two successful classes, we have a break, when the girl's loo is generally crowded with prom- queens, who would look more like a pack of losers than beauty contest winners! I would pity them and go to the loo for the purpose it served,wondering how many times they would adjust their one strand of hair. I would laugh to myself thinking that the Snow white today would have gone berserk, if she knew that there were so many "queens" obsessed with a cracking mirror in the loo of a dumb college! My gang mates would usually gather around the cooler, doing nothing other than commenting at whoever passes by, from the first floor, to the G'S(block incharges) ,to the junior's block next to us. Things like this was what made college a bit bearable!! We finally head inside after we notice the flock of hair (sometimes greeted by a glare too many from the respected baldies!)of the next scheduled lecturer, from the gap in the staircase. 2 more to go for Lunch...! Sometimes, I really think college was worth it. Some Professors(Biochem sir) are really good, we would be lost in the world they brought us, during those cherished moments! It would be so interesting that we would lose track of time and space and distance. Totally mesmerised...! Then goes the fire alarm , Oops that's my college Bell!

We start for the mess hall in packs of 4,5,6 , knowing what was awaiting us, the menu on the fingertips! Post lunch, is a delicious sleepy experience of trying to keep off the eyelids from dropping. Hard efforts do pay! Usually all teachers, on a full theory day, would let us free 10 minutes before the bell. Lucky if it was Ethics!.. Open boycott and the poor man will just have to heed to our wishes! That's because ethics was considered as an "Uppukuchapan" (Namesake)subject, by many depts including ours! The day would end with the welcome sound of the fire alarm, and this time I would walk across the lawn, accompanied by buddies and we would now be in a quick pace to reach the bus. War times in some buses. Getting a place would be difficult and people die hard to catch places for friends and foes alike! Its usually me and Domi and so we don't have much problems. The return journey in the bus would see either my head on Domi's or the vice-versa. We try to dissolve and melt all our fears and share everything that happened..How??? Did I ever tell you - Telepathy exists...so does the "Hibernation factor!""