It was another day in June. Monsoon had set in kerala and neighboring states and the scorching heat of the Chennai summer had mellowed in into some sort of a warm sunshine. I decided for my part that the change in climate was a good augury for me to begin my project work and started to IIT M.
Although I stayed in Chennai and my home was about 45 min drive from IIT, ‘destination IIT’ was still a difficult task. If had to conserve money I had to take a bus that toured the entire city before reaching IIT and if had to cash in ‘precious’ time I had to rely on Chennai’s auto rickshaws who are known to gouge unscrupulously and use really really filthy language. I have been here for some 21 years(Fancy admitting such a thing!!) and I knew the ways of my city. I was a good haggler and I knew tricks, to keep at bay these notorious auto men.
Convinced of my unbeatable ability to haggle, I took an auto –my first challenge and adventure for the day. I reached IIT in an auto the total cost of the rickety ride being Rs70.I had brought to down from Rs 120 to just about 70 (A humongous achievement by all standards)
On having reached the GC* (of course by the insti bus) I headed straight to Tiffanys (IITS famed restaurant) for a cup of coffee,as was my usual routine. I wouldn’t call their coffee especially stimulating to the tongue,but it had ‘Madrs Degree Coffee’ touch to it,and was sold at a cheap rate of Rs 5 per cup, unlike The café coffee day parlor right across that sold some varieties of coffee at extravagant rates. Some would prefer the CCD as it is called for its ‘atmosphere’-cosy chairs and air conditioning and English music! There is isn’t any of these in tifanys but it had ppl who yapped non stop undisturbed by the din of local FM that runs in the back ground and the periodic yelling of the waiters –‘Sir come AND COLLECT 1 POORI AND MASALA DOSA”..
Coffee done I headed to my room no *** in sarayu hostel. I maintained a room in sarayu hostel for reasons of convenience and stayed here occasionally when work was really taxing. I had originally intended to spend the two years of PG in hostel and visit home less often but I had given up on mess food sometime in the middle of my first yr and started visiting home at an avg of thrice a week… ! IT is always a sense of shock that envelops evrytime I see my room. it wasn’t anywhere close to ‘neat and tidy’-unwashed clothes lay in the bucket crying for care and books and pieces of paper lay on the bed mangled between pillows and bedcover! Nevertheless I still loved my room -it was my own space –my own world….
GC*-gajendra circle! the entry point--some sort of entry point to a confusing maze of deparments and hostels and canteens that are set amidst forests..
***-he..he..he..i wont reveal my room no!
