Chapter 3: another facet of rinu

The day moved on... we had different classes to let us know about GATE as an examination. We had sessions on how should we proceed with our study. We had introduction to subjects etc.

End of the day i was too tired. i threw my bag on the bed just like I did at home. I in no time realised i had decided to follow good practices, work out on my lazy behaviour. so I lifted my bag, kept it, for the first time in life, neatly in my little allotted space on the shelf. I had stopped myself from going back to my old self. I said welldone to myself.

N without a second thought, without bothering to fresh up, n without bothering to revise what was taught in classes, i threw myself on the bed. I was back to my old self in no time. i had no clue when i fell to sleep.

rinu woke me up for the dinner. First thing i saw as i opened my eyes was the tarrring fan. that told shikha was back in room.

Rinu said all this in one breath to me- “Wats up wit u girl? Its just first day here n u look exhausted already. Classes will run from morning 6 to evening 8 in sometime. Gear up! Have ur dinner now. Its 9.30. get that? N wy the hell is fan so slow?”

She walked to switch board and turned the fan to it max speed. shikha had pulled herself out from her books now. N she had started staring rinu as though she would eat her up.

This was my chance now.

I told to rinu.. “Its too hot i know. But shikha has some problem with fan.”

I turned to shikha to execute my plan... i started. “ shikha there is something i have to tell u.”

“What is it? Tell fast i have hell lot to revise.” She said without bothering to look at me. ok. No issues may be she was just scanning her book in the mean time.

I continued. “Listen. I understand it creates problem for u. But lets see some logic here. Any normal person would need fan in this weather right? I couldn’t sleep at all last night. N my head was kind of heavy all day, may be because of lack of sleep. N look at me, all so exhausted. This is not going to work this way shikha. i need the fan. may be u should use another blanket or something.???”

I just said everything in a single breath. I wanted to finish it all before she spoke. I wanted her not to feel bad, and understand the logic behind. I was not sure if i had put up my case in right way. I had no preparation. But i did it well i thought.

“Why the hell should i do that? Can’t u adjust a little?” she was back in conversation now.

Now it was my turn to answer why the hell she should adjust. I don’t think her mom told her to adjust. Anyway. I was supposed to speak now. I said... “I did try yesterday shikha. N u know i tried. If i am going to feel drowsy all day like today, how am i going to survive here?”

And our conversation n so my plan ended in flop with her next reply. “U r so selfish aparna.”

Now that hurt. I had not expected someone would ever say that to me. i had mostly sacrificed every time since my childhood because of my inability to express to people that they r wrong. I always waited for them to realize their mistakes. In some cases people came back with sorries. N others never did. But I had never used bad words for anyone all my life even if they were not fair on their side. I knew i wasn’t selfish. But even if i was, she was selfish too as part of logic. I had at least considered her request. She was just not ready to listen to my side of it. And i was declared selfish straight away. I realised i was not able to speak now. It did really hurt. I didn’t say anything back. My way out had no way out.and all my plans turned flop with my silence.

She walked to switch board, lowered its speed n carried on with her studies as though nothing had happened.

Rinu was still in the room. “Come with me aparna” she said.

“Leave it i am fine in my room.”

“I am not asking u to come to my room. Lets go to warden. Lets have it cleared. We r in hydrabad next hottest in india after rajsthan.” Said my rinu.

“Oh is it?” i opened my mouth to ask. yes.. i told to myself.. it was normal if it was next to rajasthan. I was not selfish i thought again.

“You stay out of this girl.” Shikha warned rinu.

“I am a citizen of india u know. N it got freedm in 1947.” Said rinu calmly. She was the coolest girl i had ever seen. I liked her. “Are u coming aparna?”

“ Ya.. right away” i said almost getting up. “Ur statistics are so brilliant rinu.”

“Wait we can work it out.” shikha stopped us.

“No.. we r too selfish. Sorry..” rinu gave me a big smile... now it struck to me what actually was happening in my room.

Shikha was searching for words first time since i talked to her. “I ll change my room” she said finally.

I was shocked.

“Listen i.. i...” i had just opened my mouth to speak. Rinu had finished her sentence.

She had said... “U can leave room this week, next week, or right away u know.. we can go to mam right now n help her find u a new room. But fan shall be on u see.”

“Ya.. not now.. i’ll do it soon..” she said to us...

Selfish people. She muttered to herself n sunk back into her books.

Wow. rinu had done it. Fan was running so beautifully at its highest speed now :D it kind of looked beautiful... the fan...

Rinu said finally with a proud smile on her face... “Come on get ur plate, lets go for dinner.” We went to get our food.

“Thanks rinu. That was really nice of u. But what if she really changes room?” i asked her on the way to hostel kitchen.

“Do u think she is going to change her room? She has got best bakras for roommates. She was playing so easily with u there. Let her be my roommate she ll know. Cramming git!”

“Wat? Did u just say bakra?” i was angrily staring at her.

“Oh kid!i have no idea how u r going to survive here! Now stop staring n finish ur food. And i don’t know if hyd in next hottest place after rajasthan... alrite..” :P

And we both were giggling... happy day end!!!

Days passed. My classes were going brilliant. Aptitude and English classes were over. Now we had started with core subjects of computer science. Operating system and computer networks were my favourite classes. The teachers who taught them were one of the best lecturers i had known in my life. Lectures of 3 hours duration were nothing but fun. I was literally enjoying the classes. The way they taught things was very different. Computer networks for me was just 7 osi layers and their functionalities. But now i was learning from the start. Right from how ip address are allotted. How internet actually works. I knew i was at right place.

Everything back in the hostel was fine too. Sam was good friend to me. She was never in room most of the time. She was always on phone i found out. N rinu was like a big sister. She always literally took care of me. she used to call me for lunch every day on time. Reserve bathrooms after her for me. she would give missed call in the morning so that i woke up. I talked to my parents everyday. I told them it was nice here. Indeed i was adjusting myself. Things were getting comfortable.

But shikha had stopped talking to me. we were in same room but never talked. It was something i didn’t like. She started using monkey cap. i felt sorry for her. But i had no other way out. What was striking was none of these were affecting her. Only thing she wanted was to study. I was kind of jealous of her ability to study all day. my maximum was an hour a day.

My priorities were changing slowly. I had started talking to people in hostel. i was making friends. I tried to talk to shikha couple of times but it didn’t work. I left it god now.

Rinu was bossing on me at a rate more than required now. I had adjusted to hostel. For first few days it did look nice being taken care of. But now it had crossed the limits. i suggested her to go for lunch alone at times. But she wanted to be around me in a way or other. I found out no one ever talked to her. She was alone. She just wanted someone to be nice to her. she had a boy friend i had guessed because she talked on phone late into nights. But that was not my business. sam told me not to get too close to rinu. N when i asked why? She just waved her hand n said leave it.

Rinu was a good girl i knew. just little demanding. She was so nice to me after all. wat was sam’s problem? I wouldn’t find out.

It was about two weeks in hostel. every Sunday they prepared something they called vegetable pulao. It was a change after routine week course which included rice, sambar, dal, n some thing they named as sabji. It was a Sunday. rinu I and were enjoying our pulao.

I started the conversation. “Hey i saw u yesterday in canteen. I smiled at u may be u didn’t see.”

“I saw u.” said rinu.

“Wat?? n u didn’t return even my smile? Bad..” i tried to make funny angry face. But it was true she had purposely ignored me in the canteen.

“Listen don’t smile or talk to me outside this hostel. if u want anything tell me in hostel itself.”

“Wy would i tell u if i want something. I can take care of myself rinu. Who was the boy with u?”

“My friend.”

“Ah boyfriend? I smiled back.. its Max?”

“How the hell do u know the name max? U read my messages?”

“Come on. I don’t do such things. Have I ever touched ur phone?”

“No.. then how do u know.”

I was teasing her know. i had come to know about her secret. I said “Thats the secret u see.” I winked at her. “i know few things, u cant even imagine of happening in this hostel... n u call me kid? Say sorry and u’ll know..”

But i realised she was not in mood of joke.

“Tell me please” she begged.

“The only window in the corridor u know is next to my room. Next to my side of wall. U guys come for network there n shout at the top of ur voices, n it pierces through my ears.”

Rinu gave a surprised but a scared look. It was just next to my wall where people opened all their secrets and thought they were safe. Of course they were safe. I never wanted to know anything about anyone nor forward it. But if u cracked out ur throat that loud, what was i to do? It was common sense. N i observed many lacked that in the hostel. But it did help me to know about people. I had glimpses of what were private lives of other girls of my age. I observed they were far far different from mine. First thing i didn’t have a boyfriend. I had very well observed the side effects of love in and around me in the colg. i had many of my friends both boys n girls in love. I had noticed it was something very fascinating for them in the beginning and always ended up with complaints ,expectations, disappointments and cries. I had kept myself safe from having a boyfriend. I didn’t want that extra headache with so much to handle already. But other girls at hostel had. Most of them.

But now the window had started becoming a nuisance. It was irritating. Few most irritating of them were when a girl started teaching ABCD on phone. Few cartoons told every single details of the day on phone. I just walked out of the room one day when a girl started teaching all telagu words she had learnt on phone to someone. I knew bit of telagu by watching movies. She was literally murdering the language in most cruel way possible. I understood nothing of it was love. Neither for girl nor for boy. It was just time pass. Give it a break man. Sit and study! I gave them advices in my mind, and let people in my room study was my personal request, again slow in my mind! it was more torture when People came n spoke in different languages and i was forced to hear it. I had started using my earphones all day now.

But previous night it was about 2 am. Something woke me up. Someone was crying by the window. It was rinu, i reckoned immediately. She was on phone. I wanted to go to her and ask what had happened. She was trying to convince someone but it was not clear because of her sobs. I decided to leave her alone. i thought i would ask her when she was calm.

“It was him u were talking to last night? Max?” I asked.

“How do u know the name?”

“U were using the word max so many times in between ur sobs rinu. I know ppl say max for word maximum, but if it appears too many times i don’t think it refered to maximum. Simple logic u see.”

“U and ur logic.” She smiled.

“So wy were u crying rinu? Tell me. he said something bad to u?”

I was asking not because I was curious to know, but I was concerned about her. I had heard so many ppl cry by the window in different languages. But it was rinu now. A girl I thought was toughest.

She seriously said leave it in first go. I carried on with my food. But I wanted to know what made girl so strong cry. Love is a termite which eats u up from within. I remembered this line i had read somewhere suddenly, not sure why.