My Story - Part 1

He is the prince of my dreams, my obsession and my mania. Just a word with him, a sight of him, a feel of his breath, his touch; and even the most depressing times turn cheerful in an instant. He is my retreat from the cruel world. Oh, how safe and protected I feel when I am in his arms. I can forget the world and all the hardships I am facing when he talks to me in that smooth mellow, a la Johnny Walker voice. I can spend an eternity leaning my head on his shoulder and listening to that voice of his. God knows how many countless hours of my life I have spent that way.

I still remember our first meeting as if it has occurred only yesterday.

It is my first day in college and predictably, I am very nervous. I must be very naïve, perhaps ‘stupid’ is a better word, for; I approach a group of seniors to ask the whereabouts of the first year computer science engineering classroom. Before I can realize what is happening; I have sung a song and have saluted half a dozen ‘Sirs’ a dozen times. I am also asked to frog leap across a flight of stairs and as I stand there, pondering on what to do next, a light tap on my shoulder startles me.

He is lean, tall; with an angular face, aquiline nose and a two days’ old stubble. He is in a crumpled tee, faded low hip jeans, a Nike waistband and a red baseball cap. The first thought that comes to me is that he is super sexy, cool and ultra confident of anything and everything. He is also chewing gum and I can not but marvel at his fine set of teeth. They are very orderly and even the faint traces of nicotine on them seem to add on to his charm. He gives me a re-assuring smile and I am instantly comforted and begin to feel braver. I smile back at him, a nervous and polite one, and look accusingly at my tormentors.

“What is going on here?” he thunders. The tormentors’ jaws drop and they seem bewildered at his unexpected arrival. He glares hard at them and not getting any answer, turns to me. Something tells me that he is not on their side, maybe his voice or simply because I want to believe it. Before I can check myself, I blurt out, “I am being ragged.” “Is that true?” he asks in a tone that sounds menacing, at least to me. Not waiting for an answer, he turns to me and asks in a gentler tone, “Your first day in college, miss?” I smile and nod in affirmation. “Which department?” he asks. “Computer Science, my rank in the entrance exam is 18”, I say with a tinge of pride, not bothering to disguise it. “That’s wonderful”, he says smiling broadly. “Come, I will show you to your classroom.”

He begins to lead the way and after managing to shoot a look combined with hate and triumph, at my tormentors, I start to follow him. As I catch up with him, I say, “Thank you Sir, this is very kind of you.” “Oh, come on, that is nothing”, he says with a dismissal wave of his hand. “By the way, I am Vishal, computer science, third year. “I am Priya”, I offer my hand and he touches it lightly and smiles. “I guess we will meet in some courses, then”, I say. “Yeah, in some labs too”, he replies absent mindedly. This, for some unfathomable reason, makes me very glad and I begin to look forward for the same.

We cross the stairs and turn around a corner into a narrow corridor. I struggle to keep pace with him. Though he appears to be a bit on the thinner side, he seems athletic and quite handsome in his own rugged way. I notice that nobody bothers me anymore when he is with me, though there are curious glances from time to time. We are now directly opposite to my tormentors, though on a different floor. I throw a furtive glance at Vishal. Hmm… Vishal, interesting name. Vissu is a nice nickname to that and I smile at the thought.

I am completely lost in my thoughts and do not anticipate his halt. He stops abruptly and I bump into him. He turns back and says in mock seriousness, “What is the matter with you, lady? Do you have to follow me even when I am going to take a leak?” Peels of laughter shake the whole area and I suddenly realize that I am in front of the men’s restroom.

As I stand there, red with embarrassment and humiliation, unable to decide what to do next, Vishal crosses his arms and leans against the wall. He looks at me triumphantly, as if he has won a lottery. My brain screams at me to run away from the place, to turn tail and flee; but my legs refuse to obey. In the same mocking tone, he says, “Now darling, you are not supposed to complain to strangers that you are being ragged. And baby, once you are here, your rank in the entrance exam does not count anymore.” Slowly, I gain control on myself and with hot tears running across my cheeks, I make my escape from there.


Over the next couple of months, I slowly adjusted to the occasional ragging, and writing the lab reports and records of the ‘Sirs’ and ‘Madams’. The events of the first day in college and Vishal had terrified me so much that I constantly avoided everyone like plague. I never had a real conversation or interaction with any of our classmates too. College was no fun, as it is supposed to be, without any friends. I missed my old friends and my school desperately. What a fun filled life, I lived there. Why could not I have been there forever? What made me join engineering, of all the courses available? Why did I have to choose this college, of dozens of colleges available? Life has become dull, monotonous, terrifying and totally devoid of all the fun.

And then, one day, I thought I will have an attack.


Mr. Pravin Kumar Awasthi is a tall and robust looking man with big black curly hair and a huge moustache. His eyes are always blood shot and he appears to be perpetually in a bad hangover. He has a loud booming voice and he holds the entire college in terror. Everyone, including the principal and the management, it is rumored, is petrified of him. As luck would have it, he is our professor for English.

During an English class, one Friday afternoon, Mr. Awasthi is giving weekend assignments, and as always, his assignments are meant to be done individually and not in teams. As for me, I am asked to prepare a list of 500 most frequently occurring words in the questions of exams like CAT, GRE, GMAT and so on. Though I have a vague idea of what these exams are, I must confess that I cannot comprehend on how to go about it. Bewildered with the tough task ahead, I sit down and make a mental note to go and see Mr. Awasthi later and seek his advice.

I meet Mr. Awasthi later in the evening, on that day. He makes it very clear that his assignments are never altered once they are assigned. In case I find it tough to complete, I am free to take assistance of some senior, for instance – Vishal Bharadwaj, who is going to appear for GRE this year. “A very bright lad, I am sure he will help you”, he says. My heart sinks, hearing the dreaded name again, but I manage a smile and walk out of his office.