Life under All the Saints

The end of another year.....this is my second year. One more and woooooosh...... ill be out of here. But this year has been a long and enjoyable one. It gave me some beautiful memories. After studying for twelve years in a girls' school it was quite an experience to be in a co-ed school for two years. I still remember some of those wonderful days. And after some really WONDERFUL experiences, i decided to join a womens' college. There were two options before me- Govt.Womens' College (bloody hell, i wont go there) and another All Saints. Now All Saints is generally reputed to be All Devils. Watching from outside I too felt the same. Then came a day for me (as every dog has a day). I went with my sister to submit the application form. That was the day when i first stepped into that big campus. Eventhough being my younger sister, my sweet sibling was experienced enough to have came there before.

I cant forget that day eventhough it doesnt has to offer anything in special. The dress i wore, i remember (an orange churidar which my mom asks me to wear on rainy days....whats the connection between rain and orange man???), and i went by an auto. I remember the picture that was stuck to the side of the auto. It was one of a pretty girlchild crying (do pictures appear before us suiting circumstances??) and in that picture what was eyecatching was the silvery path of the young girl's tear treacle. Then there was this college standing up with all its might behind the railway gate. I had seen the college before while travelling to my native place in Ranni by train. I used to wave at all those beautiful girls who stood near the gate ( I was a little child then, i wont think of waving at strangers now!!). The railway gate was open. We went through the gate and entered the college. Auto uncle stopped his vehicle inside the gate. We stepped down and I had my first look at the campus. What i saw was a welcoming sight. A long array of beefwood trees which were swaying with the movement of the wind. We call them Kattadi Maram in malayalam and they even have a popular, nice and my personal favourite song from a popular malayalam campus movie starting like.....Kattadi thanalum.....refering to the shade of the beefwood trees. On seeing those trees swaying in wind, i was taken back to some English class when I was in 10th or so. The lesson was about Beethovan, the great musician, who was deaf and dumb. We students in the class were intrigued hearing that. I had heard some of the symphonies of Beethovan and how could someone deaf and dumb compose all those great pieces of art?? The lesson further taught that Beethovan derived his inspiration from nature. He was greatly inspired by the sight of pine trees swaying in the wind and he was greatly delighted when the tip of the pine tree touched the ground. So like Beethovan i was also inspired by some trees, but no pine trees but beefwood trees. But the problem was i was someone who didnt attend her piano classes regularly. But still, I tried and composed some love songs.

Then both of us (me and my sister) had a short walk to the main block, gazing here and there. We found the office room, submitted the application form and came back. Before getting into the auto, i again looked back at the college and I felt sure that this is going to be a part of me and I am going to be a part of it.

Then after a wait of a few days, memo cards from various colleges came. They had the date of interview and admission. On that day, I got ready and with both my parents, SET OUT, to All Saints. We went there and we were asked to assemble in a room labelled RECREATION HALL/OLD AUDITORIUM. At first they were calling out names of all those who were selected for the MA course. Then came our turn. I was sitting timidly in between my parents. Names were called and three girls were present. Somemore names were called and finally they called my name. I was startled and stood up and walked very confidentally to them but my heart was beating very fast (why do this happen all the time??Every time i am called to the front of a gathering, i feel a rise of adrenaline and a rush of blood to my face and an uncomfortable coldness in my hands but to others i appear confident!!). Then they asked me to go to the back of the room and collect a form and fill it(which turned out to be our id cards). So I went with my parents to a room labelled Room NO:1 and filled the form.
After filling the form, I was waiting there alone as my parents had gone out as they had seen some of their acquaintances. I started looking here and there and I saw a tall girl dressed in a yellow churidar doing the same.She was the third girl who was called. I approached her and introduced myself. She introduced herself as Farah. I liked the name. Then my dad came and called me to introduce me to one of his old friends. That person didnt need any introductons. It was the malayalam movie actor Murali who had come for the admission of his daughter for the same course as mine.Now Karthika was a tall and plump girl who had a happy face and a friendly expression. We had been waiting for a long time. Then I saw the glimpse of a familiar face. I looked back and caught that face. It was Mekee whom I knew from my KG classes. But we were not acquainted with each other. Still I remember her from the time she was studying in LKG (obviously me too). When we were in LKG, i didnt know her name. But she always reminded me of a cute little mouse (i'm still under confusion about the whole mouse affair because her name resembled the great cartoon character, Mickey mouse and that time i didnt even knew her name). But I saw that she no longer resembled that cute little mouse but she had grown into a beautiful girl. I went to her and was very happy indeed o find out that she had applied to the same course.
After waiting for a few minutes, we were called (me being fourth) and were led o another room which I learned in the first year to be called the parlour. I saw three girls before me , the first to I learned later were Aishwarya and Indu and the third one was Farah. One by one each of my classmates-to-be entered the Principal's office and disappeared (man,where were they??). Then came my turn. I still remember how cold my hands were. I went in with my parents and found Indu and her parents still there. Then they went out through another door and we were seated. It wasnt the least like what I had expected. The Principal who had a kind look on her face gazed at me and smiled.( now that something nice). She asked me why I had changed my language from French to Hindi. I replied telling that I am not acquainted with French at all and what if I cannot co-operate?? Then everything was over and we too went out through another door which led to a big office room. There I signed some papers and huh...it was over. I was a sudent of All Saints now. It was just the breaking of a day to be filled with adventures..................................................................

Beefwood trees

Beefwood trees-cool shade,boughs stretching out as if welcoming breeze to dwell in her,sways with the wind,sings with the dawn,kisses the dew and loves the drizzle.Stone benches under the long array of trees,nasty crows seeking chance to mess and bless our heads,green parrots hiding among a group of secluded trees(when they hear some girl-footsteps flies out in groups in a wild flight,look we are harmless girls,not hunters(but beware,girls are not that harmless also)).The railway track,the international airport and a bulk of girls-what does it all remind??come on residents of kerala,or atleast trivandrum????no guesses here.its obvious.ALL SAINTS' COLLEGE.