I was a day scholar for a long time and had to move into a hostel as the course was a residential course. Thus from 1978 to 82 I had to stay in the hostel of National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, India. It was an experience in itself as the class was a combination of students from all over India, roughly 23 states and a few from abroad.
We had a lone lady member in the class, who stayed in the ladies hostel far, far away from the boy's hostel. The ladies hostel was well secluded and near the Director's residence. Those days it was a taboo to go to girl's hostel and vice verse. Boys and girls met in the class room and beyond that may be in the canteen that was it. There was a time we were supposed to have mixed doubles shuttle badminton match. The same was not approved by our hostel warden. On account of this he got the nick name "Ayatollah Khomeini" in the annual day celebrations.
For Annual Day functions, cultural events etc. rehearsals used to take place in boy's hostel and girls who used to come for such events used to sit in the common room and return !
Well, in 1978 when I entered the hostel, I was allocated a room with a person from Kerala, another one from Andhra Pradesh and the third slot was vacant. One evening a small puny looking boy with eyes shining like that of a cat entered the room. He was asking whether there was a vacant slot for him in our room. We all replied in the affirmative. Then he returned with the hostel warden, who advised us to take him as our fourth partner.
That evening we had a small discussion with the last entrant. He was found to be missing his home and was not very communicative. After a bid of prodding he opened up. He asked us whether we respected our mothers. We said yes. Then he told us that his mother had advised him to stay with people who have Hindi as their mother tongue. As we were all from South he was a bit apprehensive. We told him if he wanted, he could continue other wise he was free to go to any other room.
Our friend tried to open his " attache" as he called his suit case and he was shocked to find that it was not opening. With a bit of force, when it did open it was found that the same was belonging to someone else. His luggage had got exchanged in the bus and our friend had picked up someone's suit case. After searching we could find a Diary of the owner and using that we could get his office phone No. Those days there were no cell phones.
Next day using the college phone, we helped him to get in touch with the original owner of the suitcase and he promised to come to our hostel and hand over our friend's suitcase and collect his "attache". Dutifully he came on the same day evening. This instilled a sense of confidence in our room mate. He started getting comfortable with us. Thus our room truly become a center for AP, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
We were all driven towards studies and did quite well in our college work. One problem with our Himachali Room mate was he was becoming an addict for Television Programs. On returning from class he used to hit straight to common room and from 6 PM to 11 PM it was only TV for him. Those days there was a single Doordharshan Channel which used to telecast Delhi programs from Dehradun Kendra. Till the lady announcer in the TV said "Good Night" our friend would never budge from the common room.
On reaching the room he would ask me my notes as there used to be some test or the other everyday. He would pick it up from my pillow and go for night out. He was an owl and a night out was very common for him. By that time my room mate got a nick name as "Shimli" as he was from Shimla !!
Everyday morning he used to make a to do list. That used to contain right from "brushing his teeth" to " watching TV" ! He used to get up late and still recite Gayathri Mantra before moving out of the bed every day. He was a strict vegetarian like me in college days.
Thus Himachali and Tamil combination was firmed up for four long years despite the fact that I got a single room based on merit in third year as well as final year as my room mate was apprehensive that he might fail with out my notes in exams !
When we used to go for evening walks in Karnal Thandi Sadak my room mate used to say that one must become a lawyer. The reason offered by him was all big bungalows on that road were that of lawyers. True to his advice, I guided my daughter to become a lawyer. She chose a lawyer as her life partner. My room mate was so thrilled to hear that !!
In the final year final semester he moved to his state for training and I went to Sharanpur for training. After our training the job hunt started. I was offered a job in Sharanpur as Quality Officer and I was willing to accept the same. But my room mate was without a job. We both applied for a job in response to an advertisement in "The Tribune". As I was likely to move to my home on vacation I had given my Tirunelveli address. Because of that I was not sent any interview letter. My room mate got an interview call and he was offered first class train fare from Karnal to Kapurthala in Punjab. I was requested to join him as he was willing to foot the travel bill.
We went and attended the interview. I was also advised to take the interview by the HR person. I had a great interview and offered a job in R&D/ Lab. My friend was in waiting list. As luck would have it in the last semester in one paper my room mate failed. I declined my job offer from Kapurthala so that my friend could get the offer and therefore he was forced to settle in Kapurthala for a year.
After 1982 we met again in 2014. In between we got married raised children, moved places, grayed, lost hair etc. But the bonding between us still remains strong and good.
After all one rarely finds a room mate who can be your friend, soul mate, companion and team member !!!
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