Love with Presi...

Presidency wasn’t my first choice. I qualified B.Arch in BESU[ Bengal College of Engineering and Science University] via WBJEE. Having a shockingly high rank, I got through smoothly but alas… I missed the councelling dates.and that’s the end of the story and beginning of a new story. But before that, I cant miss out this short para on my experience to BESU for 2nd counseling.
I reached BESU campus and searched like anything throughout to find the counseling hall. It was the year 2005… a turmoil- filled era regarding seat reservation scuffles which turned into starve-till-death revolution and ended up with enormous political conflicts. I feared this campus coz of its infamous internal ragging sessions and its forceful political attitude. I don’t like politics until its burning my back, then only I play politics and can really sometimes turn tables.
Anyways, I reached the hall… around at 10.30, counseling 2 begin at 11. Around 200 heads came for just two seats. There was hardly any place to sit n as I found one at the 2nd last bench, I made myself comfortable. I dint knew y no1 chose that comfy place.. I discovered a little later. I found myself the target of many questionable eyes mainly of the opposite sex. Feeling a little cautious, I checked whether the reason was some exposed lingerie or not, then 2 my awe I found that the sex ration was simply 9:1 . Yes readers, there were 177 boys n 19 gals. I cursed the fairer sex for not qualifying n also the practice of female- foeticide . Me, one of those 19 gals sat among guys n all other 18 gals who were ‘ Indian-ly’ dressed chose to sit in a group. It was no doubt they hailed from girls school n considered boys to be an incurable contagious disease. They made themselves seated at one corner of the hall.I dint notice the gang much coz I had 2 rush to some party that evening after the counseling. ppl with 200+ ranks came there. I was feeling a bit proud with 37. Although I got a seat, I dint took admission and neither do repent it this day. Later I found that batch had only 2 gals… I cant care less!

After this horrifying experience, Presidency was dreamland. Its walls spoke of legends, its look gave a tour to the glorious past.I know I was walking the isle…the isle of glory, the land of books, the empire of dreams.
Presidency was filled with 65% girls… hotly dressed… steaming n alluring the kolkata crowd charging their testosterones as well as their gfs’ adrenaline ( out of jealousy). The only college to compete with Presi was St. Xaviers. Those 12 inches mini skirts, hot pants with balloon tops , torn n faded jeans, sexy capris, backless choli with transluscent saris at occasions,….. these 5’2” to 5’8” ers rampantly killing the onlookers at Xavotsav. One of my best friend ,student of chemistry honours there.. used to say …” u know ritu… the gate will break down at any moment if these hungry hooligans don’t get a pass”… she was cool at 5’6” with a model-like fig. but I always complained of her dress disasters n make-up mismanagement. She could have dated 2 scores of men till now if she had listened to me. The only thing I pushed her 2 do was a haircut… n that’s it…! I don’t have any idea how Xaverian ladies treated their male ratio but Presi dint care much. Only a handful of cool dudes n rest , still residing in their mother’s pouch.

The most fascinating department was Economics. We had to cross through this department to go to chemistry department for our pass classes.I sometimes thought how they managed time to look so cool over the normal. Once I spotted a guy with four different hair-colours.. He had even gelled it… I stared n stared while chadan asked..: “what r u seeing?... like the guy??”… I gave such a horrible expression .. n then thought..” naamuraad… tenu ye bhi na pata hai k tu joker lage hai!!!” [worthless , don’t u know u r looking like a joker] … I chuckled to myself. A few days later I spotted him with a gal with red hair… ‘ rab ne banadi jodi’…!!!

Due to long distance, I preffered wearing kurti to college, descent and sober… and the worst part I remember is men wearing kurta to colg, teamed with jeans. Some black n white films used to flash before me seeing some of them while others looked as cool as they could be. hence our dress codes was the first aspect that started defining our characters. Next step was hairdo. Men normally stuck to parachute oil, some 2 pig-smelling gels, n some dint even care 2 comb it. Girls were more cautious. Some took care of their long mane,some gave a make-over haircut. I was one of them. In second year.. I transformed myself 2 a complete kolkata gal—gave a haircut, banished the kurtas, n stuck 2 serious eye-make up. This whole drama was not to attract but 2 bring about a feel-gud change in myself.
Bham was too happy with my haircut. He got linz’s new digcam n clicked a lot of pics… linz’s look-gud tips even worked well. Transformed from a complete nerd to an important part of the physiopal grp… I dint mind bunking classes and watch “munnabhai”.. mass-bunking becoming an intoxication day by day, especially those dictation classes.
Before that I used to consider bunking as murder or something of that sort.

Presidency composed of these 3 Ps - as follows:

Politics… a P of presidency…
The hottest selling news of kolkata during the January every year is politics in undergraduate colleges. It was more ferocious than the state polls. The front page of all Bengal newspapers keep printing about polling.. Presidency being the celebrity.the clashes…the flashes as well as the ashes of all burning sensational news was about our college polls. SFI[Student’s federation of India]- IC[ Independent Consolidation]. These two parties fought, sometimes cold sometimes hot. I knew all these drama before but got a spine-chilling experience after I entered the college. Politics have chewed away hundreds of super-intelligent brains of Bengal. But still… it demands more…
Its uncontrollable like a disease. It targets everyone.. good or bad and pulls along with it like the centre of a hurricane. At the end, it destroys everything. Destruction was the only end it had… nothing else. Xaviers was never heard of so much drama. We, the Presidencians were tigers in all aspects… I don’t understand what was the point of being tigers in intra-affairs. Star anando, kolkata TV, Etv bangle n so on…. Reporters came like bees from a beehive. Escaping after a poll was another risky affair. No wonder the candidates who stood for a party suffered more tortures, their families even given threats. I feared facing people after and during our polls.. the whole kolkata police giving protection inside the college premise and even then some arrested at the end of the day. I-cards used to be a must. The height thing was politics was taken seriously by the whole college… professors, principals, lecturer,… whatever u say…maybe even Group- D staff. It was simply because it decided their fate of posts and position. A government institute where monthly fess was Rs. 80 to 110., everything was decided by polls and the chair. No one meddled in.. Bengal politics boiling in the womb of Presidency.. year after year, generation after generation.I don’t know how much I have been just to the whole affair, but inspite of being aloof of all these, I got its heat…


Prem in Presi…[ Prem=love]

I don’t get this. An area filled with mostly gals… how can u be so serious about falling in love?...
Arre… chhele thakle toh prem korbe… r jaa ache tate kaaj cholbe naa bhai…
[ if there r guys then only u have option but whatever u have doesn’t serve the purpose]


When I was in school, there were handsome guys all over… here, there where ever u look… it became a norm for me, even the gate-keeper was good-looking… so when I came to Presidency, things turned out just the opposite…, the first worst experience being at the sight of agni. First I thought he was a flirt, then I noticed that he was effeminate and then wotever I guessed was right. Although he was cute, he had an unshaven look, lokked almost 10 yrs elder 2 me and preferred to befriend gals. some more guys whom I don’t remember too well, even they looked like uncles…rather our senior batch men were much more hotty… ;) almost all the 2007 batch men looked gud.. a blow 2 our batch.Although I dint find rest of guys much interesting, but neelanjan was eye-catching with his extra-kilos.I wonedered and wondered and just couldn’t conclude that how he collected them while I couldn’t ,spending almost same amount of time on earth. Bham joined him later n I stopped thinking about them at all. sugs… a supposedly eligilble bachelor…[till he opens his mouth]..6 ft, slim, fair with highly defined facial contours, even gud at academics, his spect frame added flavour 2 his looks.he was blind[ 7. sumthing power] Well, I really don’t why he was ditched every time he fell for a gal but I equally dint knew y did he choose those gals on the 1st hand[ half of them looked double his age as well as weight]. Sayan, our topper looked the most cool n careless guy of the class. He wore a t-shirt till its worn out n supposedly never cared about his hair or torn bag. His books n notebooks looked as if owned by a back bencher..A real eligible bachelor, this guy found his love at the final year of graduation. A cute beautiful girl 3 yrs younger to him, simply dressed n modest behaviour. By far they r the best couple I have seen. Bham still eyeing sakhshi at intervals. Had he looked around, he would have found a chubby cuty by now and even had his first bhamlet. Sumitash n I spent so much time fighting with each other that we forgot to look for eligible spouces for ourselves.. priyanka had long term plans.. her career was more important. I don’t think she had ‘ love’ chamber in her emotions’ list . Her sudden mood swings gave us eternal frights…saakshi was commited, so was linz.
These r just a few instances of love in presi.. but some ppl were really lucky. A couple from geology was really cute. I liked them. Some had disasters that left bad mental injury. I was somewot lucky.. NO PAIN NO GAIN…case. Agni being a pseudo bf, no one ever questioned my relationship status.
The lover’s lane bringing back memories of juvenile love where bargain starts with good looks and good marks.
“pehli nazar mein kaisa jadu kar diya… tera ban beytha hai mera jiya….
Jane kya hua.. kya hoga kya pata…is pal ko milke aa jeele zara”

I smile to myself n say..”wot if the world goes blind and suffers complete darkness?... will luv exist no more?... wot if seeing is no more believing??... wot if??” … hardly matters.. these couples wud deny each other presence in each other’s life after a year or so.


Porashona in Presi [ the exam time n results as well]

We had the worst syllabus in the country with the worst examining methods, dates, administrations.. CU be f****d.
This is wot students said.. n they were true. It will kill ur self-confidence with its careless checking methods n paralyse ur mental state by the marks they print even without thinking… 1 damn practical exam will determine the numerous practicals u have done throughout the year. If u r lucky that day, its fine… if not u r simply chucked out by fate. Kolkata rains playing further fowl during those exam dates. I almost swam 2 the exam centre 2 appear for paper 3 practs. 6 hours of exam with wet clothes on.
“chahe kitna bhi karo sitam , has has ke sahenge hum”..

Presidency always made it to the topper list bypassing all colleges of kolkata. Wherever we went, eyebrows rose at the name of Presidency college, kolkata. The HODs , deans and professors hailed from presi all over India.
“tumi bangali?... presidency??? “… they keep asking… a smile appearing at the thought of rosogolla n durga pujo
We sold ourselves at brand name. 4 out of 12 made it 2 the Msc. genetics dept from presi.
Half of them placed abroad for PHd n rest in better positions within India… it is a matter of pride.
Those horrifying days of Xerox n rattafying notes… suggestion preparation, made-up answers.. then cheating as the last resort… a short experience related below.
1st yr, 1st half yearly exam..
Seating arrangement was according to roll nos.
Sakshi had micro-mini Xerox from her shop[ she had 2 pay 4 them] , priyanka beside her.., chadan , linz also in that row….. next row neelu , bham , agni, krish… 3rd row… me ,sugs, sumitash n sayan… the other rows had krish, madhu, uttam n so on … it was histology lab,the largest lab of our dept. If there were no furnitures there, it would have looked like an auditorium.
After 15 mins of papers distribution, we started writing.. the hustle-bustle started…
Sakshi jotting down from her micro-minis, linz n chadan writing themselves, agni doing sumthing I couldn’t figure out but I knew it was criminal. In our row, every1 wrote seriously…
Neelu asks bham in whisper:” hey.. do u know short term defn of obesity?”… I couldn’t control my laughter…that was the best thing they shud have known .sum 96 kg bham n 100+ neelu discussing about obesity.
I had probs with 2 questions.. gluconeogenesis n retina layer question. My nearest neighbour sumitash was advised 2 write that answer first.. when he completed I asked him the points. He handed me the paper with further discussions. Each answer was 2 be written in 1 separate paper which helped our copying-organisation run very well. Since a sleeping AKS was the guard, we dint worry much. He was far away.. n by the time the fatso will turn up here we will settle back 2 our own papers.
Ritu, the great, started correcting spelling mistakes in sumitash’s paper. “oh ..for god’s sake ritu.. stop it”.. I resume 2 copying business, no more social service. Then , sayan asks sugs..” oi, wot is ferritin?”
Sugs with his deepika padukone smile speaks..” oh god, u don’t know?”
Sayan: no
Sugs: u don’t know?
Sayan: no..
Sugs: arre ferritin u don’t know?
Sayan: aree, !@##$%^&*(.... (slangs in Bengali)… I don’t know that’s y am asking u….!!!
Sugs, silently hands over his paper 2 sayan.

My next query… gluconeogenesis..
Next best neighbour cum frnd was agni..
Me, whispering : agni, gluconeogenesi???
Agni turns away… I feel he wont help me…after ten secs he looks back n slaps a long notebook in my desk…
Me, afraid to death: wots this?
Agni: find it out…..its my notes copy..
I should have fainted by his gesture, but I dint. While I digested the trauma… sumitash took the notebook and thrust it in a drawer below his table… n said: ‘no need 2 write that answer, write sumthing else”… I came to know now, wot kind of crime agni was doing… agni is super intelligent.. these stupid mugging business was not his part. He scored too well to prove any1 wrong, rather the most intelligent guy I hv ever met.
At the last hour, answer sheet flew like paper planes throughout the hall. Some even stapled others sheets for submission. Agni , very coolly collected his sheets from 5 different ppl n then walked 4 submission. I don’t remember who scored the highest but I remember this whole non-preparatory affair during exam.

That was fun but we were damn serious about our exams…. Don’t take offences.. we did such things only during test matches, not one days…

Life in presi was awesome. Physiopals n other presidencians can add their experiences.