You can check-out any time you like,
But you can never leave
-Pranvika
I
always dreamt of going to law school but I was not quite prepared for the
rollercoaster ride that is NUJS. You see it towering in the distance, a
veritable behemoth of fun and thrilling screams, but you still need to navigate
your way through the amusement park reincarnated as Kolkata, to find a seat on
the ride of your lifetime. Once you’ve found a seat on that rollercoaster, you
must buckle up because this is one ride where you don’t want
to fall off.
I
grew up believing that hostel life involves a plethora of restrictions and
adjustment issues. Indeed, being a resident at NUJS comes with caveats and
perks. However, after two and half years, I can definitely say that the perks
trump the caveats. It has a lot to offer in terms of the life you live as an
independent hostler. You get to live life the way you want to and you realize
that being on your own, is neither the rosy picture you painted for yourself as
a child nor is the dreadful saga that many tried to convince that it might be.
Living
in the hostel you learn that life at NUJS doesn’t end at night, the campus
adorns a whole new persona post-midnight! For starters, being a resident of the
hostel here means you can never be bored. For each time you might think of
boredom, you are exposed to live music late at night (courtesy: - the boys
hostel is home to music junkies who have no qualms in displaying their love for
music at deafening volumes). From deep-sermonizing conversations to the ever
awaited chance to binge watch movies and shows with your buddies, hostel life is
enthused with all the hidden fantasies you wanted to unravel. (Your desire for
infinitely long sleepovers come true too :D).
For
all who do not know, Kolkata weather can be supremely romantic and blissful at
nights! So, post dinner, going for a ‘walk’ (solitary or couple-y or friendly)
is something that interests us a lot! Still feel bored? The list can be
extended to going for that delicious cup of ‘chai’ sold at Chingrighata, just a
few steps away from college. That weather and those freshly brewed leaves to go
along with it-folks, life seems bliss.
The
location of NUJS is very conducive for chillers- right in the middle of Salt
Lake City, it is a conduit to explore and access all the shady-not-so-shady
corners of the city of joy! For food lovers, NUJS, is well connected to all the
places that offer scrumptious-affordable-delectable food. A big thumbs-up!
Clubbing? It offers some great clubs- Sheesha, Roxy, Backstage- the best clubs
happen to be just a cab away. A special shout-out to ladies night at Roxy,
every Wednesday ;)!
Another
sought after activity is the night time rendezvous with the ever-smiling
‘Pattu’ da, who sells all sorts of haberdashery right across the road opposite
college. Ideal for a quick chai and ciggie break, the shacks near NUJS are
where the students meet after class, between class but mostly during class.
These shacks also feed the hungry hordes when the food at the Mess is of a
particularly unpalatable nature. They are a social networking point, where
groups of students sit and talk and watch the world (and the NIFT girls, of
course) go by.
And
then a weekend comes up- my favorite time! Time for ultimate rollicking. Come
Friday, we start planning what can be done for the next two and a half days
ahead of us. We make plans for trips that are as forgettable as unforgettable,
for all the right reasons of course. Darjeeling is not far. Digha, Mandarmani,
Sundarbans or the ever popular Vedic Village top our list of places to go to
for a weekend get-away. Some decide to spend those days doing projects, moots
or other academically oriented activities. Others only want to sit back, clean
rooms and do laundry. Some consider sleeping their way through it. Some decide
to gym harder (I happen to belong to this category). Those who live close to
college simply extend the weekend and go home!
One
of my top favorites is the Mess at NUJS. This is where hunger-struck hostelites
descend four times a day to replenish and socialize. The Mess follows a weekly
menu which changes according to changing seasons and preferences. A delight for
chicken-fish lovers, a home for unfettered food, a panacea for hunger-pangs,
Oh! How much I love the mess. The Mess is also where the frenzied crowds of
sports fans descend whenever there is a football match or an F1 race on the
telly. Wednesday happens to be our favorite-chicken sausages, fish, Biryani and
the awesome chamchams-life feels good that day.
Located
on the ground floor of the Boys’ Hostel, the “Recreation Room” is the room
meant for recreation D The room is occupied by TT , foosball and pool tables.
This comes along with frenzied lovers of the same. Regular chess, pool and
foosball challenges are a daily aspect of law school life. To go along with
eclectic activities at NUJS, the highlight is the “Sunday Sessions” or karaoke
evenings which are a delight for music lovers.
Cutting
to the chase, life at NUJS is really relaxed for those who know how to
prioritize their preferences. It gives us the requisite discretion to go about
doing things and living life our way. It teaches us independence and the
meaning of true freedom. The knowledge that you are allowed (for a person who
is not permitted to leave home after 8.30 pm) to go out for a movie a 10.30,
without a care in the world, is more liberating than I can explain.
NUJS
has converted me into four things- someone who does not fear lizards and ants
anymore, someone who has exceptional tolerance for mosquito bites, someone who
can endure the foulest smells and someone who can be as nocturnal as an owl.
Nocturnal at NUJS means participating in the Pizza Nights, Burger Nights, Rolls
Nights, drinking nights and DJ nights (yes, be jealous). Researching, analyzing
and churning out our own gossip becomes a quotidian routine.
Sometimes,
I feel I have become lazier after coming to the hostel. Well, a bed in-between
classes seems more favorable than any monotonic/interesting lecture being
delivered by the course teacher. Folks, sleep comes easy: anytime and all the
time. (Especially classes). From waking up at 8:30 am for a 9:30 class to
waking up at 9:30 for the same, we have come a long way! We oversleep, only to realize
there’s no time to eat breakfast before attending class. Assignments seem
doable. Going to Big-Bazaar becomes a weekly visit. You have time to laze
around all day, take the next bus to Mani Square, the mall next door, or to
Quest, the fanciest mall of Kolkata, or squeeze into a cab with your new
friends, headed to Park Street, the land of food, dance, and shopping sprees.
Hostel
life also teaches you the art of bargaining-until college, I didn’t know 6
apples cost 200 rupees or that traveling by bus is more economical than booking
an Ola :p At times, you have to pull all-nighters to complete a project;
however, this feels like the most natural thing to do! Then there are those things that can’t fit into a typical
daily itinerary. The fact that I can just pop over to someone’s room when I’m
looking for a tube of toothpaste, a cup of sympathy, a doze of hysteria and of
course lots of coffee; watching late night football games with the most fanatic
group of spectators ever to follow the sport; and (although this is going to
sound majorly nerdy) even the 4 a.m. joint study sessions with the top brains
of the country.
Hostel
life at NUJS, for me, is definitely an awesome celebration each day (music, food,
gossip and so much more) with people high on ecstasy and drunk on spirits (pun
intended).
I
envy my friends in UILS or other colleges in Chandigarh. They luxuriate in good
cars and ironed clothes and readily available grocery. It has its own perks! However,
had I not come to NUJS (2000 kilometers away from the homely comforts of
Chandigarh), I would not have tasted the bliss of freedom. For which, I am
grateful.
When I was in Chandigarh, I missed hostel much
more than I thought I ever would. So when I got back, I resolved to enjoy, for
the remaining two and a half years, every night of hostel life that I had
hitherto loved without noticing! These nights then
suddenly turn into faint dewy-mornings, friends become family and life, then makes
sense.
ABOUT THE WRITER:
Pranvika Bedi is a 3rd year student pursuing B.A.LL.B. from National University of Juridical Sciences in Kolkata. She is an adept writer, a keen reader, a proficient speaker and the list goes on :)
