Meet anarkali

I totally love college stories about how this one got ragged and that class was suspended for a month etc. Not the tragic ones or extra-violent horrific ones. But the stories that does the rounds in boys' hostels. Its always spicy & saucy! Girls I knew , didn't really have too many juicy ragging tales. Mostly silly song and dance routine etc. Not good enough for my ears which crave for more. In the hope of unearthing some hearty & rollicking stories, I shall reveal my 'not so hot' ragging saga.

My first day of college was uneventful. I didn't get ragged , but I got lost & landed home 2 hours late as I went through a bit of circus catching the right buses. I settled down in a week and stopped taking the public transport. My neighbours and I used to catch an HAL bus every evening from college that dropped us home. One of my neighbours Nivi was my senior. Imagine a rowdy and that's Nivi for you. Devoid of any feminine airs and graces, she ought to have been born a dude in my opinion. Nivi and her gang decided that I was the perfect catch for their evening ragging session in the bus. In my 11th, I was a picture of hopelessness - always scared and a sweet step over girl. One shout and I'd be whimpering.

After the initial introductions, Nivi & gang came up with this order - " Freshie, you go down on your knees before us and chant ' Hail Mighty Senior, I'm your Bl***y Junior ' . Do this 5 times to begin with ". I obeyed and demurely got down on my nervous knees and started the chant feeling oh-so-foolish & idiotic. The 4th time , I accidentally said ' Hail Mighty Junior, I'm your Bl***y Senior '. Costly 'tongue-of-the-slip' guys ;-)

N & gang were enraged (and secretly amused I later got to know) and ordered me to get back on my feet with the stern - " Freshie acting Tooo Smart !!! Get UP now !! ". I stood up wondering what ordeal would I be subjected to now. They were all Biology students & I was an Electronics student. They did not like it. They demanded why I did not choose Biology. I'm the self-proclaimed queen of faux-pas. I put on a bold face and said I didn't like Biology at all. They gave me dirty looks and a few of them looked like Christmas had come in early for them. One of them told me with a sneer - " You dare say you hate Biology to a whole gang of Biology seniors !!!! Explain Reproduction in detail - Lets see whether you learnt anything in school at all ". I was naturally shy and managed to explain it very scientifically (Wink!!). They laughed , giggled and had a whale of a time listening to my flustered attempts.

My stop was approaching and I was thrilled that it was coming to an end at long last. Nivi had to get down even if they didn't want to let me go. Not so fast! Nivi came up with a brainwave - " Now, you will propose to the driver. Learn this and go tell him when you get down with a bewitching smile --- Khili khili main Anarkali ; Will you be my Salim ? " I was dumbfounded. I told Nivi I would complain to my mother, her mother and all the mothers and fathers in the colony. Remember my initial description of Nivi ?? Right - She didn't care 2 hoots for my empty threats or the wrath of any mother in our colony. She goaded me and stood guard at the door. With nearly 20 girls expectantly watching me and a driver who thought I was demented, I uttered the silly poem. He didn't know enough Hindi (I think), was irate with the holdup and murmured - "change kodi, hogi hogi" (handover the change) or something like that :-D I cursed Nivi and gang for my public embarrassment and went home red-faced.

Know what!!! The next day, all those seniors bought me doughnuts, samosas and went on to become really helpful & sweet friends. They were happy I had been such a good sport - Little did they know I was a scared chicken! LOL.

Over to you now - I'm waiting for your blast from the past!