Fight In The Hostel

“Its 7:00 pm here in Dheradun, india. And at this time the chowk (a mini town) is full of live. The shop owners are happiest for the shop runs best at this hour. Students of our college who are the majority customers will be seen around, some talking to friends while others will be busy buying their needs. This tiny place would look like a fish market with much noise and crowd.

But this evening as I went to chowk nobody could be seen. The shopkeepers had started closing their shops. The street was silent and empty. It was as if the whole of human race residing there was suddenly shifted to somewhere else or has suddenly disappeared. A hollow and empty feeling engulfed me. Only then I realized the power of examination. Tomorrow we have exams and I sensed that examination can keep even the most outdoor person in……….”

I had been on my bed and was writing the above lines when it was almost 7:45 pm. I was inspired to write more but I heard a crowd shouting outside our hostel. “What’s happening outside?” I asked my roommate. “Nothing, the usual thing: seniors shouting outside.” He said. But the noise wasn’t subsiding. Something wrong was surely going outside. I unlatched the door and we went outside. All our fellow hostellers were standing by the balcony and before I could figure out what was happening, I saw a guy getting melding of kicks and punches from the angry mob of local people. There were almost twenty five people beating the guy.  Then I realized that I was witnessing something known as ‘public dhulai’ for the first time in my life.

After a minute or so of public dhulai, a senior guy stopped the fight and the victim escaped with his head bleeding. Immediately ambulance was called for help. Only then I saw the face of the victim and he was one of my friends doing B.sc Agriculture. I was more worried because the next day he had university exams.

I was horrified realizing what had just happened. I was standing and I could not move my legs to walk. My whole body froze. I was shivering. My body had become cold.

I also had exams the next day but I could not study thereafter. After the dinner I tried to sleep but I couldn’t.  Even after being under thick blanket for hours my legs never became warm. I felt insecure even in hostel. I couldn’t understand what had happened. Series of questions invaded my mind. What if I accidently do something and I also get beaten. What if something happens here?

I just want to go home. I just want to go back to Bhutan.

Country Road, Take Me There

country road, take me there.

The house in the above photo is situated on the way to Punakha Dzong from Khuruthang. And that is where we stay. The photo was shot months ago when we went to play by the river side. Back then that was just a photograph for me but now it has found a place in me for now all I long is to be there.

It has been my wall paper for long now and when I stare at it, million things pass my mind. I am reminded of how my cousins residing in Khuruthang used to come over to our place for a get-together. We used to gather in our living room and it would soon be filled with laughter over my father’s jokes. My father is a kind of person who doesn’t crack much joke but when he does you would roll over the floor, unable to control the laughter. We would prepare a sumptuous dinner and sit in the living room to eat and share our stories. Most times it was only after midnight that they would leave for we would be so engrossed in our talks that keeping track of time was lame. Last summer when it was almost time for me to leave for college, we insisted them to spend the night at our place when they had come for dinner. After much persuasion they agreed and as expected no body slept until three in the morning. Instead in the dead midnight when it was too hot inside, my cousins and I crept silently out of the house to talk a walk on the road below. That night we were insanely running like ghost in the empty and silent road.

When I look at the above photo I see myself coming from the market and parking our car in the shade of the tree by the side of the road. I see myself going to drop my brothers to school and picking up my dad from the office in the evening. I see myself playing guitar outside in balcony. I see myself discussing with my mom over whose turn it is to do the dishes. And I see myself doing lot other things.

Although I am not a Christian, but if Santa Claus decides to gift me this Christmas I would sincerely ask him to take me home.  

PS: After you read this and you happen to go to Punakha, don’t miss to take a look the house on my behalf for there is where my heart lies.