BUTOHI ODYSSEY

I finished my school and was starting a new phase in my life, going into college. I had a little bit of fear, however, I was more excited about the prospect of a new beginning. I was transcending from being a teenager into an adolescent. I was thinking about my own freedom, which was limited in school, but was also sad as I was going to miss my family and friends. It was a mixed emotion.

As I walked through the gates of my college for the first time, I saw the campus with students from diverse backgrounds. The weight of responsibility and the challenge of independence settled upon my shoulders, but I was determined to embrace this new chapter with open arms.

College was not just about classrooms and textbooks; it was a place where lifelong friendships were formed. Finally, I could break free from the constraints of the school curriculum and dive into the realms of knowledge.

However, amidst the excitement, there was a sense of sadness. I would be leaving behind the familiarity of my home, my family, and my childhood friends. The thought of starting afresh in an unfamiliar environment made me a little worried. But I knew that change was essential for personal growth, and I was ready to embrace the challenges that lay ahead.

Looking back, that transition from school to college marked a significant turning point in my life. It was the beginning of a new chapter, filled with opportunities, self-discovery, and personal development. It was a time of both excitement and nostalgia, as I bid farewell to the past and eagerly embraced the future. The mixed emotions I experienced during the period shaped me into the person I am today, reminding me that it often comes hand in hand with fear, joy, and sadness.

It was my uncle who escorted me to college for admission and dropped me off at the hostel before he left. I was on my own now. There were no new students for the first-year batch in the hostel yet, and there was a further delay for the new term to start. It usually starts in August, but that year it was moved to September. I had no friends in a new place which all seemed to be deserted now. The acute feeling of having my own freedom and liberty to do anything vanished all of a sudden. The moment of happiness that I had in my mind earlier was now filled with deafening silence. I was all alone in the hostel and in deep solitude. I could only speak to my family for a few minutes using a STD phone booth and in no way could speak to my classmates as there were no mobile phones in those days. I also had a limited budget and money to spend every month, so it was pretty tight on my finances.

It continued in the same way for a few more weeks as I found myself sinking into depression and had no one to talk to in my vicinity. I was alone in the hostel room as it was to be only shared with first-year students. My seniors were on floors above and would pay a visit sometime. They were also waiting in anticipation for the new students to arrive so that they could rag them whenever they would come.

A month had gone by and a glimmer of hope emerged as I noticed some fresh faces on the first floor. These fellow students, who like me, hailed from different states, seemed approachable. Though English wasn’t my forte, it was ironic that the school I attended was an English medium school. One day, mustering all my courage, I walked into one of their rooms. They greeted me warmly and said something in English, to which I replied in Hindi. Initially, there was a bit of awkwardness, but it soon faded away. I was conquering my inner fears and gradually gaining confidence. It was a moment of relief, as I unexpectedly made a friend. This marked the beginning of a new chapter in my life, transitioning from school to college. The dawn of the next day promised exciting new experiences, while the sunset reminded me that each day held something different, yet equally wonderful.