Getting acquainted with hostel folks

Has anyone ever thought for a minute how one gets a gang of friends? Well, it all just happens in hostel life. Rithanya's new roommates were depressed missing their parents. She was the only person who remained happy in the room, laughing at others and making fun. She began talking to her roommates, going around the room, hugging them and consoling them. Raised as a city girl it was easy for Rithanya to shed inhibitions and begin the interaction to make friends. There were five more girls in her room; Janet, Rheya, Fowzia, Diva, and Moni.

Fowzia and Diva were classmates from high school days. Fowzia could not speak the local language and knew only Urdu, Hindi and English. She was a devout Muslim. The warden and the school instructed her not to wear the burqa inside the school campuses. So, she had requested for full-sleeved uniforms and permission to wear hijab, the covering for the hair. Moni was a very shy girl who talked sparsely. She just cried and cried and cried. Maybe she had been a highly pampered kid.

Janet and Rheya were twins. Identical twins, there was not a single difference you could spot between them, leaving everyone confused who was who.

Moni and Diva were from nearby neighbouring towns. Diva was stylish, mature and spoke very sensibly. After a little effort by Rithanya, they all slowly stopped crying and exchanged smiles.

“How does it feel to be twins?” Rithanya asked Janet and Rheya. Rithanya was always puzzled about twins. She kept reading facts and myths and was curious about anything and everything about twins. “Is it true that both of you get hungry together? If Janet cries, will you cry too, Rheya?” she probed. She was amazed. Both girls looked exactly alike. Like two peas in a pod.

“I feel I have seen you somewhere. You look familiar.” Rheya told her.

“Do you have a sister?” Janet asked.

“If you are referring to an elderly lady who resembles me, well you should know she is my mother and twenty years older," Rithanya replied with a grin. She was used to this sort of question. Most of her friends and cohorts always referred to her mother as her elder sister. They both had strikingly physical similarities. “So what exactly is wrong? Do I look so old?” she asked.

“No! Wait! Are you related to the Doctor? I have seen you once at his house.” Janet screamed with excitement.

“Yeah, the doctor who operated our father. Yes, I now remember,” Rheya joined.

"Wait. Which doctor? Which place? What relation?" Rithanya was stammering to answer the girls in the process to get connections. "Where are you girls from? Which is your hometown?" she inquired.

“Our town is Ooty,” Rheya replied. Before she could continue, Rithanya interrupted, “Ooty! Yes, my uncle and aunt live there. Uncle is a doctor. We visit him quite often.”

“So, what are your chosen courses?” Diva pulled herself into the conversation.

“Biological sciences.” Rithanya, Janet, Rheya, Moni and Fowzia said in chorus.

Diva was happy that she also had chosen the same stream.

In a multi-cultural environment like that of a hostel's, girls normally tend to find out some common backgrounds to develop a friendship. It always starts like, "Oh you too? I thought I was the only one." You either begin with reciprocity, propinquity or sharing similar interests, backgrounds or emotions. Sometimes the law, "unlike poles, attract" also applies to friendship. That is how the friendship began in their room. Their common traits, attributes, interests, neighbourhoods, and language brought the six girls together.

The bell rang. It indicated that the girls must go for their dinner. They grabbed their plates and walked towards the dining hall, all the while chatting with each other. There was a huge crowd in the hall.

“Wait, should I stand in a queue to get my food?” Fowzia enquired with contempt.

“Is it only to me, or to everyone? The feeling of standing in a queue like in jail? Rithanya laughed.

“You have been watching a lot of crime movies. You should not anymore.” Diva teased her back.

“Oh! If this looks like a queue in a temple for getting the divine prasadam, then I guess you ought to join the monastery.” Rithanya replied.

Everyone cracked into laughter. That is Rithanya. She could easily push away the mental blocks and induce laughter in any group she is put to. She undoubtedly becomes the dynamic personality of the group – fearless, bold, and up for anything, however reckless. The six girls came together like a patchwork of the quilt and weaved in easily with each other despite their striking differences in personalities and cultural backgrounds.

Ms Roopa looked at the six girls coming together, laughing. She was happy to see that there will not be any complaints or room change requests from them. She guessed Rithanya to be the driving force behind this comradeship.

“So, I hope you girls have become friends. You should be united. Do not fight. Be friends always and help and take care of each other.” Ms Roopa advised the girls.

Rithanya smiled naughtily at her and nodded in agreement. Diva and Rithanya led the group to the dining hall and the other girls followed. The six girls sat in a circle on the floor and finished their supper talking to each other. After supper, Rithanya and Fowzia cleaned up the mess they spilt on the floor and joined the girls heading back to their room.

On their way back, they saw some grade twelve students walking around with books in their hands. Some of them were eating and reading. Rithanya thought that some of them did not even realize where they were walking.

Sleeping place allotments were made; the room was partitioned among the six girls. They spread their beds and got ready to crash. Rithanya chose a slot close to the wall and requested Diva to give her some space while sleeping.

“So, who are the ones to roll over during their sleep? Moni questioned.

“Well, any bed-wetter here?” Fowzia giggled.

“Any somnambulist?” Rithanya tittered.

“Enough, all of you! Let’s go to sleep before the warden comes and scolds us. We have a big day tomorrow.” Diva stopped the girls’ chatter.

“Good night,” everyone said and crashed. It had been a tiring day for all.

They slowly drifted into a deep sleep thinking of their classes the next day. All were excited about the upcoming days and experiences they would cherish lifelong.