You’ll be surprised if you go by her unassuming countenance,
Mess with her, and you’ll be up for penance.
Wake her up when she’s taking a nap?
You could be flung to a place far away on the map.
Her mood swings go as far and wide as a pendulum
You’ll probably end up bankrupt, trying to cheer her when she’s glum.
Occasionally, she’s chirpy and funny like a clown
But she’ll always be there to pull you up when you’re down.
She’s one of the genuine people in this world, which is cold
We met recently, but the bond is very old
Loaded with an arsenal of enthusiasm and excitement, I walked into IIM Shillong with starry eyes and a head full of dreams. The day was 21
st June 2018. I had a swarm of thoughts in my head, buzzing around like bees looking for nectar in flowers. How good will my hostel room be? Will I get a roommate I can actually live with? Or will I have to spend time evading my room like a fugitive because my counterpart would burst into pangs of somniloquy? Will I be able to make friends who would last forever? And most importantly, will I get to see cute guys around?!
My first reaction on seeing my hostel room wasn’t that of someone who would be elated. I had lived alone all my life and had no experience of sharing my space with anyone. And here I was, going to live for a year with a girl I didn’t know, in a room that was probably half of my own room back home.
To my delight, I didn’t have to spend more time wondering who the chosen girl was. I met my roommate soon, and we found out that we spoke the same tongue. My mother said that God had answered her prayer. At that moment, I really wasn’t in a position to say whether prayers had really been answered, but now, after having stayed for more than a month in Shillong with my chosen one, I can surely say that I couldn’t have found a better roommate.
From having meals together, to discussing if we’ll ever succeed in fulfilling our life’s purpose, to running down to buy supplies and bunking classes we could happily sleep through, most of our time spent together might seem mundane, yet exciting.
She spends 5 minutes every morning looking for my spectacles and accessories because according to her, I am a messed up little girl who needs help locating her things. She picks up Manchurian balls from my plate right under my nose and we pretend like they were never there. She edits my pictures voluntarily because I am too lazy to care about it, and we go for impromptu lunches when we find the dishes cooked in the mess unidentifiable.
Now, before you start thinking that I found my princess instead of my prince charming, let me tell you that we are two different people from different backgrounds staying together. None of us loved everything about the other, but we adjusted really well. She is now like a sister to me. We sing songs together, clown around, fall off the bed laughing at things people would probably not find funny, and most importantly, we stand by each other at every instance.
I don’t know what life at IIM Shillong has in store for me; but what I do know for sure is that this institute gave me one girl I can be friends with forever, and for that, I am eternally grateful.