Mukti Bahini.(36)

       

               Memories of Dewathang Bhutan never fade. Beautiful and clean. First January. We would like to get a few stamps as mementos , the post office is closed. We see all the spots there are to be seen. We are talking in Tamil and walking on the road. One man behind us rushes to us. Tamil ? He asks. His face lights up. We must have tea at his home he insists. The power of hearing your mother tongue in a distant land. His wife  too  when we meet her , is all smiles. We are saying our byes  after our tea and snacks , when my youngest brother catches sight of their dog and her litter of pups. He is so overcome that he forgets himself and goes to pet them.The mother gets at him. He is rushed to a hospital. A chance encounter, and now Appa is ringing him up every month to enquire after the health of his dog.

           We return to Tura and back to Shillong. I am in the 11 th. Holidays are cut down for revisions. Boards over we are back in Tura.  Something seems different now. We meet a lot of college boys on the way to the border. They are East Pakistani Bengali boys. Mostly medical students. Rumblings in nearby East Pakistan.  Mujibur Rehman has called for a struggle to free his country from Pakistani rule.These boys are being trained in India . Later they will form the Mukti Bahini. 

             I have to be admitted to college. Trichy is the first choice as our Patti and a lot of relatives are there.  Leaving the boys behind , Amma and I reach Trichy. Only 2 women 's colleges. Marks are announced late by CBSE. We have only a telegram from Appa about the marks. Holy cross admissions are over, but wait for after medical seats are announced they say. Amma has to go back . At SRC we are in luck. We still have only the telegram but we introduce ourselves as Appa's family. Appa has acted as an arbitrator for  an NCC case involving the college long back.  I join BSc course with Chemistry as main and Physics and Maths as ancillary subjects. .I become a hostel student. Amma returns to Tura. 

              As I have told you , in my younger days I was an avid reader of Enid Blyton.  St Claire, Malory Towers being some of my favourite books . I am dreaming of midnight feasts and mischief. What I get  are saree clad extremely studious girls. Girls are making a beeline to my room Why pray. Because my roommates (5 to a room. Sleep on the floor , no fan) have told others about the weird clothes I wear in the room. Only saree in the degree classes. I make do we my limited numbers. . Food however is always good and solid. I put on solid weight. 

            One day in the first week,  our class lecturer suddenly talks about lack of oxygen in high altitudes, production of Red blood corpuscles. The whole class is looking at me. Hey what is this. Am I that weird?. I find out that they  have been thinking that I put rouge on my cheeks and have actually discussed this with the class teacher. They are all familiar with each other having earlier studied PUC together. Whenever I say Shillong they hear Ceylon. Oh what a lot I have to learn. Are you an Iyengar. Yes . Vadakalai or thenkalai ? I am completely stumped. Sunday I go home and ask my Patti. 

              The boys are however having some different experiences.