random thoughts...

ITdhulai

yesterday was probably one of the most fun days i've had since i got here. we in fact set up a grand A block tradition. and man! did we do it in style.

a little background first.. the IIM I girls hostel (A block) is closed to all men. (except for the top floor which is a boys floor). the only male students allowed inside the girls section of the A block are the members of the IT committee.

after the recent elections we have two brand new, fresh and innocent(?) boys on the ITCom - the chosen ones. yesterday was the first time these fresh and innnocents (?) were to enter the hallowed portals of A block. we therefore thought it only right that we give them an appropriate welcome. a welcome they would never forget!

detailed plans were laid out (with the help of a certain 'ishuuu' :oD). we went to rau and got garlands, mithai (motichoor laddoo no less), a coconut, flowers, some glittery paper etc. responsibilities were assigned and executed with more sincerity than that displayed for any group assignment. subcommittees were formed with two people assigned to obtain cameras, two others to strategically bring the two fresh and innocent (?) boys into the hostel at the same time, two to obtain appropriate music, two to make a little song and dance routine, while the rest handled the logistics of the event which involved doing random stuff right from obtaining bathroom stools and glasses of rice, to de-petalling flowers. (see THIS is what an MBA is all about! :oD). we also had an 'amateur journalist' (;o) who was assigned the responsibility of simply being very observant so that justice could be done to the event when reported.

the drama enfolded thus...

8 pm
two fresh and innocent(?) boys come skipping along, absolutely unaware of what awaits them inside. they are ushered into one room where all the 'defective' computers are brought. unfortunately, the computers happen to be trouble-free. so problems are being invented (the idea was to stall them until we managed to get an audience on the top floor... the PR committee was in overdrive)...

here i have to mention the brilliant problems one of the girls came up with (a computer engineer no less)
"my computer is not switching on... how do i do it?"
"can you set up wi-fi connectivity on my desktop?"
"can you install e-scan for me?" (just as the e-scan window pops up)

anyway, the trick worked and the stage was set
enter about 15 PGP1 girls at the door holding a dupatta like a canopy over the door as "saajan ji ghar aaye' starts playing... before the 2 fresh and innocent(?) boys know what's happening, they're taken to the central courtyard in a 'baraat'. at the entrance to 'centre court' were two glasses of rice which they had to tip over with their feet. A coconut was broken and the pieces distributed.

At this point certain spoilsports on the top foor decided our plan wasn't good enough and so felt it their responsibility to spice up the proceedings by throwing bucketfuls of water onto the crowd.

the two fresh and innocents were now taken to the middle of 'cente court' (this happened to be a rather challenging task as fresh and innocent(?) #1 was putting up quite a fight... the water proved to be too much for him) where they were made to sit on bathroom stools. the music changed to 'wah wah ramji.. jodi kya banayee' as two girls dressed in sarees and big bindis a la 'kyunki saas bhi kabhi....' came dancing in with plates of flowers and mithai (one of them being yours truly) and performed aarti for the two fresh and innocents(?). two others followed with huge garlands (scaring the s*** out of fresh and innocent(?) #1 who made a second unsuccessful attempt at running away.... fresh and innocent(?) #2 on the other hand, seemed to be quite enjoying himself!!)

now came the climax of the program, raksha bandhan!!!!!
hand crafted rakhis artistically made (consisting of a single flower tied to a coir rope.... its all about making the most of available resources!) were tied on the wrists of the A blockers' community 'bhaiyyas' (fresh and innocent(?) #1 suddenly seemed relaxed, while it was the turn of #2 to start putting up a fight)

mujra time!!!!!
for all the effort we girls had put in over the past 2 hours, the two fresh and innocents(?) were asked to dance for us. (f&i(?)#1 by this time seemed willing to do anything to get out of the place as fast as he could while #2 was back to his happy self.. he didnt mind dancing in the centre of a circle of 20 women!! :oD)

the spoilsports on the second floor now decided they wanted more action than plain mujra and so decided to get very innovative and throw water... once again

thus ended (rather unceremoniously) our 'initiation into the girls hostel' ceremony...

whatever said and done, it was good fun. although, aul our dance practice was in vain (:oD) we did manage to make our dear fresh and innocents(?) feel welcome and at home! ;o)

what was more fun was the planning that went into it. the enthusiasm with which it was all conducted. of course the reactions of the two fresh and innocents(?) was also rather entertaining!!
here's to more faulty computers and viruses!
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edit... some pics

posted by deepti @ 2:56 pm