Travails of a hostelite..

Well I am experiencing a splitting headache (pity me!!) as I am writing this-Courtesy all the running around I had to do the past few days in search of a hostel.I reached NIT a week back(3rd of this month) to attend the pre semester classes of one of our esteemed branch profs on Electronic Circuits.Yeah,yeah, I know sacrificing 20 days of a vacation is'nt easy,but what can I do if my conscience keeps troubling me to do something useful in 2 and 1/2 months of idledom.Which to enlighten the reader means I was'nt doing much other than watching movies(I have enlisted a few alongside) and helping out in household chores(Seriously) and learning how to cook(No jokes!!).So filled with immense guilt and absolutely depleted of self-worth did I reach NIT.
3rd july:On stepping into C-hostel did I realise that there were'nt any rooms available for staying and to get a room on had to be a group of 4.Which meant I had to scout for 3 other guys who were in a similar situation as I was. On peering into the rooms on the ground floor, I saw the seriousness of the situation.6-7 people were deeply asleep on 3 beds joined together and all their stuff lying strewn around in the room.I was told they were there to help out with the organising of TATHVA our annual techfest.Well the things one has to go through to fulfil their noble intentions.There was a similar situation prevailing in most of the other rooms there too.Somehow I put my luggage in r no 138 and decided to petition the warden of E-hostel in which I had been allocated a room.I reached E-hostel and was greeted by closed gates and a cleaner chechi who informed me that the hostel had been temporarily closed for painting and whitewashing the rooms.I was told to come next day.Postponing the encounter for the next day, I proceeded to put my plans together for the next few days.I hardly removed any thing from my luggage realising a lot of moving around would have to be done subsequently.As there were'nt any free beds there I fell asleep on a free bed in 145.
4th july: A new day dawned on me along with the realisation that something would have to be done about permanent accomodation.I reached E and my eyes rested on a rotund guy with a bristling moustache who plainly was the steward . Although I had braced myself to be bold and ask him straight about why they did'nt do the renovation when they had 3 months to do it earlier,the words came out hesitantly,"S.s.sir,I n.n.eeeed to get my allocated room in E-hostel.C-c-cant you open it up for me?".I guess I was plain intimidated by his glaring at me.He said brutally,"No chance.Of all things you choose to be a wise guy and come early to hostel knowing plain well classes start much earlier.People like you are a pain in the ass."I guess my mistake was trying to be cultured and polite with him even though like Gandhiji I would get slapped on both cheeks.The conversation ended in a dead end for me with being told that rooms would be given only on the 14th after the whitewashing culminated.Crestfallen but determined to do something about it,I went back, the fatso's eyes glistening with victory behind me.
As it turned out I did'nt do anything about it until the 10th of july when the following happened :!
10th july:The warden of C also had a brainwave to whitewash the hostel(i don't know what was it about wardens and their sudden instinct to whitewash) and decided to vacate all the vermin staying in it.As I was staying close to his office,he came to my room with a red bulbous face(which looked almost comical on his half-bald head and said"Enough of people like you-who are making my task of whitewashing the hostel difficult.Out with you-find out somewhere else to stay."I said,"Sir,but we are here to attend classes of...".He interrupted,"I don't care what you are doing or what you are attending.."...Eagerly one of my friends added,"we are also helping with TATHVA"..He said,"HA..Tell me something I have'nt heard.." He then went onto rant about the fact that there were supposedly a number of people who were using these as excuses to stay in campus on getting bored at home.All our pleas to tell him all this had nothing to do with us fell on the deaf ears of a man desperate to prove his importance in the scheme of things.
We realised all we could do was to talk to the chief warden and get him to supersede the warden's authority.We entered the office an air of 'have pity on us helpless destitutes' surrounding us.That succeded and the warden asked us our problem.I started a monologue on the situation we were in and how His Highness could get us out of it by just signing a written permission for extension till the 14th.He sympathised with our cause telling us,"Poor souls,Of course you can stay in C till 14th.But please GET OUT of there then and DON'T COME BACK asking me for another extension".We were pleased thinking atleast we would have a place to rest our asses in till the day E opens.
14th July:As many of you might have already guessed today was the day destiny decided to screw us some more and the FATSO proclaimed ,"Sorry lads.But the painting is'nt over.We can only give you the rooms when the rest you 300 guys come."We were dumbfounded and could only manage a "why??.."and here was the gem.."because if I give you the room, We won't be able to lock the gate of the hostel and the equipment of the workers would be out in the open.Anyone might steal it you know..."Yeah of course we knew.."after all the "EQUIPMENT "in question was a few paint brushes and cans of paint and of course the hordes of workers there coul'nt possibly intimidate a thief.We felt this guy's brain was completely immune to reason and got an assurance(it counts a lot) that we'll be accomodated on the 17th.
A FEW HRS BACK: As our extension also terminated we were expecting the C-warden to swoop on us any moment.Then suddenly he appeared and we feared the worst.He said pleasantly,"Don't worry,I am not heartless.I'll give you another room to stay in.We heaved a sigh of relief and followed him to 144,where lo and behold there was the luggage of atleast a dozen people and 2 dozen mattresses.On seeing this I managed a weak smile and said,"S-s-ir is'nt this a bit extreme?...".He returned a sardonic smile and said ," NO matter.You've coped till now right .all the way from A-hostel till now.I think you've managed quite well.This should be cinch."...I reflected on that and looking at the room filled with buckets,mattresses and luggage,I thought "Yes,It should".