Read Part I before you read Part II.
The programme started with a welcome speech and then the seniors took to
the stage. They called a guy from my class and gave him the first task; to hold
a mic and lip-sync with a song they were going to play. They played
"Gangeeeeey", sung horrbily by some senior. The guy lip synced quite
well and that put off the programme to a good start. Then a senior, AJ, as I
would refer to him from now on, and another senior, a girl, got on stage for a
dance... a love duet. It was a slow song and it went on beautifully. The couple
swayed romantically along with the song. AJ looked quite bored. Maybe a little embarrassed. After the dance was nearly over, the couple walked off the
stage, with a flower in their hand, swaying to the music. They approached to
the freshers crowd extending the flower in their hand. AJ came towards me, and
my friends started nudging me. Some idiots called out my name and I felt a
blush peeping in. Our eyes met, he smiled and then he turned, walked back and
gave his flower to one of my clasmates, Anu. ET TU BRUTE? I swear!

The girl gave her flower to Harsh, my friend. Anu and Harsh were brought
forward to the stage. They now had to do another couples dance to a love song.
The dance went on gracefully with such elegance that they looked like Romeo and
Juliet during their secret meetings. They ended the dance with Harsh nearly on
the ground, presenting the flower to Anu. The task was so well done that it was
the most applauded task among the others. I still tell Harsh that if he had
given me the flower, I would have said yes a million times.
There was a loud applause from behind as a line of boys-dressed as girls-
walked into the hall. They wore 'chattayum mundum' and golden earrings. They
started dancing around the vilakku. As the song neared to its end, it changed
its tracks and the barbie song sarted playing. The guys put on shades and
starting jiggling to the barbie song. All in all, it was a crazy, funny
routine.
The rest of the juniors got called up one by one or in groups. The remaining freshers thinned by the minute. One fresher was asked to drape an
other guy in sari. It was quite the fashion with no pleats or folds or
anything. It barely covered up the guy.
I was up somewhere towards the end, along with my roommate. This is the lame
part. They asked us to rest a ball behind us and walk to the end of the stage.
An easy -and did I mention lame?- task. As we reached the end of the stage,
they said, "OK, you can go and sit." That was it? THAT WAS IT? It did
not reach even one percentile of my expectations. Though I did not ever want to
go up to the stage and dance or sing, I expected something better.
As the program came to an end, the first years' were asked to proceed to
room number 210. It was time to eat. Two girls that were fasting went home. I
didn't go since all my friends were there and I usually walked back with them.
Though I had broken my fast earlier, I couldnt eat. I didn't care about all the
guys in my class... but I was really bothered about what the random muslim boys
outside would think. A girl usually doesn't fast only at particular times in a
month. No, I wasn't going to let ANY boy think of me that way. Thus I continued
my fast and helped the other guys eat by serving them. It was fun, I won't
complain.
Later on, on my way out of the college, I asked one of the second year
student why they had given me such a lame task to do. "Because you wear a
scarf, we assumed you to be the silent type." Silent? Me?
For heaven's sake, please don't judge me by my head gear. I am anything but
silent. I have three years in this college right... I'll show you. Oh i'll
definitely show you.