Fight for the First Bench

Peculiarly we used to have fixed places, and we were maintaining the same seating all the four years. No one remembers how it started or how we chose our places, but those were the best choice for every one. We had a good rapo, shared good relationship and we were perfect for that bench.

Four rows of benches, first two were left for the girls and boys took the next two. Because of more strength of boys, we had to occupy the last benches of second row also. Ravi Kiran, Janardhan and me took the first bench of third row, right in front of the lecturers table. It proved to be very advantageous moving ahead and helped to improve friendly relation with lecturers as you can see later.

Sridhar used to sit in our bench at times, so it was four of us, or one of the three has to choose other place. So we decided to book the place who ever comes first, and he too started coming early for the place. Then he started putting a book of his at the end of each day so that he has a place the next day. Few days we took it off, threw it away to last benches and lastly used pages in it to clean the benches. An absolute childish act, and we used to laugh at our behavior from the very next year.

Similar fight happened for the bench behind us. Amar, Dinesh and Pratap took the bench and Rajeev used to fight for a place in it. Most of the times he succeeded until they found Tulasi better with them than Rajeev, but due to some reasons Rajeev couldn’t continue the place and journey with us.

Soon we are also into batches for labs. All were team of 4, and mine was of three. Ravi Kiran, another one… not my bench mate, Vijaya Lakshmi, from polytechnic and me. All of us were friends with one another because of lab batch, benches, hostel and every thing.

Ragging days

The next day I see my roomies shocked at the volume I snore. Poor luck guys, now you have to handle this for the whole year.

Next day is just introduction in class. The very first person I see looks like big uncle like personality, Sreedhar. Then we are introduced to the staff, and rules. We are given rolls, and I am 99121A1260, explained as 99-year of joining, 121A-college code, 12-branch code, 60-my roll, the last one in the class of 60.

From that day starts the ragging. Moving everywhere in line, doing tuck in, nothing in the shirt pocket and the ‘engineering salute’. I knew few of my seniors before, Vijaya Bhaskar and Venkata Ramana are my seniors in APRJC too, Harsha is my brothers friend in Rajampet and Suresh is my friends brother. Though I am not meeting them too often, it is a feel good factor.

Mastan, Satya, Pankaj, Lambu are few among the famous raggers. Writing pages of notes, records, drinking lots of cup curds, the famous engineering salute etc etc made it the best start one can have in college. They play the best part in getting us closer to each other.

One thing in ragging I remember that made the hostel-mates close is the assignment of ranking girls. All the ITians in hostel discussed on roof of hostel and ranked as – 1: Lakshmi Priya unanimously, Rajeev wanted Sangeetha to be second and the next rankings were Swathi for her dressing sense, Latha, Deepa… though not in that order.

Few more most important characters are my best friend Babloo, Prakash, Rajeev, Kishore, Santhosh, Rohit to name a few. Babloo aka Vivek is my best friend from childhood and now again we are in same college for engineering. Prakash is my neighbor in childhood and neither he nor me remember this. Other characters keep coming in the story ahead.

Day 1

I don’t even remember how the days went by after the counseling. Each of my friends promised to visit me in college because the college is by a film star Dr. Mohan Babu. I was already ready with my luggage packed for the first day of admission in college, 20-12-1999. My mom and my dad accompanying me.

From Cuddapah to Tirpuathi is the first bus and then from Tirupathi to Piler is the next. I have to get down at A.Rangampett, marrimanu is the bus stop specified. In this bus I saw a girl with a college bag and parents, and its understood that she too was for admission. Later I see, she has joined in my branch, and her name is Latha. And soon the bus has many people with baggage ready to join the college.

Joining in hostel, signing the documents and paying fee was the first day task. Huge hostel fee and a receipt less building fund from all.

Room 814, NBH. That’s where I am going to stay now. New Boys Hostel, the hostel out of the remaining campus. By the time I entered the room, two members were already in, in the room for four. Praveen, CSE from Nellore and Sreekanth, ECS from Hyderabad. Because my father got transferred to Hyderabad, I too claim to be from Hyderabad. We had a pretty good introduction and we were very soon good friends. My parents have left now for the Lord Venkateshwara darshanam and there to home.

Later in the evening the entered the main hero, Venu Madhav, EEE from Nellore. Looks very decent in the way he stood or talked with his father. But am sure he is not the same once his father leaves. And am absolutely right. Later you will see that he has become life of our room and batch. At the end, the same was known as Tendulkar, not because of his batting talent, but because of his ‘ten’ back logs.

We had fun introducing each other. Ravi Kiran, excited to be in CSIT started introducing me to all ITians he met. Janardhan is the first one he took me to. Then Sateesh, Gopi and others. Rajeev came to each room taking names of all people and their locality, as a part of ragging assignment.

What a wonderful day, a day of our career launch pad.