wiNITTer

Winters in NIT Trichy

Dusk till Dawn

The alarm of early joggers starts ringing, disturbing the roommate’s sleep, who is rolled in a pair of bed sheets. Is it that cold in Trichy? The cat is seen rolled up like a ball enjoying the doormat’s warmth. As one comes out of the hostel, the security personnel are seen in monkey caps, jackets, mufflers, not to let the cold lull them to sleep. The sulking sun slowly decides to come out of slumber, and the dewdrops on the leaves start shimmering. Sadly, the cold (hearted) stone benches aren’t welcoming the early morning. As the minute hand completes a revolution, the whole hostel is awake, standing in a queue for geyser’s holy hot water. Getting ready and then rushing to the mess in the hope of getting a hot cup of chai or coffee and breakfast. Hard luck breaking cold idli or poori into pieces. Who understands the laziness of a winter morning? Cycling to Orion in the misty morning for classes is no less than an adventure. But the beholding sight of early sun and lovely peacocks makes your day.

Cold / Mess

Daydreaming and looking out through the window at the clear blue skies and seeing the birds flocking and pecking around merrily to escape the monotonicity of the classes. Did you ever fight with your batch mates over switching on and turning off the fans in class? No, because it was an unspoken agreement to have them turned on. The airiness of the fan dries the sweat of some and puts others to sleep. The stomach gurgles and the tastebuds are cravings for hot tasty meals (hoping that the mess doesn’t disappoint you). As the day progresses, there is no mention of winters in Trichy. They are a limited edition that can be savoured only at night.

Mid-day Winters

You arrive at the busy cycle station for your lunch after those arduous classes at Orion. I agree that the idea of cycling for lunch and then returning for afternoon lectures sounds exhausting. Guys, starvation is not a good thing!

“Oh, hey, it’s winter,” you could think. With all the breeze sweeping through your hair, it’ll be a fun voyage back and forth. You are, however, incorrect. You must embrace the reality that there are no winters in NIT Trichy in the afternoons. You will be feeling really hot, and you’ll undoubtedly sweat it out on the way back.

Crisp Winter Evenings

Hurray! You’ve finished your classes for the day; now it’s time to ride your bicycle back. Those tree branches are swaying in rhythm to the birds’ tweeting. You can view the magnificent breathtaking panorama of all the fallen dried brown leaves on the roadways as you ride along Central Avenue. The sudden impulse to change into your most admirable pastel-coloured attire, fetch a see-through umbrella, pose beneath the trees, summon your photographer buddy, snap a shot, and post it on Instagram strikes. So, best of luck with capturing Insta-worthy pictures.

In NITT, fairytales come true.

You get to watch the gorgeous sunset in the middle of all the bustling conversations that happen at MIG. It’s twilight, and the wind is getting colder without anybody noticing it. The winter wind blows,  ice symphony, bringing the tenderness inside to the surface. 

It’s now time to have a hot cup of chai and a coconut biscuit in the Tea shop. Beware of the pairs of “Friends” seated on those stone benches as you cycle there; then you realise it’s time for the Cinderellas to leave as the clock strikes 9. The females rush to meet their curfew while the boys enjoy cycling at a leisurely pace. You return to your room, only to be disappointed once more by the still-wet garments from the day before’s laundry.

The Showdown

The night canteen supremacy is back. The mess food is not pleasing? The night canteen has its arms wide open, and the aroma of Maggi boiling is bliss. After a long day of work, you return and, like a baby, fall into the luring comforts of the bed. Then it suddenly strikes you that you have assignments to finish and summon google to save you. Does the wi-fi in your room suck? In the middle of the night, you put on a jacket and roam in the corridor like a nearly network-less Nick in search of connectivity. You are setting up an alarm to wake up the next day with buffer time (because you know that you will snooze it). As the night grows, you gradually reduce the fan’s speed and go into your burrow made of blankets and bedsheets and fall into the land of dreams.

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This article was written by Shristi and Haripriya