Have you ever studied in an all-girls school or college? I did when I passed out of school and joined the prestigious Sophia’s College in Mumbai. Till then over multiple cities, I had always studied in co-ed schools. That was the only normal I knew. In a sense, I feel that a normalcy around male-female relationships is inculcated early on when one actively encourages friendship with the opposite sex in children and also a natural, easy mingling of the two. So, I was used to having boys around and quite enjoyed their company. But, lo and behold, enter a college that felt worse than a prison.
If you had wardens and deans like we had in Sophia’s who ran the place with an iron fist, you would feel so too. The discipline was worse than school. College was meant to be more fun, right! It did not seem so. There were so many young women around, only women which felt really strange. There were some who’d wear burkhas while traveling and then emerge out of it dressed in trendy clothes and complete makeup. Style was the mantra! Of course, there were male teachers in the college but very few. So they were in great demand with the girls. I remember a Physics prof who most girls found very cute :).
And there was a definite invisible entity in the college everywhere – boys! I mean they were on every girl’s mind, and they were definitely in conversations. What I also found amusing is that each look and each comment of a guy they knew was thrashed out in detail perhaps because they attached much more to the entire interaction. Yes I saw a sort of obsessiveness in the girls even a desperation to be wooed, courted, loved and paid attention to. Somewhere, boys had an all-pervasive presence because of their absence. And we had a Polytechnic attached to the college which had men enrolled as well. No wonder, many girls found excuses to go buy yummy goodies and ogle at the boys there :). The discipline was stifling. And frankly I found this “aura” around men quite amusing.
And outside the college, there was a steady stream of boys. On any given day, you would find bikes with good looking boys parked outside the college gates. A premier South Mumbai college, it was a matter of prestige to have a Sophia girl as your girlfriend. And, yes Karishma Kapoor was studying in the college in my time. I saw her perform in some song and dance when she participated in the extremely popular Fest of the college. I think she dropped out during her 12th or after it, not sure. All of us got a massive discount in fees that were already pretty low to begin with for being girls. Not that most of us needed it given the profile of the girls who studied there.
After two years, I changed college to do my graduation in Chemistry. Guess what, Sophia’s did not offer graduation in Chemistry or Physics in those days because apparently girls did not opt for it! It was pretty well known for its Biology specializations. Even if they had offered it, I was ready to go. I was happy to get out and get into a college where I could bunk sometimes and be back to having male friends in my life. I do adore the men in my life :). They make for the best of pals.
For the men who were sulking after International Women’s Day, this post is a light-hearted effort to tell you how much you matter to us. We dig your presence in our life. Life is rather dull without you!
Of course, ek ladka aur ek ladki bahut achche dost ho sakte hain! Stupid Bollywood movies!
Pic courtesy: Freedigitalphotos.net
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