A more than Virtual home - Hostel

Story By:-Dinesh Gidwani,21

When I moved to 'Virtual home boys hostel', I never knew it would become such an inseparable part of my life. I knew the hostel gave you the best friends for life, my brother used to talk about it. But when I actually experienced that myself, I realized that the feeling of having created an extended family cannot be put in words. When the lockdown was employed, I knew I was going to miss this place and my roomie like anything. 

I knew because I had experienced this nostalgia before, during my 1-month internship at a faraway place.I feel so lonely at night that I hug my pillow tightly as I sleep and wish for the pandemic to end for good soon. Each day that I sleep, I wish for hostel, college to reopen, I wish those safe and fun-filled days of being with my roomie-cum-partner come back soon. It feels very great when you always have someone backing you.The late night talks, exam night group notes, Whole syllabus to study yet that "Ek pubg classic toh Khel lete h mind relax Hoga'' or those breaks at 2 am while studying, for a small game of gully cricket in the hostel lobby.

 All of this, makes me go high with a sense of enthusiasm and nostalgia, at the mere thought. The feeling that unites the hostel together, the multilingual and multicultural people, sharing all they have has always felt to me like the idea of my country, India — unity in diversity. Fulfilling those Late-night munchies and chai/coffee cravings, sneaking in electric induction and preparing our own meals, woh kapde khud dhone ka aalas. The responsibilities it has taught being a senior, I realize how hostel changes you into a responsible citizen, who can withstand all odds with a smile. 

I miss those pep talks during heartbreak and then the same guy sprinkling salt on those wounds for being foolish. This lockdown is like being banished away to a forest like the mythical Ramayan story, away from family.I dearly wish to meet my unconditionally loving extended family at the earliest.