Salim and Kayal #Watty's 2016 # YourStoryIndia #ProjectWomanUp

Delhi, I'm coming

Kayal's POV

As soon as I stepped out of Indira Gandhi International Airport I felt homesick. Delhi is buzzing with activity. Delhi is India's capital territory. It is in the Northern part of India. This place reeks of power. The who 's who of India live here. President, Prime Minister, Member of Parliaments and yes some most powerful common men. Politics is in the air. Everybody knows somebody in power. I am entering this city to be somebody someday. To get admission in our country's top most institution to study Political Communication wasn't easy. I had cleared four rounds of tests. I did my Under Graduation in Journalism and this course is the next step leading to my prospective career of a Political Journalist. I started pulling my overloaded suitcases and found an auto to take me to the college. It is in the other end of Delhi, actually a remote place in the outskirts of Delhi. As soon as I got inside the auto, I gave the address to the driver.

I fished my mobile from my pocket and dialed for my Amma(Mother).

"Amma, I have reached safely. I have now boarded the auto, will call you after reaching the hostel ma".

"Okay ma. Take care." I disconnected the call before my parents could start another round of advice. What I have been hearing for the past month has been simple, plain advice, advice and more advice. That's one reason why I didn't want my parents to drop me in the college. I convinced my parents that a young woman of twenty one years can find a way from airport to college. The auto driver was a pro in driving auto. I was sweating like a pig. Tamil Nadu is my home state, a southern most state in India where the climate is mostly hot, hotter and hottest. But, this Delhi climate is already killing me. I had come here before as well once as a tourist and the next time with my parents to attend the panel interview here. But now, summer is at its peak and I am sweating profusely. I wore a knee length cotton top with my jeans. I think it is a bad idea to wear jeans in this climate. I should keep them for winter.

Out of the blue, I turned my attention towards the rear view mirror of the auto and I found the auto driver a middle aged man looking at me. I just gave him a polite smile. He suddenly asked me, "Madrasi(A person from Madras)?"

Don't ask me why, I don't like it when North Indians refer all South Indians as Madrasis. For a common North Indian man anybody who lives south of Vindhya Mountains is a Madrasi. That is technically wrong. There are four Southern states and all the states are quite unique. I cleared my throat and told him, "I am from Chennai, Tamil Nadu".

"So you have come here to study?"

"Yes." I don't like it when first time acquaintances ask probing questions. So I used my usual trick. Before he could ask me another question I asked him a question. It is my hard core belief that these common people have more knowledge about politics than all those people who are running our country.

"So Bhaiya(Brother), how is Kejriwaal Saab's government running Delhi?"

"Sister, this new Chief Minister has good oratorical skills, but when it comes to work all Chief Minister's are just the same".

That was the beginning. We had a nonstop conversation for half an hour. By the time, I could get down from the auto, he gave me a lot of advises. "Don't go alone anywhere in the night. Study properly. Don't trust guys." He also gave me his mobile number. After I paid him the auto fare, he finally said "All the best. Call Raju Bhai whenever there is a need for an auto".

I entered the building with my head held up high. This college was 'Posh'. It has all the facilities like a five star hotel. There wasn't much crowd in the campus because it was a Sunday. And classes start from tomorrow only. The roundtanna in the centre of the campus was really cool. I found my way to the girl's hostel. A middle aged woman whom I remember as Warden of the hostel was sitting in the front desk. "Good evening Mam. I am Kayal. Here is my admit card."