13. The Hols are Hell

Dad and mom had come to pick me up from college. Dad drove home with a long list of queries on how I did my exams; what I had learned from my seniors; what would be my road map for the next 3 years. I was trying my best to contain my frustration.

In less than a couple of hours I was badly missing college. Dad’s presence subdued my texting, yet I managed a few messages and learnt my friends were on their way to their hometowns. None seemed to share my skepticism towards being away from college.

The sight of my bedroom which had been my home for the past decade was refreshing. The unrefutable feeling, ‘If only my friends are here’ crept over me. Just then the thought of my school friends struck me.

Over whelmed by a sudden surge of excitement I opened my drawer to get my contact book. Back in school we were not allowed mobile phones and we had our home landlines.

I called my friend Anitha. Her mom picked up the phone, “Hello aunty, Elvia here”

“Oh Elvia how are you dear. How is college?”

“I am good aunty, College is cool. Is Anitha there?”

“Anitha is in college. She has her semester exams starting tomorrow. When does the exam start for you?”

“Yesterday we had the last exam.”

“But how come exams are over so soon for you? Oh Ya I remember your semester begun in August. Anitha’s started only by September 2nd week.”

“hmm.. Ok aunty thanks. Can I have her mobile number?”

Getting her number, I sat on my bed disappointed. I tried calling a few others, the responses were no different.

Finally I resorted to the only available and reliable company, ‘mom’. I walked to the kitchen. Mom was busy preparing feast for her daughter who had starved to a film of paper because of having hostel-mess food for the past few months. She kvetched for the umpteenth time that I have grown lean.

I sat on the kitchen table, and started talking about my friends and college. I never realized that I had already spent a couple of hours. Over lunch mom’s urging me to eat well couldn’t trammel my tongue.

I had finished narrating all my college tales to mom in less than 3 days. She had been calling me twice a day throughout the semester, so nothing much to fill her with. I thought TV would be interesting during my school days when I was forbidden to watch it. TV had already proved deadening during the holidays after +2 before joining college.

Finally that Wednesday I decided to check on my martial arts class. After half a year of absence, I went back to my martial arts class. Everyone welcomed me with cheers. I spent a couple of hours everyday, but still had a lot of time just being horribly idle.

Dad suggested reading my second semester books. Mom sensing my glare in an instance subdued the hotbed which would have broken into a battle between the father and the daughter by suggesting novels. She justified that it would improve my language which is very important for a professional.

The same day Dad took me to the largest bookshop in the city, and I bought Harry Potter series as suggested by Harini the novel nerd of our hostel.

The books kept me occupied for the rest of the hols, yet I was looking forward going back to college every day, and every minute.



*Unrefutable - Undeniable
*Subdue – Lesson the intensity or dampen
*trammel - To hinder the activity or free movement of.
*Kvetch – complain
*hotbed - a situation that is ideal for rapid development (especially of something bad);