The Third Floor Anomaly

It was a fine May afternoon when it was room allotment for Radhakrishnan Bhawan was to be done. I go into the room, take a chit out of a big box, and it said '316'. Although this hostel had a smaller room, less space and absolutely no greenery as compared to my previous one- I was still happy moving into RKB. The reason? Fast internet (and less number of dogs). Everything else can be forgotten and forgiven!

The first thing that is funny about my room is the number itself. My room number was 316. 613 was Sher Dil's, 163 belonged to C-Tease, and 631 to Porny. That is when I knew this room was special- among the big leagues! I am pretty sure 361 and 136 belonged to the guys from the big league as well!

RKB is also one of the few hostels of IITR to have lifts, although most of them don't work (but that is the matter for a different post altogether.) Being on the third floor, it is just a bit too much to use the stairs and a bit too little to use the lifts!

The Wind is also a luxury. Even during storms, my room's position is such that I would hardly get any wind. However, that holds an advantage in the winter. The playing area in the first floor has strong flood lights, and that illuminated my room for the better part of the night, until I decided to seal off my windows with newspapers. However, the internet covers for that as well, right?

I am not sure if this is an issue only with the third floor. My room is exactly above the canteen. Ever since the cold has made me switch off the fan permanently, I go to sleep hearing his shouts of 'bun omlette', 'do aloo paranthe', 'chola kulcha' and what not! It is as if the whole menu has been etched into my sub conscious mind!

When we were being allotted the rooms, the argument of the warden on the allotment being random was the emphasis on the unity it would promote. Unity, my foot. Even after the numerous room swaps that occurred immediately after the allotment, it has been a whole semester, and I hardly know anyone near my room!