YEN DAYS

 Life for me in Yenepoya was a roller coaster ride with its ups and downs.As soon as I finished my schooling in Riyadh I had joined college. I wanted to join literature course but since my parents were abroad and the colleges that had the course didn't have hostels I ended up choosing what few of my Riyadh friends chose-Dentistry.

Yenepoya was in Manglore.We used to go there by train.Train journeys were new for me.Usually my brother Ramzy, who was studying in MAHE Manipal for mbbs was there to accompany me from home.Manglore is a town somewhat like Kerala with greenery and rivers .Yenepoya was in Derlakkate.

First days in college were filled with homesickness and joy of meeting new friends and of being a fresher in college.I was allotted Room no F5 and my roommates were my old buddy Lubna and my second cousin Fahima.That was a huge relief. 

Initially I felt the food provided in the mess was not that good and seniors also scared us saying only in the first few days you get good food.Later only I realized the food there was very good considering other hostels.

Ragging was strictly prohibited in college and hostel and we had a lot of rules and restrictions in our first month.We had to have dinner very early and be inside our rooms by 10.Every night warden would come to take attendance. 

On one such fateful night,after 10 PM we were very hungry and went to the next room asking if they had something to snack on.They had tamarind sweets with them.We had just popped them into our mouths,when all of a sudden the warden opened the door.We were petrified. She took down all our names and told us to go meet principal the next day.

The next day in college I and Lubna was very scared thinking someone would come and send us to the principal .Fahima being the brave one took it as a joke.Nobody came to call us😀.Thinking about it now makes me laugh .

First year dissection classes were something very new for all of us.Seeing cadavers and the strong pungent smell in the Anatomy lab made some faint.That day we had Ghee rice and fried chicken in the mess and after dissecting some wouldn't have the chicken.We had to keep skull samples in our rooms.That was eerie too.

Memories of the first year were of the alginate impressions,cadavers,hematoxin and eosin pencils and the small lancets we had to poke ourselves with.

Fridays we had half day only and we could go for outings. We used to go by the Yenepoya bus,buy the stuff we needed,have Ideal icecream or softy and return back.Sometimes we had to return in the public buses ,which was again new for me .

Saturday nights we had lots of fun chatting for long hours into the night.Sunday mornings we used to wake up early to have crispy dosas and after that we would go to bed again 😴.Afternoon again there was something special like biryani and icecream. 

Hostel life was lots of fun with people of different backgrounds and talents under one roof.We used to wait for the Graduation days and cultural days.Annual ifthars were also conducted.

Sometimes we had eerie visitors in the hostel-small rats .Fahima used to drive them out somehow.

We were a group of 8 friends -my roommates,Nasreen,Razeena,Rincy,Amina and Nihal.We maintain our friendship till today ,thanks to social media.

In college I got to meet a lot of beautiful people from different places.We used to have our thaleem classes in the masjid or in the tv room in our building every day. That was another beautiful time for us .

Ramadans too were very nice as we had taraweeh prayers in the masjid.During exam times you could see the mess,corridors ,tv rooms all filled with students trying to cram their brains.

After 2010 I have never been to Manglore.Looking back I have  so many beautiful memories spend there.Given a chance I would love to relive the time spend with my friends. 

Dahlia Mohammed Ali