Damage-control at R2

When I first heard that there was a place called Reading Room(R2) in IIT, my reaction was : 'Why does anyone need to take a long walk from the hostel just to reach this place of study, when you have your own room at your disposal.' I was soon to realise why. Thanks to the cultural and sports activities we were being introduced to, the first minors passed away before I actually came to my senses (ironically, I performed really well, and it has been a downward journey since then). The need of the hour was to chalk out a foolproof strategy which would comprise of regular note-making and full attendance in lectures. Of course what actually happened was nowhere close to the plan. Somehow in IIT, your life is not entirely in your control, it depends more on the people and events around you. Rendezvous took up most of the time and energy during this period. It was fun while it lasted, perhaps I will write about it some other time. But the focus here is on the fact that I was back where I had started. With the dark clouds of Minor-II looming all over, it was time for damage-control. But that was impossible with the constant distractions in hostel. So with books in my bag and determination in my heart, I set off to R2 one fine night. The R2 is a warm, well-lit place in the heart of the campus. As one enters the room, it is impossible to ignore the strange aroma all over the room due to the lack of ventilation, but it fades away soon(from the mind, not from the room!). Another thing worth mentioning is that the moment you walk into the room, all eyes will be fixated on you. In the quiet environment, every sound, every movement invites stares. I found a few of my classmates ('hmmm....so they had been studying here all this time') and decided to share the table with them. With earphones plugged in, I tuned into a radio-station and opened the books. An hour or two passed very quickly, thanks to the hummable songs on air but I realised I had turned over just a handful of pages all this time. After suppressing a yawn or two, some of us decided to take a break. It was time for a visit to the Nescafe. After a snack of ice-tea and maggi, and a nice long chat with friends, I decided the break had turned out to be too long. The crowd in R2 had now started dwindling with every passing minute. I had to swing into action (without the music this time) before it was too late and sleep would take over me. That, undoubtedly, was the most productive hour of the day. As the clock ticked two, I decided to call it a day and headed back to the hostel. Since then, I have been a more-than-occasional visitor to the R2. There's more to it than just studying, it is getting together with friends, gossiping about the latest hookups (did I mention R2 was a hub for couples), visits to the nescafe and perhaps one to the insti-roof too. Deep inside of me, I know that after the four odd hours, the output is usually worth just an hour. But the charm of the other three hours will always pull me towards the Reading Room on the eve of exams.