I woke up to the sound of people shuffling out of the bus. We had finally reached Shillong. I grabbed my luggage and started heading toward the hostel where I would be staying. When I got there, the warden welcomed me. Inside my room, I noticed some luggage already there. My roommate must have arrived around the same time, taking a different bus.
We started talking as we unpacked, and I learned he was going to a different college. We hit it off pretty well, chatting about various things while we organized our stuff. Afterward, I crashed for a bit and woke up in the evening. We had dinner together and took a walk before heading back.
Later, I texted Tsula, telling her about my day and how things were going here. We chatted for a while until it was time to sleep. We said goodnight, and I got ready for bed.
Tomorrow is the first day of class—one of the most important moments in college. First impressions matter, so I plan to be the best version of myself. I'll try to fit in with some groups because I don't want to be left out later. It's a fresh start, a chance to change and be better, and I'm really motivated to make the most of it.
I'll wake up early, get ready, and head to college with a friendly attitude. I'll try to be cool, and there's nothing that can stop me. With those thoughts in mind, I drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, my alarm clock jolted me awake. I felt sluggish and groggy as I reached out to silence it. Glancing at my phone, I saw it was only 9:45. I thought about going back to sleep but remembered our first class was at 10.
Oh shit, I'm late!
I jumped out of bed in a panic, rushing to brush my teeth and wash up. As I scrambled to find my clothes, I realized I couldn't locate my pants and socks. Frustrated, I threw on whatever I could find and dashed out the door.
I sprinted for 15 minutes straight, finally reaching the college at 10:15. I was out of breath and flustered as I ran toward the classroom. A teacher pointed me in the right direction, and I hurried around the corner.
Just as I reached the door, I heard someone call out, "Ashan!" I shouted, "PRESENT SIR!" while still standing outside, my hand stretched into the room. Peeking in, I saw a woman at the front of the class.
Oh no, it's not a sir.
I slipped into the classroom, feeling all eyes on me. I scanned for an empty seat and found one with only two boys sitting there. One of them looked like he might be from the Northeast. I took the seat, and the guy next to me said, "Hey, what's your name?"
"I'm Itoy, and this is Julin," he introduced himself and his friend.
"Hey, I'm Ashan. By the way, are you Naga?" I asked.
"Yes, are you a Naga too?" Itoy replied.
"Not exactly. I'm not Naga, but I live in Nagaland. I thought you looked familiar," I said.
"Oh, I get it. Northeastern people do have a distinct look," Itoy agreed.
We chatted briefly before the class began. The teacher covered some introductory topics and then started the session. The class continued until the bell rang.
It was break time, so we were chatting a bit when a guy named Maun and a girl named Jee approached us. We introduced ourselves and decided to head to the canteen together. Jee seemed really quiet, so I wasn't sure if I should try talking to her or just leave her be.
We had coffee, and soon the bell rang for the next class. I told Maun and Jee to go ahead while I went to the washroom.
Rushing back to class, I almost collided with a girl who suddenly appeared around a corner. I managed to stop, but I still bumped into her slightly. I quickly apologized, and she said it was alright. Some of her books had fallen, so I started picking them up. As I finished, I said goodbye and tried to leave, but she stopped me. I thought she was going to thank me for the books, so I said it was no problem.
She whispered, "It's not that. Your socks... you're wearing mismatched pairs. And thank you for picking up the books."
I looked down and saw I had one black sock and one white sock. I felt mortified. I had just told her it was fine to thank me, and now this. I mumbled, "Oh, thanks for letting me know," and hurried off to my classroom.
When I got back, I sat down with Maun and Jee, still feeling embarrassed. I really hoped I wouldn't run into her again. Just then, I heard a familiar voice asking, "May I come in, ma'am?" It was the same girl, and it turned out she was in my class.
Well, so much for making a good first impression...
The classes ended, and I went home. The day went on as usual, and I reflected on my attempt to make a strong impression. It didn't quite go as planned, but at least it was memorable.
Days went by, and I slowly adjusted to my new environment. The hostel wasn't home, but it was comfortable enough. I got used to my classes, and the people I met on the first day became my friend group. I interacted with others, but they were my main circle for now.
I still saw the girl I bumped into occasionally, but we hadn't spoken since that awkward encounter. I didn't really expect to. After classes each day, I'd hang out with my friends, exploring new restaurants and places, and I was beginning to enjoy my new college life. Everything seemed to be going smoothly.
One day during class, I dozed off. When I woke up, I noticed some students writing their names on a sheet of paper. Thinking it was the attendance sheet, I went over and scribbled my name down.
Returning to my seat, Maun asked, "Do you want to compete for the class representative post?"
"Uh, no," I replied.
Just then, the teacher began speaking, "I'm going to announce the names of the 12 students who will be running for class representative next week."
She read off the names. "Akum, Vian, Luby, Ejan, Liya, … Rena, and last, Ashan."
I choked when I heard my name. Why was I on this list?
Maun leaned over and said, "Weren't you the one who wrote your name down?"
"You mean just now?" I asked.
"Yes," he replied.
I realized my mistake. I thought the paper was for attendance and had just volunteered myself for something I had no interest in.
I groaned and approached the teacher, asking her to remove my name, but she refused.
So, I was stuck. Next week, I'd have to compete for the class representative position whether I liked it or not.
But before the class representative election, I was set to attend a different event—the Nepali fresher's day program. It wasn't the college's main fresher event but one specifically for first-year Nepali students all over Shillong. I found out that Jee was also Nepali, so it would just be the two of us from our friend group attending. Two others from our class were going too.
Jee and I went shopping the day before, looking for Nepali traditional wear since I didn't have any. The next day, I woke up early and went to college to meet up with one of our classmates who was also attending. We waited for Jee to arrive. When she showed up, she was wearing a Bhutanese traditional dress, and she looked quite good and mature in it. We took a taxi to the venue, and as we entered, they handed us number tags and seated us in the arena.
The program went on for a while, and then it was time for food. I filled up on the meal, and afterward, Jee and I started walking around, taking pictures—well, mostly Jee taking pictures. I'm not a fan of clicking photos; I never really saw the point. After a while, we headed back to the program just in time for the announcement of Mr. and Miss Freshers.
I was stunned when Jee told me that every fresher had to participate, and that's why they gave us the number tags. To make matters worse, my number was 2, so I barely had any time to prepare. Why does this keep happening to me?
As Jee and I went to our separate lines, it was time for the speeches. I stepped onto the stage, my heart pounding as I faced the huge crowd. I took a deep breath to calm myself and began with, "Good morning, everyone." But then I realized the mic had some technical issues because my voice couldn't be heard. The staff scrambled to fix the problem while I stood there with a forced smile, trying to look composed, though inside, I was screaming, "Why always me?!"
Finally, the mic was fixed, and I started again, "Good morning, everyone. I'm Ashan from St. Louis College. I'm really motivated by the opportunity to stand here and share a few words with you all. I'll admit, I don't know much and I don't have many hobbies, but I'm hoping that my time in college will help me find my path and understand more about life. I hope that all of you find something or someone meaningful during this journey as well. Thank you for your time."
I ended with a slight smile and returned to my seat, wondering if I did alright. Jee was up next. Even though she had been so nervous earlier, she seemed to handle it pretty well.
It took a while for all the participants to finish their turns. We had to wait for the results, but Jee and I decided to leave early before the announcement. We started walking to the bus stand, but halfway there, Jee's legs started giving out on her because of her high heels. She wasn't used to them, so I grabbed her arm, and we walked slowly toward a taxi. We hired one and headed home.
By the way, Tsula won the Miss Fresher's title at her college that year. I wasn't surprised at all; she's always been amazing, and I was incredibly proud of her accomplishment. Though, I do have one little complaint—the guy who was crowned Mr. Fresher alongside her. Honestly, I wish there could be two girl freshers instead of a guy and a girl, because I'm way too jealous. But there's no way I'm admitting that to her.
The next day, Tsula and I were texting when she suddenly asked me how to write a speech for her hostel's freshers' day. She had already nailed her college fresher's speech, but this time she was representing her hostel and needed some guidance. So, I gave her some tips on how to make it effective.
In the middle of all this, I completely forgot about the class representative election. The day arrived before I even realized it, and I had absolutely no preparation. But honestly, I didn't mind losing. There was no way I was going to give up my easygoing life for the responsibilities of being a class rep.