A Red Letter Day In My Life....

After completing the school days,every school student feels ,he is at last free from the shackles of rules , homework and more importantly the uniforms... There are dreams budding of Campus masti, meeting new people, learning new things and a curiosity of actually discovering the whole college environment..To know if it is as shown in movies..or as described to them by some elder siblings or friends.....

So I was no exception to this..After my SSC I got admission in the desired college in the desired stream and was just waiting for my expedition to begin..At last the D-day arrived..my first day at college...

I had afternoon college @ 12.30 p.m. and had to travel by train for about an hour to reach there.I started from home..It was raining heavily..I managed to reach the station and was waiting for my friend to arrive..But she did not reach there. After waiting for about 10 minutes more, I boarded the train alone..It was too crowded and I wished I had not boarded this one.

I finally reached my college. It was still raining heavily.During the first lecture itself we were informed that all lectures for the day had been cancelled and that we could leave.I and some of the new friends I made went to the canteen...And then after an hour or so, we decided to leave...

It was still raining heavily and when I reached the station again.. I got to know that all the trains had stopped working. Not knowing what to do.. I roamed around for some time. I was trying to reach my dad and tell him about the situation. As I dint have any cell phone those days.. I waited at a PCO in the long queue... And when it was my turn to make the call I found

that the PCO was no longer working. It had gone dead.

The rains did not show any signs of stopping.. At this moment,I was really scared, a whole new place.. no familiar landmarks... and no idea of where to go further..

Now one of my uncles lived here but I had never been to their place alone earlier. So again I had to recollect the address and look for a way reach there. None of the auto agreed to take me there. I was on the verge of crying when at last I found an auto driver who agreed to take me there. On the way, I got to know that the rains were really heavy and there was water logging in different areas. It was for the first time I had witnessed something like this. To add to this, the auto stopped in the middle of the way.I was really terrified at what to do.. I felt as If all the bad things had to happen on that day. I started walking on the unknown road. I confirmed the address with some people to assure that I was on the right way. I came across places where there the water level was knee deep..As i moved along the water level started rising..On either side of the road were some people who volunteered to help the passers by.

Passing through waist deep waters ,witnessing some of the houses on ground floor flooded with water...I finally managed to reach my uncle's place at about 5.00 p.m. and to my surprise they were all expecting me..!!!Everyone was worried about me as to where I had been all this while. I informed my parents about my arrival and then I had to tell my tales of how I managed to reach there despite the water levels. I spent the next two days there without any power, sleep, appetite and communication with my family at home...

So this was my first day at college... The 26Th of July,2005.. A date for which I believe every Mumabaikar will have a story to tell.. Even after 4 years today.. I can visualise every moment of the day... This day has been by far the most adventurous day in my life.. Discovering a whole new place... the dark and wild side of nature... All by myself with no one around to guide me...!! Later when I realised the gravity of the calamity that had struck the city... I felt I was lucky to have at least reached a place where I could be safe...! !

So which is the RED LETTER DAY of your life ? ? ?