By Aaraadhye K.N. (BFIA’26)

I remember the past. I’m in a cab filled with suitcases, heading to Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies. I turn onto KN Katju Marg. I can feel Rohini’s underwhelming aura creeping into my heart. I always wondered why this area isn’t known for anything. Even the cab driver agrees.
” Yaha kuch nahi hai, “ he exclaims. When we reach, he adds, ” Yeh college hai? Mujhe toh humesha hospital lagta tha.”

I saw the façade. My heart sank. The campus was small (smaller than I expected). Orientation was grueling to sit through. The hostel corridors were illuminated with a shade of crimson only seen in true-crime documentaries. To top it all off, there was a grand sewage system at the back.

Societies claim to hold the key to a brilliant college life and a dazzling résumé. Seniors recount tales of painful encounters with teachers. Everybody out there is giving you advice. Contradictory guidance floods your brain, and nothing is useful anymore.

You start to wonder if it’s going to get better. Your friends have Instagrammable spots in their college campuses. Their stories fill you with unwanted envy. The best you can come up with is a photo with a fresh cup of Maggi from Nescafé. If you’re lucky, maybe the weather complements your attempt at social validation.

You hope with crossed fingers that you’ve made the right decision. At this time, you’re capable of breaking down into tears on demand. Some of you may feel numb, while others may plaster their bravest smiles across their faces.

All this, and I’ve not even begun to describe the first month at CBS. The big question is: does it get better? When? How?

It gets better in the tiny details you figure out along the way. When you find the perfect seat in class—cushiony, with a table that opens smoothly, under the fan, or maybe near the window.

It gets better when you finally find that one dish in the canteen that bears a passing semblance to something you’d get at home.

Oh, and boy, do you feel healed when a newly-made friend invites you to have some soggy chole bhature from Bansi Wala.

Your redemption could come from anything: a teacher that teaches well, a society that introduces you to your future friends for life, a competition that sets you up for success—anything.

My point is that recovery is just around the corner. You’re not the only one feeling uncomfortable and unsettled. Everyone around you feels the same way. Even if someone looks as if they’ve adjusted fully to the environment, don’t be disheartened. Everyone’s life follows a different timeline. Each in their own time.

When I imagine the future, I’m in a cab filled with suitcases. I’m leaving Rohini’s underwhelming aura. It’s still a place that isn’t known for anything in particular. But every once in a while, I’ll hear someone mention Rohini and say, “Oh, isn’t that where CBS is?”