Salim and Kayal #Watty's 2016 # YourStoryIndia #ProjectWomanUp

First day in class

Salim's POV

Yesterday we slept quite late after our long conversations. I learnt John likes to smoke a lot. He frequently goes to the terrace for a smoke. He also likes to play Guitar. Harneet has a great sense of humor. Food was just edible. In the morning I slept after my Fajr Salaath and all of us woke up just in time to rush for our classes. When we were in the corridor Harneet passed a funny comment and I had a hearty laugh. I then felt as if someone was staring at me. And I saw some girls in the opposite direction. I immediately lowered my gaze without looking at their faces. All my life I tried to stay pure and I don't want to fall for any temptations at this crucial part of my life. With that thought in my mind I entered the class and found only the last bench vacant in the boy's side. So all of us squeezed ourselves in the last bench. Only when we heard somebody clearing their throat I realized that a Professor had come inside the class.

All of us said a "Good morning" in chorus. Professor started speaking in his formal tone. "Good morning. I am Dr Archit Trivedi. I will be handling 'Political Communication in the present era'. I want all of you to take my subject very seriously. I don't respect people who procrastinate. Late submissions can go to dustbins. So now everybody please introduce yourself, where are you from and your educational background. First let's start from the girl's side. "

One by one the girl's introduced themselves. Most of them were from Delhi, UP and Punjab. In the third row one girl stood up and said, "I am Jaanu Kranti from Andhra Pradesh. And I did my UG in Communication." She spoke in a very hesitant tone and sat down fast as if trying to avoid attention. All the guys in the front benches were staring at her. 

Another tall girl next to her stood up. Since I was sitting in the last bench I could see only her back. She had long black hair. It was well plaited and reached her waist. She stood up and said, "I am Kayal. I am from Chennai,Tamil Nadu and I did my Bachelor's in Journalism." Is it possible to feel something move inside you just by hearing somebody's voice? I felt an instant connection towards her. It sounds utterly stupid to my own mind but this girl did something to me. She was about to sit when the Professor spoke, "You are Kayal what? I mean what is your Surname?" To this she boldly replied, "I am from Tamil Nadu Sir and we don't have surnames."

To this the Professor again asked her, "In that case you must be having your initial which is the short form of your father's name? I have also heard few people in Tamil Nadu add their caste name to their names"

"No Sir. I don't add initial to my name. Neither am I interested in adding the name of my caste to my name."

"Why is it so? Are you not proud about your father? Why don't you want to attach your caste's name to your own name?" I was getting irritated myself with the Professor's questions.

But Kayal boldly replied, "I am proud about my father. But from a very young age I was taught to create an identity for myself instead of leaning upon my parent's identity. I don't prefer to be in the shadow of my parent's identity. With regards to my caste name, I am against caste system. I don't recognize my caste as a part of my identity."

Before she could say something else the Professor interrupted, "What exactly is your identity?"

"I am Kayal. In no particular order I am a feminist, a writer, a budding journalist, a student of Political Communication, a Tamilian and an Indian. These are the things about which I am proud about." She definitely is something.

"Okay. What do you write about?"

"I write about Politics, Feminism, Culture, Society etc Sir."

"Umm. Fine. You didn't even mention your religion as part of your identity? To which religion do you belong to?"