Ragging ???

I had made up my mind that i wont run away from engineering college because of ragging but comforted myself with the thought that if i find it difficult to cope with studies i would just return home .I joined college one and half month after the classes had started.There was a positive as well as a negative side to joining late.The ragging which is officially banned was unofficially over by then,infact fresher`s nite was just a few days away.I was thanking my stars, but ,ofcourse, i was mistaken .Ragging was over for others but not for me,i had to face the music.
When one is in school,especially during the last few years of school life,one imagines a very rosy picture of forthcoming college life.I had also imagined a utopia where after attending a few lectures,i would be off with my friends to catch the latest movie,roaming around and capping the hard day with a beer.The days were hard alright, but there wasnt any beer ,atleast during the first year.
On the day of admission,i met my hostel superintendent(super) and he reassured me greatly when he told me that he visits the hostel daily.I was so relievedand happy,again misplaced happiness.I was thinking ,with the hostel super making regular visits to hostel ,ragging may not happen at all.To my dismay his 'regular visits' was a euphemism for a fleeting visit and that too once a month.
Finally that evening i took a small step for mankind and a big leap of faith for myself when i entered the hostel.I was astounded by the positive reception accorded to me by seniors but there was a catch.The warm reception was on account of my father who was accompanying me.Seniors kept coming to my room and spoke encouraging words,even the hostel super came and gave me a piece of advice /warning "hostel life is all about adjustment".But soon it was time for my father to leave me there and return.
After seeing him off to hostel gates the gravity of the situation struck me.Suddenly everyone appeared so menacing,there was a change in their body language and attitude.I was brought back to my room and interrogation started.By the end of half an hour of pure unadulterated mental torture i was close to breaking point.Every answer of mine to their questions was met with war like cries and bouts of laughter.One guy dressed only in something remotely resembling a halfpant came with a 'drafter' and broke into an impromptu monkey dance ,the kind of dance that you see in movies when savages catch their prey. The dinner bell started ringing before the war dance could be completed.The dinner bell had saved me for the moment.