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Read on to Know How Bakra-Eid is Celebrated

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I would have loved to say that I woke up this Wednesday at the crack of dawn, with birds singing their melodies and dewdrops on the grass refreshing my soul. But sadly, that wasn’t true.

It was 8:46 a.m. and I had to be at the Jama Masjid for the Eid Namaz scheduled to commence at 9 a.m. Getting out of bed at once, I analysed the situation. I had fourteen minutes to get ready, which was doable, considering I had planned my outfit weeks in advance. The dress was beautiful. Coloured in deep orange, it looked good on me, although I did not particularly look like I had a certain flag draped over my body. One last look in the mirror and I was ready to go. All went well and I met with my relatives and neighbours. They are generally happy people with little to disturb their peace. But today, the customary hug, hug, hug of Eid was dutifully accompanied by a tsk tsk tsk for me. How dare I not follow tradition?

At home after praying, I was greeted by the ‘Adonis’ of my area: the butcher. He had a jawline sculpted by the Gods and mannerisms that could put a gentleman to shame. Sadly, he had not stripped his shirt (or anything else) as is custom. “Handsome and not following the dress code! He too, like me, must be an outcast,” I thought. The black-skinned animal was readied for sacrifice by the ‘Adonis’. It reminded me of the nursery rhyme ‘Mary had a little lamb,’ except its fleece was black as coal.

Why do Muslims sacrifice animals on Eid? I am reminded of the story which I have repeatedly heard since my childhood. The Friday sermon before Eid talks about Abraham, the Prophet of God, and his willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael for the sake of his creator. Ishmael was said to be so obedient that he didn’t think twice before setting out with his father for being sacrificed. Assuring his father that he won’t scream, Ishmael had remarked, “You will find me patient.” The sermons and the story talk about how God was merely testing His beloved Prophet and how he later commanded him to sacrifice a lamb. Abraham’s love and loyalty towards God and Ishmael’s unflinching obedience towards his father always fascinated me. It was equally fascinating to me that Muslims, Jews as well as Christians all believe in this story of selfless oblation. And yet, they choose to fight over the differences rather than celebrating the similarities and shared beliefs.

Muslims, on the occasion of Eid, sacrifice an animal in the memory of Prophet Abraham and his son Ishmael. As is mentioned in the Islamic scriptures, the sacrificial meat is divided into three parts and one of them is to be distributed among the poor. Eid is the festival of happiness and so donating to the poor is one of its most important pillars. However, I sometimes fail to understand why people have to ruin every beautiful thing that we have. Some use this occasion of Eid to show their wealth off by over-spending on sacrificial animals and flaunting the price tag. Eid is supposed to be a day when people meet and hug each other, forget their differences and pray for forgiveness. I hope that it still remains the essence of Eid.

In the afternoon, my rich uncle greeted me with an exuberant smile and a thick wallet. Handing me a hundred rupee note, he advised me not to spend it on one place. I felt at once responsible. The men of the family talked of love and peace which, on any given day, would have taken me by surprise. But today had been full of new things. In the end, as is custom, I did have a plateful of mutton biryani!
Feature Image Credits: English Almanar

Maumil Mehraj

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Arts & Culture

Why Should You Visit the Stationery and Book Fair 2018?

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Reiterating the might of the pen and the printed world, the biggest book and stationery bonanza, keenly awaited by students, teachers, artists and, book lovers is back.

India Trade Promotion Organization is organizing the 24th edition of the Delhi Book Fair along with the 20th edition of Stationery Fair from 25th August 2018 to 2nd September 2018 at Pragati Maidan. Having been an annual event since the last two decades, this mega event will witness popular art supplies, books, and, stationery from all over the globe.

The stationery and book fair is an event which witnesses lakhs of visitors, artists and book lovers who throng through the stalls every year. The fair is not only a place to discover new books and stationery but also new budding authors. One can also witness intellectual debates and discussions about the ongoing issues both at the national and international level.

Why Should You Visit the Fair?

  • A variety of books and stationery to choose from.

Even someone who is not a fan of stationery and books ends up buying some cute artsy stuff at the fair.  These fairs are a place where you can find books on any topic, genre and, language. You name it and the fair has it!

  • Author Meet-ups

Generally, book fairs witness a number of new authors who launch their books. Some renowned authors are also there to hold discussions. Be careful while hogging the book stalls, you might end up meeting your favourite author. Do not forget to get your copy signed by him/her!

  • Stationery

Tape, glue, highlighters, colour pencils, fountain pens, sketchbooks, DIY art kits, handmade notebooks, diaries artist sketch boxes, chalk, pens and, paper stashes await at the stalls. If not for stationery, then go for chunky and cool bookmarks which are sold at throwaway prices. One can find many international brands like Artbin (USA), Sakura (Japan), Mungyo (South Korea), Sharpie (USA), Arto and Campap (Malaysia) and lots more.

  • Cheap Bargain on Books

Some sorting and searching will save you a lot of money and still get to own a decent number of novels and non-fiction books.  Many stalls offer as many as five books at the price of meagre INR 200. Such opportunities are god sent for college students who are always broke.

The fair is likely to be held in Hall number 7 to Hall number 12, Pragati Maidan .The timings for the fair are 10:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.  There will be a free shuttle service from the nearest metro station i.e. Pragati Maidan. The entry ticket will be priced at INR 20.School children, in uniform, accompanied by a teacher will be allowed free.

Hog on to brands like Navneet, and Camlin with some childhood nostalgia and buy some cute and artsy stationery. Catch hold of 100 year old stationery brand- Tombow for some amazing pens, markers and, art supplies.

Feature Image Credits: Hindustan Times

Anoushka Sharma

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Fandom

A Tribute To Enid Blyton

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‘Leave something for someone but don’t leave someone for something’. And true to her words, Enid Blyton left millions of children and adolescents a legacy. She left to us and for generations to come worlds full of magic, wonder, nail-biting mysteries, the most loveable characters and taught lessons that one would cherish for a lifetime. 

Her books, which have sold more than 600 million copies, have been among the world’s best-sellers since the 1930s. As a kid, every one of us has spent hours pouring over her prolific works. Here’s a trip down the memory lane to pay a tribute to some of her classic writings.

The Famous Five
The novels feature the adventures of a group of five young children named Julian, Dick, Anne, Georgina (George),  and their dog Timmy. The stories take place in the children’s holidays after they have returned from their boarding schools. The five get caught in numerous adventures involving criminals, lost treasure, camping etc. The five first meet at George’s picturesque house, Kirrin Cottage, located on Kirrin Island. Blyton intended to write only six or seven novels but owing to the massive success, she wrote twenty-one full-length novels. The book received its name after the ninth novel. Till then, it was known as The ‘Fives’ book.

The Secret Seven
Unlike most other series written by Blyton, this one takes place during the school term and not during the holidays. The characters of this detective series are Peter (the society’s head), Janet (Peter’s Sister), Jack, Barbara, George, Pam, and Colin. Jack’s annoying sister Susie and her best friend Binkie often make appearances in the books. They seem to hate the Secret Seven but at the same time, they have a strong desire to be a part of the society. The young detectives meet in a shed with the words S.S painted on it. Peter, the society head, makes everyone obey the rules and remember passwords. Whilst wolfing down rock caves and drinking lemonades, the seven solve mysteries and issues in their local community.

Malory Towers
The series is based on Benenden School, a girls’ boarding school that Blyton’s daughter attended. The books revolve around Darell Rivers, a twelve-year-old, who is eager to enter a new life in school. Although she has a turbulent beginning, she ends up making friends with Sally Hope. Throughout her school life, her hot temper gets her more than once. The series, which is a set of six books, culminates with her leaving for the University of St. Andrews as her younger sister joins the same school.

Noddy
Originally published between 1949 and 1963, Noddy is a masterpiece created by Enid Blyton. The first book explains Noddy’s origins. He was made by a woodcarver in a toy store but ran away later. As he wanders through the woods without clothes, money or home, he meets Big Ears, a sort of hobgoblin. Big Ears thinks that Noddy is a toy and takes him to live in Toyland. Television shows based on the character have run on British television since 1955 and continue to appear to this day.

 

Feature Image Credits: The Enid Blyton Society

Bhavika Behal

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DUB Speak

English to India – Blessing in Disguise

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A language quite foreign to us has turned out to be the one that we use to communicate with all kinds of people in the present times. Our past provides reasons for it. But is its acceptance a genuine reality?

It is a fact, well acknowledged by all of us Indians that English is a language that has helped us to establish a facilitating link with people living across the country. No matter how much we criticise the penetration of the language in all parts of the country or the effect it has had on us, we still do acknowledge the basic fact that it bridges the gap between a Kashmiri and a Keralite, or a North Indian and a Northeasterner.

The dynamics involved here are simple – we were under the rule of the British for more than 200 years and they put their heart and soul into gaining power over us. With the arrival of the East India Company in 1600, something that no one ever thought about, came true. A country bound together in a unified umbrella despite the different cultural boundaries was under scrutiny. Lord Macaulay observed, realised, and capitalised this. He knew that to divide this country, no wars and weapon could help. And instead what needed to be targeted was language. We were robbed of our own identity and culture, taught by force, a language we did not need to know. That was the beginning of an epic fall. The point remains, could we really control this violation?

In his essay titled ‘Commonwealth Literature’ Does Not Exist, Salman Rushdie writes ‘what seems to me to be happening is that those peoples who were once colonized by the language are now rapidly remaking it, domesticating it, becoming more and more relaxed about the way they use it – assisted by the English language’s enormous flexibility and size, they are carving out large territories for themselves within its frontiers’.Later in the essay, Rushdie says that English was a gift given to us by the British.

Why is it so hard to accept then? It is the third most spoken language in the world after all.

English is a language of the British that has been derived from Latin, Greek, French and some other old languages. It’s a newly developed language that has gained acceptance widely in a very short period of time. Of course, there are countries that condemn and despise the language, but not all of them have been colonies of the Englishmen. The reason why India has welcomed the language in its realm with open arms roots out to the phenomenon that its citizens were coerced to. It is only natural to expect such an outcome. Moreover, since it is a relatively new language, it allows flexibilities that other languages don’t.

The cynicism and negative feelings surrounding the language and its widespread compliance in the geography stand in question now. Because of the rhetoric that arises immediately -what even is there to question? The key to tackle the situation now is to simply accept. Questioning the intrusion of a foreign language in our system is only going to lead to further questions, with no solutions whatsoever. Let us all accept, and live.

 

Feature Image Credits- Google Sites

Akshada Shrotryia
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DUB Speak

The Game of Reports

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 Imagine a world where characters from the of the TV series ‘Game of Thrones’ would choose the pen as their weapon and don the armour of journalists. Read on as our correspondent envisages a parallel universe where killing would stop in the money-minting TV series, and instead, words would flow.

The‘Seven Kingdoms’from writer George RR Martin’s brain are expansive and diverse. Apart from the television channel  HBO, don’t you think there should be a mechanism that would keep every citizen of ‘Westeros’ aware of all the songs of ice and fire that are playing around in this world? Let us take a look at how a weekly ‘Westerosi’  newspaper  would roughly look like:

Sansa Stark

Column: Showbiz

Sansa talks, looks and feels like a perfect princess from Disneyworld who accidentally got transported to Game of Thrones. While growing up, all Sansa has done is adorn her hair, talk about royal weddings and the whole glitz and glamour of belonging to a ruling family. Amidst the usually violent and gory news of Westeros, a few ineffectual articles on the glamourous celebrities of Westeros would be a welcome respite for the public and Sansa would be the perfect journalist for the job. Instances of some articles that might feature on the column are “The short hair look: Who wore it better? Cersei or Ellaria Sand?” or “Ranking Daenerys’s  boyfriends.”

Petyr Baelish
Column: Gossip

If you thought the showbiz section on wardrobe, fashion and entertainment are nonsensical, then wait for the gossip column by ‘Little Finger’. This would be the area that would cover all the scandals and hearsay in the Seven Kingdoms based on information gathered by Lord Varys and the young journalists, his little birds. Knowing how sly and offensive Baelish can get, it is no wonder that in the reports, he would always prefer to keep the by-line of his reports anonymous.

 Tyrion Lannister

Column: Wisdom and humour

As he describes himself, Tyrion drinks and knows things. He also talks a lot, a tad bit too much which is enough to bring down the ego of many a big man. With the turbulent political system of ‘Westeros’,  Tyrion takes wields the pen to express himself to all the people across the borders, writing on tactful war strategies and wise anecdotes along with sarcastic observations of the people he meets. There might be a few grammatical errors here and there as he writes mostly when he’s drunk (which is in fact, a common occurrence) and because the Westerosi Weekly would inevitably have bad Editors.

 Arya Stark

Position: Undercover Criminal Journalist

You can’t write about something in a realistic fashion until you have experienced it. From a young age itself, Arya Stark has experienced troubled times. The circumstances have surely made her bolder and not only that, these experiences can make her money too if she delves into the foray of criminal journalism. Considering how sneaky she is, she can reach any tavern, forest or palace of the kingdom. Learning the ability to change faces would only help her to go undercover and write first-hand accounts.

Samwell Tarly

Column: Science and Tech

Samwell Tarly eats a lot. Samwell Tarly also reads a lot. Whether it be the Dragon glass discoveries or remedies for Greyscale disease, Tarly can cover everything related to the sciences in ‘Westeros’. However, considering how Tarly goes overboard with his research, it is highly unlikely that his section in the paper would have a wide readership.

Tormund, Jon Snow, and ‘The Hound’

Column: Letters to the Editor

This particular space on the paper involves the non-journalist players expressing their queries and views to the Editor. The usually dumb and naïve Jon Snow can be expected to ask “Has anyone seen Ghost, my direwolf? I care for him deeply but I left him again” and “The Brothers of the Nights Watch give me salty looks as if they are about to kill me. Should I trust them?”.  Sandor Clegane (The Hound) would be the one who is writing sarcastic hate mail, so much so it would be highly likely that the Editor heavily censors Sandor’s words or doesn’t publish them at all. Similarly, letters by a ‘Wildling’ like the merry drunkard warrior Tormund Giantsbane would be filled with grammatical errors and strangely creative cuss words.

 

Feature Image Credits: The Hindustan Times

Shaurya Singh Thapa

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Arts & Culture

Does Kiki Really Love You?

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The Kiki Challenge has taken over the internet by storm, and here is how we feel about it.

We know our mind, body, soul, and myringa are in for a delectable taste, every time Drake drops an album. In lieu of his latest album, Scorpion, fans all over the world have a new obsession- The Kiki Challenge.

What is the Kiki Challenge though?

Initially performed by comedian Shaquille “Shiggy” Mitchell, it is brimming in everybody’s Instagram feed! Inspired and cultivated into a different set, it entails the performer to get out of a moving car and dance to the beats of the song, and jump back in, after they’re done, lasting a mere thirty seconds.

This is not the first time the internet has gone bonkers over a challenge. Looking back right from 2013, there have been several sets of challenges, which attract the Gen Z. the ‘ALS ice-bucket’ challenge or the ‘Kylie Jenner Lip’ challenge are a few of them, among  many. We were greeted at the doors of 2018, by the “dame tu cosita” challenge, which had all social media users, even the celebrities trying their luck at it.

We, Indians, also have multiple complications, in all possible ways, that they bring along with them when it comes to entailing and accepting these challenges. It is one step away from being a political debacle.

If taking selfies was not reason enough for multiple deaths in India each year, waive it over to the ‘Kiki Challenge’ to catch up on it. There hasn’t been a case of a death by it, however, the Indian roads are no rescue and definitely not the ideal place to constrict oneself to such challenges. The hype around posting of such similar challenges and percolating down to the sheep crowd is real. Is it a zeal of inner satisfaction, or a five-second pleasure of enlisting your own self in the social media ‘cool’ category? Let’s get into the bits and pieces that go into making these video that last merely for thirty seconds:

  • multiple shots, in order to receive the one perfect one
  • unapprehensive traffic or passerby’s
  • crowd attention, that leads to a fresh set of  re-takes
  • inflicting and suffering an almost round figure of a million injuries (it’s tough getting off a moving car)”
  • saying goodbye to all the safety rules you learnt back in school, leaving beside your ‘moral dictions’,

Fighting all of these hassles, one receives the contentment of having shot it, and receiving appreciation/ hate on social media.

Pop culture has seen its way into the lives of every active social media fanatic. Whether it was a coincidence or a strategic marketing move, its challenges like these which add to the hype and the increment in audience engagement. Even movie trivia has its own set of challenges put up. Recall the ‘beat pe booty’ challenge back in 2016, or the recent ‘PadMan’ challenge, which shook Bollywood and Instagram users to its core. Social media hype can never rest in peace.

Adhering to the severe implications of the Kiki Challenge, States like Kerala and Rajasthan have already set course to issuing public warrants against the performance of the challenge. Does it seem drastic? Yes! Effective? Cannot say! It’s hard stopping a determination so tough and steady.

A recent online ad conducted by Jaipur Police, featuring the staged death of a Kerala man, left us in fits and giggles, but at the same time led us to question the dexterity with which one sets out to perform them. After all, who is it truly affecting? Does it stop the war in Syria, or does it decrease the rate at which the ice glaciers at the North stop melting? Is it a personal gain, one receives by being subject to social media scrutiny? Or is it just adherence to be accepted in the age run around virtual dynamism winning against reality?

Quoting from a famous Indian meme page, “Kiki may not love you, but your parents do!”. Henceforth, don’t go to such extreme lengths to impress a virtual audience. Safety first!

Feature Image Credits:  RedBubble

 

Avnika Chhikara

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DUB Speak

The Struggles of a Delhiite in the Metro

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“Agla Station Rajiv Chowk Hain,” an automated voice speaks in a manner calm and composed unlike the ambience in the metro coach. Everyone in the train–the office goers with their laptop bags and dark circles,  rucksack wearing tourists, WhatsApp addicted aunties in sarees, and college students like myself–braces for impact as within seconds, chaos is about to be unleashed.

“Doors will open to the right,” the deep baritone of a woman echoes through the speakers like a war cry from a conch shell. The situation gets more intense and beads of perspiration appear on my forehead. As soon as the gates open, it indeed feels like a battle with people kicking, elbowing, pushing, and pulling each other as they struggle to get in and out coach. I feel like a lifeless rag doll dragging my sorry self to some corner trying to avoid the bulls charging at me. It’s another day of travelling by Delhi Metro.

I have had a bittersweet relationship with the Delhi Metro, a part of my daily life. I  start my day by opening my arms wide in Shahrukh Khan’s signature pose at the security check. Then I slide down the escalator and skid my feet towards the airport express line. After reaching the bustling New Delhi metro station, I travel by the yellow line.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) includes several routes like the yellow line, blue line, violet line and the airport express. The airport express is the Barry Allen of metro lines, the fastest in the DMRC. It somewhat feels like an elitist ride as it is fast and has proper seats with elbow rests. In sharp contrast to this, my friends are accustomed to creepy stares from strangers while travelling by the yellow line (which just includes two rows of seats in each coach facing each other). Obviously, the elitist ride costs more (INR 50) than your normal metro journey.

Now let’s talk about general metro rules. The brains of Indians (especially that of Delhiites) are renowned for lacking basic civic sense and adherence to rules. Indians in the metro are no exception. When the gates open at every station, basic courtesy requires you to stand at the sides, allow the passengers to come out in a proper fashion and then subtly step in. But subtleness and courtesy seem like a far cry from typical metro behaviour. Outside every gate, there are printed words on the floor which read, “Let the passengers alight first”. But everyone seems to be in a rush. The blokes at the platform stand right at the doors facing the blokes who want to get down and this ends up looking like a wild rugby match, an elaborate dance of bumping heads and trembling hands. This is particularly true in the case of extremely crowded stations like the famous Rajiv Chowk metro station and Kashmere Gate metro station. If my train halts at these stations, I breathe a sigh of relief as I see multitudes of passengers set foot to the outside world. However, this feeling is short-lived as five odd seconds later, the absence of the crowd gets compensated. An equally large number of commuters rush inside and it feels like I just had a delusion of an empty coach. It is, therefore, safe to conclude that after China, India and ‘Friendzone’, the zone with the highest population in the world might be Rajiv Chowk metro station.

Another rule prohibits eating and drinking inside the metro. Although it seems like a minor rule, I still choose to be a hardcore law-abiding citizen. I remember that I did break the rule one evening when I opened a packet of nachos to feed my famished stomach. Another day, a lady sitting next to me opened her large lunchbox which had a shade of bright pink that made me cringe. Then shifting my eyes towards my phone screen, I tried not to bother. But my nose got triggered in an instant. The reason for my nostrils yelling for help was because the lady was eating a sandwich which had a lot of raw onion slices stuffed inside. If I was ever a Superman, I’m sure onions would be my ‘Kryptonite’ because I just hate them.  Basically, the onions in this sandwich were so smelly that I was about to faint. There were no more empty seats in the metro so I just got up and stood near the door as that seemed like a better option. That day, I understood the actual reason why the DMRC had framed the ‘no eating’ rule.

The Metro is a lifeline for the majority of the wildlings of the urban jungle called Delhi. E Shreedharan, a man credited for setting up the metro lines in Delhi, earned the sobriquet “Metro Man”. No wonder that he was once considered as a Presidential candidate by the BJP. The network connects people and despite the little issues and moments of mayhem, I feel a sense of belonging to these trains. Apart from Connaught Place, momos, and unruly traffic, what characterises Delhi best is the Metro. Now I should better stop writing because the man with the heavy voice on the speaker is resuming his announcement, saying “Next station is Kashmere Gate”.

 

Feature Image Credits: Diwas Bisht (Behance)

Shaurya Singh Thapa

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Campus Central

Sophie’s Choice: Freshers’ Edition

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Modern-day college students experience an insane amount of confusion and pressure over the activities they must take up in a new college. But is every choice you make worth the plunge? Read on to find out.

  • Confusion and Stress

There is a great deal of difference between school stardom and college glory. This is why students feel overwhelmed with the numerous groups and messages that invade their cellphones and personal lives as well. In an attempt to get a taste of everything, they find themselves keeping track of too many activities, societies, and commitments at once. The hack is to prioritise desires and necessities at once. If one doesn’t know when to stop chasing, then nothing will ever be reached.

Vishal Ranka, a second-year BMM student at Usha Pravin Gandhi College, Mumbai, has a piece of advice for all those who find themselves frowning and panicking throughout the day. He says, “Don’t get stressed due to the confusion of too many things happening at the college. Things would eventually ease up. You must wisely choose to invest in a skill that would contribute to your personal and/or career growth.”

  • Time Management

Carpe diem is significant to make the most out of life, but no human must push herself to do 86, 400 different things a day. When you are rushing from the drama rehearsal to an NGO in another corner of the city, and then work for five internships at home, then its only natural to reach a breaking point. It is practically impossible to expect yourself to invest quality time in everything that catches your eye.

A third-year student of Bachelor of Design at the National Institute of Fashion Technology in Mumbai, Akansha Motwani, has a take on how poor investment in the things you don’t like can create a negative atmosphere. She is of the following view, “College is all about backlog causing a backlog and there is no escape. It is funny how Sunday evenings have become more frightening than Monday mornings.”

  • Diluted Experiences

This one cannot be emphasised upon enough, because many believe that the greatest fall is to fail. Freshers put a variety of tasks on their plate, but gradually forget the value of all. While preparing a dance performance, if you fret over covering the protest at the college then you will not gain the best of what you signed up for.

Ishani Pant, a second-year student of B.A. (Honours) English at Lady Shri Ram College, believes that there is essentially a quantity versus quality dynamic associated with the choices you make in your first year. She emphasises the fact that over-burdening yourself with mediocre work that you don’t enjoy would lead to a disillusionment about the worth of things. “In reality, everything you do has a great potential to be truly riveting. Unfortunately, as 21st-century freshers, we often fail to discern the difference between worthwhile and tempting WhatsApp messages about some great addition to your CV, and the like,” she asserts.  In all honesty, the approach of experimentation may easily backfire when your superiors see your lack of motivation and quality.

Every person has a drive that guides his/her actions in life. It may not be sudden. It may not even seem to exist inside of you. But your passions are not god-gifted treasures. Studies have revealed that developing and committing to the right kind of interests will eventually create a passion for the work. It is true that exploration and failure are bound to stick with you on this path you have ventured upon. More often than not, taking the time to find what you like doing can change the most arduous decisions of your life.

Feature Image Credits: Girlboss

Anushree Joshi

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Arts & Culture

Lost in Transition, Finding Home Away From Home

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It’s almost unfair that decades of our life must be left behind at once. But transitions don’t announce their gravity. They just pull. If you have ever felt a sinking feeling while stepping into the new building they expect you to call home, then read ahead.

A year ago, at this very time, we weren’t doing the things we are doing right now. A year ago, all of us- the college freshers, were struggling to keep a routine and a life between our school assignments, tests, and extracurricular activities while maintaining a steady relationship with our textbooks. Personally, I remember wanting my last year at school to end quickly. I remember wishing for a miracle to bring the last exam closer. I remember praying for the end so that a new beginning could fall into place.

Yet when it came to walking out the exam hall, wearing the uniform for the last time, it hit me- this is the last time I’m in the same boat as these people who spent six hours a day for a long while with me. It hit me, however glorified, endings are meant to close a part of your life but they seldom close your heart to it. When you enter a new place for the first time, the fear grips- what if you feel new even while leaving the place? The transition is hard on our hearts and minds because we are afraid of never reaching anywhere.

Anura Pareek, a 1st-year student of BA Programme at Lady Shri Ram College, shared the same haunting realisation, “Months leading up to July were spent daydreaming about life at Delhi. Now that I am finally here, there are moments when I want to pack my bags and run back to Ajmer. Leaving family and friends behind is easier said than done. Life at college is so different from school, and not in a good way either. Everyone seems to be so talented, it’s quite intimidating. But I am hoping, soon I’ll find my niche, my safe haven at college.”

This isn’t to say that beginnings are only waving a giant flag of doom or dullness. After being in a system of constant oppression that has taught us to obey unquestionably, a sense of liberation also arrives with a warm cup of tea in college.

Dev Chopra, a 1st-year student at Keshav Mahavidyalaya, opened up with an experience of his own, “I was hanging out with some of my ‘new’ friends in the garden of the college. We were clicking pictures and playing music softly. Whenever somebody passed by- a senior or a teacher, it was an instinct for me to lower the volume significantly. I later realised that this isn’t school. People here don’t seem to be bothered with stuff like this. School has made us so cautious that I still have the fear of ‘getting caught’ doing stuff that doesn’t fit into ‘discipline’.”

Transitions allow us to change, but change is not a really happy process. Everybody wants to be evolved and successful, whatever their parameters of success may be, and yet it is fundamentally difficult to embrace change with open arms. Those who say they didn’t struggle while changing, and it happened in the blink of an eye, they lie.

Shubhit Gaur, a 1st-year student at Symbiosis Law School in Pune, believes that changes hit the hardest in the smallest moments of our day. He says, “You wake up in your bed and there’s nobody to hand you a glass of warm milk. You fetch it for yourself. On some days, I don’t feel like doing it because nobody would know or care that much here. If you’re sick, you’re on your own. After 10 hours at college, you come back to a room which is just the way you left it. You’ve nobody to come home to and then you feel alone. But you also feel stronger when you live through those moments.”

Many others find it hard to connect with people they’ve never known. As kids, it is easy to laugh with somebody, share pencils, fight over tiffin-boxes, and you may get a friend for life. As adults, we all get our guards up and find it hard to trust people. Out of need and loneliness, we may spend time with these new people from our new world. Comparisons between the friends from school and these new ones make things no better. This transition becomes a lesson in acceptance.

We understand the gravity of our privileges when we hear of a Kashmiri girl’s struggles, where she had to fight and resist and thrive harder, just to be walking down the same corridors as us. On some days, it’s important to understand that the thing about things is- they end. This end may hurt or may be the brightest spot in your world. It’s there, nonetheless. On most days, getting out of bed and warming milk for yourself is all the strength you need to believe that this transition would find its home in you, somewhere, somehow.

 

Feature Image Credits: Favim

Anushree Joshi

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DUB Speak

THE ANTI COMEDY: NANETTE

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Hannah Gadsby’s Nanette is riveting and brilliant. Her powerful social commentary would leave you in splits, but at the same time leaves you with something to think about.

In the early days of July, I received tons of texts telling me to watch Hannah Gadsby’s stand-up special Nanette. Truth be told, I had watched the Netflix specials of a lot of outstanding comedians ranging from Ali Wong’s Hard Knock Wife to Sarah Silverman’s A Speck of Dust, not to forget John Mulaney’s Kid Gorgeous. However, no comedy special had been so highly recommended by my pop culture enthusiastic friends.

I watched it and instead of leaving it with a smile, there I was, bawling my eyes out, crying. I closed the tab and I sat there, motionless, thinking. I had changed. I had never felt so validated as a bisexual woman. Hannah Gadsby’s every sentence makes you question the world we live in, questions the very essence of comedy.

Nanette beautifully weaves a story and talks about gender, sexuality, art history, and the power of storytelling. In the first few minutes, it appears to be any other comedy special full of anecdotes and self- deprecating humor. She spoke about growing up in a small town in Tasmania, Australia in the 90s where homosexuality was a crime. She also spoke about the repercussions of her coming out, full of hysterically funny one-liners. Minute 17th, the switch flips, and Hannah announces she’s quitting comedy. The atmosphere shifts dramatically and everything gets real.

Hannah Gadsby starts with telling her audience that she’s done with self- deprecating humor as for a person who already belongs to a marginalised community, it’s not humility its humiliation. It’s causing distress and harm to the people who identify with her. She was taught her entire life that she was not supposed to take spaces and that one should be punished if they are different. All that ever Hannah wanted to do was to be invisible; her confused childhood filled her with shame and self- hatred. In order to make people laugh, she had repackaged her traumatic memories, tinged it with humor and sold it to a straight audience for their comfort, for the sake of not upsetting the status quo. She had denied herself by repeating the story in a form of a joke, the lived experience of the reality. Now, she refuses to do it anymore. She’s tired and believes that it is time to tell the real, actual story whose setup would have tension but there would no punchline to diffuse it.

Gadsby very bravely talks about the time she was sexually abused as a kid and as a woman in her early 20’s. She was brutally beaten up by a homophobic man who believed that it was his right to do so by the powers vested to him by patriarchy. She, very honestly says that she didn’t report it to the police because she believed that she deserved it. The homophobia made her scared to even come out to her own grandmother. Hannah questions comedy, the way it is unable to bring out the true stories. She, through the perspective of art history, breaks the illusion that the art should be separated from the artist and that a man’s reputation is above everything else, even a woman’s humanity. Hannah breaks every notion promoted by sexism from ‘locker room talks’ to ‘don’t be so sensitive, learn to take a joke’, one hilarious joke at a time. She promptly breaks the myth that only suffering can create art.

You can feel her anger as she pleads for men to have empathy, and to understand the fear women have of them and if they really can’t, to ask the women in their lives. People who think they have the right to render another person powerless are weak, she states, and rightfully so. She rightfully speaks how women are what misogynists hate, but want.

Nanette might make you uneasy, uncomfortable. Hannah with her devastating delivery oratory will leave you speechless. The quiver in her voice and rawness, the vulnerability of her words will break your heart. It is undoubtedly one of the most profoundly illuminating specials. The hype is real, watch it and at the end of it, you would want to gif every moment of it.

Disha Saxena
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Feature Image Credits: Netflix

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