Lunch over, we walked out of the hall, and made our way towards the exit. This was the time everyone was preparing to go visit their hostels and departments before wrapping up the visit to the campus and return to the hotel for the final, parting dinner. We, myself and Vaishali, had already visited our hostels last year, and there was nothing new we wanted to see. Vaishali had also already visited her department in the morning so we were practically agenda-less.
‘Let us drive around the campus before we go back to the hotel,’ I proposed. ‘I can show the campus to the kids.’
Vaishali nodded her assent wearily, she was getting tired now after two days’ of hectic ‘reunioning’. The children, on the other hand, shook their heads excitedly.
As I started to drive down the familiar roads once more, explaining the layout of the university to them, Vaishali reclined the back of her seat and closed her eyes.
‘I will take a nap,’ she said.
‘Ok,’ I replied. ‘You rest well, while I show the campus to the children.’
‘You see girls,’ I began, ‘the university is built in the form of a semi-circle, or in the shape of a half-moon. The centre of the semi-circle faces the east. The diameter of the semi-circle is the road which leads from the entrance gate, to the very end of the campus. The gate, thus is situated at one end of the diameter. From this road, we have arc shaped roads which begin from one end and circle back to meet this same road at the other end. On these semi-circular roads are situated the various department, on one road, and the different hostels on another road. These arc shaped roads are connected by shorter roads along the radius of the half moon thus effectively dividing the campus into sectors, and segments.’
I paused, to see if the girls were following what I was saying, and found them listening to me with open mouthed wonder.
‘Wow Papa, what a great design!,’ they said.
I nodded, and continued showing them around…..the VC Lodge, the LD guest house, the International hostel, Ruiya hostel, Dhanwantari, Birla, Broacha, Aiyer…..and on and on……..
‘And then there are playing fields in front of all major hostels which are build on the main semi-circular road,’ I said, pointing to the fields in front of the Ruiya and the Birla hostels.
‘If we turn here, we will meet the road which has the Vishwanath temple, or the VT. You remember it no? From last year?,’ I asked.
The girls nodded.
‘And then, right in front of the VT is the Central library,’ I said, pointing to the huge structure that loomed in front of me.
And thus, for the better part of an hour, we drove around the campus. I was happy reliving the places, and the memories associated with them, the children were looking around inquisitively. We saw the Swatantrata Bhawan, the university auditorium, then the computer centre, then the airfield, and the university press, then the faculty accommodations, several departments which dotted the roads – chemistry, botany, statistics, performing arts, agriculture…..
Finally, we found ourselves on to the ‘diameter road’ again, heading towards the Singh Dwaar, or the Lion Gate, and soon, within no time we were out of the campus and into the chaos and the cacophony of the city’s traffic.
To be continued …………………..
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