I don’t know when this became home….

At Kozhikode this week, I kept admiring the beautiful campus, and wondering why they had made rooms with such views, and no hot water!
Once outside the campus, I realised how much Bangalore had spoilt me. IIMK was literally nowhere. Now, as a Mallu brought up in Trivandrum, I am used to the cities of Kerala, but as a CETian who lived quite close to the city, I was not used to this commutation.
And, I freely admit, Bangalore has spoilt me. I enjoy the fun and freedom we enjoy. (Not that it's as much as some of my friends here! I am still quite a small town girl at heart.) The movies you can watch at PVR, the window shopping at Shopper's Stop, Bannerghatta, the fun at Forum, the "shall we eat out today?" queries. Not to mention midnight walks and games, movies on the laptops, TRYING to study at all odd hours, chafing at project meets, et al.

The first time I came to IIMB, I felt like a goldfish out of water. Confused about where I was, what I was doing, occasionally wondering if this gasp was the last. The first two terms were spent in figuring out exactly where I fit in, what kind of person I was and wanted to be, and then shedding the excess baggage of guilt that I have been carrying along for so long.
Coming back to Kerala after a gap of 4 months felt good; the swaying palms, the wonderful unpolluted air, the pristine beaches. What took me by surprise (again) was the humidity and the heat. I loved being able to read the bus boards again, and being haggle with the auto drivers, and telling the IIMK people, "Nah. I can handle this. I am a Malayalee."
But, it felt even better wearing the Sangram jersey that said, "Team IIM Bangalore." We even went to the TAJ wearing sweatpants and Nike shoes. Now, as the management there, they might have thought either of two things, "These kids are so shabby. We might have to chuck them out." or "These people are wearing sweatshirts and pants. They must be rich! Let's humour them."
Then, after sooo long, I had some amazing Malabar fish curry. And appams. And Kerala parottas. And the bill was for 1200. All five of us had identical stunned expressions on our faces. "So CHEAP?"
I think around 8 months ago, fishing 1200 bucks for a lunch would have been considered ex

orbitant. Times do change! The place does change you.
In spite of all this, the moment I got onto the bus, I felt happy. The ride was long and bumpy. I kept waking my neighbour up because I kept tossing and turning. Finally, at 5:30 am, someone poked me, and I opened my eyes to see: Indian Institute of Management Bangalore.
Yay! I was home!