Member-only story
A Red Dupatta & Summer
On Gulmohar trees, growing older, and a college uniform I learned to love
for non-members here
2nd May. The Gul-Mohars are in full flame, and so is life. In two months, I’ll turn 20 something and walk out of my college as a graduate.
Today, I had a midterm test and visited my college after a long while. Since my fifth-semester exams, I’ve been studying on my own–something common in Indian colleges (not all) that aren’t really known for their academics. And mine is one of them. It’s not a badge of pride, but it’s real.
You try for the best, and when that doesn’t quite work out, you try to make the best of what you get. For me, that place was in Bareilly. For multiple reasons at that moment, it was the best decision I could make. And honestly, it’s been its own kind of wonderful.
It’s an all-women’s college and our college uniform? A white kurta, white salwar, and a red dupatta with a bold bandhej design. The kind of print you’d usually see on married women. I used to hate it. I’d wonder–what kind of a uniform dupatta is this? But now? I’ve grown to love it.
