The Dean Encounter…
It was the first few weeks of med school. We were all temporarily housed in the staff quarters since the new hostel building was under construction( final touches pending). We were soon to be shifted there and when the time came we packed our stuff and headed to the new place.
This should have been around winter time and the place can get really chilly, the temperatures dropping to single digits. There is no concept of ‘heating’ in India. It so happened that I could not find one of my sweaters and concluded it was left forgotten in the old quarters. So, my roomie and I decided to pay a visit there.
On reaching there we found that the apartment was occupied by a new tenant who in his pajamas and vest opened the door for us. Little did he expect two girls to greet him. The best was yet to come. I said, “Uncle, I think I have left my sweater somewhere in here and would like to have a look.” He politely gestured us to go in and we proceeded to rummage through the entire apartment, opening every cupboard and peeking through every nook and corner. We then thanked him and left having found nothing. The man sure looked slightly confused and perplexed.
Cut to a few days later, it was one of those Republic day flag hoists when the students and the staff all gathered around in a circle early morning. A few moments in, my roomie nudged me and whispered ‘Sweater…. sweater’ into my ear. I still didn’t get it. On further prodding I was to know that the new Vice Dean was the same uncle whose house we had rummaged through for that elusive sweater. The Nehru cap prop for the function camouflaged his true appearance.
And as to where did I find my sweater? One of my classmates was found wearing it. Why? ‘Finder’s keepers’ supposedly. Well, I did find and claim it back. That’s how I pretty much started med school. With one of the many facepalm moments.
