Stephen's ka Dabba: Kabhi Khatta Kabhi Meetha!

अजीब दास्तां है ये, कहाँ शुरू कहाँ ख़तम ये मंज़िले हैं कौनसी, न वो समझ सके न हम!(1)

Hello ji! It’s me again! Long time, no see! It feels like it was only yesterday that I got admitted into St. Stephen’s – the dream college of every student. Unlike others, I always believed I would never get in, but on the 24th of June, 2017 I entered the red-bricked institution for my interview. I was feeling just like Rancho from 3 Idiots — smiling the entire time. I don’t know what happened but the aura of that place was something else altogether. I was way too excited to see the basketball court because that was my main reason for joining Stephen’s.

19th July 2017: My first day of college, a day I’ll never forget, a day full of hope, eagerness to explore everything and meeting new people and also the beginning of my relationship with the Metro. I was taking in everything around me whether it was the campus or the diversity of cultures. There were people from all over the country (even the world), all different from one another; but the one thing they all had in common was that they were all way too silent! I realised maybe I didn’t belong here. I’d think everyone would judge me because I talked a lot, like, a lot! Just like every Bollywood fangirl I too was a very filmy person at heart and that too ‘a pure dilli wali’ toh aap kaise expect kar sakte ho ki I would sit silently for even 30 seconds? (a “true Delhi girl”, then how can you expect that I would sit silently for even 30 secs?) But then I met my people who turned out to be my College Survival Kit. My college life was no less than a KJo movie, it had all flavours uss mein bhar bhar ke — Drama, Comedy, Adventure, Dosti, Pyaar aur Admit card lete time bahut rona dhona tha! Zindagi choti nahi hoti, log jeena dher se shuru karte hai! (It was filled with all flavours — Drama, Comedy, Adventure, Friendship, Love and dramatic cries while receiving the Admit Card! Life isn’t short, people start living it late!) First Year went like Thanos ka Snap; kab khatam hua pata hi ni chala (First Year went like Thanos’ Snap; I did not realise when it finished) all thanks to my 4 hours of Metro ka travelling! Jab tak(2) I could adapt to the whole travelling, First Year was over and most of my friends were in different societies. There comes a point in everyone’s life, a moment when you feel there isn’t a single place on earth where you actually belong. This was that moment for me. Everything was just moving forward, except me! But then Stephen’s came along and helped me fill that void. Every day, I would sit on the balcony and watch the sun set. College was My Escape Place! My Happy Place! A place where I could recollect all my happy memories by putting a pause on the bad ones. This place has seen all my emotions — My happiness, sadness, excitement — everything! Yes, this was the place where I was at Peace! From dance and drama practices to making memories with my closest ones — this place played a major role in my life! Rishte jodhna or vade nibhana meine yahi se seekha hai! Kuch bhi kaho mujhe woh din bahut yaad aate hai! (This place taught me how to make lasting bonds and keep promises. Despite all else, I miss those days a lot!) .

Yeh sach hai movies aur zindagi teen cheezo ke bager bilkul ni chal sakti aur woh hai “Entertainment, Entertainment, Entertainment” aur meri zindagi mein entertainment aur twist ki kami nahi thi! (It is true that movies and life cannot work without three things - “Entertainment, Entertainment, Entertainment” and my life never faced a lack of entertainment and twists!) When my life was slowly getting back on track, a station came along, uss station ka naam tha SABHA! (that station was named SABHA!) The Multilingual Theatre Society of Stephen’s – the loudest people on campus! While everyone was busy making an identity of their own, I was trying to come out of my comfort zone! Trying to know myself, I did not want to spend the three years of my college life just travelling in metros and regretting kaash meine uss time yeh kar liya hota, kaash meine woh kar liya hota! ( I wish I had done this back then, I wish I had done that!) I did not want to have any “kaash”(3) in my life! I, too, wanted to feel like I was a part of something, to have that sense of belonging that I couldn't find anywhere else except Sabha! From giving my first ever audition for Sabha’s AADIBHAV in my Second Year (ft. Rinkiya ke Papa and Tumne kabhi kisi se pyaar kiya?) with a very loud intro that drew the attention of the most wonderful people, to painting the main portico and working in the Décor and Production team, which started my Society journey, to being called on stage as the Décor Head with my partner-in-crime, it has been an incredible experience.

To finish the Season Finale, we had the formula for a disaster that didn't turn out quite that bad: Dastaan 2020! JV ke room ke aage chahe 24*7 bethnaa ho ya fir 2500 rupees mein sara decoration ka saman lana ho (Be it sitting in front of JV’s room 24x7 or buying all items of decoration in 2500 rupees) or putting the most unexpected event of 2020 up in just two days! From being the most fun Society with its own controversies — this Society has done it all! It has not only impacted our thoughts and feelings about our own life, causing us to question ourselves, our beliefs, and our behaviour, but has also stimulated, motivated, and challenged us to be responsible by adhering to deadlines, following regulations, and being prompt. One learns to work hard to complete tasks and go above and beyond expectations and accept disappointments, become accountable while learning to bounce back, and develop leadership abilities, self-confidence, and respect for oneself and others. One learns to see beyond ‘getting it done’ and finds delight in the fact that all work becomes interesting, engaging, and satisfying when audiences acknowledge one’s abilities and devotion to the art.

Theatre is not only a form of art but is one of the most creative ways of expressing one's emotions, giving an avenue for making creative decisions, contemplating new ideas, and interpreting the situation in expressive ways. Sabha helped me in many ways, whether it was working behind the curtain or being able to deliver under pressure, dealing with all sorts of people in a crisis, working together to achieve a common goal, respecting colleagues, receiving constructive criticism, solving issues more effectively, being patient, adaptive, flexible and disciplined. I’ll always have a smile whenever it comes to Sabha memories because it has taught me a lot! It made me have a closer look at my college life and for that I'll forever be thankful to this Society and this institution too! It’s more than just a red-bricked building!

Ab yaad aate hain woh din jab subah shuru hoti thi JP ji ki Good Morning wali smile se, aur dikhte the bachhe Chandni aur Rara ko khana khilate! Sardio mein SCR Lawns ban jata tha apna khudka India Gate aur garmio mein padh jati thi jagah aur Pepsi kam. Yaad ayenge woh pal, ache bure jo bitaye humne sath! SCR Lawns mein Rollercoaster khelte Dr. Baker se daant khani ho ya on the spot movie ka plan ho ya Society meetings ki jagah! Sab hota tha isi Café Tree par! Jahan dikhti thi India ki sari Diversity aur Digital India still struggling to issue the café coupons! Sabki apni kahaniya judi hai har jagah! Jahan jaoge paoge ek saya — saya yahi Purani Yaado ka! (Now I remember those days when mornings used to begin with JP’s Good Morning smile, and when students were found feeding Chandni and Rara! In winters, SCR Lawns used to turn into our very own India Gate and in summers, both space and Pepsi used to fall short. Those days return as memories, both the good and the bad, that we spent together! Whether it is us being rebuked by Dr Baker for playing Rollercoaster in SCR Lawns, or us making plans for movies on the spot, or Society meetings — everything was done under the Café Tree! The place encompassed the diversity of India as well as Digital India’s struggles to issue café coupons! Everyone has their stories tracing back to all these places! Wherever you go, you’ll find a shadow — shadows of these same old memories!)

Steffi Daniel

B. A. History Honors

Batch of 2020

Endnotes

1. A strange tale it is, with unknown beginnings and ends

What are these strange destinations, understood by neither them nor us?

Mangeshkar, Lata. “Ajeeb Dastan Hai Yeh” Dil Apna aur Preet Parai, Shankar-Jaikishan, 1960. https://open.spotify.com/track/5ZOBDqyrvZXbGfg8BeqJfC

2. By the time

3. I wish

4. The “Entertainment, Entertainment, Entertainment” quote from The Dirty Picture. Directed by Milan Luthria. Performances by Vidya Balan, Emraan Hashmi, Naseeruddin Shah, and Tusshar Kapoor. Balaji Motion Pictures, 2011.