“The way Lord Rama lived in exile in the forest, I, too, am living in exile, albeit in a different kind of forest. I have to think this way, otherwise...,” says 28-year-old Ashutosh Patel, whose “forest” for the past two years has been the tiny windowless room on the third floor of a house in Mukherjee Nagar.
Squeezed in between the books stacked on racks, actually meant for shoes, is a bed, a tiny desk and a small chair. Ashutosh usually divides his time between the chair and the bed, studying 12 hours a day, sometimes even 14 if he can manage it.
His housemates, some of them living in rooms smaller than his own, have similar studying habits. However, their study schedules have altered slightly due to recent protests against the introduction of the CSAT, changes in the Main exam and the resulting discrimination against those coming from the Humanities and non-English background.
“I usually study for about 10 hours on an average. However, during the month of Ramzan, I could manage only about five hours a day,” says 26-year-old Allahabad resident Mohammad Aftab, who has been studying for the exams for six years now.
“He even went to the protests and got hit by lathis on the shoulder. Now, he is going to just stay here and study,” quips his friend, while the rest of the group laugh.
The bunch has become thick friends, since most have been around for at least three years now. They also have similar backgrounds and pressures of not living up to the expectations of their families, as well as a healthy dislike for how they live.
Each of them shell out around Rs.20,000 for the nearly three-month-long coaching classes for Preliminary exams and Rs.45,000 for classes for the Main exams, which last about nine months. Additionally, they require at least Rs.10,000 a month for living expenses.
“Basic rent for a room in the house is about Rs.7,000. Everything else is charged separately. Money for electricity, water and even using the dustbin is taken separately,” adds Rajneesh Maurya, a 26-year-old M.A. History student from Allahabad. The group laughs again. They say they cannot do much except laugh at their condition.
Switching on an extra bulb will mean extra charge, that is if it is not stolen. Their kitchen has been taken away to accommodate a new inmate, who pays Rs.3,500 for the space. He uses the counter to keep his books and personal things, and has covered the sink with a cardboard box.
An electric stove at the entrance of the second floor now suffices as the kitchen. A tiny bathroom is shared by seven or eight people.
“The bulbs were stolen recently,” says 28-year-old Lalit Kumar explaining the signs outside the entrance to each floor stating that CCTVs have been installed and that robbers will be nabbed.
“Of course, we don’t have CCTV cameras. If we did, I am guessing they will be stolen too,” he adds, even as the boys burst out laughing again.
They say their rented accommodation, which has three floors and houses up to 21 students, represents the country’s Hindi belt. In fact, some of them quip that they represent the BIMARU States and each of their backgrounds can compete for the saddest tale of woe.
“My father is a poor farmer. I might have to do the same if I fail to do anything with my History degree. I haven’t even thought of what I will do,” says Rajneesh Maurya.
“I am willing to do anything — learn English or Mathematics and even give up food or water or sleep. Becoming an IAS officer has been my dream since I was a boy and saw my parents working in the fields,” says Rakesh Singh.
“I will have to go back to Allahabad and become a teacher. All my friends are engineers and doctors, and are busy making money,” says Ashutosh Patel.
“My farmer father sold our land to fund my coaching fees and expenses. Now, he works in someone else’s fields,” says 22-year-old Ram Pravesh, the youngest of the bunch.
“The kitchen inmate is from the Naxal belt, whose relatives tell him he would have been better off as a Naxalite. He is close to giving up hope and going back to where he came from,” says Lalit Kumar. The others agree that they are better off than many others so far.
