The next few days after the exam, Ria went to all the tourist spots of Mumbai along with her grandmother. They visited at least one tourist spot after every two days. Though they visited many places, three of them caught Ria's attention pretty much.
At Red Carpet Wax Museum, one could see lifelike wax figures of prominent icons from various fields of science, politics, sports and cinema. Ria happily posed for pictures standing next to wax figures of Barack Obama, Michael Jackson and Harry Potter.
The next tourist spot that she loved was Iskcon Temple, which was also known as Sri, Sri Radha Rasabihari Ji Temple This one place surprised Ria. Never had she expected India to have such a temple. It was located close to Juhu beach and occupied four acres of land. It was a gorgeously carved temple that was crafted with marble. Thousand o
Though Emma felt guilty about her grandfather willing to sleep on the floor with a mattress, she couldn't do anything else for him. If she hadn't played a prank on her aunt, this would have not happened. She tried her best to convince her grandfather every day but he would not change his decision.All those who had written the medical entrance exam were now looking up for enrolling in colleges. Counselling sessions were held for those who wanted governments seats. Those whose rank wasn't much but qualified for the exam could pay money and get into any university or college of their choice. Since Ria was already under the non-residential Indians quota, she would have to cough up more money even if she qualified and got a rank.To Ria's shock, she did not have the rank she thought she would. She wondered if she was going to disappoint her
Ria and her father spend the next two days checking out various medical colleges in Mumbai but in the end, her father decided to send Ria to the same medical college, from where studied MBBS. Ria's father already spoke with a person from the administrative office and got her a paid medical seat.Lakshmi Narayan Medical College was located away from central Mumbai, very close to the outskirts. Her father had already informed her that it would take two hours for them to reach college. Ria and her father had already booked a cab to travel to the college. Though Mumbai was a thickly populated city, the outskirts were filled with several trees and shrubs. As the car drove she also saw a white temple with a beautiful garden in front. Ria asked the driver to stop so that she could take pictures from her new iPhone. Although her father l
Ria filled the form for admission and gave it to her father, who submitted it along with her high school certificates to a bald man who sat outside the Dean's room.In return, the man gave him a couple of papers. On the top of one of the papers,Medical Fitness Certificatewas written. Few papers were attached to it from behind."We are taking most of the tests in this building today. You can go to the study room on the first floor. They will guide you from there for other tests. The X-ray will be taken only in the hospital." said the bald man.Ria along with the father walked used the U shaped stairs near the office to reach the floor. The study room was directly in front of them. It was a huge room with students sitting at one end and doctors examining the students
Ria managed to give her urine sample in the washrooms on the ground floor. Though she argued with her father all the way downstairs, she finally used it. Although the washroom down was stinking as well, she quickly collected her sample.For an X-ray of the chest, she had to go to the hospital. Ria and her father stood outside a room on the ground floor of the hospital. Along with students many patients too had to wait. When her turn came, she went inside the room. Ria didn't have any problem while doing this test.It was afternoon by the time they finished all the tests. Ria and her father went back to the office but most of the staff including the Dean itself were on lunch break. Ria and her father went outside to a restaurant nearby for lunch. They planned to eat and go back quickly.
Ria spend the next few days buying books for her college. While she had gone inside to give the x-ray for her chest, her father had gone to the office to get the list of books needed. In addition to this, she also had to buy aprons and a dissection box.Her aunt insisted her father to buy some traditional clothes for her as well."Your daughter doesn't look like Indian. That shirt is so short and those jeans are so tight. She is going to study in a college that is away from the city. People from villages and towns will come there. There will not look at her as a doctor. Please buy some Indian clothes for her." said Mrs Gayatri Malhotra."There is no way I will wear those uncomfortable clothes.""Ria, Gayatri is right. You must wear so
A woman in her middle-aged opened the chocolate brown door of the hostel. She wore a simple blue sari and her black hair was tied in a bun."Do you have the receipt for hostel fees?" asked the woman, looking at Ria and her father.Mr Kunal Singh removed a small piece of paper and gave it to the woman. The woman looked at it and nodded her head."Ria Singh?" asked the woman looking at the paper."Yes?""You can come inside with your bag now. There is only one room left for you to stay. Usually, the freshers take the ground floor but since you arrived just a day before the first day of college, you will have to take a room on the second floor."
Ria and Nazia sat on their beds unpacking their suitcases quietly. Ria didn't remove her clothes but she removed a large plastic cover which she kept separately to put used clothes in. She wondered if there was any laundry shop nearby the college."Is there any laundry shop nearby?" Ria asked Nazia."No, but there is a room downstairs that has a washing machine, a television and a fridge. We can use it but we have to pay the warden.""I have noticed something in India. We have to pay for every small thing. I mean payment just to keep something in the fridge sounds absurd to me." said Ria, shocked."I know it sounds funny. I can understand about using a washing machine but we will hardly use a fridge. We would be eating in the hostel canteen. Maybe once or twice we may need to keep something in the fridge and just for that, we have to pay. It sounds like the college is desperate for money." said Nazia.
It was almost eight in the evening and the girls on the second floor seemed excited. They kept moving in and out of one particular room on the floor. Some of the girls brought up balloons, ribbons and white masking tapes for decoration on the walls. A tall girl with a nose ring and black t-shirt stood in the corner of the room and switched on her laptop."Amrita, which song should we play first?" asked the girl turning to a girl who sat on a chair beside her."Manisha let's put that Ik vaari aa song from Raabta."A girl with curly black hair and dark purple glasses glared at them as she arranged paper plates on a table near the bed. She wondered what her roommate planned for them. It was their first night at the hostel and she didn't want to cause any more trouble but she a