Sip a story — small snapshots of personal experiences, told quick. Like sipping a cup of tea: short, sweet, something to take in on the go.
April 2, 2011. My first year of college, and the day of the 2011 World Cup final. A lifelong cricket fan, I'd been watching every India match since the 2003 World Cup — even catching the India vs Australia match on an old Chetak TV with a shutter at a neighbour's house when I was just 12.
This time, I was with my roommates, all eager to watch the final between India and Sri Lanka. One of us had a Nokia 1208 with a radio, so we'd been following the tournament with live commentary. We decided to watch the match at a nearby restaurant — but there was one problem: the seniors from our college were already there. Ragging was common back then, and the thought of facing it made us hesitate.
We couldn't control our excitement, so we braved our fear and joined the crowd. Walking into the packed restaurant with college seniors, we felt like goats among lions. But as the match unfolded, we started talking to our seniors. To our surprise, they weren't as intimidating as we'd imagined. We all cheered together as India clinched the win, and the celebration erupted with dhol beats and dancing.
That day, the fear of ragging faded. From then on, meeting our seniors felt natural, and the World Cup final became a cherished memory — not just for the match, but for the friendship we unexpectedly formed.
Fun fact: next year, the college made us part of the anti-ragging squad.