I have done my post graduation earlier and doing it for the second time in different subject is still a taboo in our society. People will ask you the same question in 59 other ways, so all it needs is a little patience and meditation (which none of them do. Instead, I deal with them the other way).
So, after days of waiting and enough of rechecking the result portal, I finally saw my roll number in the selected candidates of MA in Gender Studies in Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), Delhi. I got a little hyped to be a part of JMI, after being the alumnus of Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh. As soon as I saw the list, I rushed to my sister with whom I was staying in Delhi during those days. I called up a few people who were equally eagerly waiting for the result and seeing them happy because of me made me feel blessed. So, they, too, congratulated me and wished me luck. After I calmed down, I started arranging the documents the same day but some of them were missing.
Next day was my admission and I was nervous and excited at the same time. We all woke up early that day, me, my sister and my brother-in-law, with whom I was going to complete my admission process with. He helped me all the way like an elder brother since the day I had come to Delhi. He is now my local guardian and has been guiding me since then.
It was 10am when we left our house and took the cab. I had my Character Certificate with a friend of mine in Aligarh. I had asked her to send the document through Quadri bus services. We co-ordinated with the driver and finally got it. My friend came out as a gem to wake up early to send me the document. The bus was parked at Abu Fazal Okhla gate no. 3, where we reached at around 11am.
The bus driver handed over the envelope to me. Now, we had to arrange my blood group certificate. I googled pharmacy labs near me and navigated to reach one and got my blood certificate done. After that, we had to collect my affidavits from gate no. 13 that my brother-in-law had arranged for me through his acquaintance.
Next step was to discover my would-be department on campus. Luckily, it wasn’t too far so we walked and reached The Sarojini Naidu Center For Women’s Studies. It was exactly below the metro bridge, so that added as a plus point for me for when I start going for classes. When we entered, the Centre was quite deserted. We struggled to ask for help but finally, managed to find the office after 5-7 minutes.
We reached there, completed all the formalities, submitted and verified the documents. Once it was all done, I congratulated myself but the fees process somehow got struck because how can everything go so smoothly? So, we had to visit the Centre the next day again. But I couldn’t hide my excitement and couldn’t wait for another day to upload my achievement on Facebook. So I did it and gathered a heartful of best wishes and good lucks.
Some of them also asked, “Aur kitna padhogi (For how long will you keep studying?)?” My answer to that was, “I refuse to grow up.”
So, the next day, I completed all the formalities. I was now a member of the JMI after being an AMUite. I felt so proud of myself. It was like a milestone that got added to my life journal.