Just cant get rid of the thought of being ragged for the first time. Was it the worst day ever?? Think again ... your very first day of ragging a junior could turn out to be worst than that.

When you enter the second year you wish to carry forth the tradition of ragging. You have long cherished a dream of being shortlisted as one of the best raggers of the college.

On the first day.... your eager eyes scan the crowds for sight of a junior just as a vulture looks out for a carcass in a long stretch of the desert. You pass across a sign board saying - ''Do your studies..Dont rag" You laugh it off. You surely do not want to begin your first day with such an ominous note.

One of the greatest challenge in the business is fishing out a junior from a sea of "all new" faces. Half of them look 7 times as old as you. A smart beginner always gears up by asking "1st year?? Come here!! "

"What??" asks the lad in a cool manner as he rises form his seat .. The guy turns out to be heftier than you imagined.. He comes and stands before you with his hands in the pocket. while you wondr if you made the right choice while you fumble for words.

"Is this the way you stand before seniors?" you stammer. The poor fellow shrugs helplessly not knowing how to alter his poise, which he acquired long since childhood. His hands suddenly land on your shoulder and he says "Hows second year yaar??" you are in a fix... you vaguely mumble a few words conveying how a junior should always stand with his hands crossed behind his back.

Suddenly you have a flash of ideas, your volume amplifies and your gestures become more confident "Introduce yourself" .. The junior goes blah...blah..blah... happy to be asked this question. You start developing interest in what he is saying but you check yourself each time reminding yourself of your aim in calling him.

After wrecking your brains you finally manage to come up with another question ..."sing a song for me" ( You are in no mood to a song but you have to continue with the ragging as your "izzat" as a senior is now at stake)

"No!! Why should I??" Comes the reply. You are aghast!! "Is this how you speak to your seniors?? stand straight, dont show your teeth" is all that you can muster. Trying to take charge of the entire situation you try screaming at the young one. Very soon you realise how poor you are at it. You miserability brings a grin at his face. "Dont show me your teeth...Now sing"... you say with a stern voice.

"How can i sing when i am not allowed to show my teeth??" That oversmart moron is turning the tables on you. You are nervous but there is little you can do. Your brain ceases to developany innovative remarks.God!!! This is getting worst then the worst viva in anatomy. You curse your instincts of having called the junior.

In the midst of all this you are caught ragging by your seniors,as if things werent bad enough( consider yourself lucky if spotted by a teacher who will at the most lecture you on how you should treat your juniors)

What could be worst then being ragged along with junior??

You try to mask your tears. At the same time you try to pretend that he is your long lost friend. Your senior seems to take no notice of this effort. Terror grips you as his question downs on you " Is this the way you are supposed to stand befor your senior?? Have you wished me as yet??" In times of crisis you tend to hear your innervoice in this case. Practice what you preach. the image of a stern senior which you had been trying to build up vanishes into the thin air. you cannot comprehend the sudden display of affection by the senior towards the junior. this goes to show whether you hit a stone on the apple or apple on the stone.. what suffers is the apple.

You seem to go through the same ordeal as you wanted your junior to go through.. By and by the truth gradually dawns on that ragging is not everyone's cup of tea!!!!