To be frank, I never expected much from the campus we inhabit. At first, I did, but then I realised sadly that as it was a tiny campus, we had explored everything there was to explore, and it hadn’t even been one month. Compare that to reels of other universities I saw online, where some needed shuttles and where it looked like resorts. Frankly, Krea was tiny, something I did not fully understand when I read the brochure.Â
But oh well, there was more to a college than just campus, right?
Still, I was here, and home was home for the next four years. And slowly, I began to realise that there were parts of Krea that felt like a warm indie film. There is Shezorian point, for example, which is a pretty nice place to hang out with friends. I remember laughing with my buddies towards the end of first year, the sunlight hot and oppressive, but our smiles wide and happy through the sweat, the fish in the canal wiggling and swaying away and towards us.
There were the balconies we didn’t know we didn’t have access to, which overlooked the campus and made for great photoshoots. I can’t remember how many PhD students we must have startled as a gaggle of first years walking hurriedly by their desks and out onto the balcony. It is a very pretty sight, especially on weekends of the full moon, where the university just bustles below you, Narsi’s replete with people having conversations and tapping away at their keyboards.
The more I think about it, the more I realise that there are several spots around campus that leave you pausing and affirming that yes, this is exactly what I needed. Sometimes it is sitting in the golden glow of the sun as it sets, on the benches near the tennis courts, the great ball of fire dipping below the horizon (and the chocolate factory), the trees trembling and swaying in the wind. It feels impossibly peaceful to breathe in the air, feel the warm breeze, and sip on your coffee as the floodlights start clicking on.Â
And another spot to enjoy with a friend is the perimeter area, the blessed perimeter area. I think we’d all go mad if we didn’t have that little walkway next to the bigger canal. If you sit there with your friends, you can toss dry leaves into the water or observe the fish, some of them like dark apostrophes and others with startlingly radiant colouration. There are badam trees that stretch their big branches over the walkway so one can sit in their shade, and beyond the fence, there is a small grove dedicated to snake gods, complete with an ornately carved sculpture that looks quite ancient.Â
But I suppose the point is that Krea is a tiny campus, but not a boring one. From the greenhouse island with the fig and guava trees, to the mango trees dotted around the campus everywhere, making me eager for spring. The campus is a cinematic place. And the best part? It is cinematic during different times and different days, a constantly changing canvas!Â