Edited by: Bhavika Rawat
I have always loved the idea of a Room of Requirement—an ethereal space that provides you with exactly what you need, when you need it—whether that be comfort, chaos, or silence. While I (unfortunately) do not have access to magic, I would like to think my surroundings at university are like a little house full of so many rooms of requirement—shaped by my moods, my routines, and the people who fill them. And so… Welcome to the house of my surroundings, where each nook and cranny keeps me company (whether I want it to or not). Let’s take a tour, shall we?
The Living Room
The Living Room is the most chaotic of them all, I would say. It manifests on those rare days that all my friends and I are able to make time in between the mid-semester exams which we are somehow still giving at the end of the semester, the group presentations, and the daily quizzes, and meet up for the smallest window of time in this room, filling up every single free block of space available. The living room is where we host impromptu movie nights, bickering uselessly over what to watch and finally settling on the option that was suggested at first (or just giving up and lapsing into chatter). It is where we are when we get the most noise complaints from our neighbours—as we laugh way too loudly at fights arising from heated games of Phase 10, or at year-old Youtube videos that we show each other. The room is littered with takeout boxes and cups from different outlets that everyone always promises to throw out, and there is absolutely no coherence in the interior design. The furniture is mismatched, and the decor is all over the place because none of us share the same tastes—but it is familiar, and warm, and so full of energy. It is a space that feels alive, like a heartbeat keeping the house functioning, and it is perfect.
The Library
Not every house has a library, but mine does—and by library, I mean the corner of my world filled with incomprehensible readings, iPad notes, and too much caffeine. The library is where I retreat when I realise that my many deadlines are way too close, when I need to focus (or at least pretend to). The walls are covered with normal distribution calculations and scribbles of frustration from that one time I did an entire question wrong because I misread one value, and the filing systems have turned into an organizational nightmare after the first few weeks of classes. Time seems to blur in this room, sometimes because I get lost in the content that I realised is actually intriguing, and sometimes because I frantically pour over every book I can find in there when I have taken on too much too quickly. Either way, that little room is somehow inspirational and full of ideas, and whether I always like it or not, a very necessary part of my house.
The Kitchen
The Kitchen in my house is less about cooking and more about survival. It is the room where I forage for those beloved snacks I bring from home as I video call my family, and where I take way too long to make a bowl of Maggi. The Kitchen has a multitude of furnishings based on my mood. Sometimes, the stove is the same periwinkle as Blue Tokai’s sign when I am celebrating a good grade with some pesto pasta (and am willing to spend on it). Another time, the tiles are the same red as KitKat’s roof when I crave a cup of hot chocolate on a winter night and walk down at 2 am despite the freezing cold. Whether it be because of the many small cappuccinos or the occasional brownie, the Kitchen always smells, looks, and feels amazing—it comforts, it relieves, and is possibly one of my favourite rooms of all.
The Attic
The Attic, possibly the most full, cramped room in my house, is also my most beloved. It contains all the keepsakes from home I surround myself with, that serve as reminders of how much I miss being around my family and childhood friends no matter how comfortable I am here. The Attic contains too many objects and too many memories. A painting my best friend made for me right before I left for university is leaning against a wall, and a doll of the princess I played in a school production in fifth grade is tucked cozily into a corner. My favourite indie lamp that never actually gives off enough light to be of any use at all is (still) out of its box and prominently displayed, and the extra slippers I always forget to wear are still there too, fluffy and well taken care of. You would think, it being the attic, that this room would be dusty and old—but it is far from it. I visit it so often and treasure it so much that it is polished, shiny, and as good as new. Sometimes, I climb up here just to sit and think, letting the nostalgia and fondness wrap around me like a blanket.
So, there you have it—the house of my surroundings. It is not perfect. Some rooms are messy, others are peaceful, and a few I would rather skip entirely. But together, they create a home—a space that reflects who I am and who I am becoming. Life is not only about the bigger, more dramatic moments. Sometimes, it is just about the rooms you find yourself in, the things that surround you, and the stories they tell. And honestly? I would not trade this house for anything.