Don’t Panic: A Hitchhiker’s Guide to College Bunks, Chai, and Divine Detours



College bunking — or as we liked to call it, “strategic absences” — might not be a staple of American college vocabulary, but if you haven’t skipped a few classes with friends, you’re missing a rite of passage. (Of course, this rule applies to everyone except my kids…and my friends’ kids. Naturally.)

Whether it was a daring escape from canteen mystery meals in search of crispy masala dosas, a cup of kadak adrak chai that made us feel like rebels (pre-Starbucks, thank you very much), or a desperate attempt to catch the latest Bollywood heartthrob on the big screen, we had our priorities straight.

First rule of the college hitchhiker’s club?
Thumbs out. Hitch a ride. Safety in numbers — a giggling gaggle of friends is far less likely to be abducted, right? And honestly, if anyone stupid enough tried, they’d probably end up paying our families to take us back.

Second rule?
Plan your routes carefully. There’s no quicker way to end a bunking spree than bumping into your parents — or worse, their well-meaning but ever-watchful friends — at a restaurant or cinema.

Third rule?
Set expectations. When your group arrives and the restaurant staff starts joining tables without even asking, you know you’ve arrived.

But hey, before you start picturing us as a roving gang of snack-hungry hooligans sneaking into movie theaters and terrorizing chai stalls, know that our detours weren’t always about chasing samosas or movie stars. We’ve hitchhiked countless times straight to the serene steps of the nearest temple — a big, cool, white marble sanctuary, freshly washed down, where the air felt hushed and the peace was so thick you could breathe it in. There, we’d soak up the cool quiet, pretend to be deep and philosophical for at least five minutes, and remind ourselves there was more to life — and friendship — than the next prank or plate of chaat. Probably.

Today, those friends are scattered all over the world. But the roots we planted in those carefree, chai-fueled days keep us grounded: to each other, to laughter, and to the unspoken promise that no matter how far we roam, we’ll always carry those memories — and one another — in our hearts.



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