University Special

decided to spend a day in the campus with just Rs 300 and find out what all was probable. We chose clothes and accessories,food and drink,a piercing or two and even the

unmissable beauty parlour.

Wardrobe Function

The branded stores in markets around DU often wear a deserted look,as a majority of the crowd throngs to the street vendors. Choose between sandals,bright and colourful t-shirts,shorts and cotton pyjamas. The bohemian tops that can be described as typical college wear,are a steal at Rs 100-150. “We usually have a fixed price but for students we tend to bring it down when they bargain. Discounts are given if they purchase clothes in bulk,” says Sonu,a street vendor. We set our eyes on a pair of denim shorts priced at Rs 50 and match it with a purple tee that we manage to purchase for Rs 90,after much haggling. Total expenditure: Rs 140.

Grab a Bite

Sweating it out under the harsh sun,we were famished by the time we reached the university. The eating options seemed endless. Having heard a lot about chola bhatura at Chache Di Hatti,we found our way to the rather nondescript eatery in the heart of Kamla Nagar market,also known as KNags. For Rs 20,we were served wholesome bhaturas,sliced onions,green chillies and cholas with chutney poured on top. Those who prefer something else can visit the canteen at Delhi School of Economics. It is a little noisy,but the menu more than makes up for the chaos. The adventurous can order mutton dosa (Rs 26). We feast on rajma-chawal,that came for Rs 20.

Beautiful deals

No youth activity can ever be complete without a beauty treatment or a quick fix. We hop on a rickshaw that takes us five kilometers away,from Kamla Nagar to Vijay Nagar,for Rs 10. The pedicure at Gunika’s,a rather dingy salon,might not be too fancy but if it is priced at Rs 50,one can’t complain. After all,we did get a foot massage,cleaning,scrubbing and the works. “We keep the rates low only for students. Moreover,one has to keep the competition in mind,” says Madhu Verma,owner of Touch and Glow,a beauty parlour at Kamla Nagar.

Needle Work

Stars and pop singers aren’t the only ones flaunting tattoos and piercings. There are many takers for body art in the university,where it isn’t uncommon to run into a young boy with a tongue piercing or a girl with a butterfly etched on an ankle. Chances are high that most of them would have visited the dark room at Adarsh Jewellers,located in one of the obscure lanes in Kamla Nagar. When we head there,the chair in the clinic was occupied by a 17-year-old. Clutching his bag,he obeyed the man with a needle in his hand,who asked him to roll out his tongue. Within 10 seconds,a shiny ball was embedded on the tongue and he jumped off the chair with a grin. Out came Rs 200 — the cost of the piercing. “We used to have free piercings on Mondays till three months back,but the rise in silver prices forced us to rethink. Now we only do free piercings on February 14,” smiles the owner,Adarsh,who also does tattoos,priced Rs 1,000 for six inches. With our budget,we settled for a nose piercing for Rs 50. With just Rs 10 left with us,it was time to head back home.