When you tell people that you’ve been picked by one of the most prestigious institutes of the country, the general reaction is predictable. The jaw drop, followed by congratulations and then that gleam in the eye ‘Damn, she didn’t look that smart!’ or in some cases ‘talent in this country has gone to the dogs.’

But whatever the reaction was, the image that flitted through everyone’s mind was your head buried deep into creases of a book; glasses askew, eyebrows knotted in concentration, pondering on important things like how to provide the world with better amenities.

Now imagine if the image instead turned into, you walking hand in hand with the ‘love of your life’ who you found at IIT?

‘Love in IIT? I told you, the talent in the country has gone to dogs.’

And it’s not just the reaction of the public. While we all know that the matters of the heart can’t be controlled, the love that is supposed to conquer all doesn’t conquer your schedules, neither the morbid interest people have in your life, nor does it become a ‘nazar suraksha kawach’ against your professors.

Finding Love in IIT is nothing short of an adventurous journey with the promise of a thriller, a drama and a comedy all rolled into Romance; which brings me to the different types of love.

1. The Schedulers: These are found logged into their calendars, trying to schedule dates around the countless assignments and exams. They schedule everything – how many hours a day to spend messaging, how many minutes can they spare to talk and how long the first date should be. A couple of months later they are found scheduling classes around their partner, to ensure both could have the same break time and work together in the same assignments. One or both of them would’ve changed the direction of their specialization by now.

2. The Deniers: The ‘we are just good friends’ kinds. Rather like the ostrich, “bury your head in the sand, if we can’t see them, they can’t see us.” They revel in keeping the affair a secret and are known to cook up novel-worthy excuses. Known to vehemently deny that there is remotely any percent of love between them, even though they’ve been caught time and again saying romantic nothings to each other, or even in the act of….

3. The Scaredy-Cats: The freaked-out kinds, more vigilant than the entire task force of the country put together. They traverse the alleys of campus like they’d tip-toe the ground filled with landmines. They know where each and every professor lives, they are a repository of knowledge when it comes to schedules of the professors. That is not all, they know the informants and the informants of the informants. How do they love amongst this? There is something about stolen glances, corny messages, hours spent texting. Oh! The anticipation!

4. The Daredevils: We are in LOVE; the world be damned. These are young adventurers; they thrive on the thrill that romance gives them. For them the world ceases to exist; nothing matters, classes, professors or people. They just want to enjoy being in love. Mind you, they still keep an almost laser-like focus on the goal of graduating from IIT, just that the goal now can be achieved not buried under the books but in the company of their love.

Whichever kind you are, finding love in IIT is a transforming journey of growth as well. There is something about doing a project in the computer lab, or trekking all the way outside to sneak a cup of tea together, or playing a game on Wi-Fi. Whichever way the relationships head, the bonds, and memories last forever.

Rituparna’s debut romance novel about people and the balancing of love with ambition is available online and in all leading bookstores.