The National Institute Of Engineering.

The National Institute Of Engineering sits right on Manadawadi Rd, and if you’ve ever driven past, you know how busy that stretch gets. Inside the gate, it’s a bit different, though the noise from the traffic still carries over the walls. I usually start my day checking the halls and making sure the lights are on. It’s an old place with a lot of character in the brickwork and the way the stairs have worn down in the middle from years of people walking up and down. There isn’t anything overly polished about the offices; they’re just full of desks and old filing cabinets that probably should have been replaced years ago. Students are always rushing around with their bags, trying to make it to their next room before the teacher shows up. In the afternoons, the place feels a bit heavy with the heat, so everyone looks for a bit of shade under the porches. The canteen serves the same few things every day, but it’s what we’ve got and nobody complains much. It’s just a steady environment where work happens. You see people from all over coming here, and everyone just blends into the routine. Sometimes the internet is slow, or a fan starts rattling in the ceiling, but we just keep going. It’s a practical place for practical people. Most of us have been here long enough that it just feels like a second home, warts and all, and we like it.