Urine.

Manish was overpowered by the smell of urine that pervaded the air. He vaguely heard his father mention something about the corridors being very dark. Yeah, Manish thought. As he and his father climbed the stairs to the third floor, Manish grew despondent. H2S does that to you.

Finally they reached AS4 in a dark corner of the A-block. The door to the room was locked but the sight through a broken pane did nothing to lift the spirits. Four cots, four wobbly, rusting cots, Manish would learn later, and a couple of wooden desks appeared to crowd a reasonably big room. Cleanliness and hygiene were obviously not the middle names of the existing occupants; Manish shuddered with dread and disgust as they walked back to the car. Perhaps you will lose weight climbing three floors, his father offered with a weak smile. Father thought he could see a bright side to anything.

This is Episode 1 of the Hostelitis saga. Check all episodes here. The Preface can be found here. 

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