Life....

Another 40 days to go and then its time for goodbyes. A few unshed tears, some nervous laughter, promises to always keep in touch and the age old saying of the world is round, we’ll meet again. But like someone said- we cannot choose all our journeys, some journeys choose us. This journey into life- in all its harsh reality, in all its naked truth- is one. The world out there is sure to be hard, ruthless, and cruel- but let’s hope that the two years we spent here have prepared us sufficiently for that. Leaving aside the uncertainty of the future let me dwell on the beauty of the past. Forgive me if I sound like a poet, but I guess the past makes poets out of all of us.
The two years I spent here have been great and I’m sure all my batchmates would agree with me. The initial trepidation of coming to a new place and meeting new people over, it was has been a kaleidoscope of images and emotions- good and bad, sweet and bitter. The rigors of the orientation period, trying to familiarize oneself with subjects one did not know the head or tail of, getting used to classes till 11 at night and on Sundays too to boot, learning not to panic at the number of assignments and tests for the next day, the innumerable excuses you try to give teachers as to why you haven’t read the case assigned or submitted your assignments on time and the frustration when they refuse to buy any of it, the sleeping in class and getting hauled up for it and the polite requests from teachers to go and wash your face, the search for one proxy site after another in the lab for accessing Orkut and the joys of discovering Facebook, the endless group assignments and projects, the umpteen number of letters and requests(both genuine and false) for gate passes, the preparations for Utsav and Pragati, the late night gossip, gaming and movie sessions, the birthday bumps and cake cuttings, the “mess ka khana” and “canteen ki chai”, learning to sleep in peace the day before the exam even when you haven’t studied a thing, that great feeling that precedes an open book exam that vanishes when you get the question paper and you realize in the end that the result would be the same as a closed book, the bleary eyes and half chewed nails on the morning of an exam, the rush to go home the day after the exams, the summer project fun and the drudgery of the presentation, the getting screwed on stage ‘cos you really weren’t sure whether the analysis you had done was factor or multivariate, the silently cursing your friend ‘cos he had done it for you, the confusion regarding whether to opt for marketing or finance or ops and in the end ending up with papers in all, the sleepless nights, tension and tears of the placement season and the relief when you finally land a job, the small celebrations for Onam, Christmas, Holi etc., the fights with friends over silly things and the patching up later, the being broke all the time and asking your friend for money (who was just thinking about asking you the same)- the memories are way too many.
Walking through the portals of this institution 2 years back, I never imagined that my life would be painted in such beautiful, vibrant shades. Two years of my life here has given mea lot to cherish- great friends, wonderful mentors, amazing teachers and so much more. And when I think about the day I’ll step out of this place, a weird feeling touches the heart. I can’t define it- its neither happiness nor sorrow. Maybe a combination of both or maybe something more than that. It isn’t just nostalgia. It’s something in my heart that says that these were the golden moments of my life and I shall never be able to reclaim them again.
When I step into the rigors of life on my own and try to make something out of myself, all these memories will always remain in a cherished corner of my heart. As I set out to follow life’s call, to discover new avenues, to meet new people, to fulfill my dreams, these memories are all that I have to fall back on, the things that I have learnt here are all that I have to guide me through my dark days, these people are the only ones whom I can keep coming back for counsel in times of distress.
Thank you for the memories. Thank you for teaching me all I know. Thank you for making me what I am. But as of now….. Life beckons… get up n get going…