Nostalgia... :')

I lay on my bed, staring out of the window, looking at the buildings and the dark starry sky. Right then, I was struck by multiple waves of emotions and intense thoughts. I decided to sit up and let my thoughts loose, just as Dumbledore saves them in his Pensieve. Well, my UG life will end in two weeks' time, so will my stay at this hostel. I felt like taking a walk down the memory lane, rewind Life and revisit those events which will forever remain etched.

Before my admissions into this college, I was intimidated about my stay in the hostel. I did not know how I would cope up to the changes in lifestyle, no more pampering and meeting a battalion of strangers. A week passed and the feel of staying in a hostel started to sink into my system. However, the feeling of being torn away from Home did not vanish that soon. I felt home sick quite occasionally, which is typical for anyone who first experiences a Life away from home. I met new people, I made friends,I stayed away from some, had minor tiffs with some, disliked some. Overall, this place has given me a hang of what the Real World would seem like. It taught me how to face the World as a "Single Man Army". A lot of us have had a lot of negative points to tell about our college and hostel. We've been pushed to the extent of cursing and swearing at certain rules and people. But look at us now.. We've lived through all the negatives. We are survivors.. this place has made us tough. Not only are we going to graduate as technocrats, but also as better and mature individuals. On a comparative scale, we've gained more than we've lost.

on a personal note, I have encountered a turmoil of emotions, characters and situations during my four year span at this place. My friends and well-wishers have made me strong, my enemies (if I may use that term without really meaning it) have made me stronger. It has taught me that liking or disliking a person is sheer prejudice, a fabrication of our mind. Most of us think that keeping good company helps us imbibe such good qualities. Do we really have nothing to learn from the so-called bad company? Well, think about it.. It has taught me what not to be and what not to do in Life. Is that not a valuable lesson too? Who cares if I dislike a person or that person dislikes me? I have hundreds who Love me for what I am, and who I am. When at home, we crib and throw tantrums at the slightest of discrepancies, be it in opinions, food, mannerisms, sleep-wake cycle etc. Here, we've learnt to cope up with average food, tolerating people, and sometimes, doing a lot of things against our will. This has taught me to appreciate even little things that happens at home and among family. I feel grateful for all that I have. I now have realized that even small happenings have a lot of significance in my Life.

I walk to the balcony and look at the lawn below. I see and hear ghosts of the past.. lot of laughter, smiles, silent moments, fights, discussions, confessions, rantings, tears, giggles, gossips.. what not? God! If only I could be given an opportunity to relive certain excerpts from my hostel Life. I'd miss rushing to college and making a crash landing to class twenty minutes late, the relief I feel to get back to hostel and recline on my bed, the 6:30 roll calls, endless talking and texting over phone. This place has brought people from places far and wide together. I feel a pang of sadness when I think that I may not see these friends of mine as freqently as I see them now. We'll part our ways, blend in with our busy schedules, some at work place, some at academic institutions, some into a new family and some idling away at home. I may move on and meet a lot of new, much more interesting people, but my heart will forever carry the memories of these people who've knowingly or unknowingly touched my life. We may meet again in a reunion, five or ten years down the line to share the path our lives have taken, to remember those little incidents that brought us together.

I sat down with my eyes closed, rewound my life for what it was four years back and played them over again in my mind. When I recovered from that I found a tear on my cheek and smile on my lips. Aah.. Nostalgia. The most wondrous feeling.. next only to Love and friendship. It gives one the opportunity to even remember his/her enemies. It is one feeling that allows you to even smile at the hardships you've faced and pitfalls you've had. It gives you a new energy and a feeling that we've already undergone all this and emerged a victor. We are competent enough to face any challenge that Life throws at us. A time to laugh hard at fights and arguments, and harder at funny and embarrassing moments. The times we cried would now seem silly, for we have evolved, become more mature and wise.

This place has shaped me into what I am now, earned me a degree, loads of experiences, and most of all, a wonderful set of friends. It has taught me to look at Life with a brighter and optimistic perspective. When I suddenly look at the college with the same eye, this place seems like Heaven to me!! When I leave this place, I would be college sick. I'll miss this place. A vaccuum will surround me until I learn to get over it and adjust to my next progress. Regardless of the journey I take, the heights I may reach, sweet, fond memories would still linger on...

I dedicate this post to my closest friends, Anuu, Abhi, Siva, CG, inmates of N413, N405, N124, N227, n211, "Z" section and Bioengineering classmates, other acquaintances, friends, friends of friends, juniors and all those who are undergoing similar feelings. I am glad and grateful to have known you. You will forever remain an integral part of my life.