It's the time to say - Au Revoir!!

Well this is awkward.

Come fall, I’d be graduating from my university, unemployed, and suddenly without any sense of direction. Till this point in my life, I always knew or at least had a sense of what I was going to be doing next. After middle school, there was high school. After high school, there was college. At college, after Bachelors there was Masters, something that we bypassed. And now that I’m graduating, I suddenly find myself standing at crossroads.

Yes, I know I’d rather be going for a doctorate in biological research. For me, its going to be a matter of intellectual and personal satisfaction. But it’ll also mean a sudden headfirst entry into the world of ‘Publish or Perish!’ Am I competent enough? I’d better be.

...

Anyway, I'm more concerned with saying my fond farewells to the people I've met here over the past 5 years. Graduation, in reality, was such a pain in the arse. My body despises me for what I've been putting it through everyday. My lower back feels like I've been sleeping on concrete for years. And I get nauseous at the thought of double cappuccinos. It happens to everyone - Ijaz has a cough that won't escape him ever. I could go on and on and bitch and moan about graduating, which was what I had planned on doing, but here I changed my mind.

The reason I'm upset so early about farewell, is because quite suddenly I've got myself a project dissertation work at IIT Mumbai, for which I’ll have to leave this place for the last semester. That gives me just about a month of reviving the fond memories and to be among the people here, who I'm going to miss. Therefore, this is for all of you who made these 5 years so amazing. Think of it as signing all of your yearbooks at one time.

This is one of those moments when I can’t decide whether to feel happy about the promising opportunity I’m looking forward to, or to feel sad about the missed time of 6 months with you guys. Indeed I’m feeling wretched, uncontrollably. This is perhaps also because (something I've come to realize over a long period of time) I've been living in a single bedded room for quite a while now. You see, single bedded rooms are but empathetic organisms. No matter how much you poster-up the ugly white-washed walls of the room, they peek-a-boo their way into your head and manage to pull out the most untimely pensive and contemplative thoughts.

...

5 years.

I guess, that one extra year in there made all the difference. And the most memorable semester would be the very last one, hands down. That one trip to the queen of hill-stations did it, didn't it? And exactly one month later, we’re at the crossroads, saying our formal goodbyes. Dressed to kill, with an air of superiority on us, standing next to the loveliest ladies we've come to know, love and respect in these past years, there was a general feeling of impending nostalgia among us that day.

Now among everyone there that day, there are a few still who’re very close to me. Yeah, too close for comfort, in some senses. You know it, when I address you guys like this, so here goes. You, girl-in-curls, you're gonna be just hours away from my place. So if you don’t show up for weekends when I call, I’m going to break your leg and wreck your lab results. Motu, for us its going to be whatzapp FTW! Box, long distant relationships suck anyways, so keep your gym time aside, grab a coke and chips (a combo, I've asked you to get rid of repeatedly!) and come on Skype for a chat. No I won’t attempt to cajole you into getting married again.

My irritating Rakhi-sister, talking with you is not that difficult at all. One call to you, and I know that all my balance will be drained. God you can talk for hours, even though all I have to do to reciprocate, is to mumble my way through it! Aggy and Sam, if not a message and call, Facebook does it for us jobless people, doesn't it? Then, for The-one-who-must-not-be-named. I love you lots, and it goes without saying that we’ll find our ways.

Now I'm sorry if I don't speak out your name here. But you're included too of course! Aarushi: we have Ooty and other photos to remember us by, do pick up my calls and call back on my missed call attempts; Anshu, Honey, Harsha: expect my calls and I will do the same; Swathi: Smile. No one'll harass or assault you in class anymore; Ady: Hehe, since you'll be there nearby, where to first - Fashion street or Marine Drive? Arpita: come online, time and again! Nikunj, Rahul, Sam, Kuntal, Anish: Baby, one call to one of you would be enough to be in touch with all of you; Naidu: and WTF are you doing, I honestly have no idea; Arjun: will miss you in the night, if you know what I mean; Akhil, Akay: Call, text, FB; Ijaz: Will miss you badly, do go low on caffeine!

For the people staying back in Vellore, you lucky buggers! See you immediately in coming June, and time-to-time perhaps in marriages after that. If I call and one of you don’t pick up, I’ll mobilize my forces to see you being graveled. As for those who’re not staying, we’re on the same page here.

...

This does kind of suck. Here are some photos of my most favorite people from the farewell day, who in some way or another, have shaped me the way I turned out to be - WHICH I presume, is quite okay. So, May the force be with us.. Always!

"There isn’t a child who hasn’t gone out into the brave new world who eventually doesn’t return to the old homestead carrying a bundle of dirty clothes."