I entered my classroom and eyed my would-be classmates nervously. Everything seemed alien to me. The room, the students, the teacher's desk...and I decided that I hated it all. I hated the college, the location of it, the lack of a proper canteen and a common room, the over-enthusiastic seniors who measured us in a manner a butcher measures his goat before slaughter. Man, you had to travel in a van amidst herds of cows to reach this place. A part of the building was still under construction. And I spotted a dog in the library. God, why did you place me here? I rolled my eyes as a senior placed plates of tasteless snacks before us. Although the teachers seemed hospitable, I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, wishing that the "introduction" session would be over soon....
Cut to August 2010...
My last year at college is about to begin. It's hard to believe that so much happened in such a short time span. A year later I would no longer be able to bunk my classes and go for a movie with my buddies. I wouldn't dive into someone else's lunch box like a starved street urchin for a bite of the tasty home-made parathas. I wouldn't find anyone to beg for a treat of alur chop at Kakar Dokan. I would miss the grumpy lecturers, the computer labs where we spent hours chatting, teasing my friends with random guys in the corridors, discussing important topics on the nights before the semesters. Heck, I would miss even the van rides. And...maybe even the dusty and earthy lanes that lead to my mediocre private engineering college. And needless to say, I would miss my partners-in-crime, my fellow gangsters...my beloved idiots. My friends.
If I started writing a book on my college days, it would take AGES to be completed. Because there's so much to write, I wouldn't know where to stop. Not that I liked the whole of it. I have been hurt, shocked, disappointed, frustrated and lost all hope at times. But then, that's how life goes...right? The whole of it won't be a smooth and easy ride. But you'll find your precious moments which you would treasure throughout the journey. That is exactly how my years at college went. I learned from my mistakes. And strangely, I don't want this to be over so soon...
As I watch my happy-go-lucky classmates getting serious about their "career plans", I wonder...am I the only one without an aim?! And I'm always thinking like...three years down the line, where will I be, and where will my friends be? Will they even recognize me if they spot me on the street someday? Will it be too hard for us to stay in contact under the constant pressure of higher studies/jobs? I don't want to be converted into a workaholic robot...I don't want the child in me to die ever....I want to keep watching nonsense Hindi movies and savor chocolate bars when I'm free. And forward pathetic jokes to every friend on my contacts list. But will I be able to?
I wonder...is it normal if a person doesn't want to grow up...ever???
As I step into the college premises to start my last year at college...I wonder...after a few years of stress and toil at my workplace, will I stay emotional enough to miss my college days?
