Some things won't change...

Exactly on this day, four years back, I was horrified at the sight of Hostel 10, IIT Bombay. With the paint coming off, the stuffy rooms, unclean corridors, grim looking - shrieking - and at times abusing [:D] - seniors roaming in the building, I felt it would be such a punishment to being admitted to B.Tech Electrical Engg, and having to stay in that.. something called a hostel, for four more years. Little did I know four years down the line, I'd cry like a child separating from its Mom when I left my hostel. Yes, that's probably why they call it alma-mater - mater being Latin for mother.

IIT is a world in itself - self-sufficient of sorts. In four years - the home away from home, the food unlike home food, the friends different from school friends, never ever seemed unfamiliar. There was always a feeling of closeness, oneness, togetherness which overcame the biggest of problems, deepest of worries and smallest of doubts about oneself. Whenever I remember IIT, everything flashes before my eyes - the main gate (which I never liked, it should be grand-er!), the trees on both sides of the road leading to my hostel, the faculty bungalows nearby, the INFI corridor (yes, it's actually infinite, thank the japanese for that :) ), the various departments (quite silent most of the times), the huuuuge playground (my first love at IIT ;)) and then the majestic hostels 12 and 13... this was it. The 600 acre awesomeness :)

Once at IIT, it's difficult *not* to fit in, in the campus culture, which appreciates everyone's uniqueness. You see the weirdest of people, the wisest of people, the lukkha-est of people, the gifted of people, sometimes the most rebellious of people and truly, the best of people. To be more correct, you adapt yourselves to the culture so well, it all becomes an integral part of you. I remember joining as a meek, serious, extremely sincere and quiet novice. I now laugh as I remember myself not talking to my roomie but reading books (well, not only academic, even others :P) or sitting quietly on the mess table, whilst packs of seniors tried to make us talk, or shying away from hostelmates I didn't know and so on. All of that changed in no time. My days after the freshmen year always began with waking half the others up for class, gobbling away plateful of breaker, scooting to class almost on time, only to sleep midway between and be woken by the person next to me, returning after a coffee at shack with Tf/Avanti/Music/random junta, lunch and either scooting to lab again or watching sitcoms :) Evenings were spent working for one of the aforementioned activities or playing baddy while nights were reserved for some of the most exciting of times - sharing experiences, cribbing (nah, I didn't say bitching!) about this-n-that and if unlucky, studying for the quiz the next day. Ah, I miss all of this so much now...

I miss the people, the familiar surroundings, the huge trees, the clear roads which only get crowded when there's a festival going on, the new and the old baddy courts, the playground (need I say more about it?), the helpful seniors and of course, my friends. I think it hasn't even sunk in properly yet. I am yet to realize what it's gonna be like to live in an apartment with 4 strangers, cook my own food, live on my own while holding on dearly to those exponentially decreasing number of notifications/mails/messages of my 'former' collegemates. Agreed, I will meet new people, my friends will meet new friends, we'll all be happy in our new worlds, probably never meet again (let's just hope the world is a small place and this never happens but anyway...) and everything will settle down. Life will go on.

What won't go, however, is the little place everyone has in my heart, the half moment I spend thinking of them when I do something I always did with them and the smile that follows this thought and the little prayer I say to God - to keep them all healthy, wealthy and wise.. well actually, to help them realize what's best for them, lead them to their dreams and most of all, keep them all happy.