If leaving the campus doesn’t make you cry, you haven’t lived a college life

It is as if we were all baby birds chirping cheerfully yesterday, then tomorrow we need to pack up our back and fly out of our home, our college; unto an unknown, strange sky.

When you hit the first step here, the trees greet you with their gentle rustling.

When you take a breath here, the breeze swells you up with warmth.

When you look up, the stars are showering their protective spells upon you.

When you try to find your way, the signage by the road, find you and guides you.

When you enter the hostel, the walls welcome you with a hug.

When you get into your room, she snuggles you up and sings you a lullaby.

When you eat in the canteen, the simple poha puts a smile on your face.

When you sleep late, your roommate’s alarm wakes you up.

When you walk towards the lecture halls, the ancient benches calm your heart down.

When the professor comes up, you feel like a Wizard, Harry potter yourself.

When you do your first night out, even the warden yells, ‘get out, and your buddies cheer you up aloud.

When you try the first things, you realise, how much you act like stupid beings.

When you have late-night talks, nothing compares to it, with a walk

When you propose, that’s when your life gets its course.

When you fall in love, poor soul, in the hell you dove.

When your heart is broken, your friends make sure something else too.

When you pass out, bless the soul, which cleans your lot.

When the exams are prime, the sleep is forsaken for another time.

When you are done with the last year, you wish for just one more year.

When you enter the hospital, you feel like an adult already.

When you live like an intern, you feel like a helpless, naive kitten.

When you graduate, you realise that it is getting real.

When your juniors give you farewell, you feel the big brother flowing out of you.

When you chill in the evenings, you realise, you are going to miss these innings.

When you are on the terrace, the city drenched in the cold night gives you a kiss.

When you leave the campus, you feel like you are leaving your own mother.

When you have to get up and move out, you feel like somebody is dragging you, from her soothing lap, away.

When you finally start to fly, that’s when you realise, she was nursing you all these times.
And,
You can never go back.
Ever.

Yours Only,
Dinesh Raja,
The one who feels.

It’s scary to think about PG.

It’s scary to think about how in 4 months, we all will be done with our GMC, our graduation, our college life.

This thought is sinking one sand grain at a time unto my thick Indian skull. And everytime I pass by this unwanted guest of a thought, it scares me.

You ask what? I don’t know. May be it is scary that I will be leaving home again, and will live among strange new people.

May be it is scary that I will be moving out of hostel, the friends, the canteen, the lecture halls, the terrace.

May be it is scary that I have to outgrow my belonging which I have been since 6 years.

6 years is sure enough to make a grown up man cry while bading good byes to your mates, your college life.

May be it is scary that I have to be with new people, live in a new place, work in a new setup, eat at new resto, it’s intimidating that I have to leave all my familiarities that have gathered all these years.

May be it is scary to pop out of the safe confinements of this campus.

Facing ones fear is a part of that shitty adulting right. So let’s face it.

Yes, my life here in college is done. Now I have to unfurl my wings again and fly to a new oasis.

And it’s okay to be scared my amigo.

If anything college life has taught me is, ‘Life goes on.’

All that matters from here now, to be here in the moment, buckle up the seatbelt, and enjoy the ride, dil se.

P.S. Do listen to the beautifully apt song ‘Udd ja Parindey’ from soulful Jubin Nautiyal, composed by talented Mithoon, it will hit you on different level, trust me.

Yours Only, Dinesh Raja, A proud GMCite.

L