Seems like it was yesterday when I and Ravi were standing in a line and waiting for our no. to be called out. It was the day of room allocation in our new hostel for second year. And like day before yesterday, when I was weeping in my room, and some of my friends, Anup, Saransh, Saurabh,etc. came to console me, as that was the first day in college and I was missing home. And like a few moments ago when we were busy with the preparations for our end semester exams. And a moment ago, when I, Anupam, and Somak were celebrating the end of exams in SNS (mind you, the celebration was only for the joy of the exams getting over, doesn't matter how they went).
A long journey of two years ended almost with a few blink of eyes. I am still quizzing myself, 'Really? Am I 50 percent engineer now???' Right now my feelings are a bit of thrill and a bit of fear. Thrill because half of my engineering is completed. And fear, because half of the golden period of my life is completed. In all the bitter experiences I had in my life till now, the best one was my training, though I withdrew with it in 10 days, but it made me know that life after this college sucks. There was a newly employed engineer in the company, from NIT Warangal, who, from nowhere seemed to be a college guy. Busy with a computer system with the preparations for the weekly presentations, having no time even to smile. Whether MBA or B.Tech, the fate of all of us is going to be the same. Like a great poet has said:

कुछ लम्हे किस्मत फिर कभी नहीं दोहराती है,
कुछ चेहरों की बस एक तस्वीर साथ रह जाती है,
कुछ हंसी, कुछ आवाजें, कुछ मुस्कुराहतें,
बस याद बन कर ज़हन में पल जाती हैं.

वक़्त गुज़रता है और उन तस्वीरों पे धुल सी लग जाती है,
उन लम्हों की जुस्तजू भीड़ में कहीं खो जाती है,
वो चेहरे वो आवाजें, धुन्द्ली पड़ जाती हैं,
फिर एक रात के साथ सारी यादें ढल जाती हैं.

फिर नयी सुबह क साथ ज़िन्दगी नयी रफ़्तार पकडती है...
फिर भीड़ में चलती है धुप से लडती है.
पर बीती घड़ियाँ किसी कोने में आज भी चुभती हैं,
और कुछ हसरतें दिल के दामन में ही जल जाती हैं...

Oh yes, your guess is absolutely correct. The great poet is Saurabh Lalwani... But anyways true...... And we all have to manage at that time anyway. So let's live the two remaining two years of our college life to the full....

Who I am...

It was on 22nd february 1990 when I opened my eyes for the first time. Many eyes were staring at me, warmly welcoming me to this new world. Many lips kissing my forehead, many blissful touches on my soft cheeks. like I was some angel sent by god to cure their pains.

Then like every other kid, I joined some public school for my primary studies. My hard work made me score good marks. All my wishes were anyhow fulfilled by my mom and dad. All my mischief was forgiven with a dialogue, 'Leave him. he's a child...' Everyone loved me, as I was the 10th avatar of Lord Vishnu.

Then after thinking a lot about my career, I decided to give the entrance exam for IIT's and NIT's. And again, my luck mixed with my efforts got me a decent rank followed by a good college.

In my college life, I became a rockstar, a good friend, a scholar, a dedicated boy friend, and last but not the least, an engineer to work with.

Finally I got placed in a government company with a lucrative package. I felt like being on the top of the world. An ideal wife, a flat to live in, an expensive car, and my children born with silver spoon living the way they wanted. What else would I ask for?I thought the purpose to be, is achieved.

30 years later....

I am lying on my bed, with half of my body paralyzed. My children who were working as managers and chairmen in USA and UK, kept sending me the money. Suddenly I realized something. I asked my self who am I? Am I an angel? Am I the 10th avatar of Lord Vishnu? Am I a rock star, or an engineer? What did I achieve in my life? A beautiful wife? An expensive flat and a car? Does anyone in this world know my name?

While I was waiting for the death to come, my mind rummaged the answers to these questions.

The world knows me as a common man. Every achievement of mine is so common. I still remember a small quote written on the wall of a temple I used to visit in my childhood days, 'Life is to discover who you are... Why have you been sent to this world.' Am I a stupid common man? Have I been sent to this world to just to earn money, eat, drink, sleep, and end up like this?

I was still wondering who am I... As I felt if someone yanked me. And suddenly I found my hands and feet tied with heavy chains of iron, and someone pulling me through them. When I turned back I saw that my body was still lying there where I was, and the monster of death was dragging me to the hell....

I lived so common and I died so common... But my question will keep vibrating in the universe un-till each and every common man finds the answer to it.

Two years later.....

Today was my second day of training... I takes me one complete hour to reach to that place, and I have to change three auto-rikshaws... And I have to wait for the third one for at-least half-an-hour. Then finally a walk of 3 kilometers to reach the destination. Then an oscillatory motion from table to table, a forwarded letter in a hand, to find out what we are supposed to do. Then lunch... Oh my goodness, I think the long line would not have been less than 1 kilometer... Including labors to employees, with trainees. I could see a reflection of my life waiting on the other side of two years...

There will be all frustrated professors and lecturers to take our classes, who will keep harassing us mentally, but we won't be able to bunk their class.

There will be nearly one presentation per week, and we won't be having a group to divide the responsibilities, we will be leading ourselves.

There will be many lab classes during afternoon, but we won't be able to lay down on our beds, and think 'What difference of marks would one attendance make? Screw the labs, I want to sleep...'

There will be shitty food and a long queue to wait for your turn to collect it, but there will be no canteen to jump in with lots of hoots and mocks,to escape the dirty food.

But yes, there will be an ac room to work in, but there won't be a warm class room, and a nap at the back bench.

There will be an air conditioner car, but there won't be a single bike and four-five friends straddled upon it.

There will be a good monthly pocket money, but there won't be any reasons and ways to spend it.....

There will be large variety of food items in our plate, but no one to snatch them and eat with us....

There will be a good quality guitar, but there will be no one to sing along....

There will be bigger room to stay in, but there won't be a mate to kick on your ass every morning and scream, "Get up you ass-hole! Three lectures are already gone... Lets at least attend the last one..."

There will be more expensive birthday parties, but there won't be anyone to give GPL's, a bigger cake but no one to rub it's cream on your face, a dj over a laptop and speakers, but no one to scream, "Shirts off..."

Two years later, we'll have only few words to say, 'I want those days back...'

One wish to beg to god, 'Please take me back once....'

And only three words to yell, 'I miss you....'