The 25th Anniversary Alumni
Meet of the undergraduate college program was finally happening in the 26th
year almost late to the date by a year.
After the usual hiccups and
differences of opinions on the program flow, set up, location, lighting, music,
food menu, financials, operations and everything else under the sun it was
finally happening today evening.
It was really nice that many out of
station and some out of country batch mates had travelled especially for this.
The core team was assembling at college at 11am to cover the last mile. I was
on my way.
It was a Saturday and the college was not
having regular classes. There were some students hanging around for their
special workshops or projects.
Once everybody arrived, we all started
arranging the small half open auditorium, right in the middle of the college. I
was moving the benches around to arrange them properly and create space in the
hall when a group of students passed by and we looked at each other and smiled.
A tall lanky boy with specs and beard
walking along with a girl stopped by me and the girl very sweetly said “can we
help you?” In my own zone, without giving much attention, I just smiled back at
them both and said “no thank you, it’s all done.”
Ignoring my ‘no’ completely, the girl
once again very sweetly said “we would really love to help you.”
I stopped and looked up at the girl. For
the first time saw her properly. Simple and very pretty, she had one of the
best smiles I had seen. She would definitely make the top 5 list of the best smiles
people in my books.
Her twinkling honest eyes were
advocating her genuine gesture to help. There was something really special
about her. At that moment there was nothing more beautiful than her smile. I just
couldn’t have said no that smile, even if no help was required.
I immediately shook hands with them
and asked “do you know who we are?” The boy immediately said “Sir, I think you
are alumni of this college and have a function today.” I smiled and said “yes,
you are absolutely right, we are your super super seniors, celebrating our 25th
passing year anniversary, and that makes you our super super juniors, well
almost 25 years junior.”
By this time their entire gang had
returned looking for them and I noticed a few of them carrying guitars. My
other batch mates also joined in wondering at all the action. We did a quick
hand shake with everyone and recalled memories of the college, us the old ones,
them the new ones.
Though not sure about it happening, I
asked them “would you do us a favour, something special for your super
seniors.”
A few of them murmured “sure!”
“Would you play guitar and sing a few songs
with us” I asked pointing to the 2 guys carrying guitars.
In unison they all said a loud “YES!”
Within seconds some of the benches
were rearranged and the both the guitarists were surrounded by the students in
a semi circle. By now we had almost 50 boys and girls to the party. I and my
batch mates stood right in front of them and the party started. For the next
hour or so we forgot we had to finish work for the evening party. Together we
were all singing and having a great time. That girl was smiling all the time.
There was something special about her!
Suddenly somebody shouted “the bus is
leaving” and all of them started leaving in a jiffy. Realising we had not even
exchanged numbers I ran out to see if anyone was still around and to my happy
surprise found one boy still around.
He was Aditya. Took his name and number and gave
mine. Thanked Aditya and requested him to convey our heartfelt
thanks to the entire gang for such a memorable afternoon. We actually got two
celebrations in a day because of them and made some nice new friends!
Our alumni get together went off well
in the evening. Many made to it and many couldn’t but in the end whoever could
make it had a great time. From admiring the now mammoth building to the long
walk in the familiar corridors to seeing the old classrooms to catching up with
teachers to remembering all the lessons learned in canteen to the finale, it
was lot of fun and excitement. More importantly, the 25th
anniversary celebrations were finally organised and over. Everyone loved it
too!
A large coffee mug with 25th
year branding was made as the memento for the occasion. After distributing it
to the batch mates we had a few spare and I suggested if few could give some to
the students who we befriended this afternoon. Everyone agreed and it was
decided that when we go to college on Monday to honour a few teachers who
couldn’t make it this evening, we would also meet up those students and
personally handover them the mementos.
I called up Aditya next day and
informed him about the plan. He assured to get the team gathered when we land
at college. He was quite pleased by the idea.
As planned on Monday noon, after
finishing honouring the remaining teachers, we met Aditya. Unfortunately,
despite him informing all the students, only a few could make it. We met our
new friends Sam, Piyush, Vidit, Sukeshi and Shruti. We personally thanked them
and handed over the mementos. The idea of creating a facebook page to embed
this day in history books was immediately liked and accepted. Just didn’t want
to lose these lovely kids!
But that girl with that awesome smile
was missing. It had all started with her, she had to be there. Apparently she
had a more important task to attend to else she would have joined. I requested
Aditya to make sure one memento reaches her along with our huge gratitude and
also asked him to ask her to call me whenever convenient.
“Sir I will ask her to call you and
you can also find her on facebook once the group is created and she gets added”
Piyush said with definitive assurance. Piyush was the boy who met first with
that girl and offered help.
Thanking them again we took leave and
got into our car. I was feeling a little disappointed not able to meet that
girl. These kids were so amazing, all of them that we met today. They were so
thrilled to get the mementos. They felt quite nice about the whole gesture. I
was still wishing if that girl was around, this day would have been perfect. I
still could hear her say “we would really love to help you.”
~*~
It was past midnight by the time I
finished my work. I was really tired. Stretching a bit and gulping some water I
opened the facebook page tab. On my laptop, while working, the google,
facebook, twitter and latest news tabs are always open. Whenever bored or
running out of ideas I use them as ‘commercial breaks’.
Browsing through facebook I saw the page
of the new super junior friends of my alma matter. It had been a week now. Quite
a few were added. Impressed, I kept scrolling, checking names, my batch and
their batch. Then I saw the picture of a familiar girl, the picture of that
girl.
I couldn’t believe my eyes. Her
profile picture hit me so strong I can’t describe in words. As if in trance I
opened her page and headed straight to all the pictures uploaded. The more
pictures I saw the more restless I got. This was completely spooky at one level.
It was 2am. This was no emergency. Yet
I had to drop a message. My mind was advising to hold on till morning but my
heart was all gunning for it.
“Hi. Sorry to drop a message this late
but couldn’t help. Please give this name to your father as soon as you see this
message. My number is xyz123sow6, please ask him to call” I wrote and gave a
name.
There was so much more I wanted to
tell her, write to her but all that had to wait. God forbid I didn’t have her
number else I would have called her and woken up at that hour. It would have
been crazy!
Sleep was miles away. This was one of
those rare moments where a smoke was a great help. Digging into the emergency
stock, stacked for such moments, I lighted one and kept going through her
facebook page again and again and again and kept wondering at life’s magical
ways of bringing people together.
~*~
The phone was ringing as I got out of
the wash room. Had finally managed to doze off at 5am and it was 8.30am right
now. I was still very sleepy. The number was unknown. I usually avoid unknown
numbers and decided not to pick up. In a flash last night’s action replayed in
my mind and I immediately picked up the phone and answered.
“acegikm?” asked a male voice, calling my pet
name of early childhood. That name was all forgotten, dead and buried many many
centuries ago. But that name was the only code word that could solve this
mystery.
Soon the flood gates opened and for
the next half an hour or so we caught up on the last 40 years if not less. It
was magic, pure magic. We connected from where we left. We promised to meet up
soon. The excitement was exploding!
Finally I managed to speak to that girl
too and what a pleasure it was for both of us. I told her how I missed her in
college while meeting her gang and how bewildered I felt when I saw her
facebook profile picture with her father.
I kept telling her the stories of her
father and she kept listening in pure joy and amazement. She couldn’t believe
all the small little things I remembered about her father and the fact that I
was probably half her age when I last met him and yet remembered them so
vividly, including the old house, his iconic bike Yezdi, trade mark heavy bushy
moustaches and that warm, affectionate smile.
At that age, I told her, I had 2
heroes. One was my maternal uncle and the other was her father, both best
friends! I used to call them both ‘maamaa’.
Now I know where she gets her awesome smile
from. Now I know why some people at unexpected places and even in large crowds
connect for no reason. Now I know, maybe, there is a reason. Now I know how
some stories unfold so beautifully to bring people together out of the blues.
Now I know that girl.
That Girl turned out to be my niece!
That Girl’s name is Priya.
~*~
[for Priya, Aditya, Sam, Piyush, Vidit, Sukeshi, Shruti &
all others we met that noon]
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