In the end...

I had planned a speech for the farewell. But it had to be cut short to one-and-half minutes. Good thing though, coz I'd never have stopped talking otherwise. Of course, VAC overshadowed my speech - his was all senti n advice n encouragement; mine was jus about fun! Got me thinking.

College... that illusion of everything being fun, everything being colorful, boys teasing girls, girls giggling away, friendship and love blossoming under every tree, rockets flying around in class, whistles here and there. Illusion indeed, coz it was not even half true (or mayb jus in CEG).

College was the exact opposite. If I had to be as good as I was in school, I had to put twice the effort in half the time, subjects changing every 4 months. I learnt it the hard way, and my efforts were too little, too late. In the first semester, I was a meagre 8.8, all my friends were 9 pointers. Parents were cool with it (as long as they didn't know others' grades). So the next sem I start taking life easy, hardly ever seen in coll, always out with someone or the other. Plummet to 7.5. The story goes on, me trying to cope up, then giving up, and encouraging myself, soon consoling myself, and I stand today at 7.4, one arrear in hand (results eeeeeagerly awaited!).

I can proudly say I've been through it all. I made friends with extremes. Take on one hand the pandu gang. Marun!!! Sleeps 9 to 4, studies every morning, studies in every free hour, for whom the library is a second home. Take on the other hand the fun gang. Gokul!!! Sleeps midnight to forenoon, studies before the exam, for whom the playground is a second home. I dunno how, but I made a whole lotta friends :) Kinda the exact opposite thing my mom wanted me to do, given how much my brother roamed the city with his friends from school and college, she was afraid I'd do the same and told me "Jus study well here and graduate. Don't make friends." Oops.

4 years of teasing people to no end. And the circle is starting to come around. For the second time. The first was with my senior in NCC, Ashwin. We are good friends, but that is unacceptable to anyone (Oh well, I'd have taken their trip too if the other way around!) So had to grin my way through it, with all usual denial. And now the circle is completing again. This time with SAK of all the harmless sadhus in my class. Well, he brought it upon himself, but I shouldn't complain. How often does one get to be ottified with a GATE topper, not to mention one of the most brilliant minds in the dept, and one of the most unassuming techies I've ever known.

The fun of bunking classes isn't quite fun if you are a day scholar. I mean, you are already there, why not just sleep through the hour anyway? You get attendance too! No point bunking for the sake of it, idling away in canteen. And if it is DIP class, I aint bunking at all!!! Guys swore at the notes I took down in each class, not to mention me asking doubts! Then of course, they swore by the same notes exam time :) Didn't make a difference to my results. I still ended up with a C. I wonder what it is I keep missing every semester...

4 years, countless treats. Started humbly at the canteen, each opting for either the famous CEG chola poori or the ice cream. Then started the combined treats, and the venue shifted to restaurants for lunches. Some small, some for the whole class. Mine was jus one so far. Of course, I better plan the next one soon, else I'm next on everybody's hit list.

(Speaking of hit list, I just put a savage end to the lives of 15 mosquitoes, typing out this blog. Didn't think I was ever capable of beating the speed of their escape, but maybe after drinking my indolent blood, they got that way too!)

Im gonna give in to that indolence right now, rest my eyes before the next day starts.