Saturday, April 17, 2010

Re-Birth!

Genesis and new beginnings are recurring themes in our lives, there is something new at the end of every path. Tonight we had a party to bid adieu to our seniors, a "Re-Birth" as we called it. Such an appropriate theme, as none of them were same as the people who walked into KGI two years ago! The metamorphosis is worth the sweat and blood that you are regularly expected to put in here (they keep track of the gallons). This is the way we evolve, by going through a constant cycle. Reminds me of a line from a dedication I wrote for my seniors in school "... this is the end of a beginning and the beginning of a new end..." and may God grant you safe passage along the way!

A year has passed so soon, and at the end of it, I have realized a few things. I met (and re-met) a few people who are such an important part of my life now, and I hope that stays constant even though the distances are going to increase quite soon. I also realized that there are a lot of people I have met in this past year, but I actually know nothing about them. It kind of makes me sad that even here I haven't been able to get rid of my own barriers! Dee's aim for this year: Try harder. And then, there is this ultimate paradox of knowing, and not knowing a person at the same time. This has been the most difficult to deal with, but we'll survive!

This post is about reflecting back on the past year, and there are so many thoughts running through my head that I can't put down here! If I could, then I would be back home in Mumbai, living the relaxed life. Lab in the morning, arguments about lunch at noon, kadak chai at the tapri, inhaling the second hand smoke of a Classic Milds, traveling to Town to see a movie at Sterling, with dinner at Churchill's and dessert at Theobroma, or hanging out in Dadar, having a cold beer with bombil fry followed by a kalakhatta gola! No worries, no tension.

What worries me here and now is that this simple life may not satisfy me anymore. Sure, I miss it and I want to go back to it, but I don't know for how long will I be able to stay. Change is scary, and I can see it in me and my batch-mates. We will soon step into our new roles as seniors and mentors to the new kids who are going to here soon. I would be moving into a new house (or not?) and with new roomies. I can also see the change all around me, with people moving on and away. Even through all this, I hope we get the time to put in the effort of keeping our love and friendships going. Goodbye dear KGI Class of 2010, and good-luck. Let Your Light Shine!

"Don't be dismayed at goodbyes. A farewell is before you can meet again. And meeting again after a moment or a lifetime is certain for those who are friends."

- Richard Bach

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Friends

The edge of anything really good or bad manages to invoke words out of even the wordless.


He was like a breeze,
She was the warmth,
He was the care,
She was the complaints,
She was always in my hair,
Most of all they were mine.

It feels like a decade since the world spun the right way
Some zillion years my nights use to be my bright day
I now know there is no word like forever or even ever

I have found new friends and in them I find peace
Nostalgia,courage and compromise now nest in me
I wish we could keep everyone close and around for eternity
As we grow older our maniac egos do not give such liberty

Some voices have grown an accent
Some bellies have put on weight
Some hair loss is visible
Some new companionships their destiny await

Golden times and dark days we have all lived
We have loved and hated and tolerated
We have held each other and pushed each other away
We have more importantly been "we".

While we rush through life through new trains,people and places
I take a moment to remember all the faces that filled my spaces
I almost heard a crushing sound of a string "breaking"
I almost see the known faces fading

Rememeber me as I remember you
Both love and hate you
Things might change
Change is inevitable
But I would love to know you all over again

Dont make promises,
Promises just break..
But promise me you'll try to make the promise
Of being and trying to be "we" for a tad longer
Thats all I need to have from you my friends.


- This is an original composition by a very talented friend, Niyati Nagar. I found it very touching, and she graciously allowed me to share!