The Warmest of the Four Temperate Seasons

Five months have passed since I last visited you. There were times when I didn’t think of you for days on end. There were times when I longed to see you again. But now that you’re in front of me again, it’s as if time has stood still all along. The good ol’ days that were come rushing back to me. Maybe there’s a few more yet in store for us. When all of Them left me, one by one, you were there. Now all of Them have long been replaced and you’re still there. You are my comfort zone, my sense of security and the rock on which I shall build my magnificent edifice. Ah, home.

It’s been a funny semester, one upon which I can fully reflect only from a distance. I could try writing a oh-so-nice-I-had-so-much-fun-with-all-of-you recollection (a la Abhilasha or Suyash) but that wouldn’t do justice to the subtleties and nuances of the moments that mattered and so I shall contain myself to a few lines. Feel free to sigh in boredom, disregard them completely and click on the little X sitting pretty in the top right corner of your screen.

I’ve always said that even semesters can be neatly divided into seasons: cultural, political, party and oh-my-god-I-need-to-study. For better or for worse, I was actively involved in all of these and consequently, time flew.

I didn’t eat very much. I became thinner than before, leaving my family utterly puzzled. I participated. I won. I lost. I learnt that neither is entirely in your hands. I met some new people and made some good friends. I read and talked and thought and philosophised and debated and brooded and reflected and questioned. I dreamt. I stood for what I believed in, but what I believed in didn’t always stand for me. I reached a new level of calm, even as storms raged and subsided. I didn’t study very hard and I’m thankful for that. I should have written more. I partied. I distracted myself with the details, so as to ignore the picture itself.

Life’s been good to me since college closed down for the summer. An impromptu trip to Rishikesh was an encouraging experience because it upheld my faith that if you try hard enough, you’ll get what you want (for those who don’t know, I’ve been trying to organize such a trip for months now). The rafting there was fun, although I found Taos more challenging. It was my first encounter with that enchantress, Ganga, and her charm worked till I reached Haridwar, at which point I decided that she wasn’t my type anymore.

One of the highlights of the trip was a session of long-awaited fun called Pushing Random Buttons On Shrey’s Camera And Hoping To Get A Classic Picture. No seriously, that is what you did the first time you held a ‘professional’ camera too. Professionalism notwithstanding, it was very enjoyable and very importantly, it convinced me to spend the extra bucks and finally invest in a good camera of my own. It should be here this weekend and I'll tell you more about it then.

My idea of a still from 'Waiting for Godot'

Two lost souls, Swimmin' in a fish bowl

The summer ahead looks so promising I’m scared the expectation will let me down at all the wrong times. I have a lot of travelling lined up – Singapore, Delhi, Ladakh, Bombay – with a few more impromptu trips in the pipeline (No, it’s not an oxymoron). I’m also working on a couple of literature papers, about which I’m really excited! And so, I’m doing a lot of reading and that suits me just fine. Trust me when I say nothing in this world beats the combination of a good book, a free afternoon and something to munch on. Nothing. 

Aside from all of this, being a member of IIT Delhi’s SIFE team, I’m looking ahead to the SIFE Competition on June 25th. I’m also on the marketing team for Rendezvous 2011 (our annual college fest) and hopefully, I will be able to make a useful contribution or two! 

So that’s that. With any luck, this should be the Best Summer Ever.