It has been amazing when I look back at my life as an engineering student and how the four years flew so fast. There were times which I hated and even more times which I cherished. Its the last semester that I remember the most about that life and it always had a negative effect on the vulnerable section of the student community, I belonged to this section. The only thing I did along with my friends is to pass time doing nothing. Watching the sitcoms, convincing the wing junta about a particular date for the job treats, paining Bomma, unsuccessfully trying out constructive activities like playing tennis, gym, swimming and skateboarding to convince myself that I am not wasting any time and smoking pot to relax after a hectic-jobless-holiday-like week. As a junior the only thing that I saw about the seniors was the way they were chilling out 24x7, and this made the unconscious-me to squeeze in every opportunity so that I could spend all my four years like that. It obviously fired back leaving the conscious-me a little short academically though the unconscious-me refuses to feel conscious about this fact. Well finally the time arrived in my last semester which facilitated the harmony between my conscious and unconscious self by allotting a way lot of time required for the B.Tech project. This probably was the reason that I remember most of my last semester vividly.
When my 'vacation' began after my B.Tech I planned once again to spend it satisfactorily, just as I planned for my final semester. Final semester is the last time before my healthy retirement when I would have a full four-month vacation-like-time and the time after the B.Tech is the longest final vacation of my professional life. I don't want to look back but it flew by leaving me with very few memories about it. For the most part I moved around Hyderabad with Santosh, Anil, Aswin and that is one activity I recollect first. One good decision by me was to travel to Vizag and it has been worth the kind of bad impression I had gathered to make that trip happen. The stay at Krishna's home, his niece AshiniSrithi, the locations we had been to and the amazing journey, all added up to make my final vacation memorable. The trio starring in this trip were me, Santosh and Anil. It has been accidental that I had met lots of people in this vacation time, meeting some of these people wouldn't have been possible otherwise. I had understood some of the dynamics in my family during the short trip I had to my grandparent's place. It was encouraging to learn how a few people in my family are so professionally successful and it is a cue many youngsters in my family fail to notice.
Lots more things happened but looks like many got buried by the time. All of the good times can't be as strong Santosh's b'day where everything except girls happened. I remember pot, booze, swimming pool and lots of like minded junta - that's all I need to say. Activities like shopping and hanging around are almost about to sink though those items can bring back the memories. After all the indigestible thing had been it is not going to be the same ever after. The fact that things at home would be same despite my highs-and-lows at the IIT had been a great comforting fact for me. But the facts changed with time as friends got spread out in the world. I am dreading the problem of spending time during my future days at Hyd as friends get busier and farther to reach while you grow to not being able to spend more than a couple of minutes with the family.
I was a little stunned/shocked when Anil came by to say goodbye and mention it to me that he wouldn't be back in India may be for another 2 years. As I reached out to shake hands with Santosh and Anil wishing me good luck for my job, I was speculating in space when would we all be meeting again like this.
It is time that had changed things around me and and I only hope that time brings in its own dynamics to enable everyone stay in peace.
