COUNTDOWN TO THE REUNION

The addiction to blogging in me is akin to the waxing and the waning of the moon. There were long periods when the blog was spared an addition and sometimes within short spans of time a series of blog have hit the cyberspace. This is one such occasion of the latter kind.

Couple of days back yours truly was pleasantly surprised by an overseas call of an "old" pal (aside: if he happens to read this blog, the pun is intended). The day passed on quite strangely with more interactions with friends through the day. By the end of the day, there was a feeling of an undeclared friendship day celebrated specially for me.

Ruminating over the moments of undiluted happiness that yours truly shared through these conversations, the mailbox was opened to find an invitation to pen out for a souvenir for the reunion of our college. Memories of the days when we used to travel by the then fabled BTS and the walk through the serene roads to the granite faced college building just swept past without any prodding. The days used to begin with an informal gathering outside the college with the bicycles parked by students who did not wish to use the parking lot or were not regular cyclists. An appetiser in the form of exchange of notes in groups would energise the folks to enter the portals of the college to recite the prayer in unison(?) In hindsight, one wonders as to whether the students were asked to actually pray for the welfare of the faculty. More so that we too are sometimes a faculty and can feel the vibes generated by ourselves as students.

The first day at college was memorable. It happened to be a Wednesday which had classes scheduled only in the afternoon. Unaware of this, we had made a beeline to the college and were only in sync with some of our known friends from our earlier alma mater or localities. The lunch was spent on a loaf of bread and as we lined into the classroom, we were directed by a young lecturer to introduce ourselves. As fresher after fresher introduced himself or herself, the "lecturer" burst into laughter exposing his real status of being a degree student much to the chagrin of all. The reward was in the form of a "let off". It did not take much time for us to bond ourselves into friendships which have stood the test of time.

The interesting facet of our batch was that we also blooded a new faculty member and he too remains one with us till date. He also brought with him a chuckle and the inimitable "Good Day" greeting. The stairways of the college also were symbolic to indicate that though we came from streams apart, we joined only to part and re unite. This is what all of us are waiting for.  Jubilee celebrations of the graduation is scheduled in August and the countdown has begun. The hard work of the core team would not be let down by the rest.  Even persons who have been chosen by eternity are not going to miss the event. 

As we wait for the reunion day we should reminisce the dreams we shared in childhood days of being an engine driver, a bus conductor or a cop which slowly but surely was redefined and moulded into professions which suited our aptitudes. Time has been kind to us and we will not miss this opportunity of treasuring this moment.Yes! It is time to say Ten, nine, eight ,seven, six, five, four, three, two , one - BLAST !!!

A BLUNDER UNCOVERED

The reposting of the deleted blog which was enabled by a chum of mine partially and the anonymous reader led to further churning of thoughts leading to this blog. Unfortunately, the word "churning" does not convey the same meaning of "Manthan" which is a typical Indian word. It is undoubtedly true that the words used by the reader were not quoted correctly or construed correctly. The words only pointed to me that a deed for the sake of the happiness of a friend should not be viewed only in the light of one's own perceptions. A point that had to be well taken but had in the heat of the moment been construed to point out the self centred attitude. In fact, it is the latter act which probably exposed the self centred belief that yours truly was not self centred.

It is said that Time is the best healer. Time has indeed taught me that every word is worth its weight in gold or may be even higher. Any act or utterance of the word should not necessarily be under the belief that it affects only one person and this has been driven home quite effectively by the anonymous reader. Thanks to this person, yours truly would attempt to be more careful with the words. For the chronological record, leaving the blogs untouched for posterity to judge the author dispassionately, would serve its purpose as they reflect the author's states of mind on different dates at different points of time.

This blog is dedicated to the unseen hand of friendship which has aided me in righting a wrong. At this juncture, it would be pertinent to recollect a story from the famed epic Mahabharat. In one of the scenes, the ill fated Karna is with Bhanumathi, the spouse of Duryodhana. As Duryodhana enters the room, Bhanumathi rises and her necklace is caught in the hands of Karna resulting in the same breaking. The beads roll across the floor. The unassuming approach of Duryodhana, who is actually Suyodhana, is exhibited by his remarks  "Shall I pick the beads or shall I string them?" This reflects the fact that even for a moment he did not have a questioning thought of either his wife or his friend. May be yours truly should also follow the same.

It is a settled fact that some read or hear once, grasp, chew and digest whilst there are some others who need to write to assimilate and others who repeat the process to assimilate a portion of the studied material. The last category requires the Panchatantra treatment of being taught through similarities. Time will judge in which category the author could be fit into.

Let the judgement go on and all comments are most welcome to mould opinions, views and most of all the personality of several people. Go ahead!!! no holds barred.

UNIONS REUNIONS AND JOYS

This was a post which was erroneously deleted and is referred to in NANNy'S DAY. An anonymous reader had commented that the piece revealed the self centred attitude of the blogger. Luckily the exact words were mailed to me by the reader and is reproduced here

" A friend is not a person who need not ask you to do only what you like to do. U can also do something to please ur friend.  Friendship is mutual.  You need not hold on to ur opinions as always being right." READ ON

It was one of the celestially blessed days divined by the mortals to unite two souls
in matrimony and one of those few occasions to which I made since the groom in
question desired my presence on sentimental counts. Lost in the crowd attired in
glistening zari works to three piece suits, men and women of various age groups
were lost in their few luxurious moments of socializing before marking their
attendance with the new couple. Children true to their innocence were splashing
around and admiring themselves on the CCTV. Occasions and functions being
a far cry to yours truly, the antics of the children kept me engrossed. Soon some
acquaintances warmed up and attempted to make me comfortable as I made the
way to the dias. Thoughts clamoured my mind as to whether the newly wed would
be engrossed in their new marital status or new found love or in the photographer
and cameraman directing them to strike poses with a ‘cheese’. It made me wonder
as to whether the whole charade could be restricted to the parents and siblings of
the twosome giving them space to themselves. As these thoughts fitted through,
the crowds had successfully jostled me to the dias. Greetings exchanged with
pleasantries and wishes for happiness and prosperity showered, the interruption
came in the form of the photographer taking charge to place us in an order of
his choice for a memento. Couple of flashbulbs later, as we attempted to move, a
deft hand directed us to the dining hall which was a sea of humanity. The ritual
of tossing a sweet through to the vitals being through I made my way out. The
experience still left the question unanswered as to how torturing the two souls who contemplate a life in wedlock by making them stand endlessly greeting people around and grinning till their cheekbones melted could be termed a happy occasion for them. Discreetly pardoning myself of the offence committed, I returned home.

Few days later, it was the occasion of a ground breaking ceremony wherein much
of the fanfare was repeated. The icing on the cake was when I was called upon to
chisel out a piece of the ground for which I could only offer resistance. The crowd
there just placed the tool in my hands and the ritual was compulsorily performed
much to the delight of my should I say friends ( a dilemma considering their act)
around.

If these two were unions of sorts, the prospects of reunions of collegemates and
schoolmates started blossoming on the horizon. Joys undoubtedly come with some hassles.

Thanks to the anonymous reader to have retrieved the rest of the blog. Now I can peacefully continue blogging!