A cool breeze blew on my face as I alighted at the Ettimadai bus stop. A tea at the bakery, an auto ride down the winding road that always took me one step closer to those mountains curtained behind that misty blanket at dawn, the railway cross that magically remained closed whenever there was an urgency (Murphy indeed created a wonderful law), and last but not the least, the security gate that was always prepared.
Six months ago, I could picture myself walking down the same road that leads to the ASB building. Had a cross bag and that long umbrella which was the only object around leaner than myself ….and there were wonderful friends around…..and faces etched on the walls of heart….and human beings with a heart of gold – a wonderful flashback.
I was a guest. Guest in the very place where I was host just months before – strange indeed is the way how time the constantly ticking change weaves its fantasies!! By the time I walked out fresh from the guest house, the mountain had cast away its shy act. The curtain of mist was now a thick shawl on its neck. The mountain wished good morning as it always does – through its messenger called breeze.
It was a journey down the lanes of memory. Every place had a story to narrate – the canteen, the entry arch which always had a strong breeze blowing through it, the class rooms, the mountains that played hide and seek. The air around was silent – something I had not experienced outside planet E. There were no vehicles honking past or people chattering by. All that surrounded me was the wind whistling a soft tune. I was silently enjoying everything that I had unknowingly missed.
Dusk brought with it dark rain clouds, which invaded the horizon in a swiftly blowing zephyr. Mountains stood ground and fought bravely, the sky shed silent tears – its blue tinge had been lost. A raindrop or two hit me on my face and rolled down to my heart. The hostel was a ghost of its old self- or so I felt initially. The otherwise occupied TT room which echoed sighs and swears was deserted. Some prodding from an ever enthusiastic friend saw the hostel awake to its self. The TT room was active again… at least for a while. A visit to the hut outside college gate… a wonderful session with the new friends from 2006 batch (don’t know how bored they were from the hour of so called interaction!!)…a walk back to the hostel… then in the silence of night, with the night lights of planet E shining bright, we slowly found our way back to the guest house. A day of memories had formed part of memories.
This very Planet Ettimadai had gifted me the company of real human beings – real teachers- professors of the subject called ‘life’. I might not be Arnold Schwarzanegger, but yet I swear Insha allah– “I’ll be back”
Contributed By
Anish Philip
MBA 2006 Batch
|
