It was a rainy night on 3rd September 2008 when I reached Bhopal station around 9pm. I could very well smell the atmosphere. I was in this city for 4 long years. 4 years… yes that was the span what made me into a better human being altogether. I got a new avtar. The person I am today was molded in those years when I was an engineering student at Bhopal.

But as I took a pre-paid auto to my brother’s place in Sidhartha Lake City, there was a mixed feeling. Somewhere there was a scary thought that I will be treated as an alien in this city of lakes. Will my college recognize me? Are there any one left in the college who could even speak out my name? Will they welcome me? And the questions were unending…

The next morning I went to my college. Everything was the same. The same old main entrance and the same old reception. But what is this… the receptionists have changed. There were two faces and both stranger to me. Wow! I remember one thing that once my physics teacher told me. Change is the only constant. By now I realized that there could be other surprises awaiting me. I went ahead and had a small talk to them. They were friendly. I told them my name and what a shock to me.They said in unison, “2006 pass out”. By now my chest was 5 inches broader. Now I had a head on my shoulder that was proud to be there.  I inquired about my old profs and got to know that most of them have left the college. There were new people replacing the old ones. There was a recall – Change is the only constant!!

I moved ahead to the SAC (Student activity center). There was a huge crowd as if they were suppose to welcome me once I am there. When I was almost in the SAC, I realized these are the new faces that are going to replace the old ones. It was a crowd of new students getting enrolled for different courses. I moved ahead to the Training & Placement (T&P) area. But there was no one except a big table and the clay model of our college. I was not aware that T&P was no more attached to SAC.

“Excuse me!”, I stopped almost a running train. This was a thin guy climbing down the library.

“Yes, how may I help you?”, his voice was no different than his appearance.

“May I know where Mr. Anuj Garg sits these days?”

He pointed to a corner in the other section of the building. It was written there – Training & Placement.

I went to the T&P and entered the room. Now a bigger surprise. The T&P assistant was the same old Gupta ji. This was nice to feel. I went in and greeted him.

“Arrey Gupta ji, kaise ho?”

“Arrey Amar bhai, no mail, no chat, no calls! Where have you been these days?”

“It is a long story Gupta ji. Aur sunao kya chal raha hai? Where is Anuj sir?”

Another person replaced Om sir. It was Rohit sir. He too was an old guy. Old not by age but by his existence in this college. He had lots of stories to tell me. These guys were not happy how things were handle by the student council these days.

“It is no more the same way you guys used to handle things. Those were the time when you guys worked day and night together with Anuj sir to make wonders happen”, this was Rohit sir’s conclusive statement.

Anuj sir was in by then. As usual he did his pooja and there was an exchange of looks. He had a smile on his face. We shared our experiences and we both were happy to see each other. It was time for me to leave to my most important purpose of visit to Bhopal. I had to apply for the degree and this impossible mission was to get it in my hand by Friday end of the day.

Soon I was out of my college campus. I went to the Arjun bhaiya’s samosa stall. My taste buds no more remembered the taste of the samosa with kadi that Arjun bhaiya offered as usual. I ate it and there was a content in the core of my heart. I felt I was back in time. This was the place where we friends used to sit and chat with tea and fags. I sensed the presence of all my buddies including Mausa (Ranjit), Langda (Nilesh), Tidda (Sudhendu), Dido (Sandip), Manish and Daddy Prateek Sharma. I met Sanchi waali aunty after that. She handed my usual old brand – Chhoti Gold Flake! As if she never realized that I have evolved to puff Marlboro now.

I left for the University to apply for the degree.

In the evening I came back to the Sanchi waali aunty ki shop and  I was amazed to see juniors wishing me a very good evening. I thought no one of my generation was still left in the college. But these guys saw me when they were in first year and I was in the last year of my engineering.

They were so excited to see me. They pulled me into the hostel and showed me the old tradition of Ganesh Utsav in the hostel that we had since the first batch of my college. I bowed down to the Ganpati Idol to seek blessings. Then I participated in the aarti. For a moment I saw all my seniors, juniors and friends clapping hands and singing in chorus – Ek dant dayawant, chaar bhuja dhaari…

At times I feel, when we are in the present, we do not value what we have. We get to know the worth when we do not have such things any longer. We always glorify our past, look towards our future and never ever try to live in the present. We, all my friends and me, always lived in the present when we were in this city of nawabs, lakes and mahals. I would always cherish those fond memories till my last breath out.

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