As I had waxed eloquent in one of my earlier posts about how eventful my first day at IIT Delhi was, so was my last couple of weeks or so. The final thesis presentation for my MTech dissertation was over and it was time to start packing my bags. I was about to complete the two most eventful, enjoyable, confidence-developing and self-exploring years of my life.
The real fun during this time was the parties we got involved thereafter. One evening our juniors decided to give us a “Grand Farewell Party”. About 50 boys and girls (2 batches combined) went out at 6.30 in the evening to have a bash. We deliberately chose a restaurant nearby so that we could walk, and have loads of fun on the way, and we did. The consternation on the faces of people passing by was very apparent. They were not used to seeing that big a gang of young mavericks thronging the streets of Delhi. There were some girls who were exhorting the rest of us to take it a little easy but, that day there was no stopping us. We played dumb-charades, had a sumptuous meal and walked back to the campus again. From 10.30 pm we started sharing all our experiences with juniors, including crushes, secret affairs, tough profs, tricks of bringing good grades and of course IIT life. Some girls blushed. It was an evening truly well spent.
A couple of days later, the director of IIT Delhi threw a gala dinner party for all outgoing students. In the hot May evening, I had the audacity to wear a suit. Some of my friends opined that I was trying to have my last shot at impressing the opposite sex, I had no comments however! Nidhi, who was one of the more presentable girls in our class, wore a saree, and she was looking really hot. I could not say so at her face however, but she smiled gauging my thoughts I guess.
A day before we were about to depart, we decided to throw a party to our juniors, as part of our “Job Treat Celebrations”. Similar to the Farewell party, we walked our way to another restaurant, and on our way back had ice-creams at Baskin Robbins at 11 pm. The lawns of IIT Delhi were craving for a protracted “masti” session. That day the demand was for a musical extravaganza; I took the lead. Kishore Kumar came alive 20 years after his death , romance was overflowing on a perfect full moon day on the fully manicured IIT lawns through mellifluous voices. Nobody wanted to stop – audiences and performers alike. There were about 20 songs that were sung, 3 dance numbers, and a couple of “shayaris” elocouted. When we left towards our hostels, laughter was shielding tears in 100 eyes. It was a special evening – one of the best that I have spent in my life.
In the interim all our other activities like No-dues submissions and Hard Bound Project Copy submissions had been done. Some of us including myself, also had to draft a technical paper for publication for the MTech thesis that we had worked on.
Finally the day came when we had to board the respective trains to our hometowns. It was the 03rd of June 2007. Three of my friends left in the afternoon and I went to see them off at the station. I left the campus at 3.30 pm. Sealdah Rajdhani Express was scheduled for departure at 4.35 pm from New Delhi Railway Station. When I left my parents two years back I did not flinch one bit. Howver, when the auto took me out of the IIT campus for the last time, I could not assuage the child within me, who was sobbing. The poignancy of the whole situation was heart-breaking. I knew that my parents would be waiting to receive me after two long years but I also knew that I would never enter IIT Delhi as a student again.
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