Recharged Reunion

10th April 2016 or 11th April 2016? (Damn it, I am terrible at dates. Hey, it was midnight so I am bit confused.)

The moon was a slice of white, like a smile of the light against the sadness of the night.  I looked for the stars, shinning and bright, however, couldn't spot one right. The sky was cloudy and blackness was only in the sight. 

Sighing, I elbowed myself upright, trying to relax my cramped back. I winched as my head thudded with the roof of the bus. I made a mental note not to travel in the upper sleeper seat in future. It is uncomfortable when you are nearly six feet tall and the journey is about 17 hours long. Delhi was still three states away. Cursing, I slouched again on the bed-seat. Sleeping is the best way to kill the time when you are travelling. I read it somewhere, so I thought to give it a try. But snores from the below passenger was defying buzzing of the running engine of the bus. The devil part of me desperately wished to throw a shoe on that man's face and shut his snores off, while the angel part of me resisted this mischief. Like in all myths and fairy tales, in my case too, angel won.

Frustrated, I dug my hand in the pocket and pulled out my phone. Bright light washed over my face as I unlocked the screen and opened its gallery. Swaying my fingers, I was reminiscing the captured memories of 23 hours I had spent at the city, which turned me into an engineer. Vallabh Vidyanagar. A smile touched on my lips, a satisfying one. Well, only an insane person would have mistakenly booked the ticket to Gujarat on the wrong date, would then have took train, then bus, spent two hours on the highway with stray dogs to accompany, then took a jeep – squeezed between two bulky, sweaty persons, and then again catching the bus, and finally reaching the destination 3 hours late, exhausted and hungry. Not feeling proud to admit, but I am the one who did that all. Label me crazy if you wish, but what good is life if it is not little adventurous.

At Mom's Cafe

Though it sounds like some Bollywood scene, but it really happened. The moment I alighted from the bus and my feet marked its first impression on the soil of the city, my phone rang. “Yes, just reached. Okay, I’ll be waiting near the gate.” I ended the call and the phone warned me for the final time. The battery was dying. I crossed the station and waited until two cars passed by me. That feeling of seeing them after a year while they streamed out from the cars, smiling, laughing, somehow miraculously ebbed my exhaustion. And for a while I forget the pain my back was screaming. Dhyey, the gym guy squeezed me in his welcome hug. The pain screeched. Smiling devilishly, Jay, the football guy, almost broke my back in his bear embrace, followed by Mihir. Glad that ladies – Garima, Payal, DivyaJyoti, Dhara, Sneha preferred to shake hand, sharing greetings. It was great to be back.

“How are you?” was the question on everyone’s happy lips.

And my answer was short and true. “Hungry.”

Laughter rippled through air, and a bike pulled to halt near us. Kashyap, the hulk, along with his special one had come. “Where the hell were you?”

“It’s complicated,” I winked. And he hugged and I heard my spine cracking.

The sun of 9^th April was about touch the horizon when I, Dhyey and Mihir, after my refreshment, drove to the place where it all began. As we entered the campus, like a curious kid watching a new animal in the zoo, I peeked out of the window, daring not to blink and miss any moments to etch in my memory. Large grey blocks of ADIT’s structure rose over the treetops as we moved at deliberate slow speed. “Dude, I am really missing this place.”

“Look,” Mihir pointed toward the boys’ hostel. “Our room.”

I sighed as countless memories flashed before me in an instant.  At that moment I got  an answer for my ignorant question I used to ask my father whenever he used to take me to a historical place. He says – Places holds memories, stories. Now as I scanned every possible corner of the campus from the rear seat of the car, each spot triggered a memory transpired during my four years of engineering. Places do narrate tales.

“We are here.” Dhyey rolled the steering and we reached our favourite hangout place. As we alighted from the car, Hemant Bhai’s eyes twinkled with glee. That feeling when he - a man whose snacks had added taste to our UG days - recognized us was truly a bliss. Theplas, bournvitas and tea were served. Compelled by 24 hours of hunger, I started munching my share. Man, it still tasted the same.

As we rode back to the city, I looked back at the retreating campus. “Chanda,” Dhyey said, “we’ll be back.” I nodded, hoping he was right. We had been planning this reunion for almost past 3 months and finally after adjusting everyone’s schedule we met. Life has suddenly become busy after graduation.

Huddled on the vast expanse of Shashtri Maidan was our second group, waiting for us. Among them was one more new addition. Akshat Pujara. When it comes to juniors, trust me, they don’t shake hands or embrace you, they just cannon themselves toward you and wrap around yourself as if you are a tree and they are obedient volunteers of Chipko Movement. Akshat did the same, and I had to carry him to the group. Greetings traded, smiles shared, we tore away from the ground for the dinner. I was waiting anxiously for it. Finally, I was going to have food until girls told they needed to get ready for the dinner. I looked at them. They looked perfect. My stomach rumbled in resistance, but before ladies’ wish the whole world bows. And so we obeyed.

The boys gang decided to take a round of the city. Luckily, I met Riddhesh while he was on his way to home. Jinang, Hardik and Het too crossed our ways. Actually, the idea to write this blogpost came from them. So thank you guys for meeting. 

After almost an hour, Nari Shakti were ready, each one a dazzling diva.

The Dinner, finally !

The clock was ticking the time when most of the restaurants used to close. That was terrifying for me. I badly needed food. I stiffened in the front seat while Mihir drove the car. From the way he was driving I got feeling that he actually had no idea what was our route. As a result, we ended up somewhere ahead of the crossroad from where we were supposed to turn. Blessedly, Jay came to rescue.  

Finally, we reached the restaurant.

And we were the only customers.

Orders were placed, empty plates were served. Conversations burst across the table. Payal was stunning us with her incredible adventurous ideas, Garima was flashing her smile, Dhara was preaching about married life, Sneha adopted silence, DivyaJyoti was working on her phone, Dhyey was teasing Mihir with his long list of crushes, Jay was enjoying the night and I was wondering whether Cheese Naan will suffice my hunger or Butter Naan.  

Finally, the food! I was so engaged to satiate my mounting hunger that I unheard the waiter’s warning. “Kitchen is about to close. Order if you want more, now.” When I looked up, I realised what I missed.

With dinner done, more than two dozens of pictures were snapped (which includes my first picture with Jay in 5 years). We wheeled our way to Dhyey’s abode. They had planned to watch CHELLO DIVAS movie, which I really didn’t want. I mean all away from the capital of the country I didn’t turn up just to see a film. Glad that they skipped that idea.

Dhara actually recited a poem for me. Well, it was quite hysterical, and I really don’t want her to repeat it to someone else.  One by one, we began to tell what happened in our lives after we left ADIT. Stories were told, jokes were shared. The night outside was silent, but the room we were in was filled with cheerfulness. For me, each story came with a lesson. From what DivyaJyoti said, I realised I should start memorising the important dates, which I am really terrible at. May be that’s why I used to get low grades in history classes.

In that fun-electrifying atmosphere came a sentimental moment. “Thanks guys,” Dhyey said, “for coming.” A glimmer of tear appeared in his eyes and he left the room. None of us moved, except me. I was actually blocking the door and had to shift to give him some lone time. The silence of the night crept inside the room for a while. By the end of the month he is going to leave the country for Canada, for his bright future. And this reunion was all possible because of him, to meet him before he flies away.

He returned, and I gave him an encouraging smile.

Time slipped and somewhere east, dawn broke. We slumped on the bed at 5:30 a.m. The day had changed, and I knew what it meant. I pushed that jumbled emotion away and dozed off.

Something made my eyes opened, and my stirring moved Dhyey too. Even Jay sensed our movements and he too woke up. The clock on the sill told us it was 8:30 a.m. of 10^th April. Just like old hostel days, Mihir was still sleeping. Dhyey gave me a devilish grin, enough to send me a message that he was upto something. I nodded. He grabbed his phone, pinned its audiojack to the speakers, tuned the volume to maximum, and played the song. The room erupted with Big B’s rocking vintage song. Chuma Chuma De De. We bantered, we sang, we were again WE! Carefree. Crazy. Jolly.   

After a quick breakfast, with our packs stuffed in our cars, we rode to the last spot. Mom’s Cafe. I tore a piece of roti, dipped in the delicious Paneer dish, and was about to enjoy its taste, when one of the girls said. “We have 500 photographs of reunion of now.”

I blinked in surprise and put the bite in my mouth. It then dawned to me that when we had departed the last time, completing our graduation, Mom’s Café was the place of meeting. As if our history was repeating itself, we were again at the same spot.

And then came the time which I dreaded the most. Departure.

The Departure

The bus to Ahmedabad groaned as its driver sparked the engine. I tightly hugged Dhyey, trying really, really hard not to shed a tear. I know I was not going to see him for a long time. The Lavara group was not going to have again a perfect reunion soon. The thought was crushing me. So with a fake smile, hiding my pain, I wished him luck. Jay and Mihir slapped me on my back, wishing me a safe journey.

I looked over my two comrades for the journey to Ahmedabad. Dhara and Garima had already climbed into the bus. With the last look on the group that was soon going to disintegrate, I bid them goodbye.

The farther we moved, the stronger I felt the emotional pull toward the city. While both of my comrades were busy in skimming the pics, I was mentally rewinding the past 23 hours of togetherness.

From Ahmedabad’s station, my destiny separated me from them, and I found Tushar waiting for me near my bus. The meeting was brief, around 5 minutes, but in that short span we almost debriefed ourselves. Shouldering my bag, I got into the bus, which began dragging me to Delhi. Classes, presentations, submissions, exams…the life was again going to be cyclic. But there was something different in me. A new energy was surging through me, as if meeting these amazing people had somehow recharged me, inspired me.  It was not a usual reunion, it was indeed a RECHARGED REUNION!

Smiling at that thought, I noticed darkness had gathered outside. Pulling the draping I looked at the sky.

The moon was a slice of white, like a smile of the light against the sadness of the night.  I looked for the stars, shinning and bright, however, couldn't spot one right. The sky was cloudy and blackness was only in the sight.