Time of My Life!

It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right,
I hope you had the time of your life.
                                                     -Billy Joe Armstrong

I finished college in June, spent almost 3 months in Bangalore and at home, joined my first job two weeks back, yet there was no sense of closure. I had the feeling that I was still a college student. Up until now. As me and my batchmates receive our degrees tomorrow, there is finally a sense of closure to the chapter in my life called SIT Tumkur.

And as the lucky ones get to attend the convocation, I sit here tonight reflecting back on the four years in Tumkur which transformed me completely. College taught me a lot of things ranging from effective excuses to bunk to studying a night before the exam, but most importantly, I learnt the value of friendship, trust and humility.

Fresh out of the shithole of a PU College I studied in (Fellow Deekshits may/may not agree), I was prepared for the worst. I was ready to face failure, loneliness and being an outcast all over again. Thank God that didn't happen. On the first day, as I stood near the Hostel Room Allocation Chart, a curly haired guy walked up besides me with his Dad, realised his roommate's name was "Patri Sai Kireet" and started laughing like it was some joke. This guy, who went by the name Aravind Rao would very soon become my best friend, confidant and brother. Another peculiar fellow by the name of Sushmit Bhattacharjee met us and we became thick as thieves. 

Sushmit and Aravind are like chalk and cheese. Aravind is always the calm one. Mature, intelligent and logical. Sushmit is always the kid, getting hyper about everything happening. Aravind, is by far the most technically brilliant person I've come across so far. He has the mind of a scientist. Sushmit is a debater par excellence and a brilliant leader. Where did I fit in all this blinding brilliance? I was the one who filled in the gap. I was the ligament holding the bone and muscle together (People who know me would've caught the pun).

Of course I met many good people in the four years in Tumkur and have learnt a lot from all of them but Aravind and Sushmit will always be very close to me. Sushmit was the one who carried me to the hospital when my knee collapsed in the middle of Hussainsagar Lake. Aravind saved me from flunking Mini Project in third year and both were there come what may whenever I needed advice, preferably, over a round of drinks at JB or Vyshali. These guys have put up with my shit so much that I owe them more than a lousy emotional post on my blog. I owe them my sanity.

Perhaps, the greatest lesson I learnt from the college and my friends was the lesson of humillity. You don't need to be flamboyant or rich to get noticed. Just be yourself. I learnt to accept people for who they are and not judge anyone but myself and my actions. Every year I matured exponentially, barring the occasions when i was drunk as shit and did some pretty immature things, like hug a waiter in Vyshali for serving the drinks on time.

A novel will surrely be written loosely based on these two jokers and I promise you, I'll do a better job than Chetan Bhagat. And as Sushmit, Aravind and the rest of the gang meet up tomorrow for the Convocation, I wish all of them all the happiness and success in life and hope they miss me as much as I miss them!

Cheers Brothers! Can't wait to meet you guys again!!