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Sunday, July 22, 2012

Yesterday once more


Nostalgic! I didn’t feel nostalgic. I was in fact more annoyed. At those nameless faces. They were everywhere...like aliens suddenly dropping from the sky and entering our domain. Even claiming it as their own. I saw them loafing around near the Portico. Some were playing cricket near the canteen with funny seriousness. The ones sitting inside the canteen were the most annoying. Most looked through us, as if we were wisps of invisible cloud walking amongst the living. Those who looked...well stared! That made us feel like aliens. As if we were entering a zone, which though familiar to us, refused to acknowledge our past intimacy with it.

We had changed. TF’s professor failed to recognise him. This made me and R giggle. As TF tried establishing the fact that he was very much a student of the department, the professor looked at me and said: “Eke chinte perechi...amar student”, much to the agony of TF! (hahaha...I wanted to laugh)...but decided to look down at my shoes instead. This art learnt way back in school still is a saviour, I realised. TF and R protested together: “She was NOT from this department!


The poor man. He was a little confused. He had always seen me with the boys (now men!) from his department. And since these ‘boys’ were hardly spotted in the classroom, me not attending classes in that department shouldn’t have appeared strange.


Well, TF rambled on... He wanted to collect a certificate or something. As Mr professor lectured him on how to get it, I stared at TF. He nodded his head from side to side, adding “okay okay” after each sentence delivered by the professor. Hands held together behind him, TF transported me seven years back. That is how we spoke to our teachers. Now an NRI, my dear friend was suddenly the young 20-something boy i knew, and me his giggly pigtailed friend. As I watched his face, I wanted to go over and hug him. For being a part of my growing up days. My college life. The best days that ever were. Sometimes...things last longer than you think. Like memories. Like friends.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

------------TF speaking -----------
"a different world" - we lived in once and want to go back again & again & again..at times I really appreciate the concept of rebirth..gives us hope that we may be able go back again..for that brief moment, in front of the prof, i still felt like i'm the student who should go back to class right after..R's presence was comforting, else i would still feel nervous in front them - the profs..giggling TF's presence and recognition was annoying..on the one hand I really appreciate her thought of hugging me, but I on the other hand felt "why the hell is she in the room"..but these horrible thoughts apart, I feel glad that she was there and could come up with the perfect summary of this experience..let's plan on doing a bachelors again, at 60 - what say Sr, Am, R and TF..may be we can exchange courses this time :)why live that for the next life?

Anonymous said...

------TF again (correcting the wrong spelling)----
* why leave that for the next life?

Anonymous said...

আরে লোফার ষাট বছর বয়েশ অব্ধি আমি কি আর বাচব?
Am

Anonymous said...

@ TF - At 60s Profs do retire and you are saying to go for another bachelor's degree at that age?? I am ready to go now only with SR provided he is ready to go to Canteen er Chaat and have that 1 pint of BL with 500ml of Thums Up and 2 Flakes... Good Old Days :) Btw someone forgot to mention about that quarrel between me and Admin staff.. However I had a real good feeling after visiting that place again.

R

Unknown said...

@ R - I remember having to finish half of the Thums Up every evening...just so that you and Sr could fill it up with your special '1 pint BL'!

And the fight with that grumpy admin staff must be added, which I will :)

Anonymous said...

@TF: Bachelors at sixty!!!....Am in...only problem is you need to make sure I get thru the entrance tests...u will still be stall1 n rock all that stats but we will be bounders as usual...in fact we could take a sabbatical n do it after few years..wat say??

@R: Our pint of Black mischief is on any time...u only have to promise that u'll come to college lil more frequently next time around:)

@D: Emon bolcho jeno cold drink force kore khawatam...wait korte to roj oi time taar jonne ;)....i so miss sleepin in common room whole day and waitin for you to come down from your class with your tiffin...n then sleep again...n wait for your classes to get over again...

@St,R,Am,D: Lets please do this presi visit when am there....want to spend time with you guys in presi again...koto din hoye geche we all have met together...St and Am please plan your india visit together...me n R will be there even if its for a weekend!!!..

Anonymous said...

The above anonymous is Sr....:)

Unknown said...

Dear Sr,

I miss my tiffin box and sandwiches. I miss them more because I never got to have them!