I was just conversing with one of my college bestie who was
down with 'college nostalgia fever' when I advised her that often rainy
environments added up with coffee, blankly staring out of window, soft music
and random memories is a lethal combination that often ends up in tears.
Particularly, on rainy days or while cleaning up cupboards or moving out from
one place to another, memories instigate to make us feel weak, sad and stubborn
to not accept the changes that we are going through in the present day.
One such memory that is very close to my heart was the
beach outing with my college girlie gang, also known as 'Al-Baboota'
gang. That day is still so fresh in my mind that I can re-live those memories
instantly as I am writing this blog. So, on going down the memory lane, it was
September 27, 2007 when we girls were whining about how boys used to bunk
classes constantly and how we were too sincere to do such acts. Also, my hostel
friends were too bored to eat hostel ka tasteless khana. So, just when the
lunch break started, we were convincing each other to bunk, to go for Mansukh's
in T Nagar, Chennai and eat mast Gujarati delicacies. Mansukh's restaurant
served unlimited food for just Rs.99 (Keep in mind ! This was way back in the
year 2007). So, finally the gutsy Al-Baboota gang took their steps towards
Potheri station. We ran towards the train, convinced the train master to wait
for few seconds, so that everyone running behind us could catch the train. Then
we headed to Mansukh's to hog unlimited goodies. A couple of my friends were
gluttony that particular day, as they starved of 'good food' in hostel. Then,
we immediately planned to go to Besant Nagar beach in Adyar. As usual, short of
money, we went in an empty local bus and then walked 500m to beach. While
walking, as we saw the sea, we all started running towards it as if we had
achieved freedom. Just when all of us reached the sea, we all planned to plunge
into the sea and have fun. The climate supported our fun outing by raining and
we all had a gala time on a empty beach. One of my friend also dropped her
mobile (Nokia 1100) in the sea and was surprised that the phone still worked !
Thanks to the manufacturers authenticity !
After all this fun and completely drenched, we planned to
leave. As usual, due to shortage of money, we had no option than to stuff all
the eight of us in one auto. We somehow managed to convince the auto man and
also went in that auto with girls complaining of being uncomfortable with the
setting. But, the point is that we, Indians always believe in adjusting and
cooperating with each other (In the photo, you can see the auto behind us).
All in all, we really enjoyed bunking college that day and I am sure all my
friends cherish this memory whenever they think about bunking college and
making sudden awesome outing plans.
I lived in Canberra, Australia for two years where rains
used to pour day in day out unpredictably. Most of the times, I used to spend
or rather waste these beautiful moments working sincerely in lab. But whenever
I used to get time I used to get nostalgic about the fond memories I collected
all these years of my life. My heart begins to sink and eventually I get
depressed as the memories start flowing in to make my heart heavier and
heavier. During such heavy heart-ed days, there was nothing that could deviate
my mindset from getting nostalgic. So, what I used to do on such exceptional
days was to let my heart sink, shed some tears, and convince myself that
'everything happens for a reason'.
All my readers, I would love to advise you to take up this lethal combination, lighten your heavy heart, take a day off from your hectic schedules, go down the memory lane, catch up with old friends cause, race for better career will definitely take you everywhere except to the cherishing memory lane.
