Farewell!

[Text and Photos by D.B.]

It’s been quite a long time that I penned something. Was busy with exams, submissions, juries, etc., (all the ‘Archies’ out there would understand). What brought me back to writing is also one of the occasions which kept me engaged, The Farewell for the senior batch!

The moment I say ‘Farewell’, almost everyone would start thinking about the college days. Well, this is a fact that ‘college days’ are the best days of your life and ‘The Farewell day’ has to be one of those days. I like the concept personally. Enjoying and partying out especially when you are drenched in nostalgia. It is the best time to get your emotions out for those who are leaving and also making them realise that they are leaving, so that, they can get emotional too!

What makes a farewell so special? What makes it a ‘moment-to-be-cherished-always’?

It’s the relationship, the bond, between the Senior and the Junior!

The minute we step into our college-life, especially those who live in hostels, we meet a bunch of young guys, merely a year older, they are no different from us but a bit more confident and has a ‘tag’ of being ‘seniors’ and thus we start looking up to them. In the beginning, they seem to be the ‘worst’ of all, then they become your ‘guide’, then a ‘friend’ and by the time this ‘farewell’ thing comes up, they are the ones whom you gonna ‘miss the most’! They are always there whatever may come.

When you need them?

Its 2:30 AM, the Nescafe is going to be shut within few minutes, you skipped your dinner, you are out of money, you see your senior standing at the counter window and, “Bhaiya!!”, out of blue he becomes your elder brother. You request, “kuchh khilao na! Please!”. He doesn’t have a single penny still ‘treats’ you and asks the vendor to put the bill in his ‘account’!

Your final exam days and you just realised that you don’t have your notes! “Sir” or “Ma’am”, are the terms which seldom works in these ‘crisis’-conditions. “Sir, notes dhundo na!”, “Apna 5^th Sem ka assignment do na!” , “Main naam change kardunga, pakka!”  And, your submission is done. Sometimes, they might even charge fees like getting their water-bottles filled, borrowing LAN-cables for few days, or even pen-drives, etc. But, that is OK!

Emotional ‘break-down’. You are going through the ‘so-called’ difficult phase; you ‘failed’ in love. You cant share with anyone and suddenly you find your ‘Doc’ in him/her. They see your face and could tell the problem. You drain out all in front of them and gets the best advises to move on in life as they already have been through all this. “Chal na! Bhool ja, kuchh fayeda nahin hai, bata, kya khayega?”, with this they cheer you up and you move on!

When they need you?

They have a back-log, worst part, they don’t know the date of the exam. They come up to you, “Oye! Exam ka kuchh bata diyo bey!” And you smile and say, “O! Don’t worry!”

Final exams and submissions, they need huge army to complete their pending jobs. They call upon everyone, they set up the battle-field for their soldiers, they arrange food, water and makes sure that everyone is happy and working. They buck-up the ‘young-guns’, “Katal sketching karta hai bey!”, “Yaar! Tu toh architect ban gaya!”, “Mere Thesis mein help tu hi karega!”, “Teri to treat pakki!” And the work is completed with full force.

When they unite?

What all you need to bring them ‘down’ to your level is, “Play the Music”! The moment a party starts, it’s impossible to say who is who! Juniors and seniors, all roll on together!

And, finally, they get ‘high’ together! ;)

In the end, we bridge the gap; we face the most difficult part of this ‘relationship’. Standing at the verge, from where we get separate! Everyone’s happy for the time passed by and everyone’s sad for the future, as it is to be traversed alone, without the ‘guidance’, without the ‘support’. But we all ‘celebrate’ it, we say “good bye” with cheerful faces and we “hug” with closed eyes hoping to meet up somewhere in life and say, “Arey Sir Ji! Aap???”

Dedicated to all my seniors.. Obviously! Will miss you all!