An Ode to the Four Years of College Life

Some of you are going to be in my wedding.
Some of you are going to be in the same company.
Some of you are going to slowly fade out of my life, not because we want it to but because life will get in the way.
Some of you I'll never see again after I walk away from this place.

But you all have left a mark on me.

I can't have you all, I want to, but I can't .
Never again will I have you all surrounding me,my second family.
Never again will life be this easy, this effortless.
Never again will I have you all just few blocks away, a phone call away.
Never again will I have you all at 3 AM in morning preparing for exams.
Never again will those four years return..
never ever.

Soon you all will be taken away from me.
Not with force  but..
just in a "this is life" kind of way.
We are all going to be pulled in different directions,as we move to adulthood
Real Adulthood.

We are not going to live in four BHK eight person apartment anymore.
Where empty bottles of alcohol adorned the floors, proudly.
Where broken furniture, haphazardly, welcomed us , every day.
Our very own little, messy, chaotic, beautiful home.

We'll be grown ups thanks to hefty paychecks and busy schedules.
Soon you all be residing in two person apartments.
Trying to adjust to the errie peace that you return to, each day, after work.
Never before silence will seem so horribly loud.

We may meet at weekends over  dinners to share and cherish memories of the past.
But like always, life will get in the way.
Visits will become more rare.
Meet ups more sporadic.
We'll find new friends, new routines, new hangouts in our respective cities.
We'll tag each other on Facebook to remind us of good old times.
To remind us who we are, together.
Those candid photos that could beat your adhar card to the "Crown of Ugliest"
I would see them with a smile on my face.
But soon, we all will count on enagements and marriages to stop doing what we do and spend a weekend together.

Even if we do stay close, fight to stay in touch.
Things will change . That's okay.
Because we can't stay away hidden in this bubble
Away from very things we  actually came to learn.
We have to adjust, to live out this friendship under new circumstances.
Because things are always going to change.

When I leave this place, it will hurt.
Because you all brought me such joy, such pure happiness.
You taught me things that even you don't know you taught me.
You all are the reason I am different person today than I was four years ago when I arrived here, awestruck and petrified.

If we ever return to this place, It won't be the same.
New people, New energy, New buildings, New atmosphere.
But we all will remember it as a piece of life, the minute we stepped into the campus.
But in a way our experiences are immortal, secure from new constructions, changing weather, different batches,
From anything that will ever try to change it.

These last four years will always stay between you and me.
No matter what happens.
For that is the best home experience, away from home we all could get.

Dedicated to Batch of [2012-2016]
Life goes on, memories stay.

Photography: How a hobby turned into passion

“I am a photographer and I capture the scenes of life so that i can flip the images to relive those moments”

The oldest memory I have are of marriages ,where, I would crave for digital cameras that people used to click pictures. I always dreamt of having one . Every scene that flashed in front of my eyes , I wished to capture it, to treasure it forever....probably it was one of the reason I started Diary Entry as early as Jan 2009. The wish was neither granted by Santa nor my parents who were too freaked out by all the new technologies.

Time elapsed, we moved from film rolls to memory cards and i was still hoping for a MIRACLE....

God had to finally shower some luck on me(except: Academics). But I had already missed the Farewell clicks of my last day in school. And it really hurts to think of this sour fate as I go down the memory lane. It all started three years back, when I got my first Camera-Phone after buttering my grandpa for months. It was Micromax A70 (whose back cover I am sill awaiting, as assured by the official Carecentre in Varanasi) *pun intended*. Specification on the box read 5 MP and I was way too happy (but reality struck me later). Anyways I had something that had a camera on it, unlike my first phone Nokia 1600. I can guarantee one thing that in the two years of its survival, its Camera had been used the most followed by Messaging and Facebook. The best part of having a camera in your phone is that you can take it to almost ‘anyplace ,anywhere, anytime’. I got busy capturing moment, scenes, people and so on.... creating memories in JPEGs. I remember the ‘JRS’ days (for those who don’t know JRS is a coaching located in the heart of Varanasi). I would hop on my friend’s Activa  and we would leave for an all electrifying experience of capturing the city filled with masti & fun, armed with my A70, bunking classes in the meanwhile, that was probably I did poorly in entrance examinations.

I didn’t knew when this hobby turned into passion which has increased  from then on

One more year passed . I went to college. The camera on my phone was wearing off. I was pretty desperate to change it but the monetary problems kept haunting me as I didn’t had the guts to ask it from my parents (Never after my performance in the engineering exams).

A change was solicited...

I can remember clearly, it was a chilly December morning. We all were gearing up for our first battle @UPTU in NBH, block-A. I had just woken up when a guy came in to tell that warden is calling me. Initially I was terrorised but was in for the surprise of my life. It was my first Digital Camera: Fujifilm Finepix AX500. All thanks to Nanaji this time. 5 MP had now changed to 14 MP. I had lots of new function and modes to play with. I started shooting straightaway, of everything I came across. I became the official birthday photographer (no I am not bragging) and it had continued to say the least. Although I was awed by AX500 but as time flew, I started noticing its limitations. No shutter speed control, no manual mode, the blurry images at slightest of the shakes, lack of crispness....that is when I decided to upgrade. It was time for a DSLR.

In the meanwhile...

I had bought Galaxy Grand (it too had 5 MP but way better) as my A70 died a sudden death plunging from my pant’s pocket into the bathtub. I can always relive the unfortunate scene. I still have A70 with me as I don’t wanna let it go. It had already helped me get the love of my life. Grand was all good but I was somewhat deterred by low light performance and the lack of details. Anyways I enjoyed carrying it around flaunting the Samsung logo and enjoying every shot I took. I engrossed myself in mobile editing thanks to tons of software available in android market. The passion was ever increasing and I could feel a sense of joy from the photos I had clicked. I liked them and so did others, not many but enough to fuel up the urge to click.

Later in the third sem...

“Karmavesh” happened...’the official council of BBDGEI’ as they say. And I somehow felt that the photographer in me is pushing it limits and had started giving competition to the writer in me. I already had a blog(anyulife.blogspot.com) that was followed by a page on Facebook for both writing and clicking and an ID on Flickr. I promised myself to share my work with everyone so that I could learn from their inputs. And now i had seniors too whom I could consult for helpful tips.

Target DSLR begun...

It started somewhere during mid October and ended on January 3rd 2014. In between I had read through reviews of almost all the mid and entry level DSLR to zero it on Canon 600d. Money collection and saving begun next (and I am really thankful to Mr. Pawan Malhan ji for his contribution to kick-start the things)*extreme pun intended*. Deep neck in loan, I got myself the Canon 600d from Reliance digital on the eve of my b’day. The best b’day gift.... isn’t it? It had been just few days till then and I am really crazy about it. Shubhendu sir had already cleared the ISO-Shutter-Aperture triangle. I now dream of clickin pictures and yep the quality of the images is indeed awesome...’breathtaking’ is the word. I just hope to exploit it to the best in order to achieve what i always desired “a picture perfect frame”.

“For me the concept of photography was never about boasting or showing off and will never be...
It had always been about capturing a moment  creating a memory and will forever be...”

I can’t help myself with the fact that I always think of treasuring the scene in front of my eyes either by writing or clicking. Luckily for me the desire to press down the shutter button has kept increasing. I always wish to create images that could bring a sense of joy or smile on the person’s face standing on the other side of the lens. This is the principle I live by

“Be the reason of someone’s smile and your life is already worth it.”


 

Childhood:A wonderful phase

I want that one day from my past
When I was just a kid
Who acted cute and stupid
I want that one day,
which has swept away so, so fast

That one day,
When it rained and
I could breath the pleasant smell of soil
Feel the rain drops in my mouth,
and observed the fresh grass turning like a coil

That one day,
When tree tops seemed higher than sun
and innocence overpowered all other emotions
When the day started, playing with friends
and curled in mother's lap it ends

That one day,
When I feared the wrath of lightening
and enjoyed the sweetness filled fighting
When we didn't stop while running,
even if we fall
and getting a kismibar was so delighting

That one day,
When we defended with the dialogue
"Same to you, back to you at first"
When we waited for Sundays
to watch Saktiman and movies on DD1
When being gifted with a toy
was the reason of immense joy

That one day
When we cried on being scolded
only to forget it the very next day
When games period was most awaited
and so were the holidays

That one day,
When we believed angels and demons to be real
and school a jail that we miss now
When "katti-mithhi" decided a friendship trail
and decisions were made by
"akkad bakkad bambey bow", somehow

I know, I won't get what has passed
and even the memories seems washed
The memories that makes our lips stretch for a smile
even if its just for a while
But, I'll get my childhood back, I believe
By feeling every moment, that I'll now live...
By feeling every moment, that I'll now live...

Engineering: A myth unearthed

We say we got to be a B.tech
We say we gonna take over the world
Oh please don't lie for GOD's sake
Oh please stop getting lured

We come here as immature buds
We come to knowledge hubs
We come for an advanced technology
We come with a challenging psychology

The journey begin,the college starts
The lectures begin, the bunking starts
As boring teachers descend to enhance our performance
Our motive changes from
Perfect Engineer to adequate attendance

Holidays are holidays and,
College days turns into bunks
Proxy becomes a trend and,
So does daily outings with friends
But if your director is Seetha lakshmi mam
Kindly quit this game

Number of girls tends to zero
The biggest setback to every hero
Lucky are those to get a girlfriend
Lucky are those to get good friends

For all hostelites,
Poor food is their biggest plight
Marred by mother's absence
They indulge in all sort of nuisance

With internals in sight,
Assignment is copied
Teachers are flattered and deceived
The situation becomes tight

1st sessional teaches us
How to skip 2nd and third
Helps us to hone our skills of cheating
Its a learning phase,
Some get caught and take a beating

Semester dates are announced
Notes are exchanged
2nd hand books are brought
As we prepare for war to be fought

We become religious,
And everything else depends on fate
The will to succeed is furious
As we await a lucky change in exam date

Target changes from 70 plus to all clear
UPTU becomes God & SRM the temple of fear
Lucky are those to have no backs
Lucky are those to pass with no set backs
For others, relax, ,carry overs are there
To enhance your track

Campus placement is a myth
A degree is all to leave with
8 semesters pass with memories not so bad,
And this is how Engineers are made....

Life of a Mother: Ups and Downs

Yes it pains
But she keeps him in her womb
Yes she gains
A naughty little bomb.

He cries as he sees this world
She is jubilant and excited
He lies in her lap, curled
She is joyous because her world is enlightened.

Her child becomes her life
He is all she thinks of, throughout the day
Her child becomes the twinkle of her eye
He is all she wanna talk to and play

Yep she loves him like hell
That she can proudly yell
The days pass...
The baby grows...
But her affection remains constant
At each and every instant
And it shows.

She may scold, she may shout
But she adores him without any doubt
Despite all the troubles, the baby gave
For a Mother, her child is always suave

She cries when he leaves for college
She misses her child's presence
She may still live, but
She had lost her life's essance

The vacations are moment to cherish
Her days of separation are finally gone
Her happiness is so much kidd-ish
As a Mother reunites with her son. 

Soon its time to leave

Time to bid an emotional adieu

This time son separates for job

Yet again she misses her child's presence

And all she could is silently sob

House is decorated, atmosphere rejuvenated

Her child is back, this time for marriage

The couple ascend, the rituals begun

She bless them with a smile on her wrinkled face

Her boy is now a busy man

He even shouts on her, for his wife

It burns her with pain

but to wince with it, is all she can

She had grown old she had grown weak

As she lies in her bed, memories revolve in her head

some makes her happy, some makes her sad

In these last moments, she misses his dad

She is frail, she is hospitalised

She knows, she is gonna die

She wanted her child by her side

But he is out of country for a joyful ride.

It pains to realise

That she had lost her importance to his wife

But even in her last moments before demise

She wishes her child a prosperous life

And sadly she dies....

And sadly she dies....

Life of a Student

Study is what a mother says
Study is what a boy fears
Book is all he had seen
Mugging up is all he had done

Amidst the gloomy days of his life
'Result Days'had been the worst strife
the troubles he had as a kid
has continued through his college deeds

Twelve years passed excluding the nursery days
College life comes to him as a new phase
FOUR more years to pass
Bulky syllabus and timely Exams to harass

He made friends,friends for life
The friends who blossomed his life
He was a happy guy once again
A guy with smiling face and no pain

Fearing the consequence,he fell for a girl
Twas a new beginning,something new to unfurl
both were each other's perfect choice
Twas time to celebrate and rejoice

Alas,four years passed like twelve had gone
Twas time to separate,time to depart
some had dull face but he had grown
but,there was a twist in tale
as he cried like hell

Destiny awaits,stll years to pass
Many challenges to face and
again a 'Bleak World' to harass........

Exams' tension!!

Doomed by Results!!

MSD: A True Leader, My Inspiration

A small town boy from a middle class family of Ranchi rose to become the face of the nation, cricketing world and countless brands alike. He was unfortunate to be run out on debut. His arrival was marked by 183* against Sri Lanka. Probably a year later he was sent to South Africa captaining an inexperienced and young Indian squad as Sachin and Rahul Dravid pulled out, to do what for others would have been an utter surprise, a herculean task. Just as we saw (now defamed) S.Shreesanth gulping down the the reverse scoop from Misbah in the third man region, he became the toast of the nation, winning the inaugural World cup T20. Country was frenzied in a diwali like celebration. It was Mahi's, as he is commonly referred to, first taste of success at the highest level. There were more to come, many more. His rise to the top was phenomenal and I thank his school coach who asked him to shift from goalkeeper to wicketkeeper. Who can forget the muscular heave for a six off Nuwan Kulasekara in World cup final that set the nation ablaze, literally.The quick wickets of Sachin and Sehwag forced the cricket worshipping nation to stare at their TV sets with gloom. In came the Ice Man dhoni, the no.7 , with Gautam Gambhir made a solid platform and then took India home as Man of Tournament Yuvraj saw with awe from the other end. But even when everyone from Sachin to Yuvraj to Harbhajan were busy shedding tears of joy rejoicing the victory, shouting, his emotions were in check. Such is his simplicity and ground-to-earth attitude that  he gently plucked out one of the stumps as a memento and smiled contentedly as if it was just another day at work for him.The Champions Trophy heist would still be afresh in everybody's memory. He backs his instinct when others panic and has the ability to bring out the best in someone by trusting them. The choice to give Ishant one more over even when he had gone for a plenty got him two wickets and probably the match and Sir Jadeja's recent form had been testimony to it and examples to swear by. The success story has not been as easy as it seems and was marred by many unpleasant happenings, the recent conflict of interests,the whitewashed series loss to England and Australia, trouble with seniors, a patchy form drawing criticism from all corners,face offs with Sehwag to name a few. But as a leader is expected to,he rose through them all toughened and unscathed, choosing to focus on the events on-field rather than off-field. Captaining India across all the three formats, the finishing skills of this wicketkeeper batsman are unparalleled. His temperament is something to be jealous of, his ability to take challenges head-on and handling pressure, being cool as cucumber in crunch situations, believing in himself and his fellow team mates and not experimenting too much adds to his wonderful leadership skills that forced even cricketing stalwart Sachin to shower praise on him saying, "Dhoni is the best captain I had played under". He is neither flamboyant nor outspoken,known for his passion for bikes(hellcat being the recent addition to his garage and he already owns a bike racing team) and is married to his childhood love Sakshi Dhoni. What impresses me further is the way he made CSK the best and most consistent IPL team over the years with two trophies and reaching quarterfinal everytime and in the process carving out talented personas namely Murali Vijay, Raina, Ashwin, Jadeja and Mohit Sharma. People may call him just lucky but for me he is the Best Leader, Style Icon and a Genius Personality. I hope I could catch up with him someday & tell him, "Hey, you are my star".