Time flies and memories subside,
But the feeling of belonging survives
This magnetizes each heart,
To be together again
Once again at the same magical place,
Place where we made friends,
Place where we encountered facts of life,
Place that made us realize our true potential.
To world it’s just a ‘school’,
To us it’s our own world within a world.
What if we’re able to catch hold of the wheel of time and relive the moments that were just close to ‘perfect’? The notion itself sounds enticing, isn’t it? O’course it does but I think it is a good thing we humans do not control time. Else how could we have lived moments that are kept hidden in the vaults of future! But no matter wherever you are, or whatever you’ve become, there comes a time when you get hit by the tide of nostalgia that forces you to tread down the memory lane- memories of place that bestowed life time friends, better career, unforgettable moments, and sometimes soul mates ;). Such were the memories which the 1991-’93 batch of B. K. School relived on its reunion day, organized 20 years after separation from their Alma Mater.
Dressed in black T-shirts with red colored B.K. School logo stitched on it, alums of ’93 batch looked ecstatic and thrilled standing at the place where they walked for the first time 22 years ago. Their smiling face, inquisitive eyes, hasty moves and silly jokes clearly revealed the eternal joy of being back to the Alma Mater after 20 years. Before filling the seminar hall they took time to loiter in and around the campus to notice the changes time has made to the place they saw years back.
It was 11 A.M. when the function started with a brief introductory speech by the Alumni Committee of the School. But soon it turned out to be an informal gathering as the charge was taken over by one of the alums, who started addressing each of his batch-mates in his own mischievous way; resurfacing the sweet memories of the college days. The function was graced by the presence of our director, Dr. Sarla Achuthan, who happened to be the director when ’93 batch graduated. I bet you’ll agree, we all enjoy bestowing super-funky names to our buddies and constantly tease them with those names till they forget their original one. It seemed that it is not a new thing ;). Alums of ’93 batch still called each other with the nickname they were given 20 years ago.
After a quick introduction, the alums shared with us some memories that they treasured the most. Every person present there had a different story to tell. Some had become CEOs of well know organizations, some had become entrepreneurs while some were in the making, and rest were content with not-the-top-but-the-best position in the companies they worked for. I wondered what could have made them climb the ladder of success. Was it the bookish knowledge or the real life experiences they had after leaving college? Maybe it’s the right proportion of all of it but the most important thing that could have made difference in their life must have been the constant guidance of their mentors, and support of their family and friends.
Later, the professors also briefed us with their journey and I was amazed by their memory power because even after these many years they remembered most of their students either for their notoriety or for their sincerity. But if they were fun loving people they also had imbibed the quality of perseverance and endurance. In fact, one of their visiting faculties from IIM-A also praised the commitment which those students possessed and shared his experience at B.K. School. Then it was time for the present batches to interact with the alums. We bombarded them with all sort of questions, some were silly and rest were serious ones :D. It seemed that we were trying to get answers of all the unanswerable questions at an early age. Even the professors didn’t miss the chance to question their old students.
Even after the function I found many alums loitering in the campus as if they were trying to communicate with all the inanimate objects and asking them “Hey! Do you remember me?”, “Have you ever seen a guy a like me?” It was a great day for all of us and I wish that all the students from my batch too remember each other and stay connected over years after we leave this place; this place that we call ‘Alma Mater’.
Contributed by:
“A blend of reservedness and vibrancy reflects her true self”. Her interest includes reading novels, watching movies, and making cartoons.