Wednesday 12 May 2010

The Last Stand

Destiny has joined the ranks of God, milk chocolate and Cristiano Ronaldo in the elite list of things I can't make up my mind about. Far too often have I seen the plans and schemes of men go up in flames without rhyme or reason. I suppose life's course is determined more by the choices we don't get to make than the ones we do.

For the first time in a while, I went to the Ganga Canteen for a snack today. Friends and acquaintances from the gaon were greeted with 'what-ho's' and smiles. Respectively. Somewhere during the drill, a batch-mate was kind enough to point out that the trip might just as well be my last. I have reached that stage in the life of an R-Lander, I suppose. A glass of Ice Tea, a game of football, a walk in the rain- just about anything I do seems to make me wonder if Fate has another round written against my name.

I am eight hours away from my last end-sem as a student of Electrical Engineering. A wiser man would probably have hit the books ages ago, but the occasion is one that ought to be savoured, I decide, and take a jaunt down memory lane instead. Barring a miracle in CAT 2011 (or 2012, for that matter), this will be the last test I will be sitting through for some time to come. Hardly something I'll miss too sorely, of course, but this will also mark, in more ways than one, the end of the road, to borrow a phrase from this wonderful song.    

Times like these almost invariably make me relive that fateful day four years ago when a series of curious coincidences saw Electrical-Roorkee make that all-important leap over Engineering Physics-Mumbai on my preferrence list.  

'To think, all this was so close to never happening. This life was so close to never happening.' 

9 comments:

Shrey said...

I marked EE at R as part of the list of hopeless courses I did not think I'd get. Oh well.

Anonymous said...

If I remember, it was Atulya who managed to convince Sunky and you to accompany him here, right? Enjoy the bad food while you can. Once you go out (and I do not mean back home), it gets a whole lot worse. Especially if you are cooking.

Vikesh said...

I am wondering how I'd survive passing out of IITR. I got really sentimental for having to leave R for summers after 3rd year itself.

Saagar said...

It was BHU-CS for me I think.
But not as difficult a choice as yours must have been.

PS- How's the Ganga Canteen now?

Anunaya Jha said...

There's always a last followed by a first some place else. That's the 'cycle' and it never stops!
:)

The Decayed Canine said...

I don't think I ever had much of a choice in it. But I got lucky in more ways than retrospect would allow me to know.
And weren't you that bugger who accused me of being too morose in my posts? Well sir, let's call it quits. :)

Anonymous said...

@Bang-bang
C'est la vie.

@Rapu
Atulya was responsible for the final push in my case. Not too sure about Soonk though.
As far as the food goes, you seem to be unaware of the fact that I am Madduland's answer to Gusteau, Sanjeev Kapoor and the like.

@Vikesh
I don't know, the senti phase hasn't hit me. Yet.

@Lefty
The Ganga canteen-wala has moved to Jawahar. The new guy is a twat who takes hours to make an omelette. Cola Shikanji, thankfully, is as good as ever.

@PPT
I know. Plus the fact that I'll be back home in B'lore. No wonder I am not all that senti about leaving R-Land.

@PTV
Baster, this post was anything but morose. If you want to read something morose, read Kondy's last ed column.

Anirudh Arun said...

Oh, now you've restarted reply-commenting too!
I missed Madras - Naval Architecture by a few ranks. It has all been written.

Murty said...

There's your review, Kondrews! :D