A NEW DAY HAS COME!

2008 began with a bang and in the first week itself quite a lot has happened, most of them not quite pleasant! We ushered in the new year by dancing the night away at the nearby club. It was Upen’s b’day as well so the countdown to new year was echoed by the happy birthday chant. While it was a fun night, somehow I shall never get used to the party culture, the drunken revelry coupled with “irresponsible behaviour”. I guess there are better ways to celebrate a new beginning…
We had rarely recovered from the new year hangover, that we were bombarded with a couple of FCQs followed by the placement season for the seniors. I found myself donning a new role of an airhostess as I served food, cleaned up dishes and rushed with trays: a complete picture of clumsiness as I struggled with my saree and delicate crockery, with a hapless fake smile on my face! Never have I served so many pizzas without so much as taking a bite. I admired my self-control as I fought off the temptation to serve myself while I served strangers.
In between all this activity and chaos, the college authorities managed to add their share of contribution by declaring the first semester results. As most people celebrated their success (success being defined as clearing all 16 papers), I was among the few who resorted to tears as I experienced the agony of an “F” glaring at me for the first time in my life. I couldn’t believe I had flunked in French of all subjects! With a below-average GPA, I was way down in my batch, a mere 2-point someone (as somebody in my batch describes it). It was kind of a moment of epiphany for me: on one hand I could see the seniors, anxious and nervous, as they awaited the defining moment of their lives, and on the other hand I shuddered to imagine what it will be like one year hence when we are in the same situation and in my case I will be trying to come up with creative reasons for my miserable CGPA (standing out in stark contrast to my graduation scores)….
This year’s CAT and SNAP results are out, and it reminded me of last year when I was one of the 1.2 lakh students whose future hung in the balance, the intense struggle for survival, the marathon GD/PI sessions, the stolen moments of studying in the office and the information overload- we have come a full circle: I may be on the other side of the table, but the struggle still continues. Sometimes I wish I was a little more aggressive…
I looked forward to 2008 as a year which will tie the loose ends in my life, those strands which had been hanging about for quite some time now. Didn’t know it will happen so soon as the first week itself, but when it did, I wasn’t sure I was ready for it! A new beginning sounds amazingly refreshing, but honestly, it scares me! I can’t imagine how difficult it will be to let go of those old guitar strings and sing a new song while I am still holding on to the tunes of the past…