Last page from college

The epic of 3years, 9 months and 16 days was to end today and I was sure, it wouldn't be easy for any one of us to take it for granted. I was to enter my campus, probably for the last time, as a student and so I wanted to reach college in time , but it never happened and I entered when the clock ticked 11. Certain things never change. Most of my classmates were present at the corridor and were chitchatting. I think this is the only art we learnt during past four years and no much other technical skills. I had gained mastery over it and soon I too got into the groove.

We shared those olds thoughts, the pet names that we had for each other and in between , took some time to complete the procedure to procure the conduct certificate. The time was running out, it wasn't anything new, 4 years had run away and I never knew. Finally it was 5 in the evening, it was drizzling, most of my friends had gone by then, some of them to hostels, some of them straight back to their homes. I was sitting in the corridor, with none nearby, loneliness was slowly creeping in when one of my classmates called me. She was on her way back to hostel and she would be vacating the hostel tomorrow. She was the first person I met in the college four years back, we had a lot of memorable moments, probably there wasn't a single day in these four years when I hadn't teased her, she liked it too; we were very good friends. She looked at me and spoke in a trembling voice," da I am go..."; she burst into tears, I have never seen her cry like this, atleast I couldn't watch someone crying like this. I pulled out my handkerchief from my back pocket and gave it to her, I didn't look at her face. I put in rather an emotionless face, she wiped off her tears, but it didn't seem to stop; I shook hands with her, I preferred not to look at her face, she was gripping my hand tight, I pulled it off and waved my hands at her signaling her to go. I performed the whole act rather emotionless, she was still weeping. She knows, from tomorrow , there is none to mock her like I did and for me , there's none like her who would tolerate my severe, at times cruel teasing. She moved away and I could see she was still weeping while she was climbing the steps back to her hostel; probably she would be doing it for the last time.

It was raining, raining hard and strong within me and I felt my eyes were getting diluted, I was finding it hard to take in. By then one of my classmates was present near me, He knew I was starting to break off and he spoke, " centi adikellada patti"( dont be emotional). Soon he snatched my handkerchief and the rest is anyone's guess.I was talking to him as well as myself," The inevitable has just happened, it happens in everyone's life. My cousin always say, nowadays, once you are out of college it doesn't mean your friends are all parted off, you will all meet together probably at your work place, I am sure that will happen with us too". I was consoling me and my friend, but both knew it might be a mere consolation, but hoped it would turn into a reality. Soon I moved off from my campus, I didn't look back this time, I wanted too, but... It was a long journey back to home. it was drizzling through out while I was in the bus. Rain drops trickled from the window grill of the bus and I kept staring at them. Our moments have passed like trickling drops one by one, and we watched them go silently. Finally when the last drop trickled down into the memory lane today, I feel I am still not completely wet. I loved my college, I loved my friends, wanted to be there, but the rain has stopped. I have no other way, but get ready to feel the new season.

-Varun Krishna