Testing the Wind

That first leap...

Feet outstretched, sitting on the steps

I look up at the blue, searching

The cloud farthest from my perch

No end in sight, I feel petite

In nature’s vast mystery

Endless hours I’ve burdened

These steps with my being

First when I’d seen no more

Than half a score summers

Today I’m lost, wondering

If this is the last moment to be

Will my flight across the oceans

Make me lose my tree?

I’m nervous, I’m scared

Never flown in the open sky

Always sheltered, I’ve lived

A fairy tale life

Yet the welcome drops

The gentle breeze

Spraying me with delight

Hold out hope

A little optimism

For the glories of this flight

A little smile plays across my lips

As I think of the days to come

I dream of the life

I hope to have

Dream of the things that will be

Emboldened, encouraged

Honest and brave

I’m taking that step

Towards the edge

From where I’ll test the wind

For the first time

Looking down in the depths

Apprehensive, but not unaware

Of the challenges that lie ahead

I flap my wings free

Looking back at the home

I’m leaving behind, I say

I’ll make a mark

In nature’s beautiful history…

CSE Rockers

It’s really funny. I spent the past four years cursing my college. We cribbed about everything from the laboratories to the lavatories. Not a single day went by when we didn’t call down the wrath of the Universe on the institute. Off the record, we wished for any and every calamity that could make our heritage building collapse. Well, none of that happened. And four years flew by. It is only now, when it’s time to leave, that I’m really coming to realize how much this college means to me. I believe I’ll be speaking for each one of us in the Class of 2015.

After DPS RKP, a girls’ college was honestly a cultural shock for me. I distinctly remember how I’d almost run away on the first day of class. Seeing so many girls in one room gave me strokes of every kind. I couldn’t imagine four years here (ok, I might be exaggerating just a bit there). But today, on the day we gave our last practical exam, I finally seem to have a sense of making it through, and making it through well.

IGIT (and not IGDTUW) made us study a lot. “Who has exams almost every month? Two minors… you have to be kidding me! No winter break?” We heard this every single day. Yet, it all brought us together somehow. The endless last minute discussions (Isha and Garima, case in point)… the mad rush to at least get to know the syllabus (You were my first and last resort Prachi)… the ‘We’ll make the file in one day’ attitude (Disha, in the same boat!)… All of this taught me a lot. It gave me some of my best friends here (Roll number 30, what would roll number 29 do in the exams without you?).

IGIT helped me understand people who were very different from me. Ritu, who somehow helped me appreciate the beauty in life, Barleen, all the sugar in the world...Megha, with those intelligent eyes… Varsha, with that meticulous manner of doing things… Kajal, who smiles through everything… Garima, who never ceases to amaze me… Anupama, with her strong belief system… Devisha, with the smile that took away all my worries… Aditi, coolness personified... Sonika, the techie... Neha and Gul, with their calm demeanor, Balpreet, the permanent CR... Mansi, my coordinated travel partner! I owe you guys a lot!

While I’m on the sentimental road trip, I might as well talk about the dance team. Hypnotics changed the way I looked at life. It taught me to take each day as it comes, to stand by my friends, to help and accept help. Swar, Astha, Shagun, Lipi… I love all of you! With you people, it never mattered whether we won or lost. A brilliant performance was all that mattered! And we sure did rock the stage! Cheers!

I don’t even know how many people I’m missing out on. Please don’t be upset! And please, don’t beat me up! I bonded well with some of you, less so with the others. But I’m certain that all of you are brilliant people in your own right.

But honestly, with just three more exams left, I’m sure I’ll miss college a lot. Now that all the farewell parties are done and dusted, I’m really seeing what all the love in the air really is. It’s just about a bunch of girls spending their last few days together.

I know it’ll be insanely difficult keeping in touch. I know meeting up again will be infinitely tough. Nonetheless, I hope and wish that all of us stay connected.

I wish all of you all the good luck that there is in the world. As we step out into the bigger world to chase our dreams, I hope these four years at IGIT always remain our source of endless joy and inspiration.

To CSE Rockers, Class of 2015… Lots and lots of love…

P.S. Please pardon the grammatical errors in this one