And the scene unfolds in front of me. It was a scene I had always imagined. The grey road meandering across the little lush gardens to reach her.
The Mighty her. The Monumental her. Our Paradised her.
There she was, seated in her majestic throne - every year, as men and women walked into her pedestals as strangers and walked out connected.
My eyes search for a difference. I smile :) She looks jus the same - unmoved by all those lives she had touched - deeply, warmly and proudly.
I step on to the grey road. Memories flood me racing past my mind. The Memories of a Lifetime.
But my mind freezes on one of them. And the scene in front me changes.
It was in the early months of 2004. Our campus was adorned with lights and decorations. Every tree and every structure was clad in an armor of dazzling blaze in celebration of their ever-reigning queen. For she was the most joyous part of the evening. With strings of quivering bright beads strung across her entire massive structure, she was glowing in her defining red luminescence. That day, our proud Goddess was celebrating herself. And her every year of existence, essence and significance.
I was walking the road with a friend and I remember being happy.
The road was crowded. Groups of friends roaming around, posing and clicking snaps. Gigling and smiling, everyone seemed to be celebrating. She seemed to be so contagious!
There was not a single face around me that was not reflecting the refreshing luminosity of our dear campus. Radiant as it was!
As we walk the road, there is silence between us. We were savoring the evening to our souls. And our silence. Like every of my close ones who found comfort in my silence.
It starts to drizzle. Yes! Rain would be her most adorned ornament. With slow steps, we move towards the huge gates. Stepping out we turn to have a final long glimpse of the celebrated. She looked as wonderful as ever!
The drizzle was now a full-formed shower. And silence was still our companion.
As it rained on her and so on us, we stood there for a long time celebrating her. Celebrating our world! Celebrating us!
I smile again. I have learnt to smile at this. As I took every step, my heart created a vaccum that my breadth was filling in patiently.
It was not a moaning. It was not a longing. It was the feeling for the place. And the feeling for the past.
As i moved towards her, I wondered about the many people who had rejoiced this campus - as a home away from home.
About the 'they's of the we. About the 'he's of the them. And the 'she's of the us.
About the tears of the smiles. And the pains of the happiness.
About the solitutde of companies. And the company of loneliness.
About the friends of me. And the me in friends.
I walk the road. There is silence here too. But now today .. I wish I have a hand to hold.
__
PS :
Her - The Red Building.An imagination ( and so an exaggeration!!) of how my visit to college (College of Engineering, Guindy, Anna Univeristy) would be after a few years.
And pics of our college on one such day.
13 comments:
Really nice post..
" The Mighty her. The Monumental her. Our Paradised her. " - really nice way to describe it/her!!
Of all.. the ending is really touching!! Really a very good post!! Hats off ka!!!
Hmmm...well...flowery and metaphorical. Sometimes, what lends gravity is the lack of brevity. Very well written. Borrowing words from ur blog....a celebration of nostalgia :)...keep bloggin:)
"The she was, seated in a Majestic throne as Men and Women walked into her pedestals as strangers and walked out conneceted" - Perfect lines to descibe relationships.
I liked the way you symbolized Red-Building as a character feeling the character moving In and Out of her life.
"As I took every step,my heart created vaccum as my breath was filling in patiently" - Almost everyone must have undergone a similar feeling but good that you realised enough to pen down.
"About the tears of the smiles .And the pains of happiness" - Shown ur maturity on Life.
Nice narration , Perfect flow and feel. Keep up the good work.
hmm..fitting in ur own way of how u see/feel 'her'...
i wish u write more...
Sriram -> thanks :)
Arun -> I wont be blogging abt God or Mother so yeah u dont hv to worry :) Btw, try writing. It seems to be nice.
Anon -> Thanks Sir! But I hv exaggerated.
~Anand -> I dont totally 'feel' that way abt her. Def not thru the whole depth of this personification. I imagine!
u have brought out the thoughts which are in everyone's mind. u've a very good start for writing blogs. keep it up. i do expect more of such standard from u.
As I thought more abt it...I somehow feel the building is 'he' !!!!
Whoa! Do we see another Rand in the making!! :-) Not as exaggerated as your first post!
Didn't know this was your style of writing -- flowery and metaphorical as Arun has perfectly summed up. Interesting read, though! You have a good sense of oxymoronic verse. This is w.r.t lines like
About the solitutde of companies. And the company of loneliness.
This kinda inspires me to write about my college life, specifically hostel life. Actually I had it in mind before starting the blog. Will come up with one soon myself.
Good start to your blog! Keep 'em coming.
true, exaggeration is probably worth it 4r tiz building tat has stood tall 4r so many years. d sight is breathtakin wen u c it in those lights in d dark. inspires tat patriotism ppl hold 4r their alma mater ..
awesome expression...
well, i have been reading your blogs from the most recent ones....and i can't help but to notice that there's a common underlying theme to them all.... PAST and the associated nostalgia...
good... and i can't help but to also comment that probably it's the "fountain head"'s influence to personify the red building... is it?
anyway, yeah, thinking of CEG fills us with many memories...some overwhelming, some funny, some aching...but all of them bringing the most abstract and most longing of all feelings on earth - nostalgia...
'Fountain Head's influence?' .. hmm I never thought that!
But, now that u hv suggested, may be!
And abt the common theme in topics, i am jus trying my hand at writing and i dont find it very easy to get a comfortable topic!lets see whether I graduate to other, better topics.. Thanks for dropping by [:)]
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