Diwali @ XL

There’s always something about XL that makes u put ur hands up in the air and say – WoW...

I have stayed in hostel for last four years now but the feeling of a home-away-from-home never came... This Diwali changed it all... Little did it matter that I have spent most of my Diwalis at home... Little did it matter that I’ve friends who I have known only for the last half a year... Little did it matter that I am in a small city like Jamshedpur which knows how to celebrate but without pomp and show... The only thing that mattered ultimately was that we all are Xlers... It was a Diwali that transcended the wall between the Profs and the students... the seniors and the juniors... the bummers and IRs...

Till the evening, I was sad... There was no Diwali in the atmosphere... there were no lights around... There was palpable tension of the oncoming SIP... The crackers were silent... And then the sun set... And this was a sunset that signalled the dawn of life in XL... Lights all around... Sounds of crackers... And slowly after a sober Lakshmi-Poojan, it was fun and frolic. Students dressed up in their best (Not the business suits pls...) came down to celebrate. The Profs opened up their doors to students and all classes were forgotten as students celebrated the welcome change from the mess food. There were delicacies from the south, savouries from the north, munch-ins from the west and the ever-so-wanted sweets from the east... I’ve stayed in residential campuses all my life but ask me if I’ve felt the feeling of being one big family as today and I’d give an emphatic NO as my reply..!!! After visiting the Profs’ house there was the PlaceCom GBM (Sssshhhhhh...). But that too was filled with enthu for the following cracker-show...

Then, for an hour, the only sounds were those of crackers and the only lights were those of lamps and sparklers. From the loud sounds of the “atom bomb” to the playful “aloo bomb”, from the bright aerial rockets to the sparkling lights... it was Diwali everywhere. And most noticeable of all, there was the light emanating from the bright faces... lit by joy... overshadowing the tiring hrs spent on CVs and preparation...

Antakshari followed... where winning was the last objective... and celebration was the first (ok not just the prized chocolate pack)!!!

Its 2:40 in the wee hours of the morning... and the crackers just keep going on... It’s the freshers’ time now... the terrace of GH1 plays host to them...

And while my family-in-Xl enjoys, I rejoice in their happiness... my dearest pal exercising put options, with roomy searching and finalising same, kiddo NOT getting smaller by the minute, and going ‘CR’azy about the sub-Prime crisis, the two hunks, fail to stay apart ;) I love you guys...

Happy again,

MMM