A day which went straight into my heart!!!

This is gonna get veeeeeeeeeeeeeeery long!!! Trespass if only you have patience dear friends!!!

                “Sometimes I wish

      I could turn back time…

                  Impossible as it may seem…”goes a song.

Our longing for a rewind to UG life was quenched by our very own Kavitha mam. How can we turn down an opportunity as alluring as this one!!! Greedily, I grabbed the chance to be with my own clan though my project review was scheduled the following week. and wow!!! What a day it was!!!

The elephant at the entrance welcoming us!!!

Despite the lazy person I am, got up at 5:00 that morning. When I just set my foot on vallam bus stop (after a year I guess), I was welcomed by a very memorable sweet voice calling out, “Hey Suriyah… ”. It was one of my dear friends, Rukku. Both of us got keyed up and were almost jumping of joy as we did not expect each other there at that time.

The MBA block

We got on a bus to college and were in an animated conversation in spite of the bus being jam-packed. When we got down, it was the MBA block which attracted our attention first. We fondly remembered our “T&P in-charge” days during which we would be running to and fro between our department and the MBA block. Both of us were effervescent individuals (I was better I guess!!! Rukku, admit it!!!) getting into conflicts with our then T&P staff incharge. The next T&P staff incharge made me cry just for voicing out the collective view of the class!!! Hmmm. That was, of-course, a very bad day, which now evokes laughter!!!

The path doing the service of  joining our dept and the canteen :)

We marched to our department crossing the greeny, greeny path filled with an air of nostalgia. The “PERIYAR KNOWLEDGE CENTER” which houses CSE, MCA, M.Sc Software Engg, IT departments and the library had grown taller. Two floors added to its head if I am not mistaken!!! We sat in the entrance ruminating all the naughty things we did at that spot during the daily tea time. Mr.Karunakaran anna, our department peon, on seeing us, called me, “Hello… Paavaanar…” - the same way in which he used to call me during college days, (the name of the Tamil club I headed). As we were chatting with him, saw our dear mam and went to her. The smile which she gave on seeing us, wow!!! It spoke soooooo much… Not to mention the conversation with mam which made us too happy!!!

Canteen lawn

Our favorite spot, canteen had our footsteps on its floors then. Meanwhile, sathya joined us. Relished our usual combo of tea and vadais sponsored by Rukku, who is now a central government employee :P. Then, the “Awesome Twosome” of Coimbatore Anna University, Ilakkia and Bhagya, and Alaguselvi made their presence followed by Kanimozhi, Gayathri.R, Ashiffa, Suganya.M, Poornima and Sugantha. We all marched unanimously to the indoor stadium where the function was to be held. Our juniors welcomed us ably assisted by the sweet sugar candies, tender roses and pleasant sandal paste. We were thrilled and delighted to know that 40 out of the 63 girls have turned up. Great turn out, right???

Indoor stadium

I would like to appreciate the juniors who had taken so much pain to get ready the presentations which talked about the changes in the University after we had left. The campus has been WiFied and a hostel of international standards has been built for girls. The university is now a member of the “NATIONAL KNOWLEDGE NETWORK” with new computer labs. Good signs!!!

The main block

A good thing in our institution is that many functions and meetings take place in a formal + informal manner. And then started the “INSPIRATION TIME” with most of us going to the stage and giving a piece of our lives and thoughts to our juniors. I started first with my suggestion for the juniors to pursue a career in research and teaching. An MBA student at PSG, Kanimozhi almost threatened the young ones to open their mouths and respond, in her usual “Karate Black Belt” tone. Just kiddin Kani!!! Many of my classmates who work at prestigious concerns like CTS, Verizon etc shared their experiences. I appreciate these girls who have toiled it out to get jobs inspite of the recession which had turned our career orientations topsy-turvy.

A special mention has to be made about my classmate Ms. R. Gayathri, a budding entrepreneur. A website designing and development concern is going to be actualized next month by her hard work. She said, “I am going to use this concern as a means to get money to do what I have always wanted to do – social service”. Not many are bestowed with such a benevolent heart. Salutes to you dear!!!

Many juniors from my favorite class (now final CSE) came to us and were interacting with sooooo much love. I am really elated by the fact that many remember me. A place in their loving hearts for a puny creature!!! A girl said, “Akka, you remember? You were the first one to come to our class”. (Must have gone there to deliver a lengthy lecture I guess!!!) I was on cloud nine literally!!! The Tamizh club had built good rapport between me and my juniors.

We were given an awesome lunch. On knowing that so many alumni had turned up, the Honorable Vice Chancellor came to our department to meet us.  He was his usual self, confabulating spontaneously about what is going on around. He talked about this “National Knowledge Network” stuff and suddenly asked me, “Is your Anna University a part of this NKN?”. Such is his memory power, remembering what a student who had left the college one year before is doing.  

Kavitha mam was with us after he left. We had a conversation about various issues. Though the convocation had not been arranged in our “university” till now, we were happy to get our degree certificates on the day of our get-together.  I am now “M Suriyah B.E.,” officially!!!

View of main block from the canteen

I was in raptures to see Ilakkia have the wallet which I gave her when we vacated our college hostel. I too have the pencil which she gave me unsharpened even till now. Discovered how strong our relationship is, without our explicit realization. At last it was the canteen where our meeting ended over superb pani puris. I was unfortunate to miss the Tanjore temple visit that evening and “Endhiran” the next day due to my project work. Anyway it was a day that went straight into my heart!!! :D