Narrated
till now
Engineering batch mates came together for a silver jubilee year reunion. The morning session
of honoring the teachers got over successfully and the evening cultural bash was
about to start. Deepa told me that the video messages sent by the batch mates
who could not make it to the event, were missing.
Narration
continues…
As requested by Manisha, I gave her my laptop.
She
told “I will download the messages from the SnehaSangama Culturals page in face
book. Please keep the messages part in the later half of the programme”.
It
was a huge relief for us. I looked at Deepa and she smiled.
I
walked to the center of the stage with the mike and said “Good Evening Davanagere.
Friends
it has been a Tsunami of emotions since morning. We are yet to come to terms
with the fact that 25 years have passed since we graduated from this
engineering college.
For
the past six months we have been chatting with one another in Whats App group
and we got converted to 19-20 year old friends. It was as if we were sitting on the
steps of the new block of the college hostel laughing and making merry.
We
have taken our own journeys in life and are successful. We have nice families
and kids. We have loads of responsibilities as we are in mid life period and
have many mid life crises to handle.
Now
is the time to forget all that. This evening is our evening. Let
us enjoy to the fullest. We have group songs, ramp walks, dances, mimicry and
much more. The performers are from our batch and the talent is from within our
batch”.
The
group song which had won us many awards was recreated by four of us along with our
beloved Professor Dr. B.T.Achutha. At seventy years, he looked fitter and trimmer
than majority of us.
The
highlight was the ramp walk. It was planned in such a way that all the 95 batch mates got a chance to hit the ramp.
High
decibel music, eye catching graphics on the LED screen in the back motivated
the batch mates to enjoy and walk the ramp.
The audience erupted into huge applause when Preeti started walking on the ramp. She had told age to take a walk. She looked gorgeous. Not just Preeti but each and
every male and female batch mate looked fabulous and made the evening a
memorable one.
The fantabulous mimicry by Vishnu Bhat, the hilarious comedy by Sampanna and the
compelling steps in the dance by Sudhakar and S.T.Patil left the audience spell bound.
After
about three hours of nonstop entertainment the curtains were drawn down.
The
next day morning we had breakfast networking with our batch mates and few of
them became emotional. It was quiet obvious as the extent of fellowship we
enjoyed during the two days of meet was incomparable. Hordes of Selfies and Groupies
were taken. Deepa and team handed over the well framed group photos, the
previous day events video and photos DVDs, mementos and bags to all the batch mates.
I
was relieved that the reunion went on like a well written script. I started the
car and hit the highway to Bangalore.
It
was raining heavily.
I
parked my car in the parking area of a motel near Hiriyur and we went inside to
have our lunch.
My
wife looked at me and said “It was not a college reunion”
“Why?
What was it?” I questioned her.
“It
was no less than a big fat Indian wedding” she replied.
I
smiled and started checking mails in my smart phone.
There
was a pleasant surprise for me. A purchase order had come from my customer. I
was perusing the same for the past few weeks and was a bit concerned due to tough
competition.
I
looked at my wife and kids. They were busy having their lunch.
I
looked out at the lush green environment draped in heavy rain and said to
myself “I have to change gears so fast. Few hours ago I was drowned in memories
and lively moments with friends and now have the responsibility of executing
the big order placed by the customer.
Miles
to go before I sleep, Miles to go before I sleep.”
