I
Post-work, i attended a Dastangoi performance at campus, which was based on Tagore's Ghare Baire novel. Have seen Ray's movie and now this Urdu narration, my interest in the book is piqued. I personally like the stream of consciousness literary style and when deftly interwoven with socio-political issues, it is bound to be a engaging read. The only damper is the fact that i can't read Bengali and i have to make do with an English translation.
II
I sat in Ganga dhaba on one of the many rocks reminiscing of my years on campus and how i used to be. Nostalgia makes for perfect daydreaming. Though familiar with the surroundings and the faces, there was an uneasy feeling. Like i never belonged there; that this place remains so strange, so remote in my mind. Campus has always evoked extreme emotions in me; may be it has to do with the knowledge that it challenged me fundamentally. From the people, the food, the experience of living of my own, making new friends, of adjusting with a roommate, the rigour of academics, the constant craving to be home with family, friends and lover-- I was like a fish out of water. My world, the cocoon of my existence was undone on this very campus, unwrapping me in curious ways. I was overwhelmed and unprepared for the changes that i experienced. It was like a shock was being administered on me in doses over the span of two years. By the end of my studies, my unsure self was ready to leave, determined to make a new beginning outside campus. Looking back, I don't ever regret my years on compus; it has been the site of my learning and unlearning. Two years of challenging myself in the little ways of life gave me the strength and resilience to move on. And the beauty about visits like this is that you know that this was where it all began.
Post-work, i attended a Dastangoi performance at campus, which was based on Tagore's Ghare Baire novel. Have seen Ray's movie and now this Urdu narration, my interest in the book is piqued. I personally like the stream of consciousness literary style and when deftly interwoven with socio-political issues, it is bound to be a engaging read. The only damper is the fact that i can't read Bengali and i have to make do with an English translation.
II
I sat in Ganga dhaba on one of the many rocks reminiscing of my years on campus and how i used to be. Nostalgia makes for perfect daydreaming. Though familiar with the surroundings and the faces, there was an uneasy feeling. Like i never belonged there; that this place remains so strange, so remote in my mind. Campus has always evoked extreme emotions in me; may be it has to do with the knowledge that it challenged me fundamentally. From the people, the food, the experience of living of my own, making new friends, of adjusting with a roommate, the rigour of academics, the constant craving to be home with family, friends and lover-- I was like a fish out of water. My world, the cocoon of my existence was undone on this very campus, unwrapping me in curious ways. I was overwhelmed and unprepared for the changes that i experienced. It was like a shock was being administered on me in doses over the span of two years. By the end of my studies, my unsure self was ready to leave, determined to make a new beginning outside campus. Looking back, I don't ever regret my years on compus; it has been the site of my learning and unlearning. Two years of challenging myself in the little ways of life gave me the strength and resilience to move on. And the beauty about visits like this is that you know that this was where it all began.
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