Nostalgias that shall stay as one
After staying away from campus for more than two hundred days and getting a notification that says we shall stay home for two hundred more, moments we had in KGP have now gently swayed to becoming something reminiscent of a distant past. We all definitely are awaiting our chance to relive these moments but deep down we know that some of them only exist in sublime nostalgia. Needless to say, This is post-COVID imagery from the viewpoint of an alumnus who has returned to campus. We start with his story from what he claims as his third favourite spot in KGP, Nehru Museum.
As I sat down the stairs at the Nehru Museum entrance, I realized that much has changed over the past few years. Either that or I was too ignorant to notice them before. There is a copper tiling on the floor that strangely seemed to bring more luster to this place. On the other side resides a more familiar statue. It probably misses the hugs it got during the never-ending GPL sessions. This place also used to have the best Aam Panna juice during awfully humid summers, first-floor canteen at the back next to the Center for Theoretical Something. Cycling for more than the mile to Nalanda, completely drenched either in my own sweat during summers or due to needlessly excessive rainfall otherwise accompanied with one hundred other problems which I don’t remember were all forgotten with one sip of that Aam Panna juice. My mouth tingles a little, probably trying to remember the sour sensation it misses. They stopped making it in my Final year though, not sure why but I really hope they bring it back.
I stood up and walked around the three statues making my way through the road containing Biotech and Archi dep. Something felt terribly wrong and I couldn’t point it out at first, but the lights were bright enough to remind me that this entire ally was illuminated now in a wrong colour. I remembered that the orange incandescence over here blended perfectly well with every single lone walk like this one. It felt like that orange light could let me walk through for a while as if nothing else really mattered any more than this walk, than this moment that I was having back then. In an instant, one was transferred to this 80s movie setting where everything just seems perfect. This alley hasn’t lost its charm entirely but the incandescence just seemed to make it a thousand times better. Probably some guy thought it was more energy-efficient and that it’s better to switch to LED lights, but let’s just say I did the math including all factors, and turns out, it’s not.
I could have jumped over Gate 4 to head to my destination, but I take right instead to take a look at my second favourite place on campus. I heard from Juniors that this place, which is Physics top, isn’t accessible anymore. I could recall the first time I went there with my batchmates just after Autumn sem. You sit across a ledge three stories high swinging your legs to keep yourself warm rather than for the cinematic feel it gives. You have conversations for several hours before noticing it’s four in the morning already. Still, no one wants to get up and you plan to wait out till sunrise. Interestingly enough, the path to Physics Top was through a grill-less window in Maths dep. Maybe that was the reason why it remained accessible for so long till some useless guy ratted it out to the admin. A place that holds so many memories is now just an inaccessible rooftop. Of course, there are still other ways to get there which probably would get you a DisCo, but jumping through that window is not going to be one of them anymore.
I exit out through GolC and head towards Tikka. We occasionally gathered here at GolC to go all the way down to the Biryani place beside the Railway Station. It was a twenty-minute ride where we shared Autos with local KGP residents. Everyone had their own stories, their own way of thinking, and their own adventures that they shared, providing a serene uniqueness to each trip. From then, it was only a matter of time before we were served with one of the best Biryanis in town. Every piece of meat was succulent and every last spice danced to their own symphonies inside our mouths. These trips were soon replaced with Delivery services and random movie streams during lunch. If I could turn back time, I would probably try to spend more time with my friends than I did with my Laptop Screen.
On my way to Tikka, I realized I am still trying not to look to my right to avoid any possible eye contact with the girl’s hall. Before I could move on with that thought, I reached the Tikka circle that now housed a large clock tower. I remembered reading articles about how much money was spent on it. I believe that this one structure shall stay there from now on for a very long time. I vaguely recalled that this place used to have varying structures every year. But now it’s going to be a single ginormous clock. I realized that this structure has more utility than others but couldn’t stop these thoughts from barging in. Tikka has now shifted to another place, which means I can no longer stand here as an excuse to stare at my crush, but hey! That reminds me that my feelings for my crush are another non-existent thing now.
I walk across Vikramshila, towards Nalanda. It took me a while to sneak past the guards, maybe I’m too old for all this now, but I did it anyway and there I was at Nalanda top. This place always provides a unique serenity. Wind in my thankfully still existing hair, and the feeling that I am at top of the world. Fun fact, Nalanda did not exist in my first year. Classes were in Main Building, and humid summers just made it incredibly tougher to survive. Nalanda definitely was a lifesaver. Provided me with much knowledge and much more comfortable sleep than I could ever ask for. I could see a building far away which I recognized to be the new multi-specialty hospital under construction. Better healthcare for my juniors is definitely a good thing, right?
KGP has gone through many changes, and I just can’t imagine what all would have changed the next time I come here. I can’t stop comparing these changes to Aam Panna. It might feel a bit sour and can make you flinch, but that’s the beauty of it! Sourness is just my inertia that everything would stay the same amazing way it is. The refreshing feeling is the one that tells me it is all for a better day to come. And I am definitely going to miss all of this. You can take a KGPian out of KGP, but you never can take KGP out of a KGPian, can you?
