Remember Us

During my short stay in Mumbai, I had the good fortune of staying with four friends who knew each other from their college days – they shared a common history. This was a wonderful experience for me, because in those days, when I witnessed their memories, and shared them as though they were my own, it jogged my own memories, back to my college days, the wonderful 2 years of my life. It was on one such night that I had written this poem, which lay hidden for all this while. It took a visit to the very place that had inspired it – my college – to make me remember that poem, and to remember that life, once more.

This goes out to the green, wild fields
To the red brick path that we travelled
Everyday
To the morning grumbles and the evening sighs of relief
Remember us
To the daily struggle to wake up on time
The daily fights for bathroom dominance
And to the ugly, blue bucket that only reminded us of the chills it contained
Remember us
To the nights we swore we’d sleep early
And the nights we stayed up, singing or talking or studying
To the snores that drifted across the hallways every night
Remember us
As we remember, the reports we wrote
The points we so desperately tried to prove
The passion with which we fought and justified
Remember us
As that passion is now but a distant memory
Remember us, as we remember you
As our stomachs rumbled with supressed hunger
As we tried to swallow the bland food
Only to return, later at night, hungry as before
To devour the delicacies of the Tuck Shop
To all the parathas we ate
To all the omelettes we devoured
To all the fried eggs we consumed
And to all those content smiles that came free
Remember us
To the late night bike rides
Across unknown roads
Over uncharted and broken streets
To the bikes that screamed in protest
Or shouted in delight
As they rode on
Rumbling through the night
Remember us
To the twin buildings that sheltered us
To the stairs that became comfortable chairs
To the corridors and classrooms
Where we learnt, studied, discussed, argued
And in those precious, silent moments, we waited
Remember us
To the crowded canteens, and the cackling library
And the many hopes and dreams and fantasies
That were born and died within their boundaries
Remember us
To the friendships we made
To the bonds we cherished
To the memories we created
Remember us
For however far we may go
However old we may grow
We will remember to remember you.