Beginning of the End

I am just back from the farewell party the junior hillbillies are giving the outgoing batch. It was all sombre at first, they called out each of the students, gave mementos along with a small intro about them. They put on a funny skit about some notable students here and also a couple of dances. At the end they put a slideshow - the photos from the first year, BG some sobby music. It made us all very sentimental, I almost cried there. The last one and three-quarters of a year passed through me, early morning bus rides, 'bakra' week, celebrating birthdays, sharing movies, latenight parties, table tennis after lunch, the ride back to the hostel, waiting at the railway gate and eating 'butta', the first vacation trip to my father's house in Bombay, trekking to the classes, group discussions, sleeping in the class, summer placements, my first very cold winters, summer internship, fresher's party, juniors coming in, forming groups, high speed internet, downloading movies, starting this blog, etc etc. It is all like a pleasant dream, and I am gonna wake up to rude reality. Now I have less than 11 days left here and I have to start looking for jobs now. No more 24x7 internet, no more night canteens, no more afternoon naps, no more hostel life, no more late night chatting with New York dude, and the list goes on. Hey, what is this salty thing in my eyes? Pass the tissues.