Best Days of My Life

I spent the best days of my life (as of January 2015) in the North Eastern most tip of our great nation India. In a state called Arunachal Pradesh, which got its name as it receives the first rays o f the sun before anywhere else in India. The remote location had kept this place clean and free of both environmental and social pollution. The years 1994-2000 will always have a special place in my heart. The picturesque valley of Nirjuli, by the foothills of the Himalayan Range, by the side of the river Dikrong which joined up with the mighty Brahmaputra some miles downstream is where my Alma Mater the North Eastern Regional Institute of Technology is located.

The college built not only my career, but also shaped my personality, gave me some very good friends and it was here that I met my would be wife. The hostels (I stayed in Block-F) were the place where we spent most of our time outside classrooms. It was here that we bonded, played games, fought only to become better friends later and did many other things which should not come out in public domain. All those who have stayed in hostels, specially engineering college hostels would know for sure. There was however one thing which made this place different. All of us where too far from home. This made all friends depend heavily on each other. Be it studies, heart breaks, bone breaks, fever, chicken pox, measles, epilepsy, drunken bouts, disciplinary action, all of us had everybody else to take care.

Even after 15 years of coming out of NERIST, I still feel as if it was yesterday. The memories of walks down the streets with the Nahar trees on either side are still fresh. Our group study (man it failed), our assignments, problem sheets, solving Mathematics on the street asphalt with broken brick pieces, FOSLA activities and the list will go on.

The Recreational And Creative Activities Forum (RACAF) week was something we waited all year long, and also the annual inter-hostel Cricket Tournament. ICC World Cup is nothing..we've seen better!

Making radio's, repairing televisions, building our own LAN and we didn't have internet those days. Haven't heard of it till we reached final year. Holi by girl's hostel and the annual Dikrong bath. The annual group picnic. The fateful picnic when we lost two of our friends..wish I could undo this part!

The raid of Block-D based on incorrect information. The fight. The fear. The backlash. The patchup. The farewell.....NERIST will live on. Still among friends we go back to those days and then we forget our age, our professions, our families and become NERISTIAN's once again.

TIME, you old gipsy man,

Will you not stay,

Put up your caravan

Just for one day?

All things I'll give you

Will you be my guest,

Bells for your jennet

Of silver the best,

Goldsmiths shall beat you

A great golden ring,

Peacocks shall bow to you,

Little boys sing,

Oh, and sweet girls will

Festoon you with may.

Time, you old gipsy,

Why hasten away?

Last week in Babylon,

Last night in Rome,

Morning, and in the crush

Under Paul's dome;

Under Paul's dial

You tighten your rein—

Only a moment,

And off once again;

Off to some city

Now blind in the womb,

Off to another

Ere that's in the tomb.

Time, you old gipsy man,

Will you not stay,

Put up your caravan

Just for one day?

---Ralph Hodgson