The walk

We face crossroads at several points in life and everytime we encounter one, it seems to be the determinate one, the one that would shape our future, and it gets utmost care and nurture therefore. Some people experience emotional junctures, while other get stuck in career-oriented dilemmas, but most often our lives are defined by a mix of a multitude of decisions we need to make or are forced to take in life. Coming to complete an MBA was one of the more complicated ones where a lot of factors did their dance auditions and a few were questionably selected to play in the final musical of "walk of the solemn few".

A painful but enjoyable, miserable yet memorable two years came to an end on the day of convocation, when we all formally graduated with a degree in management. It is true that an overwhelming feeling fills your heart when you are about to leave a place, you gave two years of your life to, but that feeling, surprisingly had not yet sunk in. Even at the robing trials, all we could do is poke fun at the usual victims, pull each others robes and make them take goofy snaps as if performing in some all-women festival. One was even made to dangle the scarf overhead and pose as an old lady, in all probability a mock-up of Mr. Whistler's old mom! The photography session that followed was equally absurd with half of us scratching because of the black robes in the scorching heat and the other half shouting each other's names to let the professors know who is responsible for all the ruckus on the steps above! We were running short on time and it didn't seem to bother even the control freaks, who used to get fidgety if everything was not done according to plan - wonder why they imagine a universal scheme of things - does it not destroy the element of SURPRIIIIIIISE ! for them ?! Anyways, that's beyond the point.

Once all the dorm snaps, the group snaps, the beard-holders snaps, the funky hairstyle blokes (ahem), the weirdly robed blokes snaps had been taken and all of us had ambled at our leisurely walk-in-the-park pace to the assembly area, we drew up in 3 columns and uncountable rows. I have never been a part of a convocation march, missed it while I was in High School, and could not attend my undergraduate one either, so there was a little voice in me going "O boy o boy o boy - we're gonna be marching past like army personnel - woohoo !!". But once the huge mass started moving, it became apparent, it was no sophisticated march, but a drub lingering twinkle toe walk that was paced after the oldies up front who were way past their prime days of walking and apparently had not ventured much out of their air-conditioned Honda Civics and institute sponsored housing! As we dragged ourselves, with students breaking the formation, chit-chatting on the way, we finally reached the turn into the plaza where the actual ceremony was to commence. Now I would be lying if I told you there was even a single person who did not feel what I felt as soon as we made that turn. We were greeted with a series of flashes - camera clicks from parents, press and God knows who, it was like the entire world had gathered in the humble lawns to get a glimpse of us! We all walked, in pure amazement - is this what it feels like to be part of a legacy? Is this what it feels like to be revered by all and sundry? Am I the one who is being held in awe by that uncle with a tearful eye, or that mother with a meek smile ?!

I had no idea before that moment what I had been a part of for two years now! I had absolutely no clue what it meant to people outside that I was at a place that is deemed outstanding throughout India. But that 2 minutes march from the plaza to our seats, we were Gods, it was like even the forces in heaven bowed down in honour to our prowess. The air stood still, we could hear every click, every sigh of relief, every heart beat that yearned out from a parent's heart longing for the success of their daughters and sons. We all were smiling, like veterans returned from war, like soldiers who had fulfilled their duties and made the nation proud. We might have not done all that, and probably the march past was a shabby one, but that feeling of belongingness, sure was nothing short of the army-like feeling I had expected :)

We were unquestionable, we were providential, we were the only supermen that existed in that moment!