Yes, I was there....

this poem,written by my good friend Abhishek Pandey
is a tribute to all those who have experienced the ILP at trivandrum. this days of TCS was the best till date. everybody has enjoyed it immensely. the poem goes as follows:-

Where there were 4 coconut trees in every backyard
Temple's music instruments woke us up during onam mornings
where, to digest food, was very hard
Where we had TT, badminton & carrom sessions in the evenings

Where everyone could say "Good morning" in 3 foriegn tongues
And everyone addressed us as "chetta" or "chechi"
where milma milk shake & sharja were available in tonnes
We used to order it at 8 pm and get it at 8:40

Where outside food was very popular
'coz inside vegetables were made of coconut oil mostly
except the always in demand choco bar
and the coupon coffee we had on level 0 roof, happily

Where we used to throw paper around the class
or use them to write comments for fish pond
Feedback forms & project documents; we used to pass
with Gopal & Suresh, everyone sang at least 1 song

Lunch break was long, like the queues
In slot C everyone used to get sleepy
Where boys didn't go to the library for book issues
& in Reju's lectures, girls used to feel sweaty

Where on-pitch & on-stage efforts were appreciated
among hundreds of clappers during batch-leaving ceremonies
There were many tests in a short period, we felt being grated
Waking up late in night, we gave each other our company

Where we used to sit in a circle to sing
We wore casuals, positions varied on the hostel floor
We used to knock on everyone's door, for every small thing
We used to chat and play for hours, yet we always wanted more

Where we called Suresh transports thrice on fridays
Waited desperately for a strike or weekends
To reach back "home", we explored all the ways
Where we made close & lifelong friends

Friends with whom we used to share
our secrets, our desires, our passions & stories
Friends with whom we travelled everywhere,
danced at coffee beanz n did the laundries

Where 3 seas meet & a strong wind blows
Where saltwater becomes road & the beaches are long
Where over tea plantations, fresh water flows
Where indulging in nature never feels wrong

Where guys chased guys in night to give bumps on their birthdays
Where we had to remove our shirts & wear dhotis to enter a temple
Where our very first earnings, a company pays
Where we craved home food, yet ate in a hotel

Where inside class we played bond-building & evaluating games
Where meat, coffee, sun & rain were in plenty
Concrete jungle & techno jungle can never be the same
And never again in life can we be one/two over twenty

Words cannot tell how much I miss that place
Or my friends, whom I want to be with, still
These are the memories which the wave of time can't erase
That I will cherish, from the bottom of my heart, I know I will

Abhishek Pandey