I stood there on the steps of the
Staircase of the crowded bus,
In the midst of strangers, with only a dear
Friend with me heading towards our
College for our convocation.

We reached the hostel where it had all once begun,
Knowing in our minds the inevitable end has come.
Meeting our dear friends one by one as we climbed upstairs
Towards our room.

There were hugs, questions and answers and the leg-pulling
Sessions as usual when the long parted hearts met each other,
Smiles emoting the sincere joy filled in our hearts.

We headed towards the main office, for collecting the
Certificates and collecting the robes for the convocation ceremony.
The campus looked green as ever, more colorful this time around with
Loads of people and no dress-code for the day.

Familiar faces all around, in a hurry to do the needful,
Anxious to become a graduate but still sparing
The precious minutes for a chat with old buddies.
Most of them had come with their families;
Moms,dads eager to see their wards collecting the degrees.

We met our pals and their family,our loved ones at home
Wishing the best for us all the time.

As the time for the graduation ceremony drew nearer,
We went back to our room, got dressed up and walked
Towards the auditorium, all the chairs filling up slowly

Clumsily carrying our robes we measured our steps,
On the crowded street filled with the would be graduates.
I had the camera in my hand, making it a point to
Capture these moments digitally for the rest of my life.

We looked for our seats in the huge auditorium,
Seats numbered by our performance over the years.
I found mine which was pretty close from the stage.
Flanked by two familiar faces made it comfortable.

The boring scripted speeches followed which were
Accompanied by yawns, eyes trying hard to stay open;
People dozing off and a heart waiting for the defining moment.
The degree distribution started finally.

My turn came and with a smile I faced the camera.
Walking down the stage I felt strange, something
Telling the time has come to an end.
The best days had surely passed by months back;
But the sudden realization made it more difficult to face the
Heart breaking reality.

The next half hour I waited for the next sixteen
Hundred graduates to collect their degrees.
It was an emotional moment for all with,
Friends, family seated in the crowd.

After everyone finished it was time to
Capture those unforgettable faces in the frames,
Of our hearts, cameras, etching them in our
Memories with a permanent marker.

My eyes scanned the crowd, picking out all
The faces having a hint of familiarity.
Found one, found two, found three
And then five but the fourth just now there
Disappeared;randomness was all over.

Hey, come for a pic one shouted and some more joined,
Camera guys struggling to cover all of us in a frame.
In the midst of flashes we met each other for the very
Last time hoping it was not so.

Some conversation, few hugs and again posing for pictures.
Trying to get into the frame, taking pictures for some.
Getting introduced to someone’s parents and forgetting those
Faces again.

I still looked for more of my pals,
One of them asked me to wait and i
Sat on the chair tired having had
Nothing for the day except for a dairy milk.

Meanwhile I met some more buddies.
When I turned back the buddy who
Asked me to wait had disappeared.
I sighed and looked at the ground,
Why is it happening this way?

The day was coming to an end giving
Way to the night. I knew I had to return
That night itself with my friend.

Seeing the empty chairs which were filled
An hour back reality slapped across my face.
I wished I could have met them all, but I couldn’t.
A longing gripped my heart for all those wonderful hearts
Who had made me smile and made those four years
The best days of my life.

As me and my friend passed by the decorated auditorium,
In the taxi, the darkness spread ahead,
A beautiful phase of our lives had come to an end.
Transition awaited and we had to carry on.

We turned back to see the college for one last time,
The taxi sped ahead towards the city and
Our second home for four years disappeared
In the darkness.