Nostalgia, the then jovial present.

Hello!

It's been quite sometime i.e. a whole two years since I have come here to write. Going by the cliché that life happened, also quite harsh and speedily moving academics and procrastination went hand in hand.  

Between this I'm a graduate now, doing my masters in a subject that I wanted to still hell scared about, went to the beach three times, I travel by bus daily now, watched-laughed-loved-cried over cricket matches, catching up with friends I used to live the day with, love myself and my people a little more :)

As I write this we move to a year back from today- the final year of undergraduate college; the fourth-fifth-sixth semester that happened in a year time, the constant unreal hate for the university we were affiliated to, the love-hate relationship with the place (college), the ceaseless cribbing about everything happening, the teachers we loved and hated for same reasons, the plans to mass bunk classes to sleep peacefully at home, self-declared holidays for weeks, the group of few friends to associate with, discussing syllabus a month before semester just to start studying a week or a day before the exam day, the dissertation that is made up of two months of stress and panic and seven days of work, the final semester, the farewell where we got good pictures with each other and the last day of college that made us miss the place we made excuses to avoid going.

The three years were an absolute rollercoaster, the place I didn’t love a lot but miss a little more. The friendships that felt home, and stayed. The teachers who made the student-teacher relationship so easy and approachable. Literally got the teacher and friends who always got the back and were that one call away people. We don’t realize what we have till it's gone, got real but leaving things to cherish forever as we got into new places just to realize how at peace we were. The present (then), is nostalgia now.

The best days of your life quotes hit hard if you look back to the days.

Signing off,

a student of the batch of 2022.

The one who lived it not-so-full heartedly but will love the time wholeheartedly today and always. 

- Niyati.❤

A Piece About My Happy Escape- Cricket

It has now become a cliché to say, “Cricket is a religion in India and Cricketers are their Gods”. No doubt, all of us don’t live by this.

You may not be a fan of the game; you may not know a single rule of the game and you may just don’t like this sport at all but I bet when there’s World Cup and say any India-Pakistan match there’s a rush of patriotism in your blood. You just want India to win. That’s it.

That was the exact nine-year-old me; no knowledge of the game, didn’t even knew a single players name when for the first time I attentively sat to watch the match, may be just for the hype all-around. “India is playing the World Cup finals in India, and they should win”. WorldCup2011, they did win. I might have just forgotten this one like any other match but the after winning scenes in the streets has just reserved a place in my memory forever. It is blurry, still worth remembering. 

The crackers burst all around, people roaming in the street at night twelve or so as if it’s just dusk or the people congratulating each other as if they have made India win. That was an abnormal night!!!

   

Picture Credit- Google.com

It has been a journey from not knowing a single players name to not even missing a bilateral series of India.

Till 2015 I have been an on and off fan, I used to charge myself every summer supporting Mumbai Indians (I don’t know why but may be because Papa used to because of the Sachin Factor) and eventually not knowing a bit about Cricket till the next summer.

I can’t exactly recollect how I got into cricket this much but yes; Rohit Sharma, the person who held me to cricket and there was no going back. From the elegant pull shots to the classic straight drives, he made nothing look more alluring to me than this. From loving him just because I found his playing style really attractive to admiring him because of the person he is.

Anyone who know me, surely knows how crazy I’m about Rohit Sharma!!! And anyone who is close to me, must have shut me up from speaking about Rohit at least once. 

You may not watch cricket but must have heard every 90s kids say, “When Sachin gets out early, we switch off the TV”. I haven’t watched Sachin play much but I can surely feel this line because if Rohit Sharma gets out that’s end of the match for me.

Cut short, Rohit Sharma made me fall for cricket and if I start writing about him it won’t end soon. Cricket has been always a happy escape for me and a constant companion. No doubt I make mama think I’m seriously insane because sometimes I get terribly upset for early wicket of Rohit or if India lose a match, but she’s used to it by now.

Match days is something every cricket lover is missing these days, and corona will be cursed forever for taking away a wonderful summer from us because any day IPL and Chill >>>> Quarantine and Chill.  

Can’t wait for Indian cricket to be back, and those who haven’t fallen for this beautiful sport yet, give it a try. You rise with this and I assure it teaches you a lot too.

-Niyati🦋

The Most Peaceful Crowded Place, Memories Recollected

Life is better at beach- or so they say. The visits to beaches are the source of some of the most enduring memories I've of my childhood. Apart from the celebrations on the streets after India won the WorldCup2011, the beach stories will always be the best blurry memories i'll always speak of.

When we think of beaches, we often imagine Goa but beaches in Odisha are worth exploring too. I can't do any justice if i write about the beauty of all the beaches because my whole life have revolved around just two- Gopalpur and Puri Beach.

Having lived half of my life in a city(Berhampur) which was just 15-20km away from the beach, visiting the beach was once in a month affair. More appropriately, the Sunday trips. But i assure you, you get to do zero fun there. Reason one, you'll reach there around five in the evening(when maximum people returns because it gets dark after that) and must return from there by seven. Reason two, you aren't allowed to go near the tides. Fun? What's that? I leave it on you guys to decide. I used to love that, no doubt though. May be more because of all the junks you get to eat, no restrictions. Anything and Everything. 

The sole reason of my family's visit to Puri was, is and always will be The Holy Jagannath Temple, the beach doesn't exist for them. They undoubtedly used to give us some time to spend in the beach, but just to name it a vacation.

Though the once in a month or once in a year beach visits are long gone, the love for beach has stayed.

From thinking the sky ends when it touches the ocean to sharing quotes which says "The sky is limitless just like your possibilities in life", life has happened. But the beaches still give me the same peace. 

Holding the soil tight in the toes, when the tides washes off the soil from your feet keeps me enthralled. The calmness after a big tides hits and goes away, can't be matched to anything else.

You just can't sit anywhere you want to in a crowded place, if it's not a beach. The soul refreshing place!!!

The beach doesn't end here, the crowd here contains from toddlers in their parents lap to grannies sitting nattering and countless stories.

A kid running away laughing hard when the tides comes nearer, at the same time you can spot another stubborn kid being dogged to his parents to buy him chats and chips!!

A group of people probably on their early teens enjoying their picnic in the beach, searching for chance to escape from the teacher's eye as going near the ebb. You better know, picnic and going near water are parallel lines for you drawn by teachers and parents of course.

From families having young to old, busy capturing happy family photos by the photographer to a young just-post-teen guy all alone busy capturing the scenic beauty of the place. 

The diversity of human-life you get to see here is just incredible.

We always have something or other in different places that just recap a certain memory. For me in beaches, it will always be the uncles with tubes who helps you to go a little deep to the sea. The one i won't forget ever!!! I had literally cried for four-five to get that done when i was ten or eleven and an experience i'll always be spellbound about. 

With time things change. From once in a year to never in last two years. But everything you've experienced in life lives a part of it as memory to cherish forever. 

I hope this pandemic ends soon, things get back to normal sooner. Until then keep looking in anticipation for your next beach visit....

-Niyati💖