at the reunion...

The air still carried the scent of the flowers
Which bloomed at the garden...
The statue of the saint bearing the slant rays of the sun is still there right at the spot
Where it had been staying put...

All have remained the same-
The big playground of our youth...those goal posts...those cricket pitches...
The known smell of paranthas and the curd...at the second dining...(designated for the seniors)
The asphalt bypass leading to those rooms of our midnight guitar-plays and songs...lined by lemon trees...
The courtyard which had witnessed our shouts-shrill and playful...with those flower-pots with red borders...
The walls with paintings and photographs...
All...shone bright...as we arrived after a long time;

The commons with that blue surface still shines...
The air of the prayer hall is still dense and somber-incense sticks there still burn...
The whole campus bears so many things-
So many of them, are now part of our associated memory...
Those trees...those benches...
The gym, the canteen, the dorms...

Luckily all have remained the same...
And we, who have come from different parts of the world...
Still have the same gusto and the grit...the same naughty jokes...
Same cards to play on...
Only,we have grown a bit old...
Only our rooms like E19 and E22 have been occupied by others...
And we are no longer allowed to stay together there!