A GJ Wonder

A GJ Wonder

 

 

Hey Laxmidhar!

Do not you remember

room number fifty two

in hostel four, then built new

with Gopal, Pramod as our partner

daily fighting and fondling one another?

In the second year

third hostel, first floor

twenty-five was our room number.

Gopal left, joined us, dear Mayadhar

and repeated the story of the first year

with ceaseless chatter, brittle anger and loud laughter

In hostel one, on our third year

we were separated by a new order.

then I stayed with an awed companions

Mamen, Srinivas, Dwivedi Madan Sucheta Mohanty.

Your roommates thereafter,

my memory fails to recollect further

Last two years were single seated

but all we stayed close-knitted

using the same toilets same dining hall

same common room to battle and brawl.

As fresher your flute

kept our ragers mute

but when and how you left it

with Manaroma, did it lose its fight?

Pramoda’s whole night

to amend his plight

caused by his deeds beyond the curriculum

that we could never fathom

His toilet chemical reaction,

coached recently I, his grandson

“ How to sit on a western commode

wth special pen writing on a whiteboard.”

Ever grateful to him, remain I

Puri temple first time he showed me

In minute details he showed me Puri around,

never again in life a repeat opportunity I found

His triumph over his conflict and confusion

with “Mango basket” I leave for your encryption

just to avoid old age embarrassment

but a proud moment then of his achievement.

Maya's drafted, redrafted letters

vanishing from underneath his pillow cover

perhaps reached their defined destination.

Did you forget Maya’s then reaction

vacillating between anger proud satisfaction?

He turned gradually towards celibacy

now rewriting Hindu epic, he is busy.

“ As a child we write and rewrite to remember

the same holds good if you want to grasp a scripture.”

Tasting the bitterness of life at the hermitage

where he tried to stay penancing like a sage

investing his earnings to find peace of life

but he saw among indweller’s tussle nd strife.

He finally stays in a maddening town

never dreaming a family tree of his own

Gopal’s fickleness and simplicity

a child would never dare to compete.

His switching over of topics on all a sudden

rate I this in his brain as a divine vibration.

Many scenes blaze in my memory lane

but because of boredom of repletion, I refrain.

With you and other pals together

many such scenes at our alma-mater

will enliven our fond memory.

Wonderful will be our GJ story.

With our spouses with us

remembrances will be thrilling and joyous

the five-decade back story

as alumni, there our glory.

As true witness to one another’s tale

to be their heroes which long since looks pale.

But Alas! Your “No”

to Rourkela G J show

wounds my heart to bleed

forcing me, you, to plead.

Endure your barrier

come to our alma-mater

together to touch her dust

after five decades that we must.

Salute her last together with family

“For you thus we could be.”

“We remain ever grateful to you>’

together last thus we will bid her adieu.

Also, bid adieu to our classmates fifty years older

since we were parted being fifty years younger

with thoughts, palpitation of a different aura

parting now at the dusk of life, then it was the end of the golden era

in front of our spouses who shared this life with us

“A G J joy will be worth cherishing forever and wondrous.”

 

 

 

 

P K Routray

in the service of Lord

 

 

(N. B -We had passed out in 1970 from REC Rourkela Orissa in 1970 and we are going to hold Golden jubilee in January 2020. my then-roommate Laxmidhar has expressed his inability to go to Rourkela to participate. it is my request to him to attend with all our classmates now old retired.).