While 2003 was a tough year personally – as my 18 year marriage had almost but ended. I was living alone trying to survive that turbulent time in my life, when the news of our first medical school batch re-union in Amritsar came in. That news lifted my rather dull spirits and i was instantly in a planning mode!! Vow how great it will be see all those batch mates and after soooooooo long.
Having got to India in the cold December month and planning the trip to Amritsar among us, the day to travel arrived in quick time. Time to say good bye to families and start that Amazing Journey by Black Mercedes Cedan, driven by none other than Kaka (RG), remains etched in our memories far life. At our request, my brother has prepared a hand written plaque “Kake te Bille di Gaddi” which stood in the rear window throughout the journey, which added mystery to the entire trip for onlookers.
This journey started from Chandigarh and a pit stop at my house in Banga to pick me up on the way. I took Sanjiv Sood to see his old house (only 2 streets away across other side of railway road). We were both so emotional remembering how we spent our school and college days in these houses and these familiar back streets.
As all of us stood on the high street at Banga in front of Veena,s uncles house and loaded our luggage into the cars (I was travelling straight to England after the Reunion), all the shopkeepers wondering what was going on. A caravan of two cars set off from Banga and we started that journey full of hope, expectations and excitement at the thought of seeing class mates we had not seen for 25 years. That feeling of excitement, was akin to when we travelled first time to Med-school to get admitted in 1974, bleary eyed and hoping to fulfil our life time ambition of becoming doctors and hoping to make a difference to the lives of many.
We talked about those “Golden Years” at Med school and about our batch mates, including all the wonderful (and very tolerant) girls that the 3 hours journey was gone in a flash. We nearly cried with laughter remembering good old days among, Kaka, Billa, Sanjiv and me.
As we entered Amritsar and got near the hotel, all of a sudden we were all silent with “butterflies” in our bellies. We could not wait to park the car and rush into the hotel to see who was there among our class mates. “Big hugs and hellos” followed and the whole atmosphere was electric in anticipation of celebrations to follow. That amazing feeling was indescribable and has stayed with us ever since.
And….. what a resounding success that re-union was; -thanks to Dinesh Sharma (CR) and the local team. We made fresh connections with lost friends, caught up with gold old times when we visited our college. Here we are again nearly 20 years later planning our Golden Jubillee meet – we have that feeling of butterflies in our bellies again.
Roll on February 2024.
Dinesh Nagi (DN)
Raghubir Grewal (RG)
