Silver Jubilee Meet 2003: An untamed river of emotions
Organizing and participating in Silver Jubilee Meet in the year 2003 was a moving experience soaked in emotions. I vividly remember the opening day, we being the local hosts had arrived in the hotel well before the noon to welcome classmates and their families arriving from India and abroad. It started around eleven in the morning when the participants began to arrive. The hotel lobby was animated with people shouting with joy when they saw each other after decades. Other guests in the hotel stopped and turned their heads to look at people shaking hands, hugging and kissing in sheer delight. The scenes of reunion of friends with choked voices, teary eyes, and giggles of delight were mesmerizing. The incessant flow of happy hormones was evident from their flushed faces, glistening eyes, and thumping hearts. The remarkable camaraderie on display had charged the atmosphere with fun and gaiety. Standing in the hotel lobby holding the hand of my wife Neelam I realized the festivities have begun.
What followed is history. Our class fellows arrived with their families in good number. By 1 PM the hotel lobby and banquet hall were full of familiar faces. People were standing and sitting in small groups introducing their families to one another. Children had already befriended each other and were playing their games. The drinks were being served and snacks were being munched as the old memories were coming alive. Dancing, clapping, and singing had already begun. By the time lunch was served we were mixed up as if we had never separated. The lunch continued till early evening and guests continued to arrive.
The evening was an event to remember for lifetime. Ladies, children , and gentlemen arrived in style and in their best attire. Each family came on stage and introduced its members to the gathering. Once the introductions were over, an impromptu cultural show began in which children participated with enthusiasm. The dancing, singing, and clapping that followed continued till two in the morning. Everybody seemed to be under a spell and was carried away by the emotions. Champagne bottles were opened to mark the occasion. People dispersed only after hotel staff insisted that celebrations have extended far into the night.
The visit to college campus next morning was altogether memorable. We were a group of about one hundred classmates and their family members who were moving from department to department and room to room and recounting our memories. All the hostels were visited and people were desperately looking for the rooms they lived in. This group of spellbound souls had rediscovered their roots. It took some persuasion to bring them back to the hotel for lunch and interaction with our teachers. We were lucky to honor Dr. Balwant Sangh Tung, Dr. Hardas Singh Sandhu, Dr. D P Sanan, and few others senior teachers.
Once the lunch was over, after group photo it was time to leave. We wanted people to leave early and arrive at their destinations safe due to intensely thick foggy weather. But people were not willing to leave. The unending hugs and handshakes reflected the desire to hold to the moment tight and not let it slip from the hands. However gradually people began to leave with eyes full of tears and choked voices but with a promise to meet again.
Around midnight after I received the call from final classmate conveying that they had reached home safe and sound did I heave a sigh of relief. Even now when I recall the memories of our silver jubilee meet tears flow down my cheeks, my heart sinks to my feet, my voice gets choked and I am filled with a desire to turn the clock back.
Looking forward to meet you all next year!
Dinesh Kumar Sharma
