Call it an academic year. It's not really a year going by the calendar (and okay - a week is left even for an academic year to be completed). I have been mentioning it off and on that the kind of life I have managed to live here surprises me. And another year will be spent in a similar fashion, I guess. Because nothing seems to convince me to change really.

Nakul, in one of his posts, talked about his experience at IIT vs. that at IIM. I kind of agree with the distinction he has made, but I fail to take as positive a view of life here as he has taken.

A friend at IITK was furious to know that I am living a rather low profile public life here - "You can not waste your capabilities like this." I do not know what capabilities he was talking about, but I wish I could tell him this. All my capabilities, all strength gets used in trying to maintain my own integrity. Who can afford to care about public life? And I wish I had been able to do at least that much! No - I have tried my best, but I am not satisfied with myself. By third term, I could see my motivation going down the valley - and there is nothing I can do hold it. All my strength has given way.

Someone will say - it is the taste of real life. Yes, I know real life is tough, its bad, it poses dilemmas before you. And why should it not be so? It would not be life otherwise, will it be? What will one do, if there are no challenges? But I am not ready to believe that the elusive 'real life' is as oppressive as the system in the confines of this campus is. No, there still is enough free air, there still are differences, there still is a vaster landscape in the real life. I am waiting to get into that. But there is a barrier of another year.

And yeah, it's a new year according to the Vikram and Shaka Samvata today. So, Happy New Year to you all.

Categories: IIML