I still remember the happiness me and my hostel mates felt that night. Midterm examinations were no more. We partied like there was no tomorrow, caring little about what was going to follow the next day. Nobody anticipated that the sighs of freedom were leading us to prison we didn’t ask for. It’s been five months since our lives turned upside down due to the pandemic. Since March, it has been a rocky road: the ups and downs from our complicated relationship with IBA and its announcements to the virtual semester. Done and dusted finally! The semester is over, but I couldn’t stop thinking about how things that used to get on my nerves are things that I miss the most about life at IBA.
Everyday Struggles
The frustrating alarm that goes off every morning at exactly 7:00 am. You hit the snooze button thinking you’ll get up in 5 minutes. As soon as those minutes are up, you realize it is already 8:00 am and you’re going to miss the bus. You would’ve beaten Bolt’s record by now for sure.
You manage to reach on time, but instead of going to class you just give up altogether. Why? because your friends decided to go have breakfast instead. “We’ll catch up with the course later.” But we all know that was not going to happen.
It’s 1 o’clock and you all decide to go to the all-time favorite spots: Safeet and Pharmacy. An eternity long search for an empty table, before you, finally sit down.
“Moon, ek shawarma aur 2 fries!”
The daily gossips, constant bickering, and that one freeloader who won’t order his own food was the highlight of a tedious and disappointing day. After all, who is going to cheer you up after a gruesome session with Lalarukh.
Exam Season
The war season has arrived. The teachers had the upper hand; the infinity gauntlet that could wipe away our GPA with a single snap.
We had to cram the course and the feelings of guilt two weeks before the judgment day. We cursed all the hangouts and procrastination while studying Game Theory. But, what made exam season anxiety-free and delight was the campus.
The Campus Life At IBA
The scent of moist freshly mowed grass, the well-lit pavement, and the hues of violet and red washed over the sky as we walked towards the library. Nothing calms the soul other than the beautiful evenings on campus with a cup of chai and gupshup.
You sit with your friends on the damped grass, watching the sunset and listening to Atif’s hits. Time has seemed to stop and all you can absorb is the sky painted oh so beautifully by nature.
It is true that we butt heads with IBA a lot but it’s also true that the time we spend at IBA is one of the precious treasures that we won’t trade for the world.
This pandemic has confided us but what keeps us going is the thought that we will see each other again soon. Lives are lost every day and it is getting harder to stay optimistic. The memories we made in this very place are what keeps us going.
One thought on “The Life at IBA, We Took For Granted”