Week 8 - Homecoming

Week 8! This week has, without a doubt, been the most eventful one so far. Final exams, the end of Term 1, the start of the term break, and of course homecoming.

Let’s start with the dreaded stretch of five final exams. Those three days were intense, but the solidarity of the cohort was even stronger. It felt like we were collectively waging a war against the exams, each one of us equally enthusiastic and ready to help others in whatever way we could. This might come off as a bit of a misplaced pride, but we CAs did put in a lot of effort to support others with the FRA (accounting) exam.

How were the exams? Well, let’s just say they felt like a system “designed to fail” (another iykyk moment).

Anyway, the war ended on Wednesday with the last exam - "Statistics". And just like that, Term 1 was a wrap. All of us had the exact same reaction as when we saw Ned Stark’s execution: “Over? Already?”

Yes, it’s over. In fact, in terms of time, we’ve already completed 2 out of the 12 months we get at this place.

None of us slept that night. Some were in their dorms, discussing and reliving the bittersweet moments of Term 1. Some were out on solo walks, quietly processing the fact that so much time has already passed. And us? We did what we always do when overwhelmed here - stood in front of the Louis Kahn Plaza, reminding ourselves in the reality of where we are and what it means to be here.

The next day, Thursday, I boarded my train to Mumbai. It was meant to be a surprise for my family and what a moment it was. For someone who has never stayed away from home, it was deeply emotional to watch the joy and surprise on their faces. It felt relaxing to be back after so long (okay, technically just two months), and I found myself in a bit of a dilemma : Is this my home? The place with my family, where I’ve spent most of my life… or is that my home now? The place that felt familiar from day one and gave me the feeling: “This is where I belong.”

While the definition of home may have become a little blurry, the definition of favourite food certainly hasn’t. Mumbai Pav Bhaji is still the happiest food on this planet. And in the three days I was in Mumbai, I had as much Pav Bhaji (and sometimes more) as humanly possible.

Getting some time with people from your past, away from the chaos of MBA, is truly refreshing. It reminds you that with some people time changes nothing at all.

Sunday morning, I boarded my train back to Ahmedabad. The books are collected, whiteboards wiped clean, coffee brewed, and energy recharged. I think we’re all set for the monster our seniors have been warning us about :Term 2!