Mehfil- E- Jannat

Moment: 6 pm

Venue: Coffee, Coffee and more Coffee...

They say a lot happens over coffee. Indeed it does. Not just because I am a complete Coffee freak. I am. This place I am talking about is the beauty of SIBM Campus.

Nestled in between the shopping complex and the Dining hall, this 40 X 60 area kindles life. After a long and tiring day, students come here to recline on the metallic sidebars and share the day’s happenings. The shopping complex by now consists of a Unisex Saloon, a Chat shop and a new "All-in-one" super shop and an Espresso hot and cold beverages shop.

The place picks up pace around 7 pm, just before dinner when students from all the three institutes on campus come .The crowd is floating. On one side it’s the coffee provided in the Dining hall, and on other side it’s the "paid “coffee" provided by these shops. With coffee/tea in one hand (no matter from where), the beautiful Lavale valley which spans across the horizon and the group of friends on other side, we can’t ask for anything better.

Topics span from the latest trends in Pune city to the hottest "Dame" on campus. Some students who just want to have some peaceful time also come. And refreshment??? Ohhh it’s in plenty here. Fresh air, fresh faces, fresh topics. Somebody talks about how a lecturer gave very less marks, and the close friend tries to console in the best suited way. Some business lingo freaks talk about the latest stock market news and some quiz each other on the latest jargons. Of course there are some like me who are just "Lost" hearing the Greek and Latin.

I decided to just skim across and listen to what all topics are being discussed. I started with some guys and gals who were standing in a group nearby. They were excited about new Chat shop on campus. As I moved across the lounge somebody was telling how his latest downloads software is better than the previous one. And he went on to literally force others to use it. There was another group of seniors who were discussing about a hot fresher whom they met during the Fresher’s party. One among them noticed me and suddenly stopped as if they had said something "not to be spoken". Common guys.. It’s ok. Surprisingly as I met another classmate of mine, who was staring continuously at the seniors group, caught my attention. As I went to talk to her, she revealed that she somewhat finds this senior "Interesting"...OOOFFFF another way to prove A->B, B->C (Now don’t ask about A->c or other way round)

Somewhere down the alley I saw a guy from my class who was sitting all alone, looking at the vast sky and waiting as if someone special would come from the mountains to see him. I asked him the reason for the silence. Very articulately he answered "can you hear the silence? Doesn’t it seem as if that mountain waits everyday for sun to set and for the beautiful moon to come and have a date with it?" I saw a letter pad on his lap. A poet he was...

I happened to just drop in after a heavy day with Economics class being the Show stopper for the day. Since it was the last day before our class was going to disintegrate into different specialization, we had decided to spend some time together over a coffee. As we reached, some barged to get some coffee and other who were Chat freaks went to get some "Samosa Chat" and "Pakoda". The damages were not cared as it was the last day as MBA 'A' Div. Somebody just mentioned "do you remember 2 months back we were unknown to each other, coming from far and wide, but now, it’s SIBM which binds us :)" For that fraction of second all of us stood silently. Nobody realized they went through a flashback of what all had happened all these days. How it started from the Induction day, to how somebody entered late to class. How the director gave a Moral Lecture full of "Josh", how the celebration took place when someone got into councils, and how we freaked out during the Fresher’s Party. The songs of K.K about college days had surfaced again.

Somehow I felt a little disturbed. I traced my steps back and started walking towards the centre of the quadrangle. I stood at the centre looking around. With the Moist Sunrays, Cool Breeze, Blue Mountains, and lots of friends around I realized, Life is here. Let’s embracing every moment.

Sipping my cup of coffee, I bid goodbye to all. A lot had happened over a coffee....

Sandeep B Hanchanale

32122, Marketing-A,

MBA1, SIBM