MCC- A Chapter to Cherish
And she asks me if I ever bunked college in the one and a half months I studied in MCC...
Many years ago as I was struggling with my A Levels, my cousin invited me to his hall day at MCC. I was really wary about going, being the social outcast I was. But I went along nevertheless with my uncle and aunt. We reached a few hours early, and so we decided to go around the college.
I was taken aback at the sheer size of the campus and all that I saw. It was like discovering a whole new world. The trees, the plants, the deers and the absolute silence at some places. After going on rounds, we went for the function. And that was top notch as well, with guys from Heber going all out and giving us a night to remember. I had decided that night as always in the spur of the moment, to go back and study there someday.
I forgot about MCC soon, and was then busy trying to get through my A levels. After a series of exams, it was time for me to select a college, and being in Chennai, I knew I didn't want to go anywhere else but MCC. I knew there was a catch, that there was a possibility that I would have to come back out.
A Levels, the results always came after the admissions were almost done, and I knew the moment I had written my exams that there was a possibility that I would not clear them. But then again, that did not stop me from taking the chance and taking a provisional admission in MCC.
And there I was, a temporary student with no id card but a sheet which I had to carry around with me.
I always tried going around twenty minutes early to college so that I could see the college when it was quiet and deserted. I would sit by the water tank or stroll down the roads.The mornings were filled with a deep sense of gratitude, of being able to be there. I had to constantly struggle with my mind, to let it know that I can't get attached, that I might have to leave. And that did hinder me in taking everything that I saw fully in.
So what were the good memories? I cannot talk about MCC and not talk about two people that have become a part of my life. One with his raw energy and straight forwardness and the other with his myriad of talents. They were my first friends in MCC and I was part of a trio that we unconsciously made up. I remember the times when we almost fell down from the table laughing, the english classes where we tried to win the fifty rupees prize, the maggi noodles, the basic tamil classes and the almost ever lingering sarcasm, wit and fun!
So what was it about MCC? I never really count put a finger on it, it probably was the campus, the culture, the diversity, the legend, the name. It could have been anything, but there was an unconditional agreement in my mind when it came to MCC. There were times when I would laugh out loud with a crowd, and there were times when I found that this was the place to be for a person whose best company was himself. There were beautiful sights all around and there were all kinds of sounds to be heard. My favorite part in the whole college was the long roads.
I left soon. It was a hard few days, knowing that there will be no going back for a while. I lost myself in work and tried to keep my thoughts away.
In many ways, I feel as much as a student of MCC as any graduate would. I feel like the lottery winner who won the small cash prize because the last two digits matched with the winning lottery combination. I lived through my friends, I listened to them talk about culturals, teachers, students, attendance and I devoured it all. There was a tinge of sadness when I heard it, but then it was overcome with my desire to know more.
What was the point of it all? Maybe if not for MCC I would have not found those two friends, if not for MCC I would have not known how college life would have been. Maybe there was no reason at all. Now to think of it, I have no regrets.
In the end I know for a fact that my heart belongs to MCC because as the guy wearing the 'sexy librarian glasses' came on stage and as the guy with 'a laugh that makes you want to laugh' egged the librarian on at Airtel Thetricals I heard my mind say - Go MCC!!!
