I thought MACT was a wonderfully Bhopali name

But now it's called Manit.

I hated college - the list of reasons is really long, and too tedious to share here.

But what worked for me was the building especially the long semi open corridoors ( The one from the Principal's office to the Architecture Department was long, lit just right, and the pillar after pillar feeling made me think infinity. And the trees- yes, the trees were something else. Not that the grass was any less significant, the college authorities made a neat sum out of that contract even then.

My favourite season was the monsoon, when acres and acres of the hill would sprout green, with the Eucalyptus trees swaying gently with the water laden wind, that was a little less gentle than a breeze, and stopped a little short of the wild.

The monsoon was- Bhopal!!

But then the slash of red that the Gulmohar flowers made on a grey monsoon sky just before it disappeared for the year, was an inspiration for my dream sari.

The gentle pink blooms of Kachnar were exactly what our home had against the very same purple grey sandstone that the college building was made of. And they were there during the exams- the annual affair in the dry summer heat.

It must have meant something to me- all that beauty, because I remember it over and above the horrible experience that was college.

And now the name of the college has been changed to MANIT- which makes MACT one of the community of Engineering colleges, and takes away that sense of uniqueness- which was what was the charm of being one of the girls in the batch of 1981.

But then, I ain't no girl either. And the facade of the college entrance is so- ordinary now.

So be it.

The guys are much better middle aged. I have felt their concern - one human being to another. And I will take the here and now- at all times.