A Century and Beyond

I started this blog many days back at the stroke of midnight. Yes, A dramatic beginning. Yo can count on me for being dramatic. Love to be so. Then it became silent for a very very very long time. I got busy and din't think what was going on in life would be interesting enough to put up on my blog. As one of my old friends put it, "What is your blog going to have? A list of upcoming exams and assignment submission dates?"

So I got busy with assignments and exams and a lot more happened on the side.

Then life took a turn. No, not just one turn. My life which had always been a roller coaster that is the kids version suddenly transformed into a super absobloodylutely amazing roller coaster ride. It didn't just have the highs. There were some serious lows too but Alhamdulillah it was fantastic.

The medley of those highs and lows and all the places in between gave me a lot to write on the blog. New followers joined. And many just follow on the sly. There's something interesting about being a nameless statistic perhaps.

All the same I was happy to cross 500 clicks at first, then a 1000, a 1500, a 2500 and it may soon be 3000 now.

A century of posts. Yes, whether the posts were good, bad or whatever one might brand them, here I am happy to be crossing a century.

One more reason to celebrate is I just won the second place in a Super Hero Story Writing Competition.

Yipppeee! :)

In times of celebration one must never forget to thank those who made it happen. So Thank You ALLAH, without Your help, it would have been impossible.

Thanks family, friends, fiends, readers, followers - named and nameless ones, and all those who have ever ventured this way.

As I end this I am reminded of something I read long back. Would love to share it with you all,

You may not Love me,

You may not even Like me,

But You will Never Forget Me.

Yours

Fatima

We Will Always Miss You, Sir

22^nd May 2013, my birthday started with his class. It was a brightening start to a special day. Dr Arshad Anjum, one of my favourite faculty members was taking class. He ended the lecture with his infectious laughter. The laughter that will haunt us forever and ever.

I reacted in disbelief when a friend messaged saying that you had passed away. It couldn't be true. Spoke to other classmates and found them crying since they had heard the news. Checked Facebook, the source of this ghastly news. The recent comments that flooded your photos all said the same thing. I still refused to believe. That smile in the photos looked so within reach. The smile that will haunt us forever and ever.

I messaged a friend who would tell me what was true. I messaged him fighting against all the logic in front of me, hoping against fate. It would all turn out to be a nasty rumour. Sir was still hale and hearty. Before I could hope any further, a message beeped. It’s true, he is no more.

You had once told me how the world worked. You told me not to give a damn shit about my image. I didn't have to pay attention to what people said or thought about me. What mattered was what I wanted to do. If something was right in my eyes, no one’s opinion mattered. You weren't related or known to me. However, you weren’t just another faculty member. Your lovable personality, easy approachability & lively attitude made you different.

Malaysia you had said would be your new abode. We were happy to see you happy though it was difficult to see you move away from Aligarh. When the news hit, I felt the hollowness of your last promises. You had said in class. “I’ll always be there for you when you need me. Don't worry. I'll be more than happy to help you. I'll just be an email away.” You did leave but for a place beyond our reach. You left for a place whose boundaries we can never breach.

Henceforth, my birthday will always be a reminder of the day we last saw you. The last day in the company of a person who left his mark upon us in so short a time.

It will be a torment to attend the Forensic Class on Monday & Wednesday mornings. You will forever be there smiling between slides, intercepting the class with your jokes and walking up and down the stairs in the lecture theatre. All your little gestures, the attendance lists, the impending exam timetable and the exam reviews that followed – everything will be fondly remembered. No one will ever be able to replace you.

We love you, Sir. We will ALWAYS miss you. May Allah bless you with all the bounties of Jannah.