Niroop 2010

For All My Friends....

When we all joined this college, we were mostly complete strangers. But over the past four years our lives have become entwined in such a manner that today we cannot imagine a day where we won’t be able to meet each other.

Soon the world will force us to say Goodbye but remember…..

There's nothing that's so final about leaving,
Even though I know that's what you've heard.
Just like forgive, forget and try again,
Goodbye is just another word.



We tasted success but the real joy was sharing it with our friends. The joy that every achievement brought was meaningful only because our friends used to ask for that treat! The euphoria of our friends made the success even bigger! We also experienced failure, saw some dreams shattered but we had each other. Friends who helped us cope with the pain, who strived to bring a smile to our faces, who helped us to accept it and move on.

Soon the world will force us to say Goodbye but remember…..

There's nothing that's so final about leaving,
Even though I know that's what you've heard.
Just like forgive, forget and try again,
Goodbye is just another word.



There was love and then there was heart-break. There were hook-ups and break-ups. We gossiped about the latest ‘couple’ and blushed or got worked-up when the ‘topic’ included us. But all this would have been meaningless if we did not have friends to tell and tease. Some found the love of their lives, others were not lucky but everyone had a fair share of these delightful “cardiac” moments!

And even though the world will soon force us to say Goodbye, remember…..

There's nothing that's so final about leaving,
Even though I know that's what you've heard.
Just like forgive, forget and try again,
Goodbye is just another word.


We wonder what will happen when each one of us goes on our own paths. Some consciously chosen but mostly just given to us. How our relations will change when there is no ELR and no Quad, no main-gate and no canteen, no library and no hub, no football ground, cricket ground or five gardens? What will happen when there is no Madras Café, Relax, Garnish or Classic? What will happen when there is no one to walk down the road to Kapol Niwas and later to Matunga Station?

Soon the world will force us to say Goodbye but remember…..

There's nothing that's so final about leaving,
Even though I know that's what you've heard.
Just like forgive, forget and try again,
Goodbye is just another word.



I am myself at loss because our lives as we know will soon change. I so dreaded this date, April 16 that I went into denial mode. Every day I refused to accept that the countdown had indeed begun. But here we are today, the day of our “Niroop”. I fight back the tears, tears not of loss but of helplessness due to the uncertainty of our future course of life.

Soon the world will force us to say Goodbye but remember…..

There's nothing that's so final about leaving,
Even though I know that's what you've heard.
Just like forgive, forget and try again,
Goodbye is just another word.




Friends today I want you all to know this… It was we who chose to be friends and it shall be us who shall decide if we want to stay friends. No Niroop or MBA or MS or Job can decide the future journey of our friendship. If we want, nothing will change but only the distance. It is up to us to ensure that we do not lose this precious bond that has developed over the years. There will be new friends, new acquaintances but there won’t be another Friends Union! So let us vow today to preserve this special bond that formed in VJTI. Let us vow to make it stronger in the years ahead.

Because as I have been saying,

There's nothing that's so final about leaving,
Even though I know that's what you've heard.
Just like forgive, forget and try again,
Goodbye is just another word.



Many friends have crossed my path
And I thank God for them all
But I got an extra special blessing
When your friendship answered my call….

May the road rise up to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
May the sun shine warm upon your face
May the rain fall soft upon your track…

So Friend, always remember….

There's nothing that's so final about leaving,
Even though I know that's what you've heard.
Just like forgive, forget and try again,
Goodbye is just another word.


-Ameya Vaidya