The Golden Days

The summer of 2025 was a turning point in my life. It changed my trajectory, aspirations and ideals. To be more honest, it was a rebirth and the death of my older self. Not much time ago, these were days when I paraded all across the drill square perfecting my salutes and posture. An electric fervour for my section which used to pull me out of my bed every single day. My days were filled with laughter, good wishes and a sweet relief of the morning cold. May it be the grueling workout sessions with my boys at the end of which we were covered with sweat and dirt or those exciting hockey matches in the fields where we used to put our heart and soul to score the final goal, each one of them added a sense of fulfillment in me.

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The academic classes were enriching not because of the syllabus but those engrossing books and magazines in the library which used to carry me to a different realm. Those hot paranthas stuffed with paneer was a craving for every individual. Its mere smell in the mess would fill everyone's mouths with water. The tables and chairs were not just meant for the meals but a place to chalk out strategies for the upcoming tournaments.

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Cold coffee jugs were the most sought after beverage at the end of the day. Each serving would fill the hearts with delight. Whenever the mess attendant would come out of the kitchen with refilled jugs, it suddenly would become the centre of attraction. A frivolous tussle would break out on the table to pull the attendant for the cold coffee. In the boxing season, there were recreated ‘fight clubs’ in the lawns and fields just in front of the hostel buildings. Noises of the thumping punching bags and punching pads filled the air with a fighting spirit and determination. There were boxers all around the hostel building. Some practicing with their cadet coaches, and some going for a grueling weight reduction sessions. Days and nights were all booked in front of the punching bags with a queue of boxers waiting for their turn to practice. The hustle was equally tiresome for their coaches and the ones who were given the task to manage essentials like fruits, chocolates and gum shields. All engaged as if they are going to achieve the ultimate purpose of their lives.

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Anyone taking a walk around the college premises would find a boxer panting with gloves putting on multiple layers of sweaters, pullovers and jackets to burn their weights and meet the criteria of their weight divisions. All of this grind by the boxers and the crew to lift the most coveted trophy in the sporting arena of the college, The Boxing Trophy, an elegant and highly decorative piece of accolade with a shiny, glossy appearance and regal imprints of the sections who have clinched it in the history of the college. The trophy was a symbol of ultimate toughness, grind and resilience.

Fast-forward to my present self, a highly apt individual distressed under the load of his dreams stuck in a cubicle with haphazard stacks of books, used pens and newspapers all around. The entire landscape around him is completely different with people all around him living under stress and dissatisfaction. The air which felt like an enormous source of brutal energy now had become a pack of cards which could be dishevelled anytime.

But actually it was a rebirth because this boy has taken up a challenge which demands immense dedication and numerous sacrifices. The phone, friends, movies, reels and casual slumber are like Apsaras who are trying their best to intoxicate him. There are a few but subtle differences in his quest for his purpose between now and then. Before it was Alexander who conquered the world with his men but now it is Abhimanyu who has to vanquish the phalanx of inner demons and fight against all odds to his last breath. His present self needs to realise that some goals are so worthy it is glorious even to fail. The idea itself of embarking upon a journey where one has to fight the world with innumerable valour and courage is very powerful.