Entering the last week of my journey in India, I feel a heavy weight on my chest. It’s a mixture of sadness – realising that I’m no longer going to be travelling with the incredible group of people that I’ve come to really love; confusion – finding it a struggle to wrap my head around the diverse range of experiences presented to me, as if I’m trying to piece together a gargantuan puzzle without being able to see the pieces; nervousness – knowing that I’ve metamorphosed into a drastically different person, unsure of how to best incorporate my learnings from this journey into my life going forward; and doubt – wondering if I’m going to easily revert back to my old routines once I get home, instead of working towards the dreams that I’ve come to wholeheartedly believe in.
A visit to Maitreyi College worked as the best holistic antidote to the concoction of my uncomfortable feelings.
Maitreyi College, a constituent college of the University of Delhi was established in 1967, teaching only girls. Since its establishment, it has earned an A++ Grade in its second cycle of NAAC accreditation which places it amongst the top 6 colleges of University of Delhi. For the current year, the college has an all-India NIRF rank of 36.
On arrival, we were ushered into a small conference room, equipped with a speaker’s podium and a step-height stage. One by one, each IndoGenius student was partnered up with a student of Maitreyi College. My buddy, Aliya – meaning “the one who stays at the top” in Hindi, is studying a Bachelor of Physics (Honours). She was warm, friendly, and well-spoken. Thanks to her, there wasn’t a single moment when I felt disoriented while I was at Maitreyi College. Over the course of two short half-days at Maitreyi College, we bonded over each other’s intellectual curiosity, artistic expressions, and personal philosophies. Despite coming from vastly different backgrounds, rather than letting our differences create a rift, we built a bridge of understanding – and more importantly, acceptance – on the foundations of an open mind and the support of a genuine desire to want to learn about each other.
Aliya gifted me a beautiful watercolour painting of a house. This house had my name on it, as well as the slogan “Good House”. It’s to be a symbol of my happy days in India. A time capsule of joy. One which I can look at to remind myself of the fondness that I feel towards this country, especially when I’m feeling a bit down and need a pick me up. On the back of the painting was a brief description of the Japanese concept Wabi-Sabi, which is a philosophical idea that embraces imperfection, finding beauty in the inherent flaws and uniqueness in objects and experiences. As a perfectionist, there is no better concept for me to anchor myself to!
Aliya’s thoughtfulness was very touching. She put in an immense amount of effort to create the artwork for me, and we had only met the previous day. I feel incredibly grateful to be a recipient of such a warm gesture.
Travelling from South to North India, a recurring theme has been reciprocity. To make sure that there’s an equal exchange of energy. Without knowing that Aliya would gift me a watercolour painting, I wrote a poem titled “Searching Through Consciousness”, that was to be a parting gift for her. It discusses courage in the face of discomfort, appreciation for life, and acceptance of the uncertainty that accompanies change. Additionally, I added a quote from my favourite poem “Invictus”, written by William Ernest Henley. The quote is “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.”
She didn’t ask for me to write a poem, and I didn’t ask for her to draw me a painting. This exchange of our artistic expressions feels like the most appropriate way to conclude my time in India. To leave knowing that I’ve left a positive impact on even just one person. It may not make a difference to India, but it makes a world of a difference to that one person. For I know that my world has changed forever.