I was not an XL sentimentalist fanboy.
The first week seemed a tad excessive at the time, with the 'home away from home' speech and drunk seniors huddled together, hoarsely singing 'XL Meri Jaan' while vainly trying to hold back tears.
Maybe a sedate 2nd year allowed us to lift our noses up from the grindstone. Maybe the prospect of a hard adjustment from the idyllic, festive college life to the brutal, isolating sales stint turns people nostalgic even before they've left campus. Doesn't matter why. Over time, XL worked its magic.
The gooey emotions of XL culture gradually seeped into me. Once you get a little bit of it on you, it overcomes you, like that black bodysuit violently overcomes Eddie Brock in the church scene in Spider-Man 3. That movie had potential. It could easily have been better if it wasn't so unfocused and confused. Much like my life at XL. But I digress.
My apathetic shell finally cracked a few days ago while bidding goodbye to my exchange friends for the last time. I felt a gentle knot in my heart thinking how much worse saying goodbye to all my friends would be in two months' time. In effect, this round of farewell acted as preparation. It's similar to how according to psychologists, the death of a pet better prepares you for losing a family member. (Apologies for comparing exchange students to pets - poor analogy).
I'm treading uncharted waters of sentimentality here. Going home after the first term felt like oxygen, now it feels like leaving something behind. En route home for one final term break, I got emotional thinking about how emotional I would be on the 18th of February. This place has turned me into a sappy monster. I haven't cried since Tendulkar delivered his retirement speech in 2013. Last day at XL would be the hardest test since.
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About the Author:
Abhishek Tahlan is a second-year student of Business Management at XLRI Jamshedpur and is part of the InsideIIM student team for 2016-17.