"I wish there was a way to know you're in the good old days before you've actually left them.” Andy Bernard, The Office.
Just a month left for the three unforgettable days of August. And one cannot help but look back on their firsts—the first call marking your selection, the first meeting, the first pitch, the first friend…the list goes on. We recollect our rising anticipations and eager breaths; all to find out what will unfold in Malhar. This is a festival that has been around longer than we have been alive, yet every year, it feels like something new, something better.
There surely is something about your first Malhar. It overwhelms and welcomes you all at once. It finds you and you find its people - the people that make it all worth it. There's a certain bond you build during Malhar— not just with those around you, but with the campus itself. Staircases you walk across a hundred times, classrooms you have your weekly meetings in, the small place in the foyer where you sit to debrief with your team, the canteen stalls you visit before a group discussion; every square foot of this campus stores a story that is Malhar. And this Malhar is your story to write.
It will seem grand in the minuscule, yet vital moments. Echoed in the words of OC WPA, “So what makes Malhar Malhar, is that all the departments have small, small things.” When the IPA team finds itself on stage, after a शाम of practices, feels and sing-alongs; when the decorated DnM lounge is filled with flash mobs and group hugs; when FnD, who call themselves magicians for a reason, are right up front taking the shots that are just the perfect angle and lighting; when you get to know Logs are termed loyalists for a reason (beware that you will return to it always); when the LA lounge becomes the warm and lively space to sit and bond in after the tireless working of three days; you realise that the beauty of Malhar is all around you, and it’s yours to grab.
Common confessions have strewn the answers when one is asked, ‘How was your first Malhar?’ Audience perception looked something like this: Stranded in the line, waiting to get to the concert—“Oh my god, that concert was the craziest I’ve seen till now” or “The door closed after me. I was the last person to be taken in for the concert.” or “My first Malhar, I didn’t gain entry inside but after gaining entry into the workforce and seeing people’s joy as they got in, it was worth striving for.”
For many, it’s not a first attempt; it’s a second, even a third. There are members today who weren’t a part of the workforce their first year, who stood in the audience clapping for something they wanted so badly to be part of (some even texted the Malhar page to let them know). And yet, they tried again. They waited, worked, returned and now, they’re building and climbing the ladders of the fest they once watched from afar.
Over the years, we’ve realised the coveted entry is not all that we’re waiting for; we’re truly looking for a place full of passion and excitement, and maybe, just to catch a glimpse of your reflection in something you’ve worked for. For some, it’s making your loved ones proud as you handle another team of 120 or to stand on the stage and entertain an adrenaline-loaded audience, it’s the gush of happiness after setting a responsibility right and the electricity of connection (with your team, contingents, audience, sponsors or maybe, a celebrity).
In the most heartfelt manner, an FA OG described what her First Malhar felt like, “Suddenly it's all over and like, oh, we were just making memories and I wish I could do that part again.” So here’s to the ones doing this for the very first time. Find your people, find your favourite nook to hide and work in, find your favourite LR to have a meeting in, and above all, find your place in your department and surround yourself with the laughter and love.
Let your first Malhar happen to you; there is nothing quite like it. Because it is a fest that gives back as much as it demands. And yes, things can go awry. It may not be exactly as planned, but it’ll be real—messy, magical and real. Something for you to replay in your head over and over again.