“I am made of memories” - Patroclus, The Song of Achilles
Days’ done, gone, the sun. From the woods, from the foyer, from the gates. One final glance to take it all in as you depart the now silent and damp quadrangle is perhaps not enough - not with everything that has transpired.
Conversations shared, art cherished, celebrities welcomed, bucket lists checked, cars parked, events wrapped, lights shone, traditions established, stalls visited, performances enjoyed, goals fulfilled, eyes twinkled, choreos performed, mistakes committed, decibels screamt & 10,000 steps walked – all have been given their due glory. Maybe the rain got too much and the night got darker, but a spark so bright was born in everybody’s heart that final night, one that will always guide us ahead.
The Malhar aftermovie (created by our very own FnD department) very rightly unveiled the ‘creation’ of this fest when our OC Technicals, Alfy George, quoted “Let there be light.” And indeed there was light. Through 72 hours of this college festival, numerous worlds emerged, brought life to the college, and concluded by creating a massive bubble of experiences in its wake. “I think the world within is the journey, not the destination.” Tracing this journey of 5 months gives meaning to the places in Xavier's, and it's something you carry in your heart as memories, as photographs, and inside jokes and even innuendos. It’s something that bonds you. As our LA OG Riya Vora said, “Because the M-Office was just a room till a late-night pizza party, and the college hall was just a hall till echoes of the workforce resounded in its packed walls.”
Upon being asked, “What does Malhar mean to your department?” the testimonials from our workforce go something like this;
“Malhar gives you the option of becoming someone you never thought you’d be. The shy person becomes the most lovable, the latecomer the best speaker, the silent classmate an incredible leader. You see people step into roles and fill them so beautifully. Each person holds value, no matter what position they are in. You grow as a team member, as a friend, as a person. Malhar lets you discover a version of yourself you may never have found otherwise.” - LA OC, Rhea Taparia
“We're just too invested in each other. When we're working, all of us work so hard. All of us are sweating.” - Security OC, Anuj Magar
“Legacy. Legacy. ‘Log-acy’ We build the world, bro.” - Logistics OG, Sneha Peres
“It is an ecosystem surviving on 4-5 hours of sleep. Everyone waiting to crash but hoping desperately that it doesn't end - because whenever it does, it will be too soon. Because at the end of the day, it gives you a sense of belonging.” - LA OG, Pia Oza
“I hope everyone sort of gets a chance to be part of Malhar” - WPA OC, Ashwika Srivastava
“Between the madness and the quiet moments,
There lies the comfort that someone cares.
A smile to make you feel better, a hand to hold your pain together,
chances taken to trust another, a small life we’ll cherish forever.
The 2 days we’ve waited for,
Anxiety creeps in while you stand confident on your feet.
For in a mistake, you could lose it all,
Yet there’s courage in facing the fall.”
-LA OG, Rhea Dmello
“Audiences have their own space in our workshops. We, as a team, make sure that the audience is as involved as possible. They're just not coming as spectators. They get to learn and to create since we try to make it as lively for them as possible. It's an experience. We ensure that they get something to take home from us.” - WINC OC, Mrunmayi Gangal
And a flurry of “This was so good. Oh my God, this was so good.” followed each element of this universe. This was LA’s “so good” from Malhar ‘25:
“LA has truly felt like home, and the tears shed on the final night were akin to those shed when moving out of your childhood bedroom. We all pour our heart and soul into Malhar - and perhaps the beauty of it all is seeing the strands strewn in our work, transform into literal magic and stardust that gets sprinkled down on us in the quad during the aftermovie, which is finally preserved in our cardolates.” - LA OG, Rhesa Rose Rony
“As we struggle to find reprieve in the dawning of each morrow.
But perhaps these memories aren't a remnant of what was lost,
Perhaps these are evergreen moments forever in our hearts, placed, nay, embossed.
Amidst life's different paths, her endless games,
We look back upon these shared times, these memories like unquenchable flames.
So, I dare thee, gods above, to take from me what I've gained,
Be it each smile received or treasured friend claimed.”
-LA Volunteer, Kevin George
“ I think it really managed to bring out the best, most beautiful, and kindest version of every single one of us. I'm gonna miss having some place to go whenever I am free, always being met with familiar faces” - LA Volunteer, Ash
The way we remember these days manifests differently for each one of us - some keep their t-shirts in an already overflowing memory box, some re-read these blog posts, others keep rewatching their Instagram recap stories, and a few of us (hopefully) keep calling the friends they've made- but the reasons we do it never change: we can't bear to forget this - not something that gave us so much!
There's a quote by Iain Thomas on how when there's a last time for a group of people spending time together, there should be a golden light that signifies it, just so they can cherish it to the fullest. And so under the gleaming light of the aftermovie, with everyone hugging and holding hands, we lived it. It felt like a world- and now, we can say, undoubtedly, that a world ends with a smile, and definitely not a small amount of grateful tears.
Someone told us that the blogs feel like a warm cup of चाय, and if that is true, comment if you have become चाय addicts too. Here’s to wishing you (our beloved readers) have picked upon our pieces littered throughout the 11 blogs — so at the finish line, these teary-eyed writers sign off,
Gressica Gandhi and Neeraja Gokhale,
for स्वAR 2025.