GMCCOSA

A Soldier's Diary

8-2-07

‘Sirjee! Uth jao. High time you woke. Phir kisii ka phone aa jayega!’ YAWN- my response was an exaggerated stretching of the arms. The morning of day 1 of Euphoria 2007 ‘Resonance Of The Souls’ was going to be busy - what else can be expected with an SMS at the crack of the dawn! The next few hours were a rush of meetings and helter skelter running. After a prelim check of the stage, curtains, lighting and sounds came a shocker - the permission for the all night dance party was in jeopardy. The fire fighting began quickly. 2 CCs, 3 girls and I were dispatched to request for a rethink. The frustration got the better of one CC who broke down sending bile rising up our throats. Parleys over, we whizzed off in different directions.

This was followed by a meeting of the on stage committee (Supreet, Anita and I) with a faculty member. By then, one CC (Aman) was seen gesticulating wildly - his throat had gone sore and he had lost the punch of his voice even before the show began.

Soon, the biggest event of the MBBS began - Euphoria 2007 ‘Resonance Of The Souls’ was underway! The per-functionary speeches over, it was time for Euphoriography- the grandest one ever. Rahul Sharan, Meenal and their gang war had involved dances with bikes, chairs, basketballs and hander-kerchiefs much to the delight of the jiving crowds. This was followed by Utopia - the slide show by Reuben which showcased the GMCH way of (both real and reel) life. The tour-de-force was of course the comedy king of India - Bhagwant Mann who had the packed audi in splits. By the time Supreet and I wrapped up the proceedings and climbed off the stage, the champagne had been uncorked. The Dance party over, we sat for a late night review conference in the audi.

9-2-07

After a (glorious) 2.5 hours sleep, we all were back on our feet. The hostel was abuzz with the commanders-in-chief of Medi cricket, Vikas and Aditya, marshalling the teams for the matches later that day. Bleary eyed, I waved them off. The rest of the morn was spent in requesting the faculty to allow us to park their cars elsewhere as the parking area had to be cleared for the off stage events being conducted under the eagle eyes of Bhawna, Neha and others. In between doing odd jobs in the audi, I watched the events on stage and wrote a press note. By the time noon wore on, we all were busy with the preparation, invitations being distributed, LCD’s being procured, security being set (Kynta again shined!) … all of us were in frenzy. Evening finally came and I (with barely disguised glee!!) escorted the models from their retreat to the venue. ‘Yeh darwaza tera’ screamed CC Robin as he bestowed the security of the VIP (read Faculty) entry on me. ‘Models baad mein dekh lena’ he grinned! ‘No sweat bro’ I responded. I joined 2 batch buddies outside and we sneaked peeks of the fun inside through the gap in the door. Finally a few of us did get the chance of meeting the ramp scorchers (without the glitter and make up) back stage.

‘2k3 batch … DP venue ASAP’ the order on the walky talky and mobile was crisp. CC Vajinder spoke in a voice reserved for military drill masters. All of us raced over and then began the security drill of the previous night. By the time we slept (at 5.30am), a drunk delegate had been dispatched to the emergency - a feat that saw the boys of 2k1, 2k2 and 2k3 working in tandem to cement the security.

10-2-07

‘Waheguru! Eh meeh rok davo!’ CC Vajinder supplicated before the Almighty as I veered the car in the blinding drizzle which had placed our outdoor venue of the Mika night in danger. As we both drove all over the city to tie the loose ends, distribute the invitations, count the cash (over a lakh!!) and get demand drafts ready, reports kept streaming in … ‘Zirakpur sara booked hai’, ‘Woh s*** studio wala aadmi expensive bata raha hai’. Krishan had gone all over the city to find an alternative venue. Mika had arrived, barricades had been set up, light and sound was ready but the venue was a ditch due to the rains. The hurriedly arranged tarpaulin had surrendered. Aman and Ashish watched their hard work getting soaked in the rain. Suddenly an alternative venue came our way. Vajinder’s prayer (and Dr. Ravi Gupta’s tenacity) had worked. Phone lines and mobile phones shot into action as delegates, carpets, lights, sound system, tables, backdrops and other paraphernalia raced through the streets of Chandigarh. Meanwhile Harshabad and Kanika (2k4) had set the fest abuzz with their terrific MFEO event that had worked the packed audi to a crescendo.

At the venue, however, it was a security nightmare as Kynta, Sharan, juniors and I managed the crowds while Rajan, CCs, seniors and others worked inside. The moment the show began, our fatigue disappeared. Mika belted out the numbers while the euphoric crowds worked up into deafening roars. 2k3 also danced on stage with Mika! By pack up time, we were delirious with joy, congratulating on a job well done. Phone calls from the dance party venue got us crashing to the ground. The cars were zooming off again! The 3^rd day of the DP was a ROCKER, an absolute smash hit, continuing into the wee hours.

11-2-07

This was the grand finale. Clad in faded jeans, water logged boots (that squished at every step) and an unshaven stubble, I met Gaurav and Sukhtej who, along with Rahul Rai were creating miracles with the smooth conduct of the accommodation. They exchanged notes of their (rewarding and welcome!) stay in the girls’ hostel!! The audi was brimming over as my partner Sudivya (2k4) and I (with a sore throat!) got on with the prelims of the Mr and Miss Euphoria event - the highlight of the evening. By the time the band ‘Bhoomi’ had satiated the ecstatic crowds, we were all set for the event for which 8 (later 10) contestants had been finalized. The event went off well - a testimony to the sporting jury, crowds and hard work of my partner.

The closing ceremony was flawless. The shouting, dancing and photo ops over, it was time for an only-for - GMCHians rock show. A sumptuous dinner later, it was back-to-the-pavilion ... the Dance Party! This time all the sober fellows (like me) were involved in ferrying tipsy colleagues to the hostel (Kuch nahi badlaa hai folks!).

In these 4 days we learned more than the 4 ½ years of MBBS. Kudos and gratitude to Prof. Janmeja and Dr. Ravi Gupta who stood by us all along; to Prof C S Gautam for his tacit guidance and support; to all seniors and juniors who rallied around 2k3 to make this tour-de-force a success. We suffered fatigue, hoarse voices, bad hair days, frayed tempers, bruised knuckles, dead mobile batteries; one of us even had his car mangled. Another vivid memory is of standing in the rain with Robin, Rashi and Priyanka at 12.30 AM to meet a faculty member! In the end, however, 2003 batch especially the CCs Aman (Mickey), Robin (Mulls), Vajinder (Shakii) and the Org Secy Meenal (Rajey) had pulled off the impossible. For 4 days and the eternity beyond we shall all be the kings of great times! Cheers!

Divyanshoo Kohli

‘03 batch


Organizers of Euphoria, 2003 batch (left) and Euphoriography (right)