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“The atrium has a soul of its own.”
It was 3:00 a.m. in the night. I walked down the corridor with an assignment in my hand, tired and weary. One more assignment down-with about a gazillion in the pipeline. As I trotted down the road from the student village to the atrium, I wondered why, in a place that taught operational efficiency, someone would place the drop box at the other end of the campus.
As I marched on, cursing under my breath, I noticed the breeze whispering in my ears. Ignore, my brain said, you are on a mission. The stars beamed down at me; you’re a novice they said. You are not the first; you definitely are not the last. I pretended not to hear. My brain nudged me, complete your mission, you need some sleep. I obeyed and looked the other way.
But my ordeal did not end there. The half-lit night beckoned to me, whispering magical sweet-nothings in my ear. Moonlight danced on the flowers and the lawns. Nothing had changed, but suddenly everything had- the nightfall was a different experience, almost surreal and magical. The lamps reflected light from the moon creating beautiful snowy mounds of brightness. Dewdrops shimmered on the leaves. The heady smell of freshly cut grass filled the air. A squirrel crossed my path. Don’t you ever sleep, I asked. She simply laughed at me and scurried on. Focus! My brain chided, for the last time. Shhh! Enough! The heart intervened. Let her go! I braved on.
Silence gushed through the night; I could hear the sound of my heartbeat. The hallway lights glimmered in the breeze, creating shadows and reflections. I neared the end of my journey I had embarked on alone. Drunk on the light, the scent of the wind and the sound of the night, I was thoroughly bewitched. I finally reached the majestic atrium. I had been there so many times, but just as the stars had warned… I still stood mesmerized. Suddenly sleep seemed trivial and so did everything else.
Though exhausted, I felt more alive than ever before. All my questions were answered, all my doubts dissolved. This is it. This is why I am here. This is where I belong. This is what bound me to 770 other souls. As I stood there, the atrium filled me with its infinite strength.
I had walked down alone but I was never lonely. As someone correctly said, the atrium has a soul of its own.
Ratti Bhalla
ISB Co2013