St. Mary College of Computer Sciences is very crowded today. Hustling and bustling with the noises of thousands of students who are going to get their diploma certificate on this felicitation day.
Finally today is the day when they will get a piece of paper where it will be written in bold letters that now they are ready to achieve all their dreams.
But everyone's minds are working in unison that today they will step out of this demonic place partly aware of the things that are awaiting them in the real world.
Around half an hour is left in the start of the event. The graduates, all lively and smiling, gathered in the huge playground, busy hugging their friends and shaking hands with their frenemies wishing each other good luck with the real world that sucks as hell.
A large number of parents have also come to see their children graduating. They don't want to miss a moment of this prestigious day. Many groups of parents can also be seen who are interacting with each other smiling.
The controller of the facilitation ceremony has handed over the details of the events happening today to Rosa Green who is the anchor of today's show.
For the last three years, she has always been in the top 3 in academics. A beautiful girl with a baby face, warm smile, brown eyes and dark black hairs, she is a beauty with brain with some excellence in athletics and linguistics too.
She has been the triathlon champion every year in the last three years and is fluent in Spanish, German and Russian besides her mother tongue English.
Rosa took a glance at the paper and nodded yes with a smile to the chancellor and then indulge herself in briefing the event participants the last time so that everything should go as per the order.
The bell rang at 11 and everyone got assembled in the auditorium where Mrs. Karen is greeting everyone with a bouquet of flowers.
The auditorium has two rows for students and parents respectively with the first seats in each row are reserved for college officials.
Mrs Karen has been working in this college for more than 15 years now and she knows every student in this batch by name. No doubt she is the best Chief of Staff of this college for ten years in a row now.
The names of the graduates are written on their respective chairs and everyone gets seated on their designated seats.
Since chaos is the ultimate truth of life, the co-anchor of Rosa Green has not appeared even after the ringing of the bell. She hurriedly went to the controller to report the same.
Mrs Haynes greeted Rosa in the cabin. "Rosa, the bell already rang. What are you doing here?"
Rosa, "Mrs. Haynes, my co-anchor, hasn't reported yet. Am I supposed to carry on this event by myself now?"
Mrs Haynes, "Yes, actually Fidel has reported a stomach ache and pulled out. Edwards will be your co-anchor. He is waiting for you on the dash. You should hurry now."
Listening to Eddie's name, Rosa frowned, knowing something is fishy.
She walked up to the dash where Eddie greeted her. "Hello crush, you are wreaking havoc in all black dress."
Eddie is a lean built but muscular guy with hazel eyes and short nose. What makes him cute are his two small dimples that appear when he smiles.
Rosa, "İn India, there's a tradition of tying a thread on the wrist of the brother symbolizing the relation of siblings. İ should have done that long ago.
Eddie, "İn India, there is also a tradition of tying a mangalsutra (wedding necklace) on the bride symbolizing the relation of spouse. Would you go on a date with me if I do that?"
Rosa, turning red, said, "Focus on the event" and turned to greet the graduates as the curtain raised.
The whole auditorium is filled with the sounds of clapping of hands. Everyone stood up from their seat as a college dean with the HODs of various departments and other professors came to take their seats in the front row.
The rock music started playing in the background as Rosa and Eddie invited the dean to light the candle and let the event begin.
With firm steps, the dean along with the vice-chancellor lit the candle and stepped on the dash to address the graduating students.
The Dean is a very tall person with sharp and observant eyes in his mid-50s. Just when he held the mic, someone from the students shouted 'first floor came' which was the dean's nickname. But this time he laughed and patted the dash.
Welcoming everyone with a warm smile, the Dean gave his last lesson to the students. He talked about life and its meaning as well as how the world outside sometimes coincides with life and sometimes becomes each other's enemies.
The graduates felt that they learned way more in this 45-minute addressal than in the last three years. And the whole time Eddie was poking and staring Rosa like this is the last time he is looking at her.
After the Dean went off, Rosa and Eddie took the stage and introduced the rock music band of the college for their performance. The whole auditorium welcomed them with claps.
After the performance of the band, came the turn of solo singers. Two boys and two girls participated.
Rosa's eyebrows raised when she saw Fidel singing as a participant. Eddie looked down out of embarrassment when Rosa looked at him.
Then came the turn of duet singers where Eddie and Rosa also sang a song together. When they were singing, Fidel, from the second row, stood up and started whistling. Eddie gave him a thumbs up. Seeing this, Rosa looked at Eddie with anger in her eyes and a smile on her face.
The ceremony ended with an engrossing dance, a jaw-dropping performance by a couple performing salsa. All in all the event was a treat to the eyes for the audiences.
Then came the turn of felicitating the graduates. There were various medals kept on a plate alongside the certificate with the name of the students.
The Dean again stepped on the dash along with the vice chancellor. Rosa and Eddie were calling the names and one by one the graduates were coming and receiving the medal, the certificate and memorabilia from the dean.
When Rosa called Eddie's name, he held her hand tightly and looked into her eyes silently, like saying, "Can I receive it with you?"
Rosa unconsciously agreed and they both walked towards the dean and received their respective medals, certificates and memorabilia.
Now the vice chancellor called the top 3 on stage for a special trophy. Dean handed over the trophy to all the three students including Rosa. Eddie clapped and blinked at Rosa. His face shows he is the happiest person on earth.
When the event ended, students, college officials and the parents started leaving the auditorium and gathered in the playground one last time.
Students hugging each other, parents hugging their children and College officials shaking hands with their students and the parents. The graduates were taking selfies among each other promising to be in touch even after college.
Lots of students were talking and taking selfies with the dean and he was sharing his final words of wisdom to his students. Then every graduate assembled alongside the dean and tossed their graduation cap in unison.
When everyone started going back after all the celebrations, Rosa held Eddie's hand and stopped him to have a talk.
Eddie, "These three hours were the best of the last three years."
Rosa, "You messed up by giving strawberries in the farewell and this time you schemed to become co-anchor."
Eddie, in a very low pitch voice and moist eyes, "I just wanted to be with you on this last day". Emotions were pouring out of his eyes.
Rosa, "I was joking. I love strawberries. Eddie, let's have a date. I will tell you the place and the time."
Rosa went away saying this without looking back and Eddie stood there frozen.