Disclaimer: Another delay, another excuse, so the tradition continues. But in my defence, the past week was so packed with events that I had to make a very real choice: live those moments as they unfolded, or rush back to my laptop to relive them through a Sunday blog. I chose the former, at the cost of my self-imposed deadline. Discipline will try to make a comeback, but with the PGPX journey inching toward its final three months, I make no promises. Instead, brace yourselves for more unexplained delays and increasingly long-winded reflections, equal parts nostalgia, gratitude, and the occasional cribbing, on the good, the bad, and everything in between.

Week-35 here refers to the week of December 15, 2025 to December 21, 2025. The week felt like the beginning of the end, and it wasted no time reminding us that academics always take precedence at IIM Ahmedabad. Term-05 officially kicked off, and almost overnight, conversations shifted back to assignments, projects, and course material, firmly reclaiming their place at the center of campus life. The saving grace in all of this was our return to the seats originally assigned back in Term-01, a small change that unexpectedly stirred up a wave of nostalgia. It brought back memories of PGPX Section-A’s relentless meme game and its unmatched trolling energy, a reminder of how the batch once bonded over chaos, humour, and zero boundaries. Off the record, the past nine months have tested and stretched us beyond anything we could have imagined. And there is a reason why, even now, sitting in those familiar seats and laughing at the same old jokes brings back the exact sense of comfort and belonging we felt at the very beginning of the PGPX journey. Those moments remind us that despite everything changing around us, the intensity, the pressure, the priorities, something at the core still feels like home.

The academics took center stage once again, and Monday delivered a fresh wave of panic and anxiety we had almost forgotten to associate with 08:45 AM classes. By Tuesday, you could still spot people scrambling through corridors, racing against time, trying, and often failing, to make it to class on time. And this week was only the beginning. With just the core courses back in motion, the cohort already looked a little frayed around the edges. One can only imagine the chaos that awaits when electives kick in from next week. Watching the PGPX cohort sprint across campus at 08:50 AM, juggling classrooms scattered across the red bricks, will be a scene to behold, and a strangely nostalgic one too, echoing the frenzy we lived through nine months ago. It takes us back to the chaos of nine months ago, when every morning felt like a race and every classroom felt like a finish line. Only this time, the finish line is much closer, and the nostalgia has already begun to set in.

The entire week was packed with events and outings that left me exhausted and energized in equal measure. I even ended up watching Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar once again, drawn as much by its unapologetic gore and violence as by the story itself. But to sit back and enjoy a Bollywood film after so long felt refreshing in its own right, almost like rediscovering a piece of routine I did not know I had missed.

I also wandered through a flea market over the weekend, where everything was priced astronomically, or at least it felt that way from a student’s perspective. Still, I managed to score a really good pesto and an equally excellent truffle-and-mushroom dip, which instantly elevated the entire outing from a casual stroll to a culinary triumph. And just when I thought the experience could not get any better, nostalgia stepped in: a brightly coloured popsicle stand that reminded me of childhood summers. Yes, the prices were ridiculous, but somehow, that cold, overpriced, memory-laden popsicle turned an already good experience into a great one.

But the standout outing of the week had to be my first proper in-person cricket match on Friday: a T20 clash between India and South Africa. Technically, this was my second attempt at a first live cricket match, but this time, the experience truly delivered, and then some. I walked into the stadium fully expecting to be equally bamboozled and amazed, and somehow, I still was not prepared for what unfolded.

What followed was a sensory overload in the best possible way: electric enthusiasm crackling through the stands, collective outrage over every wide ball and every missed chance, and thousands of strangers instantly turning into comrades united by shared abuses, cheers, and heartbreak. The goosebumps hit hardest when the crowd erupted into patriotic chants, only to be abruptly ambushed by Shakira’s Waka Waka blaring through the speakers (an insider joke you truly had to be there to understand, or suffer through). It is the kind of experience that refuses to be neatly captured in words, where the noise, chaos, laughter, and collective madness make you realise why cricket, in India, is more than just a sport.

While it was a fairly comfortable win for the Indian side, it would be unfair not to acknowledge the grit and fighting spirit that the South African team brought to the field. They held their ground, fought hard, and made the contest interesting in phases. That said, when you are in India, loyalty is non-negotiable; you bleed blue. And that night was no different, as the Indian Cricket Team cruised to a convincing victory, with the stands roaring in unison and every cheer echoing pure, unfiltered joy. And just like that, I wrapped up my second attempt at what still very much felt like my first live cricket match: louder, brighter, and more chaotic than expected.

The weekend also witnessed a steady stream of alumni, along with students from the PGP and PGPX batches, returning to campus for their reunions. While the curated events and their interactions with current students were inspiring and insightful in their own way, what truly stood out was the effortless camaraderie they shared, even years after leaving these red bricks behind. The familiar smiles, the uninhibited laughter echoing through corridors they once called home, and the ease with which they reminisced about shared struggles, successes, and failures were a sight to behold. It was impossible not to feel a quiet sense of hope, and a little longing, that the PGPX batch of 2025-26 will carry forward the same bonds, the same warmth, and an even stronger sense of togetherness long after we, too, step beyond these walls.

All these moments of shared experiences and laughter point toward the same quiet hope for our own batch, that the bonds we are forming will endure. When you have gone through the same pressure, the same relentless grind, and the same academic battering that defines life at IIM Ahmedabad, something deeper than routine friendship takes shape. The shared trauma, the late nights, and the collective suffering have a way of stitching people together in ways few other experiences can. What emerges are bonds that extend far beyond classrooms and corridors, friendships that outlive the red bricks of this institution and stay with you long after the campus becomes a memory rather than a daily reality.