College days are the best years of one’s life and one never forgets the friendships made that result in happy reunions after years. However, Partition denied that chance to those born and educated during that period. My maternal grandfather Mittar Man Singh Kahlon was one of those unfortunate ones. He never got the opportunity to catch up or go to reunions after graduating from Government College, Lahore, in 1947.His was the last batch to graduate before the Radcliffe Line partitioned the country.As a popular Punjabi saying goes ‘Jis Lahore nahi vekheya, oh jamiya hi nahi’. We never saw Lahore, but through my grandfather’s nostalgic remembrances it seemed we knew the city. My grandfather often remembered his days in Quadrangle and New Hostel in Government College, Lahore, and never forgot to mention that he shared his alma mater with Dev Anand, Khushwant Singh, Allama Iqbal, Faiz Ahmad Faiz and many other greats. He also would speak about his deep bonds with Sarjit Singh and Satpal Mahajan (who went on to become ministers in India) among many other friends left on the other side of the border.From tasting the best of confectionaries at Faletti’s Hotel to roaming around in Anarkali Bazar, Lahore, remained etched in his memories. It was in Lahore that he made his first foray into the Freedom Movement when he organised a massive student rally at Gol Bagh for Pandit Nehru.After four years of FA (Class XII equivalent in the colonial era) and later BA, my grandfather had to make the perilous journey to cross into India with only memories of his beloved Lahore, never to return.Gurnoor Grewal, ChandigarhTribuneindia.com invites contributions to SHAHARNAMA. Share anecdotes, unforgettable incidents, impressionable moments that define your cities, neighbourhoods, what the city stands for, what makes its people who they are. Send your contributions in English, not exceeding 250 words, to shaharnama@Jattvibemail.comDo include the name of your city and your social media handles (X/ Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn)