Nischay Parekh with his guitar at his Ballygunge home

Please come to Boston in the springtime, Joan Baez had sung in 1976. Guitarist Nischay Parekh, 20, will be returning to Boston in the summer of ’13. The student at Berklee College of Music will be there for three months for his third semester. Majoring in contemporary writing and production, he lives at 360 Newbury Street — parallel to the street where the bomb blast on Monday killed and maimed. The Ballygunge boy told Metro about life after the Boston blasts.

When I first heard of the two explosions near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on Boylston Street on Monday, I felt shock and concern for my friends. I quickly checked posts and comments on Facebook. I then contacted some friends and e-mailed them. Thankfully, everyone was all right.

I live on Newbury Street, which runs parallel to Boylston Street. But not for a minute did I feel that I should not go back to Boston next month. Such things can happen in the safest places on earth. The best colleges in the world are in Boston, it is a great city to be in and it will continue to be a great city because of its spirit. So something like this will be a small speck in what Boston is and what Boston represents.

There are a number of students of Asian or Indian descent at Berklee College of Music. As someone who is part of the student community there, I feel you cannot give in to the fear that such an act sets out to achieve. It is important to carry on.

Boston is a student town. I have friends from all parts of the world, and everyone feels at home there. I have never seen so many musicians at one place. There is a positive energy running through the streets.

On a nice breezy Sunday, if you walk down Boylston or Newbury, you will find nice sunlight, everyone will be wearing flip-flops, having ice creams, there’ll be a lot of music along the street. During fall, it’s a vibrant place with a Mediterranean atmosphere. You walk out on the streets and you have to smile. Every 10-15 steps you will find a group of musicians on the pavement, and people will stand and listen. In the Back Bay area, you will see kids walking around with a guitar or a trumpet.

(As told to Arindam Chatterjee)