An Anecdote From my Life

Jobs & Careers
127

I don't know what had pushed me to ask her that.

“What are you talking about?” she was obviously surprised and her tone attested that.

“I fell for you (pause)… I love you,” I was confessing without committing any crime.

(Silence…)

It felt like everything surrounding us fell silent. She didn't utter a single word and deep within I had already started regretting.

“Never ever expect any answer from me,” said Suhasi who was sitting in the back seat of my bike.

This was one of the few sentences she had spoken since the moment I proposed to her.

*****************************

(Years Later)

Sunday, 3 October

I had almost forgotten that I used to write diary. It has been around three years and it's good that Diwali-safaai has brought something nice back into my memory. I just have gone through all the pages and laughing out loud. I was silly.

Suhasi is right when she said that there was a time when I was crazy for her.

I had left my diary incomplete. So let me complete the story. There is a long works-still-to-be-done list waiting for me so I can't elaborate everything the way I used to.

I don't know from where I should start. Ok...

I and Suhasi didn't talk for days. I almost ignored her. I was embarrassed because even after being given a word of caution I crossed all sort of lines of foolishness and proposed to her. Days were passed and piled up to make months.

Akshat had now become Suhasi's good friend. Unexpectedly, it was he who bridged the communication gap.

Formal conversations with her were started all over again. I had deleted her number. There was a reason.

One day I was so drunk (yes, my short stint of drinking had started in 2nd year) that I was on the brink of sending her a long love letter. We Engineers do most of the blunders when drunk. But somehow I controlled myself and deleted her number instead so that nothing could persuade me to commit the same mistake I did a year ago.

Hi, bye, occasional how are you went on for more than a year. There were rumors that there was something cooking between Akshat and Suhasi but it was too late for me to care about these things. I used to talk to Suhasi just like a mutual friend. Then one day it all changed.

Go to this link to read last part:

http://www.pagalguy.com/news/diary-romeo-last-part-a-18168836/

128

It was the programming lab. The pairs which were formed in first year, including that of Akshat and Suhasi, were still holding true.

“Send me the code,” I whispered just to make me heard to Akshat. Since first year I have been running the same program Akshat runs.

After a long wait of 15 minutes I got the code but it had nothing to do with the given program.

I compiled it. A black screen appeared asking me to type any number. I did.

“Do you love me?” an output popped up.

I was stunned; probably the same way she got one and half year ago.

I pressed 'Enter' again.

Another message appeared on screen.

“Of course you do. Jaayega kaha...”

I pressed Enter again, this time so hard in excitement that the key couldn't recover and it kept printing on screen:

“I love you too…”

“I love you too…”

“I love you too…”

…

…

…

I had to close the program. It was not only I but also Suraj, who was sitting beside me, staring at this unusual output the program had given. When I looked at the side where Akshat and Suhasi were sitting, Akshat gave me an ugly looking flying kiss and for a moment I thought it was a joke. But a few seconds later Suhasi looked at me with her smile, which I was noticing after a long time, as if trying to complete what we had left incomplete at that mall.

It might be a cliché but so true that with time we tend to start taking things for granted. There was a time when she first came to me to ask whether we can go on an outing. That day I kept thinking about her until I fell asleep. The day I got her phone number I woke up early next morning, which was a holiday, just to check whether her message awaiting any reply.

I am afraid but all this excitement seems like been eroded with time. Sometimes I don't pick her calls; don't reply to her pings because everything seems like 'it is meant to be here'. But this diary has spruced up my heart all over again. She had forbidden me to bring her a present the day when we had first planned to meet outside the boundaries of college and I took her words so seriously that I didn't bring her any present till now.

So the next Sunday would be a surprise for her.

My thanks to you diary and accept my apologies because once again you are going to be deserted as no matter how many words I write, writing a diary would still seem to me as a stupid idea.

END…


129

I Just don't understand why people cant understand the language of a Heart . Why spoken words are always easily understood and trusted.

I see many Boys flirting with girls. They always praise girls in front of them. Like - The Saree looking beautiful on you, you are looking beautiful today. OMG,Your kajal just makes your eyes look perfect.

Why don't girls see that the one who really likes it doesn't convey it to her. People have thing in their heart which cannot be spoken by mouth, nor be listened by ears.

A heart's language is understood by another heart in its own way.

How this world is, like let's say, 2 boys Veer & Rishi like a girl.

Veer who doesn't love the girl but proposes her with 'I Love You,' she knows he doesn't mean it yet she would prefer this act of Veer rather than Rishi's silence who loves her madly (She knows it too) but cant propose her, fearing lest he should lose her.

People who have love in their heart are generally not that expert to play with words which a girl can be impressed of. When they say 'take care' they really mean it. Not like saying 'take care' every time a call is ended, or a chat/sms is ended for a thousand time even when it wasn't meant for a single time.

Recognize the language of the heart (Supported by your eyes)

130

Hmm, so what do you guys think about it, can we?

I tell you what I think about it but after this interesting conversation I had with my friend Avinash and Gaurav.

"Can we love twice?, Avi?" I asked him as we were talking on the same matter.

"Why Twice." Avi answered. It meant he did not believe love to do twice, I thought.

"Ok, Avi says it cant happen twice. what do you say, Gaurav?" I asked Gaurav.

Before Gaurav would say anything, Avinash interrupted, " When did I say it can't happen twice?"

"So what was that meant?" Gaurvav asked.

"I meant Why twice only. I mean we can go to 'n' no. of times," Avi justified what he meant. he was giggling to his silly thing while still trying to show how serious he was in what he believed.

"Falling in love is that easy, Avi?" I spoke to Avi in a way that it could be strong sarcasm.

"It is Rohit," Avi snapped his fingers.

Gaurav and I exchanged Glances.

"Even It can happen simultaneously with 2 or more girls," he finished and we all burst out laughing.

Different people think differently about it. In my view, people's view has become a bit casual. Maybe they take things for granted. Love now a days comes with a "condition applied" thing and what not.

Now coming back to the title 'can we love twice?'

it depends on the following two conditions if we can love twice(Truly):

1. Like if I really love someone. She loves me back. We get married. Then there are no chances I will love any other girl again as daily I will like to fall in love with the same person whom I fell in love first(and last).

2. If I love someone. She doesn't. I try hard. She's still untouched. Years gone, we fell apart. Then, maybe I can find someone else for whom I might have the same feeling as love. And then Love can happen twice.

"A complete love never happens twice."


131

Just got an opportunity to Write.Wow!! My head just toppled on the laptop keyboard on imagining what all can I write,how can I write? Is it good to reproduce exactly the same adventure twice, or just fabricating a story with anecdotes and alike Abdullah who used to be a marvellous raconteur in And the mountains echoed by Khaled Hosseini. Can writing be as fun as playing angry birds competing with ourselves just once more,one last time keep bumping at the back of the mind to make reading more realistic and artistic which make us loose the time within a snap?

Just for 2 seconds analyzing the chain of questions was like sewing with left hand and typing with right hand.I composed myself and said "Cool" in Rajnikant's Style in Boss. Writing has always been an intimidating task which daunted me during all of my childhood.Being born watching stars some among them like Michael Jordan, APJAbdul Kalam, Goku of DragonBallZ was an additional delicious scoop added to evict misery by deflecting me from giving a shot at Writing thus making it a bit of plain sailing task.

Writing was just like giving your thoughts the wings to fly afar beyond the boundaries of age and time, love and pain,mind and soul transplanting its seeds in the minds of people capable of sowing their gardens with fresh,ready to sprout like ideas.Chained by the collusion of Societies orthodox techniques was victorious to some degree in inhibiting my progress in creating my own authentic design.

Words gave the strength to my soul and become the Blades of Kratos (God of War) realizing that the loss of dream can crush the little munchkin living inside each of us. Thus following the adage"Life is hard by yard;inch by inch it's a cinch" started exploring the sources of knowledge which perpetuated and influenced me to explore the new horizons in writing.

132

So, what can be said about books? Ah, books... Unfortunately, there are not enough young people who like to read in India. It seems like an unpopular hobby; something that isn't 'cool'. I firmly disagree with this. Books have the abilisty to take you to another world, to stimulate your imagination and transport you to places you've never been before. Books can be long, short, big or small. Books can have a mixture of pictures and hundreds upon hundreds of words. Books can be exciting, scary, thrilling and confusing. But, above all, books can be interesting.you asked me how come interest in reading Books.why because one of friend is always reading some things.i was really impressed by him.he is nearly my room.ah !!! that is the main reason. ok !! Now i am proudly say i am also keen in reading books.

So, what's your favourite book? Actually, that's a silly question. How daft of me. How can you only have one favourite book in the whole world? For me... a favourite series has to be the Harry Potter series by J.K.Rowling. I don't have a favourite book out of the seven, but I do have preferences as to which I most enjoy reading. My favourite book is the third one. I'm not completely sure why; I suppose it's because in this book Harry finally feels like he has a true family. My least favourite book is probably one of the latter ones, either the sixth or seventh book. Both of these books, to me, feel like they don't have the same 'magic' as the previous ones.

Another of my favourite series is His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman. This trilogy is all about the adventures of a young girl called Lyra and her daemon, Pantalaimon. It is filled with adventure, despair, intrigue and suspense; this is one of the main reasons why it appeals to me so much. There is such a variety of subjects and stories that the books were very difficult to put down when I first read them. They still are to this day in fact.Here's a small selection of my favourite books:

The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings

The Dark Tower Series

The Twilight Series

The Da Vinci Code + books by Dan Brown

By

Muniyasamy Sachu.P !!!


133

A friend lost her bag to two bag-snatchers one morning. She was returning home in an auto, after a night shift at the airport and the pickpockets, who were on bike, grabbed the bag while both vehicles were in motion. My friend who did not let go of the bag, engaged in a tussle with the pickpockets. But on finding herself being thrown out of the auto, she let go. The auto-driver chased the bike for a while but finally lost it to a maze of vehicles.

My friend who was in shock and bruised, headed straight to the closest police station. The police officer first asked for the exact location and sent a constable with the auto driver to identify the spot. This constable returned to say the location technically did not come under its authority.

She had to go to another police station.

There, she waited for an hour after which the first question the officer asked was: “Exactly kahaan hogaya chori madam?” After he was convinced about the site, he bombarded her with a barrage of questions. At the end, she was handed a small piece of paper which listed the stolen items. No FIR.

All this time, the auto driver kept telling the police that he could identify the culprits, for a sketch – no one bothered. He finally left but not before leaving his cell number with my friend.

The stolen bag was new and cost Rs 8,000. It contained a smart phone, lots of bills, a few thousand rupees in cash, precious religious articles and important identity cards - which meant no entry to her workplace (airport.) To avail of a temporary identity card, she had to go back to the police for a paper, which it should have handed over to her the first day itself.

She gave her phone IMEI number to the police as well but nothing came from it.

Days passed - no progress. A local politician had died and every time she called, she was told police were on bandobast.

The case hit the newspapers as 3 more similar incidents were recorded in the same area.

The police called, asked her to come to come over for an FIR. A DCP also called her to offer his condolences and to assure that his team was trying its best to locate her bag. A few days later, she was called again to give a statement on how satisfied she was with the investigations! An hour later she was called again by another police officer who instructed her to not go to the police station. The calls continued randomly.

On all her visits, she asked the police to only retrieve her identity cards as she had to make several trips to the local airport for a temporary one. Finally, after many weeks, a senior police officer called her. He said: "I have a statement with me which says you FORGOT your bag in the auto!"

She gave up.

135

I'm lying on bed with the television on and a gadget named laptop on my stomach with an unlimited internet plan to go with it. Yet, it has been while that I'm looking at these tabs on browser and at the same time trying to rummage this enormous brain of mine to search a single term which I can enter in the GOOOGLE search bar. I don't know about this feeling that do I know all or if I do not wish to know anything at all. It's like someone has tied me up from top to bottom and I'm helpless. This situation of being tied would have be better than this where I'm free to do anything yet is...ahhh..paralysed and vulnerable.

I don't wish to sign-in to my email or check the latest happenings on Facebook. Nor do I desire to watch a movie from 150 odd movies on hard disk or anything on Youtube. Exams are done so there is nothing to study either where I may immerse myself into algebra and geometry. What is there right now is just NOTHING. There is both feeling emptiness and fulfillment. It's like a vacuum with no doors to run from.

Well, let's rewind this to 30*6=180 days in my past. Got a job after college and eagerly waiting for the joining date. With a rented flat, on the first day of joining woke up at 6 AM and by 8:05 AM was at a bus-stop my office building. All cheered and excited while walking to my destination, I make a call to my father –“haan papa- dekho aaj office ja raha hun, ashirwaad dedo…”. Now somewhat emotional, I was finally outside my office 45 minutes before the actual timing. On the first day within first hour this is what I said to the HR: "No Sir, I cannot sign this 3-year agreement."

And this was the start to MBA preparation-taking coaching classes everyday even on Sundays, solving maths problems, reading newspapers, magazines, grammar books, websites of TheHindu and TheEconomist. Took about 30 mocks and others test with all my vigour (kuch kar dikhana hai wala josh) . After the actual CAT and now IIFT, today things are like what should I study?? It's like I visit the PaGalGuY more that 50 times a day and read articles like food security bill, reforms, constitution and its commissions, big companies and their CEO, cricket, tennis, racing, UN, UNICEF and now even the Bollywood and Hollywood is GK today. There is also a fear if this MBA gamble doesn't click and a disaster. This wakes me up from my sleep and now I am searching jobs, applying to every jobs where the eligibility criteria is met.

But at this present moment (2:12 AM) ….I'm done with everything -MBA and job. Yet the irony is- I'll have to study whether I like it or not.

I


136

A Monday morning and me as a lazy freak was still sleeping, being unaware of the fact that I had an important piece of work to do. I woke up and saw the time it was 9:00 AM and I had to reach somewhere before 10 AM. I got ready and rushed towards my car, hoping to be there on time. With in few minutes I was on the the road. Well, chaos all around on the streets and honks of vehicle. Damn, it was a traffic jam and all were just trying to take their vehicle ahead of others, making the condition worse.Me being very impatient, searched for an alternative and saw an old shop in my right, Just beside that shop was a small road going somewhere and I took that road.

The road I took was muddy and had a lot of bumps. It had no one else except me. A road that took me to the outskirts of my city. In a midst of the solitude With greenery all around I was feeling amazing. In spite of the fact that I had to reach there before 10. I was busy watching that road as it became more beautiful. I stopped by the side and took a fresh breath. Myriads of thoughts struck my mind as I took the road less traveled.

Does it really matter that which road we should take and which path we should follow. I guess YES. In a world of busy people all around, doing something out of the box can surely take you to the top. Doing something that no one else has done can make you special. You think people will mock about you? They will. Moreover, they will beat you down and you might feel like not standing up again but then if you bear it all and took a stand, then You will surely rise, and rise above all.

Dare to do something different. Do it with zest. Don't wait. Anything you want. Everything you want. You really can achieve it. Don't let others tell you that you can't do anything. You have got a dream, go accomplish it. All the successful people out there had a dream and they opted for a path that no one dared to. They took the road less traveled and what they have now is lucrative enough to share.

Well, Billions of people and trillions of dreams. You really need to protect yours. Believe in yourself. Extirpate the useless burden. Set your vision at your aim. Be bold enough to think beyond the world and yes here you are. Succeeded and Happy about the road u chose.

At the end a famous line from Robert frost's poem without which this is incomplete -

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

137

Many a time in life, we face situations, where we take take 'instinctive' decisions and move forward. These decisions are often devoid of clear thought.

For the last few days, I've been actively integrating on various communities on PaGaLGuY. I have came across different people, few of whom are MBA aspirants. During such an integration, I met a person, on whom this article is based. Let's refer to this person as friend. This friend and I discuss questions posted on PaGaLGuY and share our exam experiences. It has been a while that we have been on this trip and kind of become 'friends' as well.

Just a few days ago, my friend asked: "Do you believe in me?" I was taken back at the question and before I could answer, another question popped up: "If you believe me, will you do me a favour?" I wrote back: "Sure, tell me what happened?"

The friend said he (let's just assume he is male) was facing a technical issue while applying for one the exams (application form) and the transaction was not going through. Friend asked me to pay for him, he assured that he will reimburse the amount through NEFT (National Electronic Fund Transfer), into my bank account.

I did not know how to react since the friend and I had only recently 'met' online. I was skeptical but somewhere in the back of my mind, I felt I could trust him. I replied: "I can help you, but please don't ditch me..."

Later I felt foolish to respond the way I did. I paid for him and he reimbursed the amount as well.

The above was a small incident but it remains top of mind for me even now. In this era of frauds, spams and other cyber crimes, I took a decision to help someone I did not know too well. It was a risky decision but I went with my gut feeling. But when I helped and my friend kept his word of reimbursing the money, I realised that so often we keep ourselves away from helping genuine people. Maybe, it's a general notion that internet 'contacts' are fake and mostly spam.

But like in my case, I would recommend, if you feel the instinct to help someone, all you need to do is to take a leap of faith.

138

I can't seem to stop wondering about something that happened a few days back.With the endsems on , I, like most students , was a nervous wreck. I was with my friend trying to figure out gear designs , when (I've tried and tried but I can't seem to remember how!) we stumbled upon the topic of God.

Now, I consider myself as an incomplete atheist. I've always found the idea of visiting decorated buildings and praying to stone idols for your success and happiness kind of absurd. However, I do feel that there is a certain pattern that controls the working of the Universe; I believe in things like beginner's luck ("Alchemist" Paulo Coelho); and I'm also victim to those stupid Indian superstitions that we've received as a part of our DNA from our parents (Any squirming atheist out there who thinks he/she is not superstitious, just remember the last time Sachin was batting on 97 and you were careful not to wriggle your toes lest a wicket falls......)

So,back to the topic. My friend ( not a "priest" type yet quite a believer) asked "Tu pura naastik hai na?(Aren't you a complete atheist)" . And I said no and said the pattern thing I mentioned earlier . He replied by saying that what is this "pattern" was I was talking about but fate? And fate and destiny are attributed to a higher power . I did not have an answer for this.The reason was the realization that in a way no one could be an atheist.

I've been playing the guitar for a while now and over the years I've seen that music does not discriminate. You might be a genius of sorts with a high IQ and an athletic body, but if you lack motivation, you can never learn an instrument. On the other hand, a below average kind of guy can play like a master if practices day in day out even for a year .Now, what does "God" ask of you (in the scriptures atleast) if not total and complete dedication? And this "God" rewards his true believers or "bhakts".So how is the aforesaid example any different?Rather , how is any example different :An atheist scientist- dedicating his life to physics- and winning the nobel etc etc. Did rishi munis write those holy scriptures with this idea in mind? Was Ram(or Jesus or God in general) just a figurative character to tell mankind what an ideal person should be like? Has mankind been mistaken into thinking that donating your hair at an old building will give you a successful career?


This is the epiphany I had ( Unfortunately for me it came during my exams). I completely understand if what I've written seem useless,absurd and/or ridiculous to you , most epiphanies are meant to be this way. They appeal to the intellect of only those who wrote them.

139

Month of December, temperature around 10, standing in my balcony, I see a couple passing by. They are holding each other's hand saying something to each other; perhaps some joke and laughing. I can see that the world around them means nothing now. It seems to them that they are the only two people in this world. They don't need anyone else. Maybe thinking not saying aloud but just thinking—me and you and no one else.

That very moment, I realize how much I miss her. I find my cellphone, select her no and am about to dial. Just then a thought comes to mind should I call her? We have not talked to each other for around 3-4 yrs. What she would be doing right now? Maybe she would have got a new bf? Not maybe she must have…oh and that face comes in front of me…so beautiful. Anyone can fall for her. That innocent face! I know what I felt and never wanted to come out of that feeling. Then flashed the moment when we were also the same as the couple, who just went by. Nothing can be as pleasing as those 2 years of our romance. Everything seemed pleasant, everything seemed possible. If I faced any issue she would just squeeze my hand say “Everything is going to be OK”. Before that moment I didn't know that that line could have the ultimate effect. I still hear those words from my friends but not able to find that kind of confidence and assurance. I now understand the importance of lips from where that line came from. With her, I understood the real meaning of jealousy and fear. Any other guy comes even just to talk to her, I feel jealous and afraid the same time. Jealous because I wanted her to only talk to me, see me, love me; (only me) and afraid of someone stealing her from me. I felt proud in making her smile (Girls laugh even at the stupidest joke but still). I would have done anything that time to just make her smile. She seemed unhappy or sad and whole world seemed unhappy. Everyone seemed to me the culprit who made her sad. But that's my ability, I always made her laugh and it was the best achievement of my life. I could do anything for her, could fight any one. Oh I was so mad in love.

140

I can't stay away from her anymore. I have dialed her no now and the same time, that very moment flashed in front of me when I found out that she was having affair with someone else also the very same time. I enquired her and she told it was nothing. But I could sense she was hiding something.

I talked to her friends and I found out that she was indeed having an affair and it was 4-5 years old. She just said yes to me because I was handsome and more intelligent than her BF. She just couldn't see my heart. I can't explain what I felt that time but I know the world seemed nothing to me at that moment. Everything looked sad. I could find sadness even in the happiest moment. The legendary comic act of Paresh Rawal in 'Hera Pheri” also could not make me laugh. I literally wanted to kill her BF.

I told her not to meet and call me anymore. She tried but I rejected. I don't understand after breaking the heart why girls try to repair it. They just don't understand nothing can undo that pain. I prayed to GOD that please take away my ability to feel, get emotional. But he didn't and I can understand, why should he? I made the mistake. I felt for the wrong girl. After that we haven't met till now. But not a day has passed, I didn't remember her. She still comes to my dream. She still comes to make me happy and sad both at the same time.

This thought made me touch the button “END CALL'.

Oh my first love, why you did that to me? I went to my bed, took my best friend to my heart (my pillow) and cried and we were through for that day.

141

"When I was a child I caught a fleeting glimpse

Out of the corner of my eye

I turned to look but it was gone

I cannot put my finger on it now

The child is grown The dream is gone"

Few might say getting into IIM is their dream,few say that they are doing it for the sake of their parents, for some it is just for the tag.

Are you the one who topped your class right from your high school, the one who is pampered by your teachers throughout your schooling and then entered into the college of your choice once again going to pass out or passed out with flying colors and with a job that offers you a 6 digit package.I don't think you would have much problems in getting into a college you aspired because as for as India B-schools are considered its only the numbers that matters for them.I salute you people for being successful throughout your life but you may not like this one .

There will be a guy in every class who people would have hardly noticed for his/her success, the one who teacher hates to have in the class, the one who have always struggled to cross the average grades right from his/her high school,entered a college where he could hardly find people of his wavelength,where his ideas are tagged as impractical and his goals are said to be unachievable,the one whose diligence are considered as wasting time.

I am the one who is waiting to prove the world that I am better than what they estimate about,I am the one who want to come out of that mediocre circle,I am the one who is stumbling right in the middle of nowhere.

I am the one who realized what life is, only after getting wounded n number of times.I am the one who started chasing dreams when the race has already started, Its only then I saw all the obstacle coming on my way, the things which I took light now try to block my path, which made me regret during the race, which tried to stop me in the middle and discouraged me and looked at me like a meager being.

Its not very simple to cross these obstacles but I can't give up in the middle, this is the last battle for the success, this is something more than a dream ,this battle is not just a matter of pride or not like making your 6 digit salary to a 7 digit salary.This is the final attempt which is going to give me a identity which has never existed so for .

For few its more than a dream.

142

Hearing this from a person who has no relation to the stories of the Hindu culture might be a tad surprise for you. I am not sure whether you folks, by which I mean my fellow MBA aspirants, take out time for watching the much talked about show, Mahabharata, launched by a popular TV channel recently.

Well, I did and here's what I want to say. I came across this character Karna- the eldest of the Kunti's sons-the Pandavas and I found a lot of similarities between him and us. The first glimpse you have is of an infant Karna, who is dumped by his mother, in crude words. Helpless and alone, he fights his battle and grows on himself, without the patronage of his family. What I see here is an underdog attitude over shadowed by a great fighter attitude. Many of us are, as I would like to proudly put it, fighters. Not deterred by the hardships of life, we fight. We come across situations where the options are starkly two- Flight or Fight and when we do not give up and rise again after a fall, we are not mere underdogs but fighters.

Karna had a desire to learn. Though belonging to the royal clan, he hardly knew about it. Brought up by a charioteer's son, he was denied the privilege to educate himself under the aegis of the great teacher-Dronacharya by the teacher himself. Irrespective of our backgrounds, we slog through the process and make it up to the interview rooms and then the great school rejects us. Karna did not give up his desire to learn archery and took up his lessons with another great sage Parshuram. The never-give up attitude for the skill you covet is worth appreciating.

Karna never forgave humiliation and persevered to reach his ambitions. Also, known as the most generous and a paragon of friendship, he gives us hope that however difficult the path is, if you have an devoted desire and an unwavering determination, you will achieve what you aim for, no matter what the situations are, no matter who your opponents are, no matter what the odds are.

So, shirk off your disappointments, self-pitying and all the negatives you have built up these years. Cliched though, Believe in yourself and work towards your goal. The more difficult the path is, the more content you get at the end of the path.

So pick up your tools. Lets gear up for the fight.

143

Cleaning up my folders, to create space for the upcoming seasons, I found an old article I wrote. Here it goes: I was asked to write in 250 words the answer to the question mentioned below. Here it goes:

How do you aspire to shape your country's future?

In the wake of the World War II, what came to realization to the harbingers of the developed countries was the significance of academics in achieving the general welfare of the nation. For it was seen that those nations were dependent on the people from a stronger academic background for technical support during crisis to re-establishing the nation's strength during the post war period.

It is well-known that the nation's greatness in the times of crisis is retained by these gems of academia, fostered by the nation. India has centers for knowledge dissemination and not knowledge creation.

Education, the panacea for most problems that the nation faces, is the area where I aspire to work on. Schools, the most common institution that is accessed by the future pillars of the nation, need to be freed from the shackles of traditional pedagogy. The pedagogues needs to change; in fact a constant evolution is essential, strategiz-ing and focusing on grass root innovations , a wider spectrum for learn-ability, unlike the prevalent restriction based on courses and curriculum and implementing the 'learning-through-living- it' concept.

With this vision of investing in educational transformation and re-structuring the conventional methods at a mass-level to make it accessible to every child and with an immaculate determination to give shape to this vision, what I am looking for in this MBA program is the infusion of focused entrepreneurship, management skills and a global perspective to concrete this vision to a brighter nation.

Let me know, what you think about it.

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Book- Not Without My DaughterAuthor- Betty Mahmoody with William HofferRating- 7.5 out of 10

Attention- **This review does not contain any spoilers**

When I held this book in my hand I believed I was holding a masterpiece. As I finished the book, it confirmed my belief. There are books which you just should not miss. There are books which you should not be reading for its literary genius but for its sheer honesty. Not without my daughter is one of them.

This story starts in the year 1984 when Moody promised his wife, Betty Mahmoody and his daughter Mahtob, that they will be returning to the United States after a two week vacation in Iran. He lied. From thereon, the book deals with Betty's struggle to adjust with the Iranian culture, her uneasiness as she slept with her worst enemy and finally her grit and determination with which she tries and tries hard to get her daughter and herself out of Iran.Whether she succeeds in this or not forms the crux of the book.

As I said, the writing cannot be classified as a literary masterpiece. But it has an inherent simplicity which makes the book endearing. You would never know when tears would roll down your cheeks as you get acquainted with struggle, the hardships which a mother has to face while trying to rescue her daughter from a foreign country, Iran in this case. The story unfolds at a slow pace and against the backdrop of Iran-Iraq war. The slow pace can be a deterrent to some, but eventually towards the end you unknowingly start praying for Betty. You start praying for cute Mahtob, you feel an unrelenting anger towards Moody. Characters like Amelh, Hamid and others are also endearing.

Iran is shown in the most condescending way ever. It is shown as the country where women are considered as machines to produce babies. They have all possible restrictions on the way they dress, talk and socialize. It also shows an increasing number of incest marriages in Iran resulting in deformed babies. For some of the readers this may be disappointing as it portrays Iranians as filthy and unclean people to the extent of not having a shower daily and repeating the same clothes for days altogether.

The perseverance and the strength that Betty displays is indeed commendable. Although this qualifies to be a biography, it still is a compelling drama. William Hoffer, a successful writer himself, makes this book an interesting read with almost no dull moments. This book can surely be categorized as an epic. More than that it is a victory of great human qualities. Revealing any more details would be an injustice to this book. You now know what your next task should be. If you haven't read this book, just get going, order this book online or grab it from a bookstore. Happy Reading!!

- Tejas Nimbargi (nimbubaba)

145

It was a cold Tuesday evening, when I was returning from college, my phone rang and it was from FIIB Corporate Relations Cell (CRC) which is primarily responsible for our placements. They called to congratulate and inform me that I was placed in CRISIL. CRISIL is a global analytical company, but more importantly which is actually my DREAM Company!!!

“The only thing that stands between you and your dream is the will to try and the belief that it is actually possible.” - Joel Brown

With this thought, to pursue my dream and to give my career a kickstart, I joined FIIB with the belief that it would sharpen my raw skills of finance. Life at FIIB has been a roller coaster. Experiences here helped me become a better and a stronger person. The two year program at FIIB not only teaches you the essential hard skills, but also a lot of soft skills that helps you in handling various situations. For example, I had always heard of the term “Leadership” but never experienced it. In the first year when I was elected as the Co-Head of Marketing Club, I was elated. In the year that followed, the roles and responsibility of the same facilitated the formation of a leader in me. This skill was further furnished when I became part of the FIIB Leadership Program where we were taught life skills such as team work, moral behaviour etc.

All these trainings became more rigorous from October when the placement season at FIIB officially took off! I gave my first attempt at Capital IQ, which unfortunately I couldn't crack. I cannot dismiss the fact that I was disappointed but whatever happens, happens for good. With that in mind, I kept the first failed attempt behind me and prepared myself for CRISIL. The guest lectures at FIIB- from the role of social media to the role and value of your own intrinsic value, mock interviews and many other training sessions helped me to sail through the 40 minutes interview I had at CRISIL..

I consider myself to be very lucky to be placed in my dream company. I think all of us should make a list of our dream companies. In the long run, it really works. We also need to be focussed of what we want and have a refined vision. We also need to do our own research and never ever lose hope, as time passes, the rejections mount up and it's easy to become disheartened. However, this is the time when one needs to put in more hard work than ever. One of the main attributes of a successful job seeker is persistence.

I have been able to learn and absorb all these things only because of FIIB. I joined FIIB as a simple graduate, and I shall leave FIIB as a better individual. My heartiest gratitude towards all the faculty and staff at FIIB and I feel blessed to be a part of FIIB.

146


It takes a lot to scubadive in oneself...The turmoils inside me are making me insane day by day...what am I doing??? what am I supposed to do??? is my heart really into it??? Some intriguing questions which dwell in my mind daily and I don't have definite answers to them....

The crespuscular rays reminds me that the cobwebs that has been spun around me needs to be cleared away then only I can see the clear vision infront of me...

But the irony is that I am still wandering in the deep sea of thoughts asking what next???

147

Few days back I was reading the main theme of Brunch( it is a supplement we get with Hindustan Times every Sunday). The main theme last Sunday was Indie cinema or short movie world in our Bollywood. Nevertheless as the name says it is truly a very short world engrossed in itself. In this whole gigantic world of Bollywood , Indie cinema it is yet to make a mark. It is still cuddled like a small child taking a very small place and no notice at all.But if we look at some of the good movies this year..also the Oscar nominated ones, one can see that its not those 200 cr. club group that got noticed but the short,sensible and realistic cinema that fetched all praises.Yes,its absolutely true that in the wake of entertainment and commercialization we have forgotten the true meaning of theatre...which is to deliver a message through entertainment. As the 100 cr. club nominees are losing true motive its these Indie ones that are serving the purpose. Few examples like The Lunchbox, The good Road , Kush etc. deserve all the kudos.Besides being entertaining they were realistic and thought provoking.They displayed the true sense of creativity.Hats off to directors and whole of the team of such movies to bring to us a different genre of Indian Cinema and raising its bar.