Future Express...!

As the obscurity of the night fades away and murk gives way to the aurora of day break, new ideas blossom and energize us to work for the future. The will to get better, feeds the heat from our young blazing hearts as we prepare the mold for our futures.

It feels amazing to have inspiration at your doorstep, with the people next-door uninhibitedly working for their cherished dreams, and yet finding time for things like putting up a performance at the celebratory function being held for Teachers' Day in our department today.

With pre-placement offers being received by our friends and seniors, and countless number of bright minds getting placed, the circumstances also act like a catalyst propelling everyone forward. Its great to see friends from different walks of life unlocking their varied treasure-trove of opportunities and careers in front of our very eyes. They act as a measuring stick to try and visualize what we want to see ourselves as, a few years from now.

I can speak for a lot of people when I say that life in college, whether easy or tough, has gone a long way in bringing out the best in all of us. Some of us have learned to do things we never thought we'd try, while others have taken their previously acquired skills to a whole new level.

Coming down to specifics, I'd also like to take a second to congratulate all those who are already looking at shining futures in the foremost multi-national companies like Oracle, Adobe, ZS Associates and Rio Tinto among many others. Hearty congrats and good luck also to the guys pursuing higher education, may it be MBA, MS or Ph.D. in India or abroad.    

So, as all of us eagerly board the Future Express, and although I have more than a year to go before facing the placement scenario, one question always pops up in mind: What's next after IIT and what's our 'final destination'?..... 

The Calm Before The Storm!!!...

As the month long suspense awaiting our semester results ended a couple of days back, it set the stage for the commencement of a short period of bliss, which I'm experiencing right now. And although my pointer fell a little short of my expectations, it was still a definite improvement compared to the semester before. 

Just the other day, I was speaking to a close college friend of mine and hearing him talk in such a jubilant and care-free way made me feel all the more liberated. And with a week remaining before we leave on a family trip, I've been gifted with a fortnight of euphoria, after more than a year of tribulation, in which quite frankly I'm content with having to do virtually nothing!...

But with our 2012-13 college session about to start, this is merely the calm before the storm brewing ahead. Step by step rowing against the strong tide, I'll have to buckle up and get ready for the roughest ride in one's career. But I seriously do hope that our long awaited family outing just helps me chill out like all our friends, watching movies, dining at our favorite hotels and simply hanging out with each other.

With so many bonds formed, a few unfortunately broken and new ones being cultivated every second, this year has been insightful and noteworthy to say the least. Not being able to get a preview of what's in store ahead is surely deplorable but its the same thing which creates all the buzz and the flurry, and I've come to accept it all as an interesting part of life.

But right now all I care about is to do all those things in these few days, which I longed for in college. It will help us all return to action not having missed a beat, braced up and fortified to take and dish out impacts alike. Its going to be a real hoopla!!!...

The Magic Spell...!

Now, before you might be tempted to close the tab thinking that this might be just another one among the long chain of brain churning and philosophical articles I tend to write many a times, then I assure you that this shall put an end to all of its kind!

After five whole years of searching trying to find the magic spell of living life, the perfect solution I was so desperate to find, is still quite illusive. But I have found certain eye-opening facts which I thought I'd share with my friends without further adieu, as walking down this path any longer will only result in a worthless waste of time.

Now, whenever I finish writing an article, I always get the eerie feeling that something's missing. There are always some trailing doubts, some things which were about to be shot out but weren't, which give me a recurring notion of something left out, and offer me more food for thought! But this particular piece of text aims to clear all of that.

There is always so much to keep us occupied that we often find it difficult to get our minds off the bustling fast lane and concentrate on what's actually important. But I've finally figured out the answer to all my queries. This might sound a little annoying to people expecting something extra-ordinary, but what dawned on me was a simple realization, that there is no magic spell, there never was and there never will be!...

I have pointlessly pondered upon certain aspects of the past long enough and have finally decided to learn from it and move on. Instead of complaining and whining about how tough it was, now I can finally come to terms with life. Living in college with colleagues from a myriad of different cultures and backgrounds, has taught me to appreciate how revealing life can be!...

The way some of us are placed right now is a privilege, and we should be grateful for it, instead of arrogantly taking everything for granted and exuding even more greed. I was off-track for a while and it took me quite some time to find my mojo, but some back-tracking has finally paid off and forever cleared my doubts.

Sometimes we need to stick to the things we believe in, irrespective of whether anyone else has faith in our goals and methods or not. Some sacrifices are necessary to serve a bigger purpose. Not all people will agree with you and some, quite frankly, won't be the least bit interested in looking at the world from your perspective. Some might like you, while a few might detest you, but one should always remember what his initial targets were. Our goals should remain unadulterated and shouldn't be modified by temporary roadblocks.

As for me, I'm living life completely by my own laws and don't regret anything I've done so far. I have played the game hard even when life seemed no better than a thorny impenetrable maze, with hounds chasing you down. It feels great to have overcome all those thick endless dark clouds which always shrouded the way ahead, achieving my childhood dream of becoming an IITian, and barging my way through all the impossibilities which stared me in the face.

My bluntness in saying this might be interpreted as cocky by some people, but I have found that many a times, its in our own interest to see things just the way they are. I've written quite a few articles on similar issues but this should serve as an ultimatum to sum it all up!...

As my best summer break ever comes to an end, it feels nice to cap it off with a family trip after three long and busy years. Having tried my hand at everything worthwhile the year before and with the director of Bharat Forge asking us if we would be interested in a future career in the company, after having successfully completed both the unique projects given to us in our intern, things can't look any better!

Of course, there are still a few minor issues that need to be addressed, like trying not to blow off steam when not at all required, and being like a precision guided missile when it comes to hitting the mark, which have to be gradually worked on! But, with the prospect of our careers looming large in the horizon, everything else from now on takes a backseat. Extra-currics, parties, personal issues and similar stuff lose their place to the forthcoming academic challenges. We have had enough of the former in the first two years of college and its time to get a little bit more serious and couscous about the latter.

The time for talking is over and our actions will be the only things which define us and decide our futures. So, carrying in mind all the fond memories of my friends and family and the inspiration obtained from my summer intern at BFL, I get ready to bid good bye to my hometown in the hopes of returning a winner, better than ever before, and wishing everyone else the same;

ALL THE BEST!!!...

&

BE THE FORCE!!!...

A Recurring Doubt...!

When you think of the seemingly limitless expanse of space and then try to place yourself and your surroundings in it, it just gives you a sense of sheer pedantic nonsense, no matter how much you zoom in! We are all so concerned with life, which is itself such a flimsy thing, that we seem to forget what tiny specs we really are, especially when compared to the bigger picture.

And, no! These are not the simple musings of a day-dreamer. These are valid questions which each and every one of us face at a certain age and learn to ignore or defer to other issues as we grow older. We never truly understand life, and even the most enlightened of men offer only partial solutions to all our queries, which often just answer the 'how' part of living life but not the 'why'!...

I've spent most of my time in the recent past working, enjoying, thinking, writing but most of all pondering upon the reason why I bother to do these things at all. What's the most which can happen to you if hypothetically speaking, you decided to just exist, assuming for a second that you had no personal or social responsibilities to live up to, and looking at the situation from a strictly logical standpoint? 

In any case, you would spend your time here, and then your soul (if there indeed exists such a thing) would become one with nature or however you want to put it. If you have lived a successful life, people benefit from it and build on it, and if you haven't then no one really cares. But my constantly recurring doubt is where does all of this get you, at the end of it all?

Visualizing the end of life as we know it, some time in the very distant future, we can picture ourselves asking questions like what did this endless cycle of life and death, creation and destruction have to do with anything? What did it do for us? On the larger scale, things would have gone on as usual even if we never existed. 

Its a scary thought, because if there's something we humans love to do, it's to try and validate our lives. We put our faith in a 'master controller' and detach ourselves from things which are too vast to fathom. Instead, we concern ourselves with the pettiest of issues, just like me thinking about whether the title of one of my past articles was a little too brash!...

I frankly don't know how to answer these questions or what's the right thing to do. This is where science collides with faith and during the heated debate, people begin to loose sight of the question itself. I really hate it when I'm in doubt; but the best I can hope for is that things sort themselves out, just like they strangely always seem to do. Some things, I've learnt are just not for us to meddle with, especially for an engineering under-graduate like me!... I guess I'll just enjoy the wonderful rain outside and go about life the way I usually do!...

Self Made Voyage!!!...

So many articles written this summer and yet I find it extremely hard to find words worthy of describing this awesome experience. A countless number of priceless lessons learnt, with a soul renewed and a heart pumping more horse power than ever before, I get ready to step into my third year in college!

If there is one thing which Bharat Forge has taught me, it is to remain in one gear only and that is 'constant over-drive'! It might not necessarily mean physically running around all day, but it surely means getting into an unbeatable state of mind! Project after project successfully completed and consecutive reports timely submitted, it's been one hell of a ride!...

I think I've literally done almost everything conceivable in the past year and the summer intern which followed, and in fact, 'eventful' would be a very mild description for depicting this epic voyage. But, with my third year in engineering college just round the corner, things are about to get serious. This is the year which will probably have the most profound effect on our careers, with companies arriving in our college to offer interns and placements to all the students.

Although there are certain walls yet to be scaled, building for the future has rendered every other small priority irrelevant. Reality can't be changed and hence among other things, getting good grades is of the utmost importance, without which all other efforts would be in vain. I was fortunate to have done this year's intern with one of the topmost students of our department, one year senior to me, who other than being a good human being, also served as an inspiration.

He has done it all; right from getting the first rank in one semester and winning several events like IDP in Anveshan [the Metallurgical Engineering fest in IIT(BHU) Varanasi], all the way to forming his own dance group with his friends, called NUTS'11!... To have achieved all of this and yet be the very personification of humility inspires me to respect him all the more. What's even better is that he has become a very close friend of mine, and its good to finally see someone who lives by his own common sense and follows his own self-made principles, just like me!...

It was a pleasure to have him come over to my house for our report completion today, followed by lunch. He never speaks as if he's older to me, and a chat with him on a personal level spread a sort of calm over me, which I had not felt since a long time. So, hope we always remain in close contact Himanshu bhaiyya. Looking forward to cracking this new academic year, as the word 'fighter' is much more than just a cliche, I repeat the words which are, and always will be, the closest to my heart:-

BE THE FORCE!!!...    

The Technological Edge!!!...

I've heard of living life on the edge, but this is the first time I'm truly experiencing life at the 'technological' edge! Our first summer project being very pin-pointed in nature, at least as of now, leaves us with plenty of time in our hands. And although a second project on 'EMD Welding' is on its way right after we finish developing the 'Creep Test' procedure for Bharat Forge, life at the moment is pretty alleviated. Sitting in the comfort of a sofa in an air-conditioned research library and catching up on every earth shattering engineering breakthrough that has taken place in recent times is, without the shadow of a doubt, my favorite part of the day. 

Surfing the net to find extensive details and combining it with the knowledge gained from the latest research papers available here, is by far the best utilization of time I've done in ages. Many a times I feel like I'm already living my dream, even before I pass out of college with a master's degree in hand. The dim fluorescent lighting in the beautifully carved ceiling and the few rays of sunlight entering through gaps in the curtain totally detach you from your current bearings and take you into a world where science combines with technology to give rise to new ground breaking theories and their varied mind-numbing applications.

It was just the other day that I picked up a magazine titled 'New Scientist', in which Einstein's space-time theory had been challenged by physicist Lee Smolin and his colleagues at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Canada. They had made a radical claim that we actually live in an eight-dimensional world called 'phase space', which combines our familiar four dimensions of space-time with a four-dimensional world called momentum-space. If this theory was indeed proved to be correct it would solve certain intriguing problems like the 'black hole information-loss' paradox.

Spending your days at the research facility of one of the foremost companies in India, trying to conjure up the secrets of the very fabric of reality in your mind, is probably a strange but one of the most interesting and fruitful ways one can spend time here, that is if you are interested in such stuff! Time flies and we don't even look at our watches. This is one of the first and only places where I think of staying a little longer, instead of being keen on returning home as soon as the clock's hour-hand strikes five every evening!...

I wish this amazing journey would last a bit longer than the duration of our summer intern, but alas with only a month remaining, the time to leave Bharat Forge draws nearer every day. But, what's more important is enjoying every present moment as such good times might not last forever. With so much uncharted territory yet to be explored, I can now say with conviction that: "Even the sky is not the limit!..."      

A Weird Day.....!

I had this weird sensation when I woke up this morning. I don't exactly know what it was or how to describe it! Whether it was the remains of the mixture of dreams I was having the night before or just the stress from the past few weeks playing up, I can't really tell!... So many thoughts were fleeting through my head on such a wide spectrum of isolated topics, that I was going through philosophical extremes!... 

It started with a vagabond shouting and creating a ruckus at our doorstep, which had woken me up from my reverie in the first place. He had dressed a cow in some paint and covered it with holy rags, claiming to be a fortune teller of sorts. As I peered out of my window, covering my eyes from the sudden glare of the sun, I was told that he had already predicted our watchman's family facts correct to every small and insignificant detail, without having known him previously. But, having seen these gimmicks a million times over, the only reaction which came to my mind was "Whatever..."!

Then, as I sat down to have my morning tea, the dipped biscuit fell to the floor with a splat. I kept staring at that wet mass and somehow drifted away into a world of my own. I was thinking about the biscuit which I'd just wasted and the elaborate processing which might have gone into it to give it its unique shape, texture and flavor. I saw the letters of the company engraved on it with an intricate design. It made me remember the first time when we had been taught to write autobiographies in school, on inanimate objects.

My mother, out of the blue, shouted something at me and I was violently woken from the subconscious state of mind in which I had passed into. I was shocked to find that twenty minutes had already passed and my cup of tea was still filled to the brim. I finished the tea in one sip and decided to watch television.

I switched to one of my favorite channels, Ten Sports, and found the weekly episodic TV show, Monday Night Raw, being aired by the WWE. Since I'm quite a wrestling enthusiast myself I sat down to pass some time with it, and again fell into a sleepy, dreamy phase! I started wondering about all the challenges those superstars might have faced and all the problems they'd had to overcome to even get into the business, leave alone become a full fledged star. I began to compare their situations with those faced by regular people in their day-to-day lives. Just like them, we need a legitimate and interesting story line to become someone notable in life. At the end of the day, life can be visualized just as a game, in which we are the key players. Its our choice what kind of character we'd like to be and how we decide to play this game to the best of our talents and abilities. Some people just decide to sit it out and do nothing out of the ordinary, while others decide to fight it out and compete with others to become the winners of this game, who can be rightfully regarded as the 'Champions of Life'!...

Now as I write this article, I'm still getting an entourage of thoughts varying from our ongoing intern right to my attempt at writing fiction some time back, as one of my FB notes. As I try to put a bunch of weird and unrelated stuff together, which I'm hardly sure why I'm doing, I realize that sometimes we might go through so much even without stepping outside the limits of our house, that its mind boggling!...

From tomorrow, the same office routine starts again, and I wonder if I'll ever have such a mentally strange day again, when all the doubts accumulated in our minds for weeks at a time, come boiling over at the slightest hint of idleness!...

Life At KCTI......!

Just in case you're wondering what KCTI is; it stands for Kalyani Centre for Technology & Innovation. Its the place where my friend and I have been assigned our core project from Bharat Forge Ltd. Its a newly built campus full of greenery, on the outskirts of the city and has a charming feel to it. Its scarcely populated with just a handful of people in the three labs and the administrative office, making the place all the more peaceful!...

Now, how often is it that a summer trainee gets to do something which has never been done before, on a machine which has been imported fairly recently from the United States of America, which is still awaiting its first ever specimen to be tested? Whether it was our college name or something else, in either case we have become the only students this summer in BFL, who have been granted the privilege of developing the testing procedure for this brand new machine for creep testing. Thus, our project would not only benefit us, but would also help the company tap into the growing demands of this newly developing field. After our project is done, Bharat Forge will become one of the only companies in Western India to have successfully implemented a creep testing facility, which has already received standards and customer specifications from major companies in India including giants like BHEL!.....

The centrally air-conditioned building and the state of the art research library, which quite frankly looked more like an executive lounge, were a pleasant change compared to the heat treatment furnaces and the other challenging and physically exhausting work environments we'd visited in the company plant so far. The library had books, research papers and articles varying from the tiniest details of fracture mechanics right to recent developments made in aerospace engineering, automotive parts, etc.

The canteen was awesome too! Today was the first time away from home that we feasted on such quality rice as is only found in high standard hotels, which is the least expected from an office mess. Quality sure increases with decrease in quantity! With the number of people lunching there limited only to about twenty, we took several helpings of that delicious cereal and chatted for a long time over our luncheon.

If only KCTI wasn't located in so isolated a locality so far from our houses, it would have been the perfectly ideal work place for would-be engineers like us. In fact, the Research & Development Centre has been so recently developed that it did not even properly feature on our GPS devices. The rocky terrain which needs to be traversed every day to reach the place causes a back-breaking journey, but it pales in comparison to the excitement of our project ahead.

But all said and done, working here is a treat! Taking our time to understand the machine and getting familiarized with its working, with no signal in our mobiles to distract us; and with so much being expected from us by the company, that its even ready to provide us with vehicles for our transportation, its a whole new level of professional work experience.

So, I hope this wonderful and enlightening project of ours goes through without a hitch and meets with the best end possible, with us developing a tried and tested method for creep testing, that can be used with minor modifications in future tests as well. Wishing everyone all the very best for achieving all their future goals, until next time, take care!!!...

BE THE FORCE!!!...

Harnessing The Power!!!...

Life can sometimes change at the drop of a dime! A new professional workplace with new people from all over the country is the perfect medicine for revitalizing oneself. It's an exciting time with people from our college still getting used to being regarded as IITians!... In college we are just normal guys, competing with people who are at least as good as we are or are, many a times, better than us. But it's surprising to see the number of accolades we carry outside the IIT campus!

On the very first day of my intern, who would have thought that I'd end up meeting a senior, Himanshu Singla, from our own college, in so far a place? I had seen him on countless occasions before but this was the first time that we formally got acquainted with each other. There were also two other guys from NIT Raipur and some MBA final year students, one of whom was from IIT Roorkee. Not to brag but it pleases me to think that the first thing the HR officer, who conducted our introductory session at Bharat Forge, said was that she needn't give us the normal advises as the names of the colleges were already 'so big'!...

This was the first time I was getting a proper industrial exposure, and I must admit a sweet one at that. On top of this, in spite of being the junior most in the group, I was happy to have been given the responsibility of getting our training papers signed by the concerned people. It was an extremely minor thing but it gave me the first taste of holding some actual 'position' in an organisation.

We successfully finished our three day induction programme, which had left us battered having to walk more than ten kilometers every day to visit the various shop-floors situated at different ends of a widely spread out plant. We submitted our report and were again showered with compliments like 'well-compiled' and 'nicely done'!...

Today while returning from work, staring at those ever so familiar streets of Pune through the dark car windows, I had a flash back of the day when I'd first traveled those very streets almost two decades back, trying to get admission in the kinder garden of the Bishops' School. Man-o-man! Haven't we come a long way? Life's come a full circle; completing my schooling here, having to leave home after getting admission into IIT and then returning to my hometown as a Summer Trainee in Asia's largest forging company! Everything just seems to have passed in the blink of an eye!...

Now, Himanshu bhaiyya and I having been allocated the same department of MQC (Metallurgical Quality Control), are looking forward to our main project in BFL. But all this aside, I feel like something inside me has drastically changed this summer. Even my neighbors have noticed the topography of my face being much more relaxed than usual. It may be because in the past year, I've let out everything I had built up in my soul since a long time. I've done everything that I wanted to do and have tried to prove everything that I wanted to prove. I feel absolutely free, strong and focused on my future.

As usual there are a lot of mountains still left to climb including my preparation for the Common Admission Test (CAT), which is supposed to be one of the toughest exams in the world, and obviously improving my academic pointers, along with winning some extra-curricular activities! There is also the question of next year's intern, but that's a long time ahead. As far as CAT is concerned, I'd heard people say the same things about IIT-JEE being tough and nearly impossible to crack, but some of my friends and I did it and proved everyone wrong, didn't we?!!...

So, it's time to harness the power and the true potential of the human mind because now there's fortunately nothing holding me back, and I refuse to be judged on anything else other than my true credentials. So, when all of us meet up again at college this July, with the experience of various research centers and companies like BFL, SAIL, BARC, HINDALCO, HZL, etc. behind us, I'll ensure that I remain in the same state of mind as I am in right now, relaxed but confident. Signing off, I'd like to say my patented million dollar statement once again:-
                                                 

  BE THE FORCE!!!...

No Place Like Home!

You may enjoy hogging the limelight at your workplace or spending quality time with your friends in college, but at the end of the day, there's no other place as tranquil and soothing as those familiar walls between which you grew up!... As another grueling semester ended, I was on my way back home, tired and totally exhausted. But the closer I'd get to my destination, the lighter my feet would feel. It's amazing how the simple thought of returning home can cure those heavy eyelids, which had been caused by a countless number of sleepless nights before the end semester exams!...

I wished that our flight could land on the roof of our very house, troubled by the thought of having to spend another half a day to travel from the Santa Cruise Airport in Mumbai to my home in Pune. I was being accompanied by my father and nonetheless, we boarded a Shivneri Volvo bus bound for home. The joy I felt when the bus hit the Express Highway, was simply indescribable. That six lane road, which had been witness to so many great adventures we'd had in the past, flooded my mind with fond memories. It's distant curvature seemed to be welcoming us like how the Spartans used to be welcomed back after winning a fierce battle!... 

We finally made it home and what a great feeling it was to see our family greet us with their ever so serene but excited smiles!... That same old shoe rack, which I had pummeled with shoes for almost a decade, the same red and black carpet, on which I had spilled tea on countless occasions in the past, all the familiar paintings which adorned the walls, with some new additions, and most importantly my own room, with the same custom bed and study table, which still bore some of the pen marks I'd left on them a few months back; it all gave me a feeling of nostalgia like I had never had before! I just hugged my mother and granny, took a deep breath and sat down .....!

After ages, we had finally got the opportunity to sit around the same round table and have tea and snacks together, just like the good old days. My mother asked me if I was beginning to miss college already, but what she failed to realize was that all I'd been thinking for the past few days was about that very moment, when the whole family would be reunited!...

No matter what we do and where we're from, there is truly no place like home. At home, we live within the love and happiness of our family members, not having to obey the boring college and office timings. We make our own schedule and catch up on things we like to do. We get a little time of serenity and true peace, to regroup and recapitulate everything that has gone down in the recent past. We reflect on our past actions and decide what is to be done further ahead. But most of all, we get to eat all our favorite stuff, meet up with old friends from all over the country and get loads of sleep, which had been unkindly snatched away from us in college!...

Luckily, my summer intern is in my hometown itself, so that now I can look forward to spending the next two months with my family and friends, living at home! I'm happier than I've ever been, having handled all my business successfully and returning home with a clear mind. The last semester was the most eventful one for me yet, in which I had taken part in almost every fest, officially completed two extra-curricular projects, worked hard towards my academics, had my summer intern granted pretty early on, and it ended with an explosion of emotions with our institute finally being converted into an IIT, after a long and difficult political struggle, in which all the students and professors had played a pivotal role!... It couldn't have ended in a better way!... So, until the next academic year guys; happy holidays!!!...

A Brand New 'IIT'ian!!!...

  

Aahhh!... Let me think... In spite of more than five years having past since the day I had first dreamt about IIT, it's mere thought has kept my memories from being blurred! Every second of my life in these past few years has, quite literally, been burned into my brains permanently! But this epic odyssey has finally reached the best end possible!...

The very first article of this blog clearly portrays that it had all started with this very dream, or more appropriately 'mission', the achievement of which would lead to the opening of countless gateways in the future. It had been hanging in the balance despite of me having cracked IIT-JEE twice, and having gotten admission into one of the topmost colleges in the country IT-BHU, as it 'was' called until a few days back!

But now, all my internal demons have been put to rest as I, along with all the others from our institute, experience a level of happiness, peace, rightfulness, and most of all, pride to finally have that extra, illusive 'I' in our institute's name that we so richly deserve!... While many of my friends started out their careers by walking into the famed gateways of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), people from our institute have the unique pleasure of watching and experiencing the hallowed portals of IIT, being built all around us, while we sit in the very centre of it!... It makes me really happy to think that we'll be the only handful of students in the country who have had the privilege and the honour of being in one of the topmost universities in India, inheriting the legacy of the Banaras Hindu University; and are now also an integral part of the brand-name, that is, IIT (BHU) Varanasi!!!...

We don't have to carry the burden of being a 'pseudo'-IIT any more. It surprises me to think that after all that I've been through, with all my possible choices having fallen just a little short of their mark, when I was struggling to get into IIT a few years back and the only thing that I could have possibly had in a so-called core IIT being an Integrated Masters Degree in some science subject like Economics; instead I'm finally doing a Dual Degree (B.Tech + M.Tech) course in a core engineering branch from a core IIT!!!...

Everything amazingly fell into place and it's only now that I'm truly beginning to understand what Steve Jobs meant when he said that: "You can only connect the dots looking backwards!" So many other things could have happened just by making a slightly different choice at any of the countless junctures encountered in the past, but everything just seems to have fit in perfectly like a complicated jig-saw puzzle. These are the only times that even atheists might have the feeling of divine intervention!

So, after all the controversies and criticism that I've been through in the recent past, reality finally takes a sweet turn!... There have been so many times when I've felt like showing the finger to fate, but I'm truly grateful that things have finally taken a measurably fruitful shape. We have all tirelessly worked very hard for achieving our goals and I'm not sure if this is fate's way of rewarding us. So, in any case, if there is indeed such a thing, I'd like to thank 'fate' from the bottom of my heart for helping us get something which was so dear to us, that it modified and affected every step we took!...

I've waited for ages to witness this day and now that it's finally here, it's a wonderful parting gift that we got before this year's summer vacation. And, on a personal note, this truly is the beginning of a new era in my life, and I take a solemn oath not to waste this opportunity which has been given to me in the form of the highest graduating platform available in India today!... Right from this moment on, irrespective of the past, I'll only be working towards the future. I've always been kind of a 'rebel' in my ways of doing stuff, but now I can finally forgive, forget and move on, as a brand new "IITian"!!!... So, a very hearty congratulations and all the very best to all my fellow IITians for a bright future ahead! Good luck and take care!... 

'ANVESHAN'

Another festival to cap off this already illustrious year for me : This time its 'ANVESHAN', the Metallurgical Engineering annual festival of our college!... Its a fun filled extravaganza which gives us the opportunity to participate in a variety of academic and non-academic activities like 'CADENCE' (the literary event), 'PRASHNA' (the event in which we are given an industrial problem, and the best answers are selected for the finals), 'SNAPSHOT' (a 'not-so-orthodox' photography competition, in which we are supposed to submit snapshots of metallurgical operations being performed on day to day objects, for example, 'machining', when we shave a pencil), etc. Thus this fest is a true test of innovation, fortitude and confidence, which inculcates in us, an unstoppable drive to win!... 

But one of the most important events in 'ANVESHAN' is 'RICERCA', the poster and paper presentation competitions. It is one of the only events in the whole year, which demands both knowledge and spontaneity! So, besides participating in 'CADENCE', I also decided to make a paper presentation on 'Fuel Cells'!...

I prepared for a few days, determined to win something, I had never tried before. D-Day arrived, and I dressed up in our new college blazer and tie for the first time. Formals were not a must, but I wanted to carry the whole thing out to perfection. Although I had a teammate, he was busy with other events and didn't have time to prepare; so it was decided that I would carry the whole presentation on my shoulders.

Uncannily and uncomfortably riding a bicycle, wearing our suits, we made our way to the lecture theatre, where the event was being held. We entered the hall and the first thing to grab my attention, was the girl whose thought had haunted me for quite some time (or may be vice-versa)! Looked like we were two of the only teams participating from our college. The facial features of the strict judges looked as if they had just taken a heavy dosage of quinine!!!...

Well, jokes apart, I was fortunate enough to have gotten rid of any stage-fear, right since my early days in school! I took off the sweaty blazer in the burning forty degrees of Varanasi, and looked forward to the challenge, anxiously awaiting our turn. Our names were announced and we firmly and confidently walked to the podium. I did my best, describing each slide to the best of my knowledge and oratory skills.

The judges' expression didn't change as they kept looking at our presentation with a cold glare! Suddenly, I was interrupted by one of them and after all our efforts, the best thing he could tell us was that we were losing marks for exceeding the given time limit! I was a little frustrated for him not letting me finish, but there was more to come! He sourly reprimanded us for all the references we had provided, and started asking questions on related stuff, we'd studied one year back, which we were struggling to remember. After a few minutes, he simply told us to 'leave', without a single word of encouragement or any future advice, which is the least I'd expected, after all the work I had put into it!!!...

Obviously, things didn't turn out quite the way I had expected them to, but it became another valuable episode in my life's chapter. Life goes on, and about a week from now, are the exams which might play an important role in shaping my very future, as can be well understood from my last article! Looking forward to new challenges; at this juncture, I'd like to wish everyone the very best for their future endeavours!!!...    

A Bitter Pill...!

Just when I thought, things were beginning to look good for me, with the year shaping out, exactly the way I wanted it to, with successful completion of various projects and my Summer Intern granted; out popped our dreaded last semester results! Judging by the title of this article, it should suffice to say that 'satisfactory' would be an over-statement for my result, at least on the scale at which I usually judge myself. 

Now, I know that it was our first departmental semester, which required a much different approach and probably in-depth knowledge of the core subject, as compared to our first year in college. But even I couldn't have fathomed how difficult it would be to venture into the unknown. Mistakes happen, and they're normally not a very big deal, if the right lessons are learnt. But the problem arises when all the possible kinds of mistakes are committed together, simultaneously. Lack of awareness about the branch; projects and other extra-curricular activities taken too seriously; and unfamiliarity with the new subjects and correction pattern; it all plagued me and caused my college academics to hit a temporary but sour low.

It's always difficult for a guy in such an institute, having cracked one of the toughest examinations on the planet, to get admission into it, having always been one of the topmost in school and elsewhere, for most of his life, to swallow such a bitter pill! Everyone's result showed quite a variation, compared to the year before; and while some people improved, the majority of the others ended up drastically screwing it up! Now, I've faced a lot of uncanny and stressful situations in life, but as always it takes time to sink in and adapt to; learn from it and move on, a better and improved man!

With an already on-going exam right now, I can't afford to waste time pondering about the past. And this is exactly where that 'never say die' attitude, outlined in my profile, comes into play. I know that performing really well in the current semester is a must, especially for my overall second year result, to be somewhat decent; but I cannot let this fact burden me, to an extent where I loose focus on things at hand.

Although I'm already getting to hear some unpleasant stuff regarding my result, doing the rounds; what is really important is how we look at ourselves and assess our own abilities. No one knows you better than you yourself; and living up to the title of my blog, a name which I've aptly earned, is something that I've always done, and shall do again with the same vigour and pride! Every challenge, thrown at you, can be overcome; and there's a solution to every problem encountered on the way to becoming successful in life.

I'm writing this article as more of a reminder to myself, of who I really am and what I've always been, "The Fighter Within"! And the greater the number of stepping stones one overcomes in a lifetime, the greater the person becomes! I don't know where I'll be about ten to fifteen years down the line, or whether, at the end of the day, my life will be a tragic or an inspirational tale; but I assure you that I'll do everything in my power to tip the balance towards the latter! I've always been one of a kind, and I'll achieve things in my own unique ways. One wake-up call is more than what I needed. Huh! I may have spilled the milk, but I won't spill the cappuccino which is on its way!!!...

BE THE FORCE!!!...

Exams Yet Again!!!...

Just back from home a week ago, and its already time for that periodic trauma once again! Man! It just feels like the day before yesterday, that our previous exams had gotten over! Its that time of the year, when people are seen flocking to the xerox shops across the street, in groups larger than herds of grazing cattle, hoping to gain something out of the traditional last-minute study! Its hilarious to think that we've spent the last two precious decades of our lives, mostly in giving exam, after exam, after exam!..... It makes us wonder whether these skills, for which we're being examined will actually ever be put to some real use! There seems to be no end to exams!!!...

In school, our parents would make us study, encouraging us to do better. Then, after passing out from school, we realized that life was a bit more important than all fun and games, and had to battle it out, to get into the right coaching institute to help us shape our future. This in turn led to even more exams : ..... The 12th Board's Exam; engineering entrance exams like IIT-JEE, AIEEE, BIT-SAT, etc; also loads of other people appearing in various science, medical and commerce entrance examinations!... The list goes on!!!...

Now, after all these years, after making it through all that cut-throat competition, after having to step on so many people's toes, to achieve our dreams unfortunately at the cost of others', to get into the college of our choice; ironically enough, nothing has changed! A few days from now, our sessionals will start, and its the same as always!..... Scouring for study material, trying to get better grades, in order to pursue future ambitions, on the way to giving even bigger and more important exams!... Its like a never-ending cycle!

Now, despite the so-called 'great philosophical men' of our world having left us quotes like, "Few minds wear out, but most rust out.", "Strength of the mind is exercise, not rest.", etc.; at times like this, I seriously feel like doing something a little more constructive than mugging stuff up and puking it all out on the exam paper!... But, I guess it's pointless arguing and complaining. After all, the reason we are doing all this is to have an opportunity of following our own dreams in the near future (which, quite frankly, doesn't seem to be as 'near' as it sounds!).

So many examinations left to give, and with no end in sight, what choice do I have but to say the regular? :-
                           

ALL THE BEST!!!...

Stop The Waiting Game!.....

Every second, every waking hour of our lives is a 'waiting game'! We live every minute waiting for things to happen or take shape! Hopes, dreams, ambitions, expectations!..... Its all a part of it! With so much on the horizon, and so many important things yet to happen, wonder how life would feel without 'The Wait'?

My life's always full of it!... Whether it be the impending political issues of our engineering college or the pending exam results of the last semester, which I can't exactly say I'd like to see; there's always something or the other to have my attention pinned to it! I always think about how to deal with such uncertainty and anxiety, as sometimes it might become too much for our nerves to take. Wouldn't it be much simpler if we could just numb our brain and let nature take it's course? I guess it would! But as always, its easier said than done.

An ideal life, with everything on track, without either fears or ambitions, is not only boring but also impractical. Every time you think you've 'seen it all', something pops up, which forces you to start over, and rethink everything you had known so far! But whatever happens, good or bad, there's one thing that always holds true, that I've learnt from personal experience, over all these years! "We" are pretty darned resilient!!!...

No matter what happens, we always figure out a way to live through it, and build on it, with nothing less than a smiling face! We take pride in our successes and failure in our stride! That's how we have managed to come so far! And that's how we'll manage to get further ahead in a world full of infinite opportunities and dangers!...

So, we should stop waiting and start acting. Whatever happens in the future will be a result of what we do now! Things which have happened or are about to happen as a result of past events, are quite frankly, not under our control and we can take solace in the fact that at every stage of our lives we have striven to do our best, to the best of our knowledge, taking decisions which we deemed fit at the time! I mean, obviously, no one's going to do something intentionally, if he knows for sure, that it might have some unpleasant repercussions in the future!...

So, we should be happy with what we have done and avoid blaming ourselves for things which could have been done in a better way! We should take a lesson and move ahead, not pitying ourselves in any way! Our brains have an amazing faculty of coping with situations; and I feel that people of my age group, who are at the beginning of their careers, need it the most, stepping out into a whole wide world of professionalism, not knowing whether life's going to treat us like a kind mother or like a b***h!!!...

So, let's all gear up and face life boldly! After all, we're giving it all we have and that's all that should ever be expected from anyone!!!!!.....
                                                             

   BE THE FORCE !!!...

Rare And Precious Pearls : Friends!!!...

I think it was just the day before yesterday that I'd said I wouldn't be writing another article for quite a while, but here I am at it again, energetically punching in the keys of my laptop! So, what's it about this time? Well, I guess the title is a sure giveaway!... 

Most of us get so entangled and preoccupied with this whole issue of living life - our careers, jobs, parties, night-outs, about being successful and making new connections, and a myriad of other seemingly important things; that we begin to get swept away from our very roots and from the most valuable people in our lives : "Our Friends!" So, I'm taking this time to step out of the shell of my own life, and focus on those very people who made it worth living!...

I really wish that I could pick out each one among the hundreds of friends I have, and personally sit down to have tea with every one of them, recapitulating everything that's gone down in the past, but alas, I guess such nostalgia is a far-fetched dream. Right from the friends I had in school and all the friends I had during our preparation for IIT-JEE, to all the friends in college now; it's like a vast, never ending treasure-trove of jewels!!!...

All the moments we had together; the casual discussions, the mind-blowing parties, the serious study sessions and of course all the little fights we had, on the silliest of issues imaginable; it all comes back in a flash, and I can only but smile, thinking of years gone by! All of us want to move ahead in life, but we can't really leave behind our past, can we?.....

But, there are some moments, which are really special, which get permanently etched in our minds! These memories come back to us every now and then, and give us a moment of heavenly peace and relief from the daily hustle-bustle of life. I've had such moments too..... I remember the time when some of us from our JEE coaching institute, went over to a friend's house and rain-danced, without a care in the world; and we had to attend that day's three hour session with the same wet clothes!... I remember erupting in a roar of laughter, on the stupidest of jokes cracked by some of my friends... Then there were also events, like the one outlined in the article "A New Lease Of Life", where all of us literally owed each other our lives, for managing to get out of that treacherous water fall alive!...

Such memories are all that remain, to connect us to a world gone by! But we must hold on to these threads of fond memories, as they may define our very existence! Although all of us have chosen different paths, and will probably end up in different places across the globe, I hope that we can always remain in touch! And who knows what might happen in a few more decades?....... Hehe, maybe someday I'll meet a long lost friend in some random supermarket, as they show in the movies!...

Well jokes apart, however things may turn out, I know one thing for sure and that is, I've been blessed with a bunch of the most amazing friends one could ever wish to have! It is said that "The most we can do for a friend is to simply be his or her friend!" And trust me, that's the only thing one ever needs to do! Isn't friendship divine?.....!!

So guys, let's all saver this one moment on 'Mahashivratri' in memory of all the rare and precious pearls we've ever had in our lives, in the form of friends, because some people may 'go to priests', 'others to poetry', but 'I to my friends'!!!...

CHEERS TO LIFE!!!...

  CHEERS TO FRIENDSHIP!!!...

  

Double Bonanza!!!!!

Now, referring to my previous article, if a "Project in SAIL" sounds great, then what would you call a "Project in SAIL + Summer Intern in Bharat Forge Ltd."!? Man!!! This year keeps on getting better! I know that this sounds like beating my own drums, but somehow I just can't resist sharing my excitement with some of my closest friends! Inspite of 2012 having the nickname of 'Doomsday Year', with the Mayan calendar ending on the 21st of December, 2012; this year has been anything but doom for me!...

Bharat Forge Ltd. :-

• The largest exporter of auto components from India.
• The leading chassis component manufacturer in the world.
• A technology driven global leader in the manufacture of a wide range of highly engineered critical and safety components for countless sectors including Automobile, Oil and Gas, Rail and Marine, Energy, etc.
• A customer base that includes virtually every global automotive OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) and Tier 1 supplier!
• A capability to offer front line design and engineering, dual shore manufacturing and full service supply!...

What more can I say about this highly esteemed organisation?! The statistics speak for themselves.

Doesn't it feel great when things turn out exactly the way you want them to? It's really ironical to think that the same guy who didn't have the slightest clue of what he was going to do at the beginning of this year, has got simultaneous opportunities to work for two of the biggest technical giants in India, SAIL and Bharat Forge Ltd.! Its amazing to think how far a little determination and perseverance, on your part, can take you; and how a bit of persistence can work wonders for you!!!

Another one or two dreams fulfilled, and this year'll mark the beginning of a new and epic journey in my life. Other than my personal efforts, I also feel deeply indebted to all those people who helped me grasp these opportunities, with a special reference to Ms. Shobha Ronimath (HR Officer, Bharat Forge Ltd.) and my father, Mr. T.K.Dev (Dy. General Manager, SAIL).

It always feels really great to know that your course of action for the next few months has been decided and your time will be well-utilized. Its a refreshing change for me, as its totally different from the monotonous college routine, and it will give me the exposure of working in a world class professional working environment. I'm currently completing my project with SAIL and I eagerly look forward to working with BFL! With college exams also approaching soon, it's going to be a busy but exciting time, and I'm not sure if I'll be able to write another article for quite some time now! So, until then, see you, take care and of course:-

                                                 

ALL THE BEST TO EVERYONE!!!

My First Project!!!

It's always exciting to do something for the first time in our lives. Compare that with an opportunity to do a project in one of the largest 'Maharatna' companies of India! Such is the situation in which I am in right now! I just received a project from India's largest steel producing company, Steel Authority Of India Ltd. (SAIL)! Although technically this isn't my very first project, as I have done a few minor short term projects in the past, including one under Megha Constructions Ltd., which is a recently formed private firm in Mumbai; the current project is surely the first major one I've received...!  

SAIL is one of the five 'Maharatnas' of the country's Central Public Sector Enterprises, with a turnover of US$ 10.71 billion! The company is one of the top 5 'highest profit earning' companies in the country. It is a public sector undertaking, owned by the Government of India. SAIL has more than one lakh employees, with an annual production of 13.5 million metric tonnes of steel, making it the 14th largest steel producer in the world.

Major plants owned by SAIL are located at Bhilai, Bokaro, Durgapur, Rourkela, Burnpur and Salem. According to a recent survey, SAIL is also one of India's fastest growing Public Sector Units. Besides, it has Research & Development Center for Iron and Steel (RDCIS), a Center for Engineering and Technology (CET), a Management Training Institute (MTI) and the SAIL Safety Organization (SSO), located at Ranchi. However, the main headquarters of SAIL are located only in New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai.

Well, that should be enough to give you an idea about the company. Now, coming down to my project, it consists of two phases! The first phase is based on SAIL's famous slogan : "There is a little bit of 'SAIL' in everyone's life!" Since steel is the primary alloy produced and marketed by SAIL, I have to prepare a project on the journey of 'steel' from ancient times to contemporary days, highlighting the properties of steel, the history of steel-making and it's modernization, the steel industry and finally, it's uses, all in great detail. The second phase of the project is a little bit tougher, to which I'll be introduced once I complete the first phase. It'll involve current marketing policies of SAIL and I'll be needed to give my own views on how to increase the production of steel and other similar issues based on study. The entire project would be integrated as a continuation of the work done by me in last year's summer intern under the Central Marketing Organisation of SAIL. But all that will happen in due course of time, after I first finish the task at hand.

All in all, I'm really excited! This year has been pretty good to me till now, and I don't want to jinx it by saying this. I've gone through a lot in recent times and I hope that this project opens new gateways for me, paving the path towards a happier and brighter future! I still have to get a confirmation from Bharat Forge Ltd. to finalize this year's Summer Intern and I have many things in mind. But for now things are looking good, and I only wish that they get better!!!... A special thanks to all those who have helped me get this far in my career, especially my father!!... Feels good to be saying this after a long time :-

    BE THE FORCE !!!...

'KASHI YATRA'

'Kashi Yatra', originally meaning "pilgrimage to Kashi", is also the name chosen for the cultural festival of our college, IIT(BHU) Varanasi. But, despite it's meaning, it's far from being any kind of 'pilgrimage'! Its a youthful and fun-filled event with competitions in art, literature and theatre; and it also involves dance, music and an electrifying fashion show!...

To give a short description of the events, 'Kashi Yatra' includes 'Toolika' (an art competition). Toolika comprises of 'pot painting', 'T-shirt painting', 'tattooing', 'face painting', 'sketching' and other such events. Its a great opportunity for artists to show off their skill and finesse. Then there are the 'plays', in which fine actors participate, displaying their fantastic theatrical skills. The fest also includes 'Samvaad' (debate, extempore, quizzes and other literary events), 'Kavi Sammelan' (the poets' get together), 'Crosswindz' (the rock concert), 'Bandish' (the singing competition) and 'Natraj' (the dance competition), where dancers put up an awe-inspiring performance every year! There are other major events too, but to give every detail, would take a considerably greater amount of time and effort.

But the thing which is the most awaited and looked forward to, each year, is the fashion show 'Mirage', which gives us the opportunity to look at regular college students in a whole new light, if you know what I mean to say! I must admit that the guys are mostly interested in the gals, who look like sizzling hotties, dressed in high voltage Indian and Western outfits! The professionalism showed by the Mirage teams is amazing, in that they can transform anyone, with the right attitude and average looks, into a gorgeous looking star!

On the last day of the fest, every year, a 'music guru' is invited, in an event called 'Antarnaad', who can enthrall us with his voice and mark the end of Kashi Yatra, with a high-sounding bang. All in all, Kashi Yatra presents us with a very high platform to hone our talents to such an extent, which can sometimes even surprise us ourselves. This year, I participated in the Quiz Competition and in Creative Writing, whose results are still awaited. The turnout increases each year and the number of people participating has increased exponentially in the past few years.

I hope that this national level cultural fest keeps on getting such a positive response in the coming years too, and the increasing number of sponsors, and the reputation of 'Kashi Yatra', can one day, transcend it to an international event! So, until the next KY guys:-

KASHI YATRA ROCKS!!!...  

'TECHNEX'

Now, before you start wondering what 'TECHNEX' means, it stands for "TECHNical EXcellence"!... It is the annual technical festival organised in our college IIT(BHU) Varanasi, by the Student Council. Every year, it attracts a huge number of sponsors, including giants like Google, Intel, IBM, nVIDIA, Adobe, Seagate, among many others. Countless participants from our own college, from other IITs, NITs, BITS Pilani, and other colleges show up for the four-day long festival!

TECHNEX includes a wide variety of competitions, guest lectures by prominent people from India and abroad, workshops on 'Robotics and Android Development', 'Ethical Hacking', 'Surface Computing', 'B-plan' and many others. This year it also included the featuring of movies and the work of many artists, for example, 'Sand Animation' by Rahul Arya, a stand up comedy by Rivaldo, and many others. The competitions include 'Krackat and Innoventure' (which are mock exams for Management and Interns), 'Balvigyaan and Biz-Wiz' (which are quiz competitions) and competitions involving robots like Aqua Combat, I-Robot, Optica, etc. TECHNEX also includes a gaming competition called 'Clutch', in which gamers from across the country are invited to participate in 'Counter-Strike', 'Need For Speed', 'FIFA' and 'Age Of Empires'. And finally, each day is culminated with Informal competitions (including Live Angry Birds, Bluffmaster, Bolt-Unbolt, Treasure hunt, etc.), and also a Military Show, displaying the latest advances in the country's military armaments and lethal weaponry.

Last year I had participated in I-Robot as part of a team, in which we had to build a line-follower bot; but unfortunately a few problems were encountered and we could not finish our robot before the deadline of the preliminary rounds. Now, robotics involves a lot of 'ifs and buts'!....You might have done the programming correctly and checked your hardware properly, but one faulty motor or IC can spoil your game at the last moment.

So, this year, although I helped out some of my friends with the 'coding' of their bots, I preferred participating in events other than robotics.I participated in 'Krackat' and helped co-coordinate 'Balvigyaan', which took quite a bit of effort and occupied my weekend, after an already busy week. None the less, it was fun and it contributed to a very useful and enjoyable experience. I also attended the guest lecture delivered by one of India's prominent political and international affairs advisers, in the form of Oopali Operajita; in which she outlined the environmental issues being faced by countries across the globe, and made us realize our importance in the issue, as the country's future.

All in all, it was four of the most participative and hectic days in my college-life. But, at the same time it was one of the best learning experiences I've ever had. I look forward to participating in TECHNEX again next year, and sincerely urge others across the country to do the same and make this wonderful event even more awesome by your active presence and participation in it!...Today is the last day of 'TECHNEX 2012' and its going to end with a bang, with a Laser Show and D.J. Night!.... Looking forward to it!... So, until next year then!...

 TECHNEX RULES !!!...

My Guiding Light!...

Philosophy and personal events aside, today I just want to thank and shed some light on the people, without whom I would have certainly had to get my feet wet floundering in some crepuscular alley. They are not only the most important people in my life right now, but also someone whose positives I'd like to emulate.

Now, when it comes to idolizing someone, for the fancy Dans, it might be some celebrity like Brad Pitt or SRK, or if you are sports oriented, may be legends like Ronaldo, Roger Federer or Sachin Tendulkar would fit the bill, or may be the traditional geeks would pick the likes of Bill Gates or Steve Jobs as the people to be. But all said and done, all of them might be great, but each and every one of us has someone special in our lives... Someone irreplaceable! This special person(s) is someone we have always looked up to and followed since our childhood and whose name is the first to turn up in our heads, in the face of adversity. Don't know about you guys, but my parents have been such a guiding light for me ever since I was brought into this big, wide, uncertain world. Our parents... The very people we talk to everyday, whom we seldom thank and whose importance we hardly ever realize... What a strange and wonderful relation to share for those fortunate enough! So, this article is dedicated to you Baba & Mamma!

Now, although I've never asked for much from my parents, always being sensitive to our finances and looking at my duty as its own reward, be it in academics or otherwise, my parents too for the most part never allowed anything to dent my happiness either. Granted I never had or even seriously wished for such materialistic luxuries as a Play Station or an Xbox or an iPod, but the basic necessities were always more than covered, for which I'm grateful. And I surely haven't been impeccable, probably being quite a handful to my parents on many instances. I'm occasionally moody and hot-headed and many a times in the past I've preferred doing things my own way, not listening to my parents. I'm also not too proud to say that I've perhaps unintentionally hurt their feelings on a few occasions too. So, I'd like to take this opportunity to paint a real-life portrait of my parents, trying to acknowledge just some of the things they have done for me and how their sheer presence has changed my life for the better... At first glance, one would say that our small family looked pretty much the same as any other. My father is a government officer and my mother portrays the character of a typical Indian housewife. And although almost every parent has to make some sacrifices for rearing of their children, but doing so without the tiniest bit of hesitation year after year, is something that I truly admire!

My father bought a house in Pune, so that my mother and I would not have to move every time he was transferred. I have done my entire schooling in the same school and in the same city, thanks to my father, who always ensured that my education wouldn't be disturbed at any cost. Back then and even up until the early 2000s, I remember we had an old rust bucket of a second hand Premier Padmini, which my dad hesitated to park near my school gate along side even the mundane Skodas and Mitsubishis, although I never had any qualm in that regard, as the only thing one should be proud of is doing his best with the circumstances presented. As I used to explain to him, businesses always have an underlying tendency to treat people in accordance with what they stand to gain from them, but that cannot form the basis for self worth. We didn't socialize much either with many of the affluential families of the brats in my class, as most of them met at swanky private clubs with exorbitant membership charges, our school being one of the most sought after and me having gotten admission there purely based on merit, just grateful for being able to afford the fee. I also remember forfeiting a school organized trip to Australia, without even asking my dad, as I knew it would burn a hole through his already burdened pockets. When my father was transferred to Mumbai, he used to undertake intercity travel on a daily basis, slogging to and from work covering a total of about 400 kms. with a time implication of more than 6 hours each day. Despite his busy schedule, he always tried to finish his chores before hand, so that he could get a day off during any event relating to me, be it the annual prize day ceremony at school or the Christmas choir.

Similarly, my mother has a Master's Degree in English and could have outdone many others in any associated job interview, but instead she decided to stay at home, so that she could contribute to my upbringing, never letting me feel neglected. Although some would term it as professional lethargy, the demands of child nurture is not something I can comment on at this stage. And if you think that this was going overboard, you could tell my mother that, and get ready for an hour's lecture! Even today, after almost two decades, you would see the same relieved expression on her face, when my father and I return home safely, just as it was in the old days.

Although I admit my parents have been a tad bit too protective at times and some might have thought of it as pampering, but I looked upon it as an attempt at good parenting, an intention which has become my driving force today. No matter how tough a situation I might be in, no matter if no one supports me, and no matter if nothing seems to be going my way, because the deeply rooted vision of my parents' smiling faces is always reason enough for me to fight on! Honestly, I could go on writing for ages if I were to throw light on every small highlight, as a single article or blog truly does no justice to the incomprehensible magnitude of what they mean to me. Needless to say, my parents are priceless to me and not a day goes by where I do not strive to repay their debt. Every so often I have flashbacks of having sometimes been a bit rude to them, which still hurt be it justified or not. We must remember that what leaves a second's impression on some, might leave a lifetime's impression on others. 

So, today I say this publicly to my parents that:

"I love you and I assure you that as long as you are there for me, I'll always be there for you too! Thank you for being MY GUIDING LIGHT!!!"  

The Mystery Of ‘Reason’!...

Life’s always full of brain-churning puzzles, riddles and questions, some of which can’t be clearly answered, even after a lifetime of head scratching. Although most people go about their lives by their instincts and what they ‘want’, there exist a handful, who actually attach a ‘Why’ to their ‘What’ and try to reason with themselves before jumping into something. You see, in nature, there’s always a driving force behind everything. This ‘driving force’ is what we call ‘reason’!

But, every chain of reasoning has to start from a certain assumption, principal or law, whatever you may call it. This is the point beyond which more ‘Whys’ yield no more results, and the best our persistence can achieve is making us go in circles, using previous ‘assumptions’ as our ‘reasons’. This is what attaches ‘mystery’ to ‘reason’.

Furthermore, our reasons may, and will differ depending on our points of view. Just for example, while I’m busy learning Matlab and other softwares, and helping out some of my friends, participating in Technex (the annual technical festival of our college), with the programming of their robots; the only thing that some people bother to ask me is whether I’ll be getting a certificate for it! Now, self-development is proof enough and ‘reason’ enough for learning stuff, and I know fruitless pieces of paper are not necessarily required to validate what someone’s doing.

‘Reason’ is the holy grail of everything. If we ever find out the reason behind each and every occurrence, behind what has already happened and what is going to happen, we might as well lose our reason to live. Therein lies the contradiction and confusion!......

So, What is ‘reason’ actually?..... It’s something which has its roots in baseless presumptions and uncertainty and yet logical people must embrace it! It’s something which we crave to know and yet, might not really want to know, as that would make our lives utterly boring!...

So, what should we do?... Well, honestly, I don’t know! I have mixed feelings about how my life has turned out till now! I have done some things which I’m proud of, and some others which could have been done a little differently, or shouldn’t have been done at all. Anyhow, I’ve felt it best to let life unveil the right ‘reasons’ at the appropriate times.

As I take steady steps towards my future, with hopes and ambitions and also, some impending fears, I don’t know how things are going to turn out and what I’m going to face. But, none-the-less, I hope and believe that things are going to fall into place and someday, I’ll gain a subtle understanding of the mystery, that is ‘Reason’!...