The Relentless Pursuit!

   With a huge sigh I look at the daily planner which hasn't really been useful in planning even a single day in the last 365 days of my life. All it helped was in constantly reminding me the dates of T1's, T2's ,Quizes & what not continuous evaluative components of the semester. But yeah, the significance of these reminders for a BITSian was powerful enough for putting the planner in the constant purview of my eyesight all the time.
   As I lean back on the couch and let the world of thoughts engulf me, I still can't believe that another year has come and before I know it...has gone. Just like my thoughts on the eve of every other new year.Just like my usual self,when I always say to myself "How as it become so late so soon?".A part of me figures, May be I get so carried away by the moment & get drained in the experiences of the past, that I wish the cherished experiences would stay a little longer. But with a hint of rationality, I condescendingly look at at myself for being melodramatic.
   As I look back at the past 12 months and let my thoughts recollect every little ounce of memory hidden deep in the deepest recesses of my brain, reflections of the past play an automated slide show before my eyes. I realize that a lot had happened. This year, our country saw a new phase in the form of the rise of Aam aadmi party. God knows how far it will go politically, but it is the only body to raise its voice against corruption at the national level.Openly...of course. The judicial system of the country has finally found it is right to hang Kasab, the terrorist who has created havoc throughout the nation. Well, Justice delayed is Justice denied. In the prestigious London Olympics, the entire country of more than 1 billion people were happy that we bagged half a dozen medals while U.S just leaped past the century figure. This is also that dreaded year, where Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, the GOD of cricket in our nation has finally decided to hang his boots in the colored shirts much to the grief of the country as well as silencing the voices of found-in-every-street baseless critics.Well, he also been appointed as a people's representative as he is casted into the upper house of the Indian parliamentary system.But ending on a gravely sadder note, the country was baffled by the death, or should I say murder, of an Indian woman molested in the National capital. The entire population of the nation has taken a united stand in the memory of an innocent girl who has been brutally molested in the heart of the country. Hopefully, All those intense protests and candle light marches opens the eyes of the government to make stringent laws for protection of women in the country. And yeah, Abhijit Mukherjee...please please resign. We may not stand against incompetent politicians, as their figure seems to be on an increasing note every year, but we definitely do not need 'politicians' like you who gets ripped of on a national LIVE debate because he says only one response to every query of Arnob Goswamy irrespective of understanding or even trying to understand the simple question.
   And as my thoughts roll on, I understand that my inner world has changed at a much bigger context. Just like every passing phase, people around in my life had changed.But this time with more than a pinch of hurt, as I left behind some of my closest friends in campus to do an internship in Bangalore.Well, I knew I didn't have much of a choice there but to leave behind friends even before the completion of graduation did shatter a part of my heart much to the grief of good-byes. If only time friezes for the happy moments to stay longer! This time, I had a hard time explaining & convincing myself that Life goes On!
   A sweet little inner voice shouts, A lot had happened.A lot further had changed! As a famous quote goes "Histories make men wise; poets, witty; the mathematicians subtle; natural philosophy, deep; moral, grave; logic and rhetoric, able to contend." Like the heart-warming story of Barfi!, I understand that life has much more to it than what catches the naked eye. Through the brave heart of Brendan Rodgers, I understand that vision, planning, hard work & determination stands at the heart of the revival of our lives. I just hope a few years from now, he stays at that same position & restores Liverpool FC into the top bracket of European football, as Champions! Through hours & hours in the world of novels, deep inside I know that Paulo Coelho, Sidney Sheldon, Durjoy Dutta and loads of other writers have stirred emotions and touched places in my heart, which has helped me grow into a wiser and intellectual person which I am today. Through my memorable stint at Bangalore, I know that leving behind friends is never gonna be easy, even if the friendships are made in a short frame of time.

   And now, as I brace myself to face the final frontier in education phase, my heart still feels incomplete for the lack of something. That something being a lack of plan to achieve my ambition or a difficulty to choose the next step of life or a simple thought of leaving BITS-Pilani..I still debate among myself. May be the time to use daily planners effectively still hasn't come in my life. May be I should not take the grand planner calender my dad offers me every year. But irrespective of it, I know that my mind wouldn't stop battling in its relentless pursuit of ambition. May be, I will grow up next year into a much more wiser ass & let my thoughts shape into a plan. But for now, with an overloaded thinking capacity & a much more thoughtful brain, I cherish the final moments of the calender year. Adios 2012!

A spark shall fly!

Yet again, I checked my watch, but this time let out a deep sigh of relief at the first sight of the banner "TechSparks 2012 Grand Finale" (http://www.yourstory.in/events/techsparks/). Finally, I reached, I thought. As I started walking towards the auditorium, I couldn't take my mind of the fact that we(me & my friend) have spent the better part of last one hour searching for this address. One complete hour! And in that process completed one full circle around a 17 km road & thanks to some auto driver's help, finally, arrived there, albeit an hour late. As we submitted our tickets & completed the registration process, an adrenaline rush filled my mind. Well, it was that kind of day, which I have been waiting for since weeks.
   And as we entered the audi, I could see the the Introductory note from the CEO of yourstory.in just coming to an end. Phew, the Indian Standard time!, I muttered while searching for a chair to sit amongst the densely packed auditorium. After all, however big-weights the speakers, orators & b-plan presenters were & from which ever parts of the world they flew in from, at the end of the day, it was an Indian event & true to its name, it was running late!
   The introductory note was then followed by an extraordinary speech by the Managing Director of a leading investment banking firm, giving deep insights into the ideal hiring policies of a start-up, ups & downs of an Entrepreneurial life, important times for the evolutionary phases in the organisation, the ways of imbibing a deep rooted culture into your start-up etc..I wish his talk continued further. But even before I started reflecting over his points , a panel discussion consisting of executive level members from Google, Amazon, Intel, Philips started over the topic of "Scaling your start-ups", which was moderated by a distinguished member of Harvard Business school. As the event progressed, and the fodder required for my intellectual appetite started accumulating, I could never have accepted the fact that these were just appetizers of the day.
   What followed after the lunch was the true purpose of the Grand finale. And thus, the main course of the day! The best 30 technological start ups of the country were unveiled. And a few of them were given 10 minutes to present them.
   However different the ideas may be & however different their methodologies in implementing them may be, every one of them had one thing in common. Each of them took pride in explaining & giving demo of their products/service. From the ex-CEO of the Kings XI Punjab to the Alumni of the most prestigious B schools, every one of them explained the void in the present market & the way in which their Entrepreneurial genius fulfilled it. Make no mistake, organisation are never born over night. Everyone had worked years & years over organizing their thoughts & developing their products and ventures (and in some cases, even after repeated failures of their previous endeavors! ) ; signifying the fact that "Work life balance is a myth!".
   There is no short-cut to success, there is only hard work, I remembered.
   Each one of the B-plans had vital ideas & outstandingly developed products. But the ones which caught my most attention out of all those mesmerizing presentations were 'Radiowalla' & 'Impact Index'. Radiowalla aimed at providing genre specific music app while Impact Index aimed at computing a common scale to compare the performances of all the cricket players across the globe, bowlers & batsmen, domestic & international, giving weightage to every minute & important detail like the position at which they bat, the crucial time at which they gave an important knock, the critical moment in which a wicket was taken, the failure rate of the players (giving a whole new perspective apart from average), the big match performances, considering the competence of the opposition (whether the Aus/Ban) etc..And like every normal Indian, being a cricket buff, I was awestruck when he demonstrated the complete idea. And inevitably, his presentation ended with a thunderous applause.
  And after a couple of high-profile talks ended, while I was walking towards the parking lot, I couldn't help but to contemplate about the events of the day. I may have been amongst the youngest persons who have attended today, but I might have also been the most profitable person of the day, as the hundreds of other Entrepreneurs there would have known the most of it by heart. Potentially, I might have gotten insights over the Life's worth over the meager amount I paid for the ticket, but the immense knowledge over startup's I gained have truly enlightened me over the meaning of a spark! May be, hopefully, a spark rises in my life. And, with all due respect to my destiny, hopefully, I shall fly! :D

A lion roars!

A fictional post!
"Longing for a deep breath , he crouched on the grass and put his elbows on his knees. He looked at the scoreboard which was being changed from "0-2" to "0-3". Inhaling through his nose & mouth, he couldn't exactly point out when he had that huge sigh getting out of his body. As a result of his incessant running, he couldn't exactly bark at his teammates, making him very much unlike him. As a result of some egregious errors committed by his peers, his team has gone 3 goals down. Even at his equanimous best, he hadn't had the heart to imagine that his team was losing. Not atleast, when that third goalscorer, & also the opposition's captain, gave him a  look filled of disgust, indicating that his team was way out of competence to be playing in that match. The grand finale of a month long soccer tournament, comprising of colleges participating from all across the state.
  As the players were preparing for the game to be resumed, with a kick-off from the center line, he glanced towards the stand where his college mates were standing. Instead of the ever-cheering and festive moods, which was the characteristic of their journey through the quarters & semi-finals, all that loomed was despair. As he jogged his way, towards his midfield position, he couldn't think of a way out of this embarrassment. Even before he could let his thoughts to take a backseat & getting himself concentrated on the game, the referee blew halftime whistle.
  As the players accumulated at one of the corner flags, all they did, was to collapse on the grass & sip some energy drinks, while looking at him for a response towards their game, precisely their game-play. After all, he was their captain & their best player. And otherwise,  the loquacious friend, who had always had inspirational stories & game-changing strategies to tell during their practice sessions half time break.But no, not this time. This time, all they found in the group was, pin-drop silence and an intense stare from their captain. But they hardly knew the volcano breaking under his thick skin.
  His emotions on the game turned from despair to retrospection to a challenge. Drenched in an implacable mood, he was never ready to accept the result of failure. Trying to reflect & find out a way to make-up for their mistakes, he had recollected all the innumerable stories he has learned while growing up. Of all the people present there, he knew the most about the importance of showing raw courage in the face of adversity. And this particular situation was no exception. 
   He recollected a small quote, which he has overheard during a childhood training session, when two of his seniors were expressing their adulation towards their footballing idol - 
"Acha, toh game aise khelthe hain!" 
He remembered the awe in their faces, while watching the magical touches of their idol , while sheer brilliance was being displayed on the field.I have to be that, he muttered under his breath. The least I can do is to give my 100% & try to make this game not a disaster in the history of my college, he thought. But what he had in his mind was far greater than those words. And by his performance, he wanted to make a difference!
  As he lifted his head, he watched all his team mates staring at him. Perhaps for some message or change of tactics, his awareness has warned. He glanced through all his teammates' faces, looking deep into their watchful eyes. He exhaled a deep breath, picked himself up, dusted his back and stared at the pitch. Following, the rest rose. This was the usual moment, when he had his laconic senses at his best. Bursting out short words in quick succession & bringing up the morale of his friends. But no,not this time, he thought.
  Without any movement from his lips, he just ran to his starting position on the pitch, minutes before the kick-off, waiting for moment to arrive, stressing himself into the heights of seriousness, a layer much obscure to his pretense. And in that moment, without any word being uttered , let alone a team meeting, the players ran onto the pitch.
  As the second half commenced, the atmosphere in the air turned into life. With am extraordinary tackle, he collected the ball at the half line, dribbled past the offence and passed to his midfield counterpart. As he received the ball on the move, with a short look out of his searching eyes, he saw two defenders running to converge his path & obstruct
him. On some other day, he would have back-passed and re-builded the attack.But this day, he let the ball go through the defender's legs and jumped a feet higher, squeezed his upper body and brought his hands closer to his stomach and peirced through the small gap available between the opposition players bodies, leaving the spectators and his team mates in a awe-stuck state. At the final obstacle, he rounded the ball around the goal-keepers' legs and sprinted his way towards the goal line. Just before the ball found its inevitable way into the goal, he stopped it. He turned around and looked at the last defender, who was the opposition's captain, while returning his look of disgust. Giving a second, for everybody to realize what just happened, he tapped in the ball into the net. But, without any alacrity & without any celebration, he picked it up from the goal, held it between his elbow and abdomen, and started jogging towards the center line. With that kind of a performance, any player would have gone wild into the realms of euphoria.But no, this time he had a uphill task on his shoulders and by this goal, he meant business!
  But this time, even without a clap from his hands or a usual 'well-done' shout from his mouth, he had made his point. Giving away inspiring words wasn't his priority, but getting the intensity into his team-mates' heads was! And this time, he had succeeded. Well beyond his expectations!
  What followed after that was magical display from his team. And by giving the captain's display, he led his team from the front. Throwing his body at every sight of the tackle, picking out his team-mates with exotic passes, poaching in another goal from a thunderbolt strike, making goal line clearances, starting his team's counter-attacks...he was just the hot piece of steel, who was too big for the opposition to handle. And when he selflessly passed the ball for his team mate to strike the winning goal, he let out the first smile of the day. A symbol of reaching the boundaries of victory. A smile, which signified his pursuit of the day.
  And when the final whistle was blown, the wild ecstatic state of his friends standing on the edge of the seats on their stand, just put the final nail in the coffin of his half-time endeavor. He hugged all his team mates, shook hand with the runner ups & collected the trophy on behalf of the team. 
   Nothing pretty much was spoken about his heroics on the day in their post-match chill-out! It was a tacit truth. The unspoken feelings weren't really necessary. That day all they knew, was they saw a lion roaring! But what they didn't knew was that the opposition captain  said something to his team mates after the match - 'Acha, toh game aise khelthe hain!'  "

Hope You liked it. And yeah, your invaluable feedback on this one, just like in the case of "Au revoir?", will be of immense importance to me! :D