Finally we paid the fine. My heart drenched in pain and my hand shaked when I handed over that 500 rupee note. The pain ran down my spine to my legs and earth went away. Every drop of tears screamed of agony and anguish. College Account office happily took away my money, as she was piling 500 rupee notes inside the drawer.
All and all, I learned a lesson:
Never to repeat it again. Atleast not in ISB&M. It's a Sin, to bunk classes. And that too, a mass bunk. Be aware.
LIFE - "what is that now?" I don't have one, anymore.
Late night work, with neck wrecked and spine crunched. Classes aren't there anymore, there're only corporates now. One eats, drinks, sleeps corporate life.
But none the less, the experience is fantastic. One gets a chance, should always give it a shot "for sure". That's it, I'll be back in days.
No food, no sleep, no masti, no fun. All for you. Juss getting screwed at next moment, sacrificing my life for you people. EVery now and then, some body calls me, asking me for the classes, for schedules, assignments, et al. Always need to hear scum words, when ever i need to announce extra classes or assignments. Always being called by Avneesh Sir for different announcments and for the compalaints of the classmates. that's all for now. Will surely come back, back with a bang.
ohh what i wrote...i wont be getting time 'coz i'm an ISBMite. Shit happens, you know. So I'd do it right here, right now. Life was never the same for me, as it is for me now. Gone are the days, when i used to fly high in the sky like a dove and used to wander in the night like a nightingale; used to enjoy in leisure time with my friends, chatting till wee hours; till the day of addressal arrived. The dawn broke and the sun rose in the resplendent valley of Nande, there was commotion in the Audi, my MBA life reved up. Saris, formals, hours of listening, hammering of lectures on absurd topics, i was like an alien on the planet.
Since the day I entered this college and then today, I'm like an island of prosperity admist an ocean of poverty, like a dove tied with the manacles of tyranny. I'm no more a free flying bird, that i used to be. My freedom is shackled, my thought process is subdued, and i feel like i'm surrounded between agony and lapses.
And I pray, there could be an angel with a magic wand and azure coloured halo rings, come down to the lush green valley of nande and free me, rescue me, escape me, take me away, far far far, far away to the orient.
Hello folks, this is Nisha Yadav on-board isbm blog for the very first time.
Section B (my class) is fined with Rs. 500 for not attending IT-foundation lecture. This is the first time, we people has been fined by the college. So we'al are in fix what to do? Some says yes, and some say no. Can you gimme a suggestion ? Half the day has been passed thinking about this shit. Let's see what happens in the evening. We're due 500 bucks by 1730 hrs, after that...god knows whether it will multiply the fine amount or we'd be "DEBARRED" (the favourite word of the administration of ISB&M) for the tri-semester.
It's all bout Entrepreneurship. It's all bout your passion. It's all about your dream.
Think Big. Act Big.
Dream, Think, Convert.
My idea, since last three years and today at somewhere 11:45 pm, it got a sudden birth. With the help of Sumit and our faculty member Vikas Sir, we got a push. Let's move on.
Those who want to join can meet us (Bhargav, Sumit, Gagandeep) personnaly or can mail us at cen.isbm@gmail.com
‘To get to the Promised Land you have to negotiate your way through the wilderness.’
Very well said, don’t know by whom, but really fits in, in our lives. Isn’t it? Not always true, but it balances the life.
Without any glitch, I must say, we all operate in two contrasting modes – Open and Closed. The open mode is relaxed, receptive, exploratory, democratic and playful. The closed mode is tight, rigid, hierarchical and tunnel-visional.
What I was behaving at the time of GD/PI was Open Mode, and the way Panel members were suppose to behave/or say were behaving falls in Closed Mode.
Not that the closed mode cannot be helpful…if you’re leaping across a gorge, the moment of take off is a bad time for considering alternative strategies! When you charge the enemy’s machine – gun post, you don’t try to see the funny side of it. you do this in a closed mode. The moment the action is over, you may return to the open mode – to open your mind again to the feed back and see if further action is needed or not, to improve on what you’ve done.
After admission, i paid a flying visit of our college campus. I took some snaps, so posting them over here. Hope you'll like them.
The room from where I took the below shown snap. btw, I've never seen such a class anywhere. What it is meant for ?
This is from inside the Top Floor room. I guess, if not wrong, than this room is situated at one and half floor.
One can see dried up Swimming Pool...and Audi.
And this is the intersection of Boys' and Girls' Block.
Mess. This picture is taken from Boys' and Girls' block intersection.
Nice scenic view of the Hostel Lawns.
View of Hostel Block from the sides of Audi.
I entered my name at the gate and trudged on towards the college. Our Alma Matter. Construction was going on, all over.
This is when I (Bhargav Trivedi) came from Mumbai and stepped out at Chevrolet Showroom, near the flyover and walked till this place. I even went inside for inquiring whether it's boys' or girls'. It was Girls. lol. Then i got a rickshaw onwards.
There were four ISBMites, sitting at the registration desk. And there were almost more than twenty-five my-type-aspirants; gazing at me; some with worrying faces, somebody bit smiling, bit nail-biting. Some where gossiping and some where reading newspaper and a girl (Krithika Iyer, she didn’t got selected, sorry !!!) in the first row was reading a book. (I later came to know, it was “If God was a Banker”).
I approached the desk and bid ‘Good Morning’, they all returned the salutation with a warm smile on their sparkling clean saved faces. And I was glad I had my shaving done before reaching there, thank god. Before anyone could say anything to me, I started in a soft voice, “Right now, I don’t have the hard copy of the gd/pi call letter which you people sent to me, ‘coz, I had already left my station when I received it, and I haven’t received the e-mail from you side, so right now, as I don’t have the call letter as a proof of my being a candidate, and so now, I have to prove that I’m Bhargav Trivedi.” I said mechanically as a single syllable, showing my driving license.
“Okay.” The first person said, enjoying. “What is your ISBM registration number?”
“42986”, I said immediately. Then, he started checking my number in an excel print out sheet, and when he found out my number, he blurted, “Bhargav Trivedi, right?”
“Yes.”
“Can I see your license?”
“Yes, sure.”
He checked my card, little carefully and then even compared the face on it with mine. I hardly believe, face on my license card barely meets that of present mine. But after some seconds, he found satisfied. I got my license back and permission to meet next person on the desk. So I moved forward.
“Bhargav Trivedi, right?” Second on the desk asked.
“Yes sir.” I replied, politely. “Okay, so you’ve done online registration.” “Yes sir.” “Can I see your mark sheets?” “Yes.” I showed them.
He checked everything. Right from tenth standard till my eight mark sheets of engineering. I don’t know, whether he liked his job or he was compelled to check so many documents. He compared all the marks which I had jot down in the form with my original sheets. Then he passed my form to hi neighbour and I wrote my name on a sheet. I was 23rd to register. The fourth person asked me to take the sit and wait. I did so.
I lifted my bag and turned 180 degree, and looked at the foyer sitting arrangement. I decided to sit in the first row, albeit I belong to last bench only. That reminds me of my engineering days. I sat near that novel reading girl. She wore azure colour dress with white chunni and was just deep inside the book. Just to show the attitude I took a book from my bag and started reading-The White Tiger-watching whether she is watching or not. Poor guy.
More aspirants start coming in. On my right was that girl reading-if god was a banker-and on my left came a boy in denims and jersey, was filling the form. No shaving, no hair cut, no formals, juss too casual. But I like it, his carefree nature. After say, 20 minutes, one of the ISBMite addressed us all. He gave us some instruction(s) and then commended us to go upstairs for some slide show. He elegantly drove us all to a big room with U shaped table and a big white screen and an over head lcd projector. I took the central seat at the bottom of the U, so now I could see the screen straight and clear.
Now started all the worldly gossiping, all aspirants started whispering with their neighbours. Even I did. Then came, Prof. Pratap Gupta, Director, Finance & HR. He seemed to be candid and soft spoken guy. He came with six other prominent lecturers and professors of ISB&M – nande and viman nagar campuses. Firstly he introduced himself and the rest of the team, everybody as well, said about him/her self. There was one lady in that team. After this, Prof. Gupta again turned towards us and briefed about the college. And then, asked one of the volunteer to start the video. Without any glitch, straight-forwardly, he did it and lights were turned-off. And I took a quick glance over the room before concentrating over the screen, and I could see sparkles in everybody’s eyes’. Everybody had the aim, aim ‘bout getting into this new alma matter.
After completion of the video, Prof. Gupta said something ‘bout Prof. Robert J. Aumann - who is a Noble laureate for his Game Theory in the field of Physics – who came to the Pune Campus on 16th and 17th February 2009. Then started a power point presentation about college and teaching pedagogy. He gave a running commentary during the presentation. Then, last but not the least; he said few lines about the Big Daddy. I was wondering all through this, when he’s going for it, and voila he did in the end. He introduced Dr. Promod Kumar and then thanked us for listening all that so patient fully.
Again, volunteer commanded and treaded us downstairs. While coming out of the seminar room, all the team members were lined for bidding us congratulations. I liked it.
The scene in the foyer down stairs was different then. All the rumbled up chairs where lined up perfectly in through groups forming a big H. Two columns vertical and one horizontal row, and we were advised to seat according to our isbm id’s. There were 10 aspirants in each. Once we sat there, one volunteer came to our group and gave us an id card-cum-badge with simple group numbers. Mine was 7.
Those six members came downstairs and one by one shifted to three different rooms. I got the instinct which room I’m going to get allotted. Few moments passed and we were advised to move to a particular room for our GD. I had got the right premonition. We all traded into the room, thinking what the topic we have to face. Somebody took files, some didn’t. I had energy, geniality and a pen. We took the seats according to our allotted numbers and sat with proper posture and waited for our commanders to say something. I again took a round around, and I could clearly found change in the expressions on everybody’s faces. Contouring took a rudimentary change on their texture. And then, I turned towards the commanders, I mean our panel members with a little smile and curls on my face. Out of two, one of them (I don’t know the names right now, but will update shortly) opened his mouth. And shut it down. He turned his face on his left and said in low tone to the other member. Finally, the second one addressed yes. They said, GD time 15 minutes and then conclusion by any one member at the end of it, and before to that 3 minutes of preparation time. Meanwhile, one of the volunteer gave us a piece of paper for writing purpose.
Finally, they gave us our GD topic. It was, “What should we do to curb terrorism?” Believe me, it was all chaos, which should not be the case actually. But it was good.
I’m writing this on 17 June, and I’ve started my packing for Pune. And I’ve made many friends – Sumit, Vicky, Gagan, Hasmukh - whom, I’m going to meet on 25th. Yippee. I’m coming Pune, beware of me.
Sydney Sheldon in his novel, The sky is falling,
“The 13th commandment, ‘Thou shalt not abandon those who love you’ ”.
It was two minutes to eight, and can you believe it, I made it to SNDTUniversity, Juhu Tara Road, Mumbai. Alas! I had my GD/PI there. Albeit, I had had a quick round on the previous day (i.e. on 21st) to SNDT Women’s University, just to have a look at the location, how to reach there, and all that.
Wow, on time, a rarity in my life style, you see!
I woke up as early as five in the morning. I took bath, dressed up in decent formals and wore my all-time-great sports shoes. I just hate formals in my feet. I took my power bag and run-off to the station. It was 06:10 A.M. In Mumbai, I was staying with my langotia yaar, in Borivalli (E). On the previous day, I checked the train I had to board, which platform, then which number (Best Bus number 231 from Santacruz Station to SNDT) bus I had to take to reach the gd/pi location. I was just curious.
Juss near the Ashok Van flyover in Borivalli (E) or say southern tip of Dahisar, I took an auto, on meter of course. Now there was a problem; a big one. I was unshaved. I didn’t had a razor with me, nothing at all. Now I can’t even dare to think of some barber shop to be open at such morning hours, but at least a medical shop, so that I can buy a use & throw razor. That razor, I will use it in the wash room of the venue, where I’m going for the gd/pi; I thought so. So optimistic I was, you see. Pathetic, actually.
“Nothing, wait. I need to buy some medicines. It’s urgent.”, I lied. I don’t why, but I did.
I bought a use and throw red coloured razor (which I still have) worth fifteen bucks and hoped on auto again. Reaching borivalli station was a mess. Buying a ticket in such rush is a cumbersome job. Such a big line, but then, bought a newspaper and was reading it while standing in that fucking queue. Got it worth seven bucks for Juhu and then went over-through foot over bridge to platform number 3. I juss reached there, and a sub-urban train came, I hopped in.
May be, it was first class, I didn’t noticed earlier, and so I got a place to sit. No worry on my face, no expression, totally involved in reading that shit newspaper. It was the only soothing I had at the time. May be, I was juss relaxing my self. Never knew when the destination station came, I stepped out and then started walking out of the Sanatacruz station.
Suddenly, I saw a kiosk open. A barber shop. I stopped, instantaneously.
I thought, I’ve a razor, I can do the shaving in the wash room.
But, what if, the wash room does not have a mirror? Gosh.
So, without any second thought I took right turn and ventured into, fervidly. He was a mallu. A South Indian. A Big Pakkau yaar. Panchat hi kar raha tha, and took almost 20 minutes for shaving. Ass hole.
It was 07:30 by then. I was clean shaven and walking towards the bus-station, outside the sub-urban station to catch bus-231. I had seen the station the previous day, so started walking in the right direction. Standing at the bus-stop, was like standing at the pit-stop. Bus never came, and it was thundering me from inside. I took an auto and asked for SNDT. He took me there till the gate. On meter, showed 15 bucks, I gave him. He returned a rupee coin. So kind of him. And I entered the University gate. I started walking to the main block of Janki Devi Bajaj Institute of Management Studies. I traded the path with and personified ease. When I took the final turn, I saw three ISB&Mites in blazers.
I thought, standing outside, why? Must be, koi aaya nahi hoga. I must be the first one.
Crossing them, I thought to bid Good Morning, but I didn’t. I entered the foyer. Gosh. There were so many sitting on well place chairs, all silent. Almost all turned their faces to notice me. And I could see, I was just a face in a sea of faces. If I have to get into ISB&M, I’ve to beat them all.
And I approached the registration desk with brisk steps and light smile on my face. I had conviction in my walk.
