Project 10 - Inspire Your Audience - "The Unusual Entrepreneur"

23^rd March 1953 – Exactly 58 years ago on this day, a child opened her eyes to this world for the first time. Today, hers is a name to reckon with - a name which is most often associated with adjectives such as pioneering, dynamic, visionary. But above all, there is one word which truly describes this personality and that is 'Entrepreneur'. Ms Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw is among the impressive league of entrepreneurs such as Jamshedji Tata, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and the likes, entrepreneurs who have excelled at organizing and operating Business ventures. They have made a special mark in the chosen fields through their noteworthy contribution and they are our inspiration, our role-models, our heroes.

On hearing these world-famous names, the term ‘Entrepreneurship’ suddenly sounds too intimidating, isn’t it? Let us pause here for a moment, think about this term and consider another, much broader perspective associated with it. ‘Entrepreneurship is to identify the needs and necessities of the hour and to employ a unique approach by taking initiative in order to bring forth tangible solutions’. Does this sound equally complicated and difficult to achieve? Let me give you an example which will simplify the picture. “The state of affairs of the educational offerings at the local Government-run school is appalling. Dismayed, you look at the current teaching practices & methodologies and speak to the School’s Principal to get further details. You go on to discuss with your old friends and teachers and eventually identify and successfully implement the solution in the form of the ‘Teach-the-Teacher’ program.” In this scenario, ‘the need of the hour’ was uplifting the failing educational standards and the ‘solution’ that was arrived at is the ‘Teach-the-Teacher’ approach. It can be pursuing one of our hobbies thus leading to an alternative employment avenue, pioneering a distinctive initiative in our academic, personal or professional circle such as a unique Toastmasters event or even inventing or devising something new. The choices are endless!

Does this deviation from the traditional beliefs of Entrepreneurship seem disjoint? Let us together concentrate on some ‘Venture’ that we have been a part of as an individual, sometime or the other in the past. Kindly close your eyes and imagine yourself at your special place where you always find peace of mind. Now think of the proposal, that venture, that activity which you have accomplished successfully and is held very close to your heart. Now, reflect on all the groundwork you had done for it, the subsequent measures you had taken to ensure its flawless execution and finally the fruits that were reaped out of it. These thoughts bring a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. With these peaceful thoughts, slowly open your eyes. What we just did can be summed up as follows: The ‘Activity’, also considered as a ‘Venture’, for which we need to do an ‘Investment’ in the form of ‘Time’ and ‘Efforts’ for its ‘Sustenance’ may involve certain ‘Risks’ but would eventually lead to ‘Benefits’. Sounds akin to a ‘Business Plan’ already, right?

Entrepreneurship is an all-inclusive quality which need not always be handed down to one through one’s genes. Some people become entrepreneurs by chance while some become so by choice. And even if it is by choice, not everyone has a blueprint ready by the time they jump in the fray. I would like to narrate the story of one such entrepreneur. Born and brought up in a middle class service-oriented family, he was the 6^th among the 7 siblings. Even before he completed his basic schooling, his father – a railway guard – had retired from active service. To support his family and his own studies, he took up a part-time job of a book-store salesman and completed his three year Diploma course – with Honors. He then took up a job offer hundreds of kilometers away from his hometown just to be able to support the family well and successfully completed 10 years of employment. On getting promoted to the Manager’s position, he looked all set to lead a successful service-oriented life in the company when a twist of fate made him relocate back at his hometown - Nagpur. With a family of four to support, he decided it was time to pursue his long-cherished dream. And thus in the year 1985, my father Mr. Sudhir Raje, got into a partnership and started a manufacturing business which has now grown into two sole proprietary firms. In these 25 years, never ever has he regretted his decision and never ever have his grit and determination failed to amaze me.

But is this just a story of one person in one family in one city of a nation? Entrepreneurship – big or small – can have a huge global impact; we just need to focus on the bigger picture. Consider the example of our own country where the need of the hour is to have people who can do things on their own. Although it may not seem a big problem right now, but in the days to come we need to create sufficient job opportunities for our increasing work-force which is well-educated and employable. Government is encouraging entrepreneurship, through low-interest capital loans and tax benefits. The underlying necessity is to have citizens who can think on their own and come up with different ideas. If each and every one of us decides to bring our strengths to the fore and do something that interests us, we are talking here about, not hundreds or thousands but millions of entrepreneurs. Do you think it is a coincidence that almost all top MBA Schools put a lot of emphasis on ‘Leadership’ and ‘Initiative’? These Institutes carry on their shoulders, the responsibility to produce able citizens of the world who would be instrumental for sustainable growth.

We all have the inherent potential to reach or even bypass the stature of a Tata, a Birla or a Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw. Yet, all of us may not have the inner calling to pursue the same path. It is time we gave a patient ear to that inner voice which has been trying hard to grab our attention. Successful ventures need not start with a Big-Bang Approach always; more often than not they have humble beginnings which snowball into epic proportions. As the American Author Napoleon Hill said, ‘If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way.’ I would like to add on further and say, ‘If you cannot do great things at first, do small things in a great way and the greater things are sure to follow.’

Project 9 - Persuade with Power - "Get Set Go"

The gloomy evening, the listless breeze

They make me anxious, the heartbeats increase.

Minutes turn into hours and hours into days

Is this it or just another phase?

The meek whisper stutters and stammers at first

Slowly it grows louder and bellows at worst.

“I think its right, no time to wile

But am I really willing to go that extra mile?”

What you just heard were excerpts not from the latest book in the Chicken Soup series but a deeply distressing dialogue of the heart with the mind. And mind you, not that of any specific soul but that of a fairly common tribe who walk among us. Willing to go to any lengths to defend it, they sincerely and faithfully follow only one nation – ‘Procrastination’. The website of thefreedictionary.com defines ‘Procrastination’ as ‘To put off doing something, especially out of habitual carelessness or laziness.’ Well, what do they know?

Hmmm..  Okay! More than 150 words of the speech done! Enough for the day, right? Some of you may agree, some of you may not. What if I say that this is at an hour past midnight, for the first draft of a 5 to 7 minute long speech, a speech to be delivered less than 2 days later? <Tch-tch-tch> Do I see few more among you nodding your heads in disapproval now? A diehard procrastinator at heart, I believe this to be a form of ‘OCD’ – Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. How do you identify if you suffer from it? Have you had an innate urge to keep postponing the really important things that you must do till the eleventh hour? While doing so, have you experienced that jittery nervousness of knowing that it is not the wise thing to do? If you just had a déjà-vu, I am sorry to say my friends – we are sailing in the same shaky boat.

But wait a minute! Are we just talking about not completing assignments in time or just meeting deadlines by a whisker? No, it definitely delves deeper, and has a much more profound impact than that. Consider this: A tingling uneasy sensation in your back. It persists and subsequently takes form of a nagging ache. It’s already over a month since you have had the throbbing sensation for the first time, but you just ignore it. “I’m a software programmer, I sit at my desk for 9.25 hours each day, it’s a professional hazard! But I’m fine, you see, I’m fine!” But one not-so-fine morning few months later, you experience excruciating pain and are unable to move. You finally visit the orthopedic doctor – a round of check-up, an X-Ray, a couple of questions and Rs. 2000 later – the verdict is “Spondylitis”.

Procrastination is not just injurious to your physical health; it can be injurious to the well-being of your personal relations too. We all have ups and downs in our relationships. We all go through those tough times of tiffs, trials and tribulations. Minor misunderstandings, if not sorted out immediately, blow out of proportions transforming themselves into a colossal rift damaging the bond forever. The key to avoid this is to take corrective measures, right away, before it’s too late to rectify and too early to regret.

The problem has been identified and acknowledged. So, what next? Don’t procrastinate, huh? It’s easier said than done. This brings us to the most crucial aspect – ‘How to prevail over it?’

-          First and foremost, we must understand that procrastination of an unfavorable task or an activity is not going to take us away from it. If anything, it might make the task all the more uncomfortable and inconvenient to tackle.

-          Next, we need to consider and implement the three important ‘Ps’ - Plan, Prioritize and Perform as these will help us triumph over the fourth one – Procrastination.

-          At times, if our fair judgment gets shrouded by clouds of confusion, we need to think through the consequences. Imagining the undesirable outcomes will give that much-needed boost to let go of the inhibitions, the careless attitude and the lethargy.

-          The fourth and the final factor is determination. Determination to overcome any obstacles that come your way, determination to give your best shot, determination to reach the zenith. And when that happens..

The gloom turns into elation, the breeze gushes spiritedly

The cheer spreads around and the soul sings happily

Don't give me a day, an hour or a minute

A second is all it takes to win it!

No whispering words, no stuttering start,

The goal is set say the mind and the heart

"We know it’s right, we know it's time

So let’s cross the extra mile and be ready to climb!"

Project 8 - Get Comfortable with Visual Aids - "M for Murder"

The lights went out and the room became as dark as a dungeon. All present were glued to their chairs, unsure of what was to come next. Suddenly, they heard 3 sharp knocks on the door. A dark indistinct figure slowly slithered in the room, unnoticed. Out of the blues, a strong flash of light swerved in the room from end to end, blinding them all. And just when they thought they would hear an ear-piercing shriek, they heard:

“Sing a song of sixpence,

A pocket full of rye;

Four and twenty blackbirds

Baked in a pie.

When the pie was opened,

They all began to sing.

Now, wasn't that a dainty dish

To set before the King?”

The motivation to commit a crime might lie in real life incidents, movies or crime novels. But, the inspiration to write mystery novels comes from strange quarters. In case of a highly acclaimed author it came, for certain stories, from something as innocent as nursery rhymes. Yes, I am referring to the famous British author, the grand-old dame of Mystery Story writing, the Queen of Crime herself Agatha Christie! For over a century now, her masterpieces have held us spellbound, giving us goose-bumps with the intriguing story-lines. They still continue to inspire people world-over to read & write murder mysteries and in my case, deliver this speech. There is a special connection that Agatha Christie shares with me and Toastmasters. My very first Strand Bookstore Gift voucher earned at IPTMC went towards purchasing one of her books. Agatha Christie is the one and probably the only established link between the two distinct genres of mystery novels and children’s songs, popularly known as nursery rhymes. While the enactment at the beginning of my speech resembled the crime scene from her book ‘A Murder is announced’, the latter were the opening lines of the rhyme ‘A Pocket full of Rye’ on which Agatha has based a short mystery story.   

Renowned for the way she weaves captivating mysteries out of seemingly mundane relationships and settings, Agatha Christie is also a master at etching the characters in her books, especially her legendary protagonists cum detectives – the eccentric yet intelligent ‘Sir Hercule Poirot’, the frail yet clever ‘Miss Marple’, the inseparable Tommy & Tuppence and the mysterious Mr. Harley Quin. After reading a dozen odd novels and story collections by Agatha Christie, I stumbled upon this fascinating connection that some of them had with children’s nursery rhymes. Used as a premise for the story-line, the nursery rhymes provide a string of clues to unravel the mystery behind the whodunits. In certain cases, the killer commits the crime by following the rhyme line by line.

One of the most gripping among her novels ‘And Then There Were None’ was based on the rhyme ‘Ten Little Indians’. In the novel, ten people are trapped on an island and they are killed one by one, as outlined in the rhyme. Sounds familiar? Can someone recollect the name of the Hindi movie which was based on this novel? Yes, it is the 1965 film ‘Gumnaam’ referring to the Anonymous killer who meticulously plans and executes the murders on the lines of the rhyme. As the nursery rhyme goes, we have someone chocking himself to death, another one getting stung by a bumble bee and so on and so forth till there are none left. Quite sinister, isn’t it?

Do you think it is easy to develop a murder mystery given a nursery rhyme? I have come across at least 9 such Agatha Christie novels / stories which are based on nursery rhymes. Among these is “The Mousetrap” – the murder mystery play by Agatha Christie based on the nursery rhyme “Three Blind Mice” which incidentally is the longest running play in history with over 24,000 performances so far. Now that’s no mean feat! As posted by a blogger Janet Rudolph in one of her blogs, “Although nursery rhymes may seem jolly with their happy rhymes, the mayhem they describe is fodder for a crime writer. Nursery rhymes, unlike fairytales, are all about ordinary people conducting disorderly behaviour. Sometimes punishment is administered, but not always.”

Regular readers of Agatha’s novels can easily identify the oft observed settings. A huge villa with a secret door, a garden with some fresh mushrooms – probably a few poisonous ones too, a bowl of bright yellow chrysanthemums which remain unnaturally fresh, and a tall-stemmed lamp that switches off at just the right moment. The ingredients are there in front of all of us, what remains is the recipe to turn it into a masterpiece. So break the shackles of your imagination, think out of the box and try to see beyond the obvious. And the next time you come across a book of nursery rhymes, keep aside the cute little innocence for a while and look out - there may be lurking behind the cover page “M for Murder”.

Project 7 - Research Your Topic - "The Quest"

“Why these members aren’t taking up speeches in the Toastmasters Meetings since last 2 months?” exclaimed exasperated Deepti, the VP Education of IPTMC. I racked my brains. “Work pressures?” Can’t be! “Lack of enthusiasm?” Definitely not! The answer emerged in the form of two words – Entrance Exams! Welcome to the world of ‘Master of Business Administration’ or as we commonly know MBA, where most of the Indian MBA entrance exams are conducted in the Oct to Dec Quarter. But then there are some simply smart souls who continued on with their speeches with no such hindrances. And the reason is they are not interested – in these fixed-schedule exams since they are intent on pursuing another star – GMAT and the countless possibilities of doing their MBA not only in India but also abroad.

Before we enter the inviting realms of GMAT, let us consider various reasons due to which many of us decide to take the plunge. An online poll conducted by a US based consulting firm reveals various motivating factors for people to pursue MBA, the top-ranking reason being to “seek a life-altering experience”. The “A-B-C-D of MBA” i.e. aspirations, bent, capabilities and driving force differ for each person. 

Once we have decided to go for it, i.e. the “Why” part, then comes “When” and “Where”. The elusive answers to these questions and ultimately the worth of an MBA degree can be arrived at based on a highly complex formula which is this:

MBA = fn (t, I, ROI, LOC, T....,x)

Where

t = time at which the MBA is done. This factor is in turn dependent on:

1. The point of time in your career when you decide to take the plunge

2. The Market scenario during this period

I = Investment i.e. the funding required for the course

ROI = Return On Investment

LOC = Lost Opportunity Cost i.e. Opportunities which one would have to forego in order to do an MBA

T = Time spent on pursuing the course

And many more such factors. So do you think it is possible to compute an answer to this equation? I believe the answer is No & Yes! ‘No’ - because almost all the variables are transient at any given point of time and moreover are person-dependent. ‘Yes’ - because there are always ways and means to simplify the logic to get a clearer picture with some degree of approximation.

I would like to throw some light on the important aspects of GMAT vis-a-vis Indian MBA Entrance Exams which will help in your thought-process:

1.       As stated earlier, Indian MBA exams are still fixed-scheduled to a great extent vis-a-vis GMAT. So while CAT has finally transformed into an IBT – Internet Based Test, most others aren’t and all of them fall during the crucial 2 to 3 month time-span. GMAT on the other hand can be scheduled and taken as per one’s convenience.

2.       GMAT is akin to the master key which can open many a locks. Yes, the GMAT test score is accepted by innumerable Business Schools across the globe. Unfortunately, the Indian MBA Entrance Exams lack this kind of a larger market. Many of them in fact have a 1:1 ratio between the Exam and the corresponding B-School.

3.       The GMAT score has a longer shelf-life having a validity period of five years. Though some of the B-Schools prefer GMAT scores not earlier than past 3 years, GMAT still scores a point over the Indian MBA Entrance Exams which come with a one year expiry date.

4.       Of course there are a few evident drawbacks in the GMAT world. One of the most daunting factors being the apparent expenses associated with it. Right from the Test fee, charges for the score to be sent to Institutions, College application fees and finally the course fees. Phew!

5.       Also, GMAT based admissions involve a detailed application process which is relatively more complex than what we see when applying through IMEE.

6.       Yet, GMAT opens up a world full of diverse opportunities in terms of geographies, MBA course duration as well as the course structure. These factors although applicable in the Indian scenario too do not offer the assortment of choices as presented by the former. So, if the exorbitant expenses are a concern, then we might as well pursue MBA at some of the Indian colleges accepting the GMAT score. According to the website for “GMAT India”, there are at least 10 Tier-1 Indian B-Schools which accept GMAT scores for their admission process.

The real fun begins once we are through with the D-Day i.e. the actual GMAT test, there are many matters which need to be addressed. A typically observed flow will go something like this:

Taking the GMAT Test -> Selecting the B-Schools to which you want to apply -> Completing the Application procedure which is usually internet based -> Getting the Recommendations -> Sending the GMAT score to the B-School -> Then if your Application gets shortlisted -> Interview Round -> Followed by a Management related Case Study or Presentation -> And finally the final Admit Call! Simple, wasn’t it?

If, there is one common thread which binds these 9 steps that can assist one to emerge victorious it is this – “Stay positive, be happy and enjoy the process because the learnings are aplenty!”

Disclaimer: The views expressed are solely those of the speaker and the material referenced by her while researching for her own ‘Quest’ as well as for the speech ‘The Quest for MBA’. Also, kindly note that the MBA College investments are subject to Market risks; please read the brochure document carefully before investing!

Project 6 - Vocal Variety - "Karna"

‘A successful marriage is like a chariot, with the man and his wife as its two wheels, who must always work in tandem.’ These were the pearls of wisdom from my mother as she adorned my long black silken hair with a garland of jasmine. Bedecked in carmine red attire with gold embellishments, I was coyly sitting with my eyes cast down. Oblivious to the hustle and bustle around me, I was engrossed in thoughts of my prince in shining armour. I resolved to be his companion in happiness and misfortunes alike. Dear friends, today as I, Vrushali, stand before you, myriad scenes of my wedding day flash before my eyes. And a plethora of questions which have been left unanswered flood my mind about the greatest warrior who was always misunderstood, the most righteous and the most generous man to have ever walked the earth, my husband, Karna.

Abandoned by his mother Kunti at birth, Karna grew up to be a charioteer’s son and shared a special bond with his foster parents, Vasusena and Radha. Their relationship was filled with pure love and affection and even when Karna’s true identity and his royal lineage were eventually discovered, Karna still wanted the entire world to recognize him as ‘Radheya’ - the son of Radha.  You must be wondering, ‘How a mere charioteer’s son went on to become a king himself and ultimately played a crucial role in the epic Mahabharata? What exactly the turning point in Karna’s life was?’

The words of Karna as he described that fateful day still resonate in my ears. “As I was riding through the city of Hastinapur, I saw an archery tournament being conducted and stopped by to participate. Since I could surpass the feats of the earlier winner Arjun, I challenged him to a duel. Alas! I was refused to do so because nobody knew of my royal background, not even myself. Dejected, as I was about to depart, I heard a booming voice say, ‘O Karna, I bestow upon thee, kingship of the kingdom of Anga. Please accept my humble gift’. I turned back to see the eldest Kaurav Prince Duryodhan, who had just offered me the throne of Anga, in order to make me a king and hence eligible for the duel. As I accepted his generous gift, I asked ‘O Prince, I am indebted to thee. What can I do to repay thy favour?’  To which the Prince replied, ‘I seek thy friendship and thy friendship alone’. “And thus was forged the strong camaraderie between Duryodhan and Karna. I always wonder if Karna ever looked back on that day and regretted his decision to accept the throne of Anga and in turn the friendship of Duryodhan.

The growing proximity of Karna with Duryodhan often made me uncomfortable. However, every time I swallowed my words as I remembered my vow to be by my husband’s side till eternity. But, the final straw was the humiliation of Draupadi at the hands of the Kauravs after treacherously winning the game of dice. That Karna, a loyal comrade of Duryodhan, was a party to this crime came as a complete shock to me! And one question still haunts me. ‘Rather than merely being a companion of Karna during adversities, was it not my duty to have intervened and averted his misfortunes?’

A valiant warrior that Karna was, he waged numerous wars with kingdoms far and wide to expand Duryodhan’s empire. The greatest warrior of all times, Karna was approached by Lord Krishna himself in order to forestall the impending war between the Pandavs and the Kauravs. And that was when the truth of Karna’s birth as the eldest Pandav was revealed to him. Rejecting Lord Krishna’s offer to join the Pandavs, the virtuous Karna chose to remain by his friend’s side. Throughout his transformation from being a charioteer’s son, to being crowned the king of ‘Anga’ and finally being recognized as the eldest of the Pandavs, never once did Karna lose his humility or his morals. Yet I, a mere mortal, often ponder, ‘Had Karna accepted Lord Krishna’s offer, would the course of history been altered?’

Today, I stand before you, neither to justify nor to judge the decisions and the actions of my husband.  I stand here to search answers for the numerous questions that trouble me. ‘Was Karna mistaken in ardently helping Duryodhan? Was Karna misguided in going against his own brothers? Was Karna too generous and righteous for his own good?’

He was posed with the utmost difficult questions and he often conducted himself in the most ideal manner, irrespective of the consequences. Despite all his misfortunes, I love him today as much I did on the day of our marriage, when I knew little about him, except the radiance on his face, which spoke of the greatness within him. It is a pity that society and even fate did not deem his actions right. So, I am compelled to think, who is mistaken - Him or Everyone else? As I think about these questions and more, I realize that the line between good and bad is getting blurred and what finally remains is – my perspective!

Project 5 - Your Body Speaks - "A Trip to Remember"

“What’s the big deal? Why are you so excited about it?” chirped my younger cousin as we strolled around the Qutub-Minar. With a smug expression on my face, I chose to ignore this question. Having just completed the class 10 board exams, I considered myself to be omniscient and even believed there might just be a halo around me. On a family vacation, we were presently in the capital city, New Delhi and the question was pertaining to our imminent visit to the next destination. Little did I know that the last leg of our vacation was going to teach me some valuable lessons – in management!

The destination in question is the city whose culture is rich with the Indian heritage, the city of grandeur in majestic marble. It is the place where stands the world-famous monument which is a testimony to immortal love – the city of Agra! But, it was not the Taj-Mahal that I was excited about! LESSON No 1: Different stakeholders may have different interests in a project. All of fifteen years, I could hardly appreciate the ardent devotion and undying love that Emperor Shahjehan had for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. To me, they were nothing more than two characters out of my history textbook – a subject which I was never to read again in my life. Unlike my sister who’s an Architect, I was not even interested in the architectural marvel that the Taj-Mahal is! There was only one thing up my mind – IC2312!

The journey from Delhi to Agra was going to be my very first air travel! A short 40 minute journey by air, I had spent more than 40 days dreaming about it, ever since our tickets were booked. And there I was finally in Delhi, about to embark on one of my all-time memorable journeys. The journey actually began with a near disastrous mix-up between the Palam and Safdurjang Airports at Delhi. We eventually managed to reach the domestic airport after taking help from a local driver. LESSON No 2: Never underestimate the importance of domain knowledge. On reaching the Airport, we went through the baggage scan, check-in and security check routine and settled down in the waiting lounge. And that’s when the announcement was made: “Indian Airlines regrets to announce a two hour delay to its flight IC2312 from Delhi to Agra”. Oh no! What a waste of time! As soon as I exclaimed this, there was another announcement: “We request all our passengers travelling by IC2312 to proceed to the Taj cafeteria and enjoy the lunch, on the house”. Wow! Now that was a pleasant surprise! LESSON No 3: Don't let minor setbacks distress you as they may be blessings in disguise.

After a 90 minute long sumptuous lunch, the passengers were requested to board the aircraft. What followed were 40 magical minutes. Getting the window seat, the tangy tamarind toffees, the butterflies in my stomach as the flight took off, the cotton-ball like clouds at an altitude of 17000 feet, and finally the aerial view of Agra as we approached our destination. Each and every thing associated with my first flight travel was truly delightful! On reaching Agra, we immediately hired a taxi which took us through the meandering lanes of Agra city. As we reached the vicinity, I could see the imposing entrance, the well kept gardens and finally Magnum Opus ‘Taj-Mahal’ with its huge marble dome, the four minarets and the intricate carvings. Its sheer magnificence holds you spellbound. Its enormity leaves you speechless. And to think that I was least interested in visiting the Taj-Mahal! LESSON No 4: Do not cling to your pre-conceived notions. You might have to eat your words.

After some routine souvenir shopping, we decided to head back to Delhi. And now coming to the greatest irony of the whole trip – We had no bookings done for the return journey. LESSON No 5: For the success of any project, end-to-end planning is of utmost importance. After some last minute enquiries, we were advised to catch a bus to Delhi from the UP State Transport Bus Stand. Unfortunately, the only bus plying at that time was a shoddy looking, non-AC bus with rattling windows and dim, yellow lights. With no other option at hand, we decided to board the bus. In the flurry of sight-seeing and the subsequent hurry of catching the bus, we could not even manage to have dinner. The only eatables available with us in the journey were a bottle of ‘Fanta’ and a packet of ‘Kurkure’. Both the things, till date, remind me of that unsavory bus journey and I absolutely detest them.  

The arduous bus journey lasted over 6 hours and it was well past midnight when we reached Delhi. As compared to the earlier grueling drive, the taxi-ride to our hotel seemed akin to a luxurious cruise. As I tried to sleep that night, thoughts of the paradoxical day that I had spent clouded my mind. The preceding 24 hours were interspersed with many firsts. My first air travel, my first visit to Taj-Mahal and my first encounter with the management lessons! I also realized one important thing: You don’t have to be in a professional setup or in a MBA Institute to gain insights in effective management. Just observe the happenings around you and you might become a shade wiser! The last and most important lesson learnt management or not, was: All's well that ends well!

Project 4 - How to Say It - "Old is Gold"

It all started six and a half years ago, just a couple of days after my Birthday. I still have vivid memories of that evening. There was a pleasant, gentle breeze blowing around and I could feel the excitement in the air. I, along with my parents and sister, finally reached the destination. With absolutely no pre-conceived notions, we started looking around. I believe it was ‘Love at first sight’! My gaze rested on it and its sheer beauty mesmerized me. And the very moment, I decided it was going to be mine. I consider this to be one of those defining moments when my trusted companion for the last 6.5 years entered my life. Any guesses what it is? – My very first cell phone!

The subsequent days were a whirlwind of activity as we started getting acquainted with each other. Getting the new number, putting in the SIM Card, the very first call, the very first text message! It was a whole new experience for me. So much so that when I wanted to send one of the messages from my Inbox to a friend, I actually wrote it down on a piece of paper. And then typed it out under the New Message option and finally sent it. Wish I had explored more and figured out the ‘Forward’ option sooner!

Within 15 days of our association came my trip to another city. And that is when I spent the first sleepless night, thanks to my new cell phone, a precursor to many more which were to follow later. The journey included overnight bus travel and the fear of losing my precious cell phone kept me awake all night. This trip is etched in my mind for more than one reason. It was during this very tour that I was closest to losing my beloved. Yes, I had left my purse which contained the cell phone on a vehicle and went away. Thanks to a kind soul, I got it back intact and breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Believe it or not, in the 3^rd year of Engineering, I was among the first few to possess a cell phone. And it sure was a style statement too. Nowadays, cell phones are a common-place entity even in high schools. In fact, the day may not be far when cell phone number of the student is a mandatory requirement for primary school admissions. Back in college days, making calls was an absolute luxury and one had to think twice before sending even a text message. This was when a friend introduced me to the concept of ‘missed calls’. Now all of us very well know what missed calls are. But there was a catch. This friend of mine and I played a game – To pick each other’s “supposed” missed calls. After 6 months & hundreds of rupees, good sense prevailed and we switched to the conventional mode of missing calls!

While we are on the topic of ‘Missing’, the longest that I had been away from my cell phone back then was one and half months. The fact that it was also my first brush with hostel-life made me realize the immense importance of staying connected. Subsequently, when I ventured out to begin my professional journey, I decided to go in for a new cell phone after a lot of deliberations. Thankfully, the old one was not discarded altogether but was handed over to my sister.  

But what’s a story without a happy reunion? And reunion it was going to be! The Infosys training took me over a short span of 6 months to 4 different states; the last among these 4 states being my final location of posting. People such as me who are hooked on to cell phones always believe in ‘The more the merrier’. Hence, I decided to go in for an additional device. My obvious choice for this purpose was undoubtedly my long-lost old companion. And thus we were united again – one big happy family; me and my two cell phones!

Over a couple of decades, cell phones have evolved drastically. With the initial models which resembled cordless telephones to the subsequent ones which looked sleeker but had only calling and messaging features. Then came the cell phones with in-built camera and music applications and finally the latest ones which have Bluetooth, Internet, Gaming and so on. But does it mean that each and everyone will purchase these latest handsets? No! The so-called primitive models still hold some inherent benefits. Firstly, they are absolutely safe from thieves. C’mon, given a choice which one would a thief choose? Secondly, they serve the basic purpose of calling and text messaging. For everything else, as they say, we do have laptops! Lastly and most importantly, the antique value associated with them. Just imagine the prize this mobile may fetch some 20 years down the line – just as an antique coin or stamp does!

So although I am on the lookout for a new cell phone, I am sure that this one will remain with me as a souvenir, forever! After all, as the saying goes, Old is Gold!