A Dream Come True ..

I have often heard people saying that Dreams don't come true. So there is no point in dreaming. But 'some dreams' do come true and getting into Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore is one such dream of mine. Getting a call is supposed to be the toughest part of the process of admission into an IIM. However, the interview part is tougher. The good thing about the interview  processes is that IIMs have now moved to essays from Group Discussions.  And even if one gets an essay to write on a topic of least interest, one can atleast write a few lines explaining what one understands from the topic and then can go on to discuss more about those thoughts. Whereas a GD is too much dependent on the other candidates in your group.

Before I digress from my intial thought of writing about my Personal Interview experience,  I would directly go to the point. With this, let me give me a brief background of the interview center and panelists. The interview was at IIM-B. There were three panelists comprising a young female Prof (P1), a middle aged smart Prof (P2) and a young calm and composed person (P3), supposedly an alumnus from industry. After the essay writing, there was a gap of an hour before my turn came for the PI. Allow me to call myself  as "Bakra"  which  is close to "Bakar".  So anticipating a question what I did in last one hour, I went around the campus for sometime.

P2 comes out and calls my name. I follow him in the room and on way, P2 breaks the ice.

P2:  So you had a nice nap for an hour. 

Bakra :  ( Alert !!!..... trick question to check if  Bakra wasted time) No Sir, I just went around the campus to get feel of the college.

P2 : So what did you find interesting in the campus ?

Bakra : ( by this time, P2 and Bakra are seated ) The campus is awesome..I had been to campus before also but mostly i have spent time around the hostel side. this is the first time i have come towards the Academic section..This side is a bit confusing. even i was lost once.. reached college canteen.. on returning checked with one senior faculty and managed to reach back 

P2:  But you didnt tell anything interesting ?

Bakra:  Sir, Overall the campus is interesting. But I would tell something which I found "weird"

P2: "Weird" ?? What did you find weird ??

Bakra:  Sir, Right after this room if you go to the left, you would find a signboard on the top which shows an arrow  that the restrooms are on the right side. But there are no restrooms are on the right side ... They are on the Left side near the Faculty Club.

P1: So you mean to say that  we at IIM-B mislead people ? ( the panelists start laughing)

Bakra : ( Shocker but Bakra smartly handles it) No mam, I would not call it misleading. I would rather call it an "opportunity to explore more". Had the signboard be right, I wouldnt have cared to go to the other side.

With this answer,  Bakra felt that interviewers were really interested in talking to him.

P2: Tell us about yourself

Bakra: (favourite question) gave gyan and plants two traps for the interviewers to fall into. One is about "Deoghar" and "Lord Shiva's temple" and second one is about the work in Cisco

P1: So what do you do at Cisco ?

Bakra: ( favourite question) gave full gyan about VoIP testing.

P1: I am Psychology prof and I hardly understand anything technical.

Bakra:  No problem mam. I would explain in simplest possible layman language ( Gave full gyan in simple language)

P2:  We read your SOP and found that  you havent written why you want to do an MBA

Bakra:  Yes Sir.  I hadnt written it intentionally so that I could explain in front of the panel. ( The actual reason   was that Bakra hadnt found the answer to this question while SOP submission)

P2: So can you tell us now ?

Bakra:  ( Gave gyan ... growing up the corporate ladder)

P1: That you can do so in your own organisation

Bakra: Yes mam. I can do so but the only problem is that to get a similar opportunity in my organisation, it will take another 10 years. So isnt it logical to opt for a course which provides you a similar opportunity in next 2-3 years ?

P2:  We see from your essay that you have interest in Hindu mythology ? (The essay topic was "Its difficult to explain religion with the use of Science")

Bakra: ( opportunity to drive the interviewers to the first trap) Sir, its because of my background from where I come.

P2: Whats the significance of  your hometown ?

Bakra: (favourite question)... Gave all the gyan about Deoghar and jyotirlinga.

P2:  How many jyotirlingas are there ?

Bakra:  Sir, 12.

P2:  ( Gets excited and starts recalling the names of  jyotirlingas)

Bakra: And Sir, ( tells the remaining  jyotirlingas which P2 missed)  

P2: So whats the story behind the jyotirlinga at Vaidyanath ( deoghar)

Bakra: ( starts the story behind the jyotirlinga) 

P3: (finally opens his mouth) what's Jyotilinga ?

Bakra: explains. P2 supports Bakra and adds few more lines.

(Bakra speaks for next ten minutes continuously narrating the story. No interruptions from the panelists. )

P2: So what do you think the story behind other Jyotirlingas ?

Bakra: Sir, I am not sure about the stories behind other Jyotirlingas. but I feel it should be different as they are located in different places.

P2: No, the story behind each Jyotirlinga is same.

Bakra: I am not sure.  I will google it and check.

P2: yeah , check on google today when you go home.

P1: ok, tell me .. leave .. anyway we will meet.. fine.. You can go.

Bakra: ( Gets a hint that he is through) Thankyou Mam and Sirs.

The interview lasted for almost forty minutes.

   

  

Something beyond simple human understanding

It is said "some lives" are linked "across time" connected by an ancient calling that echoes through the ages "Destiny".

With this saying, the movie "Prince of Persia - Sands of Time" starts. And the director leaves a thought to ponder over. Today when I read the line again and again, I feel it's gradually strengthening its hold on me and I feel as if I am spellbound. When I look back my last twentyfive years of life, I feel as I had no control on anything. I was an actor in my own life and played my part as the director - "Destiny" wished it to be.

When I look back, I see the good and the bad moments in my life. I feel the happiness of a care-free child playing cricket on a sunny day. I feel the warmth of love of my parents. I feel the heat of Xth exams. I feel the gloominess of not performing to my capability in my board exams. I feel the pain of being separated from my mom for my 12th studies. I feel the pressure of getting into engineering college. I feel the joy of getting into MIT and the pleasure of being picked by Cisco. I feel the sadness of leaving MIT and the fun of Freescale. And the pain of moving to Cisco. And then blissful joy of the freedom in Cisco. Suddenly all of these seem to me a cricket match rigged-up by Destiny where the bowler-Life is well aware when to throw what kind of ball. I as a batsman assuming it to be a genuine match trying my level best to hit the easy ones for fours & sixes  and ducking myself from the bouncers and body-liners. So whats the point of playing such matches where the results are fixed and just that they are known to you only when you have played till the right time.

It's the effort which I have put in matters and not the result of the match. Its the players with whom I play the match matter and not the spectators in the stands. Spectators will come and go. Grounds will change. Rules will be modified. But these players whose destinies have been linked with mine will remain. Our lives "linked across time" will cross each other's path again and we will play together again may be on a different ground on a different day against a different bowler.