BEYOND WORDS……..

As I passed class 12^th, all sorts of confusions started troubling me, what to do and what not to do. It was mainly having an effect on me because my father was not able to come to a conclusion. I was quite on a single track regarding what I wanted to do, and that was to get into the Civil services. But before that I needed to graduate as well, so now a new problem had to be solved, where to do graduation from? Being a school topper in 12^th wasn’t of much help to me, the only happiness it gave me was that my name was put up on the school toppers’ list.

After clearing many entrances including LAW, BBA, BBE, and many more, I changed my mind, and finally got into a leading commerce college in Chandigarh to do B.com, and pursue Chartered Accountancy course side by side which was due to a lot of brain wash from my father, who strongly discouraged me from getting into the Civil Services. I was always afraid of the CA profession, and for me; in particular, a lot of hype was always there for this course. This was because every male member from my mother’s side was a CA, and I had grown up listening to their experiences! I was convinced that this course was not for me, and when I would eventually fail, then I'd get the nod to pursue my area of interest, the Civil Services. 

An year went by and it was the time to appear for my first CA exam, (Nowadays known as the CPT), I was totally unprepared and took the exams. After the exams I was sure that I won’t be able to get through, so my father asked me to take classes for it again. Meanwhile, the result was out, and I unexpectedly passed! On a personal front, it was quite an achievement to start with. I was quite overjoyed. I thought that it was a fluke and I won’t pass in the next exams surely. College kept on going and so did my studies for CA. Another year went by and it was time for the second CA exams. After appearing for the exams, I wasn’t quite sure if I would make it this time around also. So, when the result was out, to my utmost surprise I passed again! To be very honest, that really was a big thing for me, and I didn’t know how to react that day, but on the other hand I saw my hopes of getting into the Civil Services being shattered, as my plan was going against me only! Now, I had to focus and concentrate on the CA course, as I had moved into its FINAL lap. Till now, I had achieved this success without even a single hiccup and that too when it was not expected at all.

Advices now started pouring in, that I better not underestimate this course and start planning my studies accordingly. It was quite evident that getting through the CA FINAL examinations was not a joke, and I better be prepared for it. So, after my graduation was over, I went to Delhi for coaching. The time I spent in Delhi wasn’t easy, went through a lot but made some great friends as well. This time, I took things seriously, unlike before. After a year, my coaching was complete and I appeared for my final exams, wasn’t much confident of clearing, like always before, but still had some hope as I had put in a lot of effort. On the day of the result, I was very nervous and so was everyone at home. I had never seen them getting that anxious before. The result was out and I didn’t make it. That day was very tough and I couldn’t digest it that easily. Time had come to open up the books again and get back to studies. I always had a habit of doing things in the nick of time, and this was no different, barely 3 weeks were left for exams, when I actually got serious for studies. This time around I managed to clear 4 exams of a group, missed 1 subject marginally in the other group of 4 subjects, but since this was CA, had to give the remaining 4 exams again due to that 1 subject. Although I had not even studied for that other group even for a single day but since I missed it marginally, it gave me the confidence of clearing it in the next time, if I studied a bit more. I did study a bit more, but not as much as I should have had, banking on the past success. According to me, my exams went on well this time barring 1 subject in which I wasn’t confident enough, but still had a lot of hope that I would become a CA this time for sure. So, everyone in the family began to anticipate and kept waiting eagerly for the result. The result was out, and to my utmost surprise, I didn’t clear, as I had forgotten that one cannot ever be sure of a CA result, which always has a lot of surprises in store for us. This time everyone in the family was really disappointed with the way things had shaped up.

It took me a while to assess what had gone wrong and focus again. When I had almost regrouped my energies and concentration, the Cricket World Cup had started. Being a cricket maniac, I could not control myself and had forgotten all that happened to me. Moreover, Indian team also added to my woes, I watched their every match and they also  kept on winning again and again, until they won the Cup!

After India had won, a little over a month only was left for the exams, but this time, I had made up my mind to work hard, and so I did. Studied a lot till the exams, left no stone unturned. After the exams were over, I had a mixed feeling that it could go either way! I started preparing myself and everyone at home for the worst case scenario. After a month or so, the date of result was announced, but this time I didn’t take any chances and kept it to myself, nobody at home or any relatives had even a hint of it.  I was being asked on a daily basis for the date of result, which I kept on denying having any knowledge of. 

Finally the ‘D’ day had come and I woke up normally thinking that the result would be declared around afternoon, which was the norm from the past, I was reading the newspaper till I got a phone call that the result was out. It was just 9 am and I still wasn’t in my senses when I got the shock. I didn’t know what to do (obviously had to check the result) instantly, it took me a while to control my nerves and without telling anyone I went to check my result. While I was in the process, my mother came and sat beside me discussing the routine matters, she didn’t even had the slightest of hint of what was going on with me that time! When the result page opened up, I could not believe what I saw, I shouted that I had become a CA and hugged my mother, ran away to inform my father and took him also by surprise! Within seconds I discovered what I had achieved and started crying along with my mother and there were tears and only happy tears all around!

More than myself, I was happy to see that look on my parents face, who had this dream to see me as a CA, a feeling which is beyond all words..........

As for me, my heart still lies with the Civil Services.

THE GRAND FINALE (Last Part)

Now coming over to the last 3 days of our golden time..

It was our 13^th day which started with great pomp and show, we used the auditorium’s speakers to good effect for music so that everyone could dance till the faculty didn’t come, courtesy Mr Surana (Lightsman). People kept on coming slowly and got in their dancing shoes immediately..

Our faculty gave us some some reasonable time to enjoy as she (Mrs Srivastava) was a bit late, and as expected our celebrations came to an abrupt halt when she came in.

There was no limit of getting bored that day as it was a purely non-interactive session.We kept waiting, first for the morning tea, then lunch, and finally for the class to get over. Post lunch, we extended our break and clicked a lot of photographs, and the day’s target was met.

O! Shrey and Sonali had gone to arrange for the momentoes post lunch and took our Question Bank’s (Rohit) car, while coming back they got a bit late as well, which made our Question Bank really furious and a drama took place thereafter with Chandan also chipping in !!

The day ended with nothing more to be mentioned about.

Day 14 and Faculty : Mr Vinay Sharma

Mr Sharma was well in time and didn’t give us a chance to repeat the previous class’s performance. It was a party day too and girls had got their dresses  with them..Our faculty first started with some interactive sessions which included some very different types of activities. Meanwhile we were also busy in planning for our evening party.Varun and Amar took over and started making arrangements for it.

After that we went for lunch in a party mood, and didn’t know what we were in for after lunch !

Mr Sharma decided to make full use of the time and started with the preparation of interviews.

After that it was a total writing session and we kept on filling the pages, the only highlight being Sahil Manchanda’s ‘Head girl’ speech, which is worth mentioning.

Class over and time to party ! Castle 9 in Connaught Place was finalised.. Rohit, I, Lipika, Rahul, Sahil and Vishakha went on a shopping spree while Shrey was yet to join us and most of the people were already in Castle 9. So after that we also joined the remainder of our group there..

Castle 9

Though it took a while for things to get streamlined, but once they did, it was hard to control people, and most of them who were always quiet in the class !! Tashu (Deepika) danced beautifully and was our dance instructor for the evening…Varun and Amar deserved their share of credit for managing the event..

So, the eventful day had finally come. The batch was on the verge of conclusion, our result was expected on the next day, everyone was quite anxious and emotions were quite high.

To add to our woes was our faculty CA Kamal Garg, whom I was personally waiting for, as I had heard a lot about him. Within no time, he started with his ragging and to my surprise, I was his first scalp ! All of a sudden he realized we were not in a mood to study, so he started with knowledge sharing and interview questions with us. That particular day time was really flying, and that too when we really wanted the opposite..

After lunch we all got busy in signing the T-shirts and getting ours also signed in return. And after some time dignitaries from the Institute came over for the customary proceedings of giving lectures and handing over the certificates. After they left it was time for our own show, for which we had been preparing for quite some time. The titles had to be given, of which most of them were decided by me and rest of the work was done by Sonali, Purnima, and O! Shrey.

The stage was set, the announcements were made by O! Shrey, I handed over the titles, while Sahil and Pulkit escorted everyone, and also said something if they felt the need !!

So, after that, we all left with a heavy heart with commitments of being in touch, and result was round the corner, so emotions were mixed and tensions were at an all time high !

It was not over yet, we all went to Connaught Place and had ice-cream there and then took place our bid-adieus..

The BEST was already behind us…

TIMES OF INDIA ARTICLE

[For all those who couldn't read it properly on Facebook....]
(Published on Saturday, June 18, 2011 under the caption "My Life ka Funda")

  

                                    THE SHORTCUT TO SUCCESS

We all do not come into this world with a silver spoon in our mouth, but we can certainly ensure that we are no less than those who come with this privilege. 

I believe people are born intelligent but hard work is something which develops over a period of time, one should always keep in mind “Intelligence can fail but hard work can never”.

Just like there is no limit to learning, the same applies to hard work as well, its an unending process, in today’s times, competition is endless, and survival is of the fittest, so hard work is the only thing which can sustain us.

Hard work should also match smart work which yields the results in a right direction.I truly feel that “genuine success comes only to those who are ready and have worked for it”.

YAMLE PAGLE DEEWANE (Part 4)

Continuing from where I left earlier, I just realised that I had to finish what had been started few months back, a tale of 64 rockers..

Outside ICAI

Starting from day 11, it was a bit different from the rest, but was perfectly loaded in our favour. The class was at ICAI Bhawan in Vishwas Nagar, and our faculty for the day was Mrs Meena Gupta, I must say quite energetic and full of enthusiasm..

It was a Sunday and every kept on rolling in slowly. The seating arrangement was also good, by the side on a round table, which we really enjoyed,  and we were as it is also excited because of our after class programme, to see “Yamla Pagla Deewana” with majority of the class coming along.

Kavita's phaansi

In the morning tea break some of us went for “Poori Chana” in the nearby area and after that the class picked up some momentum and went on well as our faculty tried her best to keep us engaged in some or the other activity, though there were some assignments whose pages were missing, which created a chaos and then it was time for the “Dumb Shiraz” session which was a lot of fun. After the lunch break an official from the institute was waiting eagerly for us and gave some good dose for the indiscipline we had created throughout the week. We had a big sigh of relief after he went and then our normal class resumed again, our faculty also agreed to leave us early so that we could enjoy our movie. It was also a day for a lot of proxies, as we managed to save the day for a lot of friends !!

The time had now come for us to leave for the show but we were waiting for our organisers O! Shrey and Sahil, who had put in some great efforts to manage the tickets for the 40 of us and not to forget Kunal, who went for the second time as he had already seen it before. As the movie couldn’t meet up our expectations, we surely did meet ours, did whatever could have been thought of, sat on the floor, shouted and danced on each and every song while moving down towards the big screen.. We had our share of warnings but nothing could stop us that day…Even the families and other people enjoyed our performance in the hall…The movie ended and then all of us then went back, only to be ready for the next day..

Parul group's presentation

Now we were moving on towards the last lap of our glorious GMCS days, and this 12^th day was no less.. Faculty for the day was Mr Mridul Tandon, he had a different plan for the class, he asked us to voluntarily form a group, decide on a topic and speak on it without the use of paper..

Groups were formed and preparations had started…Jigyasa and Lipika decided on a topic “Live-in-Relationships” and then roped me in their group…Uday and Rohit prepared on the “Sub-prime crisis”, and Parul,Chandan,Angad etc group spoke on  “Break up and its side effects”. 

Live-in presentation

We started giving our presentations turn by turn and my group was the most sought after as we were dealing with a very sensitive topic, and many questions were asked, a special mention for Rohit who had a lot of doubts for the live-in topic and kept on asking a lot of questions…

It was a good session and every group tried to put up a good show !

Time for Lunch and once again we felt like going somewhere, this time it was the turn for old Delhi’s Chandni Chowk and we were headed to Kareem’s…

Rohit again had no interest in going with us, and he stayed back, while I, Chandan and O! Shrey went to Paranthe wali gali for lunch and also to look for momentos .

When we came back, the trouble was already waiting for us, Vishal bhaiya had seen enough and started his tantrums for the attendance, and once again we managed to convince him, while some of the girls got emotional as well !!

Class ended and we had to plan for an another outing, so this time it was South Delhi’s Essex farm, where fun was at its peak..Well I’d say the best still hasn’t come and obviously is YET TO COME, so I am saving it for the grand last part…