Chalte Chalte

Today is my last day at IIT Kharagpur. How fast these 2 years have passed, I can’t even imagine! It seems just yesterday when I was waiting for entrance exam results. I had already converted IMT Gzb and was waitlisted in IIM Indore when I saw my name in the 3^rd list of VGSoM on one fine night in June 2010. The thought of being an IITian had always sparked a rush of adrenaline in my body. I was pretty sure to join VGSoM when I saw dim chances of Indore convert and I surely rated an IIT over a private institute.

However, my only concern was the place. Kharagpur in West BENGAL. All those nightmare memories of Cognizant Kolkata used to flash through my mind whenever I used to think about my to-be-stay in Kharagpur. Still the prospect of being an IITian was too attractive to be left because of these “petty” things. And even if it would be painful 2 years, would not matter, at least I will be taking something from there in terms of knowledge, experience and friends. Today, after having spent 2 years, I can say I do not regret my decision.

So what are the things I am gonna miss:

1. Friends – It is my group – Mittal, Konishko, Manoj, Gaurav, Pallav, Utsav, Nitin, Mahajan, lately Guys. Thankfully Mittal is with me in Pune and Pallav, Utsav and Mahajan in Mumbai. I still remember Nitin’s dialogue in one of Statistic’s abstruse classes: “Bhai, aeroplane udd chukka hai aur hum log airport pe hi reh gaye hain”. We fell from chair laughing like anything in the middle of class. Similar dialogues while playing ‘Raja Mantri Chor Sipahi’ and ‘Bollywood’ with Konishko!
2. DC++ - I can’t even imagine how these years would have passed without DC++. It’s probably the biggest advantage of being here. You name it and it’s there.
3. 29 – We started playing this in 4th semester but gradually became so addicted to it that we played it in mid-sems and end-sems too! I will be missing Gaurav and his dialogue, “Saale tu trump khulwata hi kyun hai?” because he has been my 29-partner since we started playing.
4. HTDS Plays – I was lucky to be there in the times of Biswapati Sarkar and Deepak who are the two precious resources in Dramatics Society. They together brought the level of HTDS to a professional level. The plays I enjoyed were: Bitches, Shalu Ka Kamra, SHE & Dil ki Dukaan.
5. Numerous parties at Mittal’s room and the last one at Guy’s room when we were high and liquid over Tata Sport complex.. Awesome time!! :D
6. Bicycle – I have no clue when will I be riding bicycle next time in life.
7. RP Sir’s examples of hindi movies and cricket while teaching ABCDEF....XYZ.
8. Physical Infrastructure and non-polluted environment.
9. Rainy Weather – Whenever it rains in Kgp, it’s an awesome sight to watch. And how can I forget rain dance with Mittal and Gaurav... Amazing day!
10. Tikka’s tea & poori sabji, Tech Market’s jalebi, Flavor’s Chinese Bhel and Hookah are also few things that will be remembered forever.

Finally I am gonna miss this student life which will never come again. No responsibilities, no tensions, not even studies (:P), no burdens...Just enjoyment and leisure.

Things I may want to forget:

1. AM and SkD’s torturous sessions – Though they became “comedy” sessions with each passing class! M3D’s sessions were not torturous but they were too abstruse for me to make a sense out of them in first few sessions.
2. Mess Food – Horrible to say the least except on few days. But as they say that people passing out from here will never have any problems from what their respective wives will cook, lets c!
3. Sinus - Was it because of weather change or because of frequent in-out of airconditioning, the problem of sinus cropped up somewhere in 3rd semester. My nose would block whenever I would lie down on bed. Spent many nights in disturbance. Tried allopathic medicine but only to get temporary relief. In the meanwhile, thanks to my childhood friend who became an ayurvedic doctor. She gave me a medicine in September that worked magically fast and my sinus went away like a thought in December 2011.
4. Non-rainy hot weather – The heat here sucks the liquid out of you here. And imagine going to OBC classes in this scorching heat. Surely horrible days.

Special moments:

1. Power to Empower win – When we participated in this competition we didn’t know that the winners will get Rs 2 Lakhs. Our only motivation was we have to participate because this is what we think is lacking in India and is unmet need of the people. We even thought that even if they are not providing any winning amount, we will ask for their incubation support in terms of knowledge and research. We cleared 1st round and then 2nd round and were called in Delhi for final rounds. And baaaaang on... Did we win..oomph?? To be chosen as top business plan of the country in front of the esteemed judges was not even in our wildest of dreams! The feeling was special. I could still hear claps when I was typing this blog.
2. Thanks to the knowledge we gained at VGSoM that helped us write a business plan and it’s financial forecast.
3. Aerospace department, IIT Kharagpur showed Moon’s surface with their telescope in late 2010. I saw Moon’s crater on one of its poles. It was amazing.
4. IIM Lucknow’s Manfest event – This was the first time I gave presentation in front of a CEO of a company (L&T Investment division) along with Pallav and Rastogi. Nice experience and good learning.
5. Playing Diwali with Dish Seema School Children