What is life in solace, wonder how it takes you for a spin even before you’ve realised that you are in a rut. My experience with this coarse truth has been a modest journey of 8 months. Flying abroad for higher studies in most cases has been a bollywoodishly stereotypical experience, fantasy of which is subconsciously fixated in modern Indian youngsters. Thanks to the plethora of bollywood flicks and the Phekta Kapoor’s K-wonder soap opera that has endlessly portrayed the protagonist taking up higher studies abroad, not to mention the classic MBA for God Sake!
Well after being there and done that, and acquiring sanity upon completion of the whole journey, only one question haunts me, SO WHAT??? Was it worth to travel the distance, invest or rather waste garish amount of money to acquire something which every tom dick and harry has these days. And my self-assessing response has intimidated me to no length. I can rather be euphemistic about it and accept it as part and parcel of trial and error phenomenon but that would again be kidding myself. If there was one thing which I had ever looked forward to in life, it was a career in advertising. I was fortunate enough to get a handle on it for a while, but only did I know then to not let it go.
Best friends are meant to perk up things in life for good, but sometimes their well-wishes often kick you in the ass and seldom does any premonition come to the rescue. In my case the bonhomie of the situation echoed on a flip note. The do-goody advice not only kicked me in the face, but also I was betrayed with the absence of any presentiment. Partly I am supposed to be blamed, coz I was foolish enough not to realise the repercussions before it was too late. Hey Deval you require a special mention in this article, as it was you who was my support system during the BMS dayz. You were the true motivator I could have had on the professional level. I knew I had that creative streak in me (which you always made me notice), but some things are only meant for college days i guess.
I remember your lines you told me on 17th September 2006 @ Mumbai Airport. “Saale agar tune Finance liya toh main tujhe bamboo ghusayega” I wish I would have been deaf for that moment, or else would have overcame the fear of Bamboo. I knew you had great confidence in me as a marketing person, but now I think I would have done better had I taken MBA Finance, sometimes the in-thing that is not your prowess may prove a better option than the thing you do best. At least this shall hold true for me until I find a successful disposition to dispose the aforesaid thought.
The obvious truth that occurred to me after six months of graduating as an MBA Marketing is nothing short of an irony. “IT IS DIFFICULT TO MARKET YOURSELF IF YOU ARE A MARKETING PROFESSIONAL, HOWEVER ITS EASIEIR TO FINANCE THYSELF IF YE BELONG TO FINANCE”. Now my friend I regret not to take up finance as an option, coz if seeing is believing, then am pretty sure most of my Finance batch mates have found some sense of direction on the career front, however with certain iota of patience I would say I can still see myself and other marketing brats still juggling for that big break. Perhaps it is the destiny of the ore to pass through the hottest of the furnace to see the day as the toughest steel. Sometimes I believe the current phase is the proverbial furnace that life has to offer and I can only expect to meet the dawn when i shall see myself as the steel.
By the way no matter how much optimism i may enthuse in this process, it has made me realise that this stage of my life; where i believe am in a rut, is a make or break situation. Either I may get flushed out as a by-product of metallurgy or else come out a winner – the true steel. Am often cornered with thoughts about slumping into depression soon, but people around me has kept me sailing yet. Thank you Dear Ammi, Abba, Chachas, Chachis, Bhaijaans, Bhabhis, Friends and my lovely Zenny for speaking to me day in and day out, keeping me sane and confident and remembering me in your prayers. It is for you people that am still hoping for good things to come and I shall overcome this not-so-bad-days soon Insha Allah. On a positive note I would like to share the obvious philosophy learnt in these 8 months. There may come a time in life when ye may feel nothing’s happening, life has come to a standstill – but that is for sure not the end my friend. Once the wheel starts moving then there is no looking back and trust me a day will come. Until then keep faith, have patience and try harder!!! And for Heaven’s sake don’t get too filmi about studying abroad. Coz that is where the whole problem starts...
