Rains are playing havoc these days...specially in the northern parts of India. It is constantly pouring in Delhi and other parts of north India. Fifteen days ago there was a scare of a severe shortfall of rains in these parts. There were no signs of clouds, rain or anything. In the last few weeks, there has been a dramatic change. While driving from Noida to Jaipur via Delhi and Gurgaon it was pouring heavily. It floods before it rains in Delhi. Roads were water-logged. There were places with knee-deep water in the city. We are really heading towards becoming a Singapore...
It wasn't a pleasure to drive. Roads were completely eroded and full of huge potholes. But I was still quite cheerful as it was lush green all around. The aravalis, which I have always seen dry, got a green carpet.
It took unusually long to reach Jaipur this time. I was almost an off-roader without an SUV...So much missed it! Not that I have one yet crave to own one. It really agitates when you pay loads of money in Toll and get roads with holes :-)...I am sure the government is insensitive towards all these things. On one hand the authorities are busy widening the road into a 6-lane superfast highway and on the other the existing 4-lane road is in shambles.
Then the heavy trucks and trollers are the biggest nuisance on the Indian Highways. They can stop anywhere - in the middle of the road, on a busy intersection anywhere. You are left at the mercy of these rulers of our highways.
Upon reaching Jaipur, I thought it would have been a lot better to travel by train. And just believe me...I am yet to return to Noida....same route. Don't know what's in store for me.
Monday 23 August 2010
Friday 20 August 2010
First Time in the Europe
My tryst with the Europe was jinxed until I visited Dublin this week. Last two times when I was invited to visit Germany, I couldn't go - once, I didn't procure the visa in time and second time when I was just about to fly, I was detected with a severe ear infection and the doctor advised me to stay away from long-haul flights. This time, it wasn't Germany though, but I travelled to Europe (Abhi tak sirf films mein dekha tha). The flight from Delhi was via Amsterdam (just a hop at the airport) to the ultimate destination Ireland - Dublin to be precise. Almost 15 hours of flying it was. I remember when I first boarded an aircraft - that too a window seat - I was super excited. Time and distance didn't matter at all. In fact the more the merrier. Similarly, on my first international flight to Singapore (a pretty beaten-to-death destination), I was awake the whole night looking out of the window all the time....But now it is no more exciting or enticing. I dread to board a plane with the fear of a long haul journey in my mind. May be the places which I have never visited create some kind of sensation to tickle my bones but that's about it. There is another hidden reason why I hate going out of India and that is Ananya - my darling. I can't think of staying away her for such a long time.
Anyway, this is all work. I am yet to travel outside India on a leisure trip with family. I am sure I will get a chance soon.
So the flight finally reached Dublin. It was bright and sunny outside. A slight nip in the air with cool breeze. Had I been a tourist, I would have straight hit the city. But I was at work. And when I am work I don't even eat properly - forget about enjoying the city. And when I am at work for my own company, any of these things become secondary. It was our Independence Day - the 64th. Being on a foreign land on the independence day... bit of an odd sequence of events but since we had plans for the day, I was okay. The Hotel was decent...not one of those very lavish 5 Stars but good. Room didn't have an air conditioner and I thanked god for it. The hotel didn't even have a swimming pool. Not that I am a regular swimmer yet it is something that I often see in the hotels. Anyway, the reason for going to Dublin was our own CTO Forum Annual Conference. I had a huge responsibility of not only putting together a compelling conference programme but also to take 100 + delegates with me. These are really big obligations. Sponsors turn a blind eye or close doors on you if you can't show them the might of attendees. Attendees, in this context, is the biggest determining factor.
So, 2 days of packed agenda and 110 odd delegates was the deal. It looks easy but until you have delivered on the conference, you are just on a very shaky ground. Anything can slip and cause a catastrophe. Pramath, Anuradha and a few colleagues were there to make it all possible - flawlessly. Thankfully this time the atmosphere was quite different from the last time (in China) where the whole conference happened in a sombre mood. Here, there was cheer all around. Things, except the allocation of rooms to the delegates (which got massively derailed) went pretty much according to the plan.
Last time, I got an indirect warning from Pramath. I still remember those words exactly. I was really very careful to avoid any such unpleasantness.
I am sure you wouldn't like to know what happened during the conference. All I can say is it went of well.
In those few hours that I went around the city of Dublin, I made some very interesting observations:
1. There is life beyond work, shopping and sleeping, which I saw there. People are social, hospitable and nice. They have a lot of passion to live beyond shopping and that's the reason why shops close at 6 PM. Why should a shopkeeper be deprived of pleasure beyond work. In India, what we see is opposite. The poor guy will open at 9 in the morning and close at 10 at night. Awful! isn't it?
2. People find time for them and live life at a certain pace. There is no mad rush to accomplish things. People walk slowly unlike some of the far eastern countries where I see people almost running while they are simply walking. It looks as if they are racing against time, against death!
3. The city has beautifully preserved its rich heritage and hold proud in saying they hate Brits (I can't generalise it and am seeking apologies in advance for making such a bold statement). But this is what I felt. As opposed to the rest of the world (here the world is what I have seen so far) everything has a prefix...It is Irish Tea, Irish Coffee, Irish Beer, Irish Whisky and so on...I am sure this serves a dual purpose - one, it gives identity of a different sort and two, it makes a country look so very chauvinist...In India, we are quite proud of living an imported life. If you use something which is not home grown or home produced, you are an elite else, you are backward.
4. The city is a perfect blend of Old and New (more retro than modern). And it looks heavenly. Wherever you go, you'll find the glimpses of old residential and commercial buildings - all very well maintained and kept clean. Even the narrowest of streets were sparkling clean. I felt ashamed of my own country where people contribute a lot to keep the streets dirty and filthy.
5. People don't peep into others' lives. The city is full of life and thus they don't hesitate in getting cosy wherever there is an urge. We Indians were looking silly to stare at them like we have never seen a couple kissing before. But they do indulge quite freely without any hesitation.
This was Dublin for me.
Anyway, this is all work. I am yet to travel outside India on a leisure trip with family. I am sure I will get a chance soon.
So the flight finally reached Dublin. It was bright and sunny outside. A slight nip in the air with cool breeze. Had I been a tourist, I would have straight hit the city. But I was at work. And when I am work I don't even eat properly - forget about enjoying the city. And when I am at work for my own company, any of these things become secondary. It was our Independence Day - the 64th. Being on a foreign land on the independence day... bit of an odd sequence of events but since we had plans for the day, I was okay. The Hotel was decent...not one of those very lavish 5 Stars but good. Room didn't have an air conditioner and I thanked god for it. The hotel didn't even have a swimming pool. Not that I am a regular swimmer yet it is something that I often see in the hotels. Anyway, the reason for going to Dublin was our own CTO Forum Annual Conference. I had a huge responsibility of not only putting together a compelling conference programme but also to take 100 + delegates with me. These are really big obligations. Sponsors turn a blind eye or close doors on you if you can't show them the might of attendees. Attendees, in this context, is the biggest determining factor.
So, 2 days of packed agenda and 110 odd delegates was the deal. It looks easy but until you have delivered on the conference, you are just on a very shaky ground. Anything can slip and cause a catastrophe. Pramath, Anuradha and a few colleagues were there to make it all possible - flawlessly. Thankfully this time the atmosphere was quite different from the last time (in China) where the whole conference happened in a sombre mood. Here, there was cheer all around. Things, except the allocation of rooms to the delegates (which got massively derailed) went pretty much according to the plan.
Last time, I got an indirect warning from Pramath. I still remember those words exactly. I was really very careful to avoid any such unpleasantness.
I am sure you wouldn't like to know what happened during the conference. All I can say is it went of well.
In those few hours that I went around the city of Dublin, I made some very interesting observations:
1. There is life beyond work, shopping and sleeping, which I saw there. People are social, hospitable and nice. They have a lot of passion to live beyond shopping and that's the reason why shops close at 6 PM. Why should a shopkeeper be deprived of pleasure beyond work. In India, what we see is opposite. The poor guy will open at 9 in the morning and close at 10 at night. Awful! isn't it?
2. People find time for them and live life at a certain pace. There is no mad rush to accomplish things. People walk slowly unlike some of the far eastern countries where I see people almost running while they are simply walking. It looks as if they are racing against time, against death!
3. The city has beautifully preserved its rich heritage and hold proud in saying they hate Brits (I can't generalise it and am seeking apologies in advance for making such a bold statement). But this is what I felt. As opposed to the rest of the world (here the world is what I have seen so far) everything has a prefix...It is Irish Tea, Irish Coffee, Irish Beer, Irish Whisky and so on...I am sure this serves a dual purpose - one, it gives identity of a different sort and two, it makes a country look so very chauvinist...In India, we are quite proud of living an imported life. If you use something which is not home grown or home produced, you are an elite else, you are backward.
4. The city is a perfect blend of Old and New (more retro than modern). And it looks heavenly. Wherever you go, you'll find the glimpses of old residential and commercial buildings - all very well maintained and kept clean. Even the narrowest of streets were sparkling clean. I felt ashamed of my own country where people contribute a lot to keep the streets dirty and filthy.
5. People don't peep into others' lives. The city is full of life and thus they don't hesitate in getting cosy wherever there is an urge. We Indians were looking silly to stare at them like we have never seen a couple kissing before. But they do indulge quite freely without any hesitation.
This was Dublin for me.
Saturday 31 July 2010
Rains
It's a Saturday morning. Despite many precautions, I am down with severe throat infection and viral. Vasudha and Ananya have gone to school and it is raining outside. Looks like the first decent rain of this Monsoon. Earth is thirsty...the reserved water has all evaporated. To sustain it need fresh reserves and this rain is vital. I have been quite irregular with my writing. Every time I resolve to be regular, I don't know what goes wrong. Last when I wrote, I thing Ananya was 16 months old. She is now 22 months...growing faster than our belief. In another 2 months she will be 2 years. Time flies...
A lot happened in the past 6 odd months. I got an unprecedented appraisal from all my superiors. I felt really great. It came with extra responsibility but perhaps this is the time when you can sweat and gain. Finally, Vasudha also got what she deserved...after almost two years of talks, finally she joined Vidya Sanskar as Vice Principal and left Pathways once again. Pathways was a great workplace. She had spent 6 years there. She is quite liking her new job but has been keeping very occupied ever since she joined.
Ananya has started speaking well. She has picked up fast and can construct short sentences. She surprises us all with new words - both English and Hindi. I want her to respect Hindi...there is a growing tendency of hating our mother tongue. Children suffer from inferiority complex if they can't speak/write good english. To me, there isn't anything wrong in learning, grasping and mastering any language but one must know its national language. I know I live in a country where there are 20+ languages and I respect them all still I feel we must honour our national language as most of the developed nations in the Europe do.
We have shifted our base too. After a very long stay in Gurgaon 2003 (March) -2010 (June) with one year in Bangalore, we have shifted to Noida, yet another sub-urban region of New Delhi. The habitat is good. I must acknowledge that it is far superior than the ones we lived in Gurgaon but UP is quite a backward state and this place, despite being ahead of others, is no exception. Anyway, after a long time, I got a home closer to my work place. I take just 15 minutes to reach office now as opposed to a couple of hours earlier. The last time I saw this was when we lived in Navi Mumbai back in 2003. But it is far for Vasudha now. She travels at least for an hour if not more.
Life is still not very normal. Both of us are still not able to give time to ourselves. Ananya takes away the most of it. But I think it is the part of the life. I have to start writing my Ph.D but so far there has been no headway. I have started collecting some books but that's about it. I think one needs to be quite disciplined to make all these things happen together. I am not able to make it happen so far....Hopefully I will get some free time to start the work. Once the momentum is there, it will be easy.
A lot happened in the past 6 odd months. I got an unprecedented appraisal from all my superiors. I felt really great. It came with extra responsibility but perhaps this is the time when you can sweat and gain. Finally, Vasudha also got what she deserved...after almost two years of talks, finally she joined Vidya Sanskar as Vice Principal and left Pathways once again. Pathways was a great workplace. She had spent 6 years there. She is quite liking her new job but has been keeping very occupied ever since she joined.
Ananya has started speaking well. She has picked up fast and can construct short sentences. She surprises us all with new words - both English and Hindi. I want her to respect Hindi...there is a growing tendency of hating our mother tongue. Children suffer from inferiority complex if they can't speak/write good english. To me, there isn't anything wrong in learning, grasping and mastering any language but one must know its national language. I know I live in a country where there are 20+ languages and I respect them all still I feel we must honour our national language as most of the developed nations in the Europe do.
We have shifted our base too. After a very long stay in Gurgaon 2003 (March) -2010 (June) with one year in Bangalore, we have shifted to Noida, yet another sub-urban region of New Delhi. The habitat is good. I must acknowledge that it is far superior than the ones we lived in Gurgaon but UP is quite a backward state and this place, despite being ahead of others, is no exception. Anyway, after a long time, I got a home closer to my work place. I take just 15 minutes to reach office now as opposed to a couple of hours earlier. The last time I saw this was when we lived in Navi Mumbai back in 2003. But it is far for Vasudha now. She travels at least for an hour if not more.
Life is still not very normal. Both of us are still not able to give time to ourselves. Ananya takes away the most of it. But I think it is the part of the life. I have to start writing my Ph.D but so far there has been no headway. I have started collecting some books but that's about it. I think one needs to be quite disciplined to make all these things happen together. I am not able to make it happen so far....Hopefully I will get some free time to start the work. Once the momentum is there, it will be easy.
Saturday 13 February 2010
Victim of Social Media
Sometimes I am forced to think that Social Networks are my best friends. I get to speak to unimaginable number of people free of cost (but if time is money, I have lost millions). I gain a lot professionally. Most of the new ideas and solutions to my problems come through social networks. I found excellent professionals and subject matter experts on these social networks who have now become great companions. We help each other (It is a two-way street always). I found lost friends on social networks. Some of them are my schoolmates, some college mates and others are recent ones. It gives great sense of satisfaction to find lost friends, great companions, professionals and experts.
But you have to pay a cost for everything that you consume so much so that the air you breathe, water you drink, and space you live in doesn’t come free. If you are not paying the cost directly, it is being accrued indirectly. As I mentioned above, the amount of time invested can never be regained. Social networks are intriguing but intruding. These networks take away ‘privacy’. As a student of psychology, I can challenge that every human being has tendencies to be secretive. If one claims to be transparent, it is a false statement – not true at all! But the fascination of revealing/publishing the things (which were best kept secrets) has surmounted the mind and remains unconquered. But I haven’t revealed the worst yet. These social networks take away your imagination. These social networks make you the victim of OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder). I am not writing this as a preacher. I am a victim of social networks. Orkut, (the only network that I exited) Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, Live Journal, Yammer and many others (I profusely reject requests for joining any other social network).
Not so long ago (10-12 years back) we exclaimed when we found a long-lost friend in a crowded market, on board an aeroplane, in a train or some other place like that. Today we exclaim when we see someone after a gap of a week on Facebook. “Where’re you for so long.” Most people hate those who are not on these networks. They are considered ‘downmarket’, ‘illiterate’, ‘non-progressive’ and ‘naive’. Today photo albums have been replaced by Flickr, Picasa and other such sharable online albums, where anyone and everyone can see you (you can put some policies to avoid onlookers to some extent).
I am a classic case of a mentally sick social networker. If I am going for leisure trips, my laptop, camera and data card are the ‘must-have’ tools. Why! Because I would probably not cherish the memories of the nice landscapes, vast horizons and unexplored nature with naked eyes. I would like to put the pictures, memoirs, descriptions on my social networks and wait for people’s reaction to them. These reactions no give a kick. Similarly, smallest of the issues, which could be resolved by doing some self research, are now solved by throwing the topic on the social networks.
To be there or not to be there - this state of dilemma has crippled me. I am not able to take a decision whether I shall be there and continue to harness the great deal of advantage or just simply detach myself to be more imaginative, original and free myself from enslavement.
But you have to pay a cost for everything that you consume so much so that the air you breathe, water you drink, and space you live in doesn’t come free. If you are not paying the cost directly, it is being accrued indirectly. As I mentioned above, the amount of time invested can never be regained. Social networks are intriguing but intruding. These networks take away ‘privacy’. As a student of psychology, I can challenge that every human being has tendencies to be secretive. If one claims to be transparent, it is a false statement – not true at all! But the fascination of revealing/publishing the things (which were best kept secrets) has surmounted the mind and remains unconquered. But I haven’t revealed the worst yet. These social networks take away your imagination. These social networks make you the victim of OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder). I am not writing this as a preacher. I am a victim of social networks. Orkut, (the only network that I exited) Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, Live Journal, Yammer and many others (I profusely reject requests for joining any other social network).
Not so long ago (10-12 years back) we exclaimed when we found a long-lost friend in a crowded market, on board an aeroplane, in a train or some other place like that. Today we exclaim when we see someone after a gap of a week on Facebook. “Where’re you for so long.” Most people hate those who are not on these networks. They are considered ‘downmarket’, ‘illiterate’, ‘non-progressive’ and ‘naive’. Today photo albums have been replaced by Flickr, Picasa and other such sharable online albums, where anyone and everyone can see you (you can put some policies to avoid onlookers to some extent).
I am a classic case of a mentally sick social networker. If I am going for leisure trips, my laptop, camera and data card are the ‘must-have’ tools. Why! Because I would probably not cherish the memories of the nice landscapes, vast horizons and unexplored nature with naked eyes. I would like to put the pictures, memoirs, descriptions on my social networks and wait for people’s reaction to them. These reactions no give a kick. Similarly, smallest of the issues, which could be resolved by doing some self research, are now solved by throwing the topic on the social networks.
To be there or not to be there - this state of dilemma has crippled me. I am not able to take a decision whether I shall be there and continue to harness the great deal of advantage or just simply detach myself to be more imaginative, original and free myself from enslavement.
Monday 8 February 2010
The Turning Point
I am writing after a gap of nearly six months. And if someone reads my introduction column carefully, I will prove myself the biggest defaulter. When I started writing the blog, I told the entire universe that I will write regularly - mostly everyday but this gap of six months tells a different story. I have realised that I can't stick to my promises...But that is just not true in real life. I think I take a lot of liberty with myself and promises made to myself. If I make a promise to myself that I will go for a walk every day, I could barely make it once in a week. If I make a promise to myself that I will paint (which I do once in almost 10 years) more often, then I won't even touch the canvas for years. In fact I bought my last painting aids in 2008 and consumed the same this month in 2010...What a shame but it's okay! At least I keep promises given externally.
Anyway, today is the day when I wasn't feeling well and despite having a lot of work at hand, I am not able to focus on anything - even on the closing of the magazine that I work for. Certainly this is not the time for an intellectually-motivated discourse. Nor it is a suitable state of mind to write a political or ideological piece.
Today I will talk about a few things that I generally don't talk. Don't worry these are not those "never-revealed-secrets". Also, I am going to talk about just one thing and not go overboard.
About 20 years ago...I was in class 11th! Probably yes. This was at a place called Bharatpur. My board exams were over (Strange but true! 11th was a board in Rajasthan). There was limited access to phones. There was TV but only broadcasting Doordarshan. At crossroads, I was waiting for the exam results. The anxiety wasn't that will I pass or fail it. The anxiety was around the fact will I feature in the "Merit List" - a list of 10 top scoring students. And the ritual was that each one of those meritorious students was featured in the largest circulated vernacular daily of Rajasthan called 'Rajasthan Patrika'. How would one know that he/she has secured a place in that merit list? Simple! Mahendra Cheema (the reporter of the daily will come on his cycle) to your place. And that would happen basis the results declared in Jaipur a day ago. My anxiety wasn't baseless. Having switched over from Science (which didn't go well down my throat) to Arts and having performed exceedingly well in the examination, I was quite confident of making it to the list.
Ironically my entire family was in Agra that time. I thought if Cheema comes, there won't be anyone to share this good news! But I had other plans in place. I would call a few friends and party...I also withdrew all the money from my bank account (some Rs. 150 odd). 20 years back Rs. 150 wasn't a bad amount. It was 9 AM in the morning. I was cleaning the living room. What if Cheema ji comes? I kept visiting the main gate (I did it at least 20 times during the day) and every man riding a cycle - to me - was looked like Cheema ji. Between these bouts of anxiety I reluctantly had my lunch - cooked by myself. Cheema ji still didn't come. The anxiety continued, rather it aggravated to its peak. I was biting my nails (which I otherwise also do...you can say I suffer from anxiety disorder). The clock was showing 4 PM. I had no patience left. I didn't even know whom to call, how to know if I was there or not. Evening tea was also over...I lost all hopes and then decided to just forget about it. I went for an evening walk inside the famous Ghana Bird Sanctuary. Though it wasn't really a good season to be there but I wanted to just get rid of the thought. I came back...there wasn't any note or information on the door. The news was confirmed that I wasn't there on the merit list. The excitement was all over by now. Rs. 150 in my pocket were just worth nothing now. I switched on the television with a heavy heart. As usual, it wasn't so clear. I was in no mood to cook food. Moreover, I was worried if I had actually cleared the exam in 1st division. Bad thoughts grappled my mind. If it wasn't 1st division, my dad would not let it go so easily. And I had studied very hard. Somehow, the sleep caught me unawares. I didn't even know when I went to sleep...without having dinner. The morning paper (Rajasthan Patrika) banged the door. Now I wasn't excited anymore. Generally the mark sheets reach the schools the same day. I was keen to know my marks but as a habit. I opened the paper. Cheema ji had a reason not to come to my place. My name didn't feature in that list. I passed in 1st division though. 9:30 AM the next day, like many others, I was in school too waiting for my mark sheet. I got it. And when I saw my marked, I came to know I missed the "Merit List" by a whisker - just 2 marks. I scored badly in Hindi. The excitement was over. The new battle ground was getting ready. I was at crossroads - will I go to the college of my liking in Agra or will I have to study in the college which I would not like to attend...The outcome was desirable but that was the turning point I was talking about in the headline.
Anyway, today is the day when I wasn't feeling well and despite having a lot of work at hand, I am not able to focus on anything - even on the closing of the magazine that I work for. Certainly this is not the time for an intellectually-motivated discourse. Nor it is a suitable state of mind to write a political or ideological piece.
Today I will talk about a few things that I generally don't talk. Don't worry these are not those "never-revealed-secrets". Also, I am going to talk about just one thing and not go overboard.
About 20 years ago...I was in class 11th! Probably yes. This was at a place called Bharatpur. My board exams were over (Strange but true! 11th was a board in Rajasthan). There was limited access to phones. There was TV but only broadcasting Doordarshan. At crossroads, I was waiting for the exam results. The anxiety wasn't that will I pass or fail it. The anxiety was around the fact will I feature in the "Merit List" - a list of 10 top scoring students. And the ritual was that each one of those meritorious students was featured in the largest circulated vernacular daily of Rajasthan called 'Rajasthan Patrika'. How would one know that he/she has secured a place in that merit list? Simple! Mahendra Cheema (the reporter of the daily will come on his cycle) to your place. And that would happen basis the results declared in Jaipur a day ago. My anxiety wasn't baseless. Having switched over from Science (which didn't go well down my throat) to Arts and having performed exceedingly well in the examination, I was quite confident of making it to the list.
Ironically my entire family was in Agra that time. I thought if Cheema comes, there won't be anyone to share this good news! But I had other plans in place. I would call a few friends and party...I also withdrew all the money from my bank account (some Rs. 150 odd). 20 years back Rs. 150 wasn't a bad amount. It was 9 AM in the morning. I was cleaning the living room. What if Cheema ji comes? I kept visiting the main gate (I did it at least 20 times during the day) and every man riding a cycle - to me - was looked like Cheema ji. Between these bouts of anxiety I reluctantly had my lunch - cooked by myself. Cheema ji still didn't come. The anxiety continued, rather it aggravated to its peak. I was biting my nails (which I otherwise also do...you can say I suffer from anxiety disorder). The clock was showing 4 PM. I had no patience left. I didn't even know whom to call, how to know if I was there or not. Evening tea was also over...I lost all hopes and then decided to just forget about it. I went for an evening walk inside the famous Ghana Bird Sanctuary. Though it wasn't really a good season to be there but I wanted to just get rid of the thought. I came back...there wasn't any note or information on the door. The news was confirmed that I wasn't there on the merit list. The excitement was all over by now. Rs. 150 in my pocket were just worth nothing now. I switched on the television with a heavy heart. As usual, it wasn't so clear. I was in no mood to cook food. Moreover, I was worried if I had actually cleared the exam in 1st division. Bad thoughts grappled my mind. If it wasn't 1st division, my dad would not let it go so easily. And I had studied very hard. Somehow, the sleep caught me unawares. I didn't even know when I went to sleep...without having dinner. The morning paper (Rajasthan Patrika) banged the door. Now I wasn't excited anymore. Generally the mark sheets reach the schools the same day. I was keen to know my marks but as a habit. I opened the paper. Cheema ji had a reason not to come to my place. My name didn't feature in that list. I passed in 1st division though. 9:30 AM the next day, like many others, I was in school too waiting for my mark sheet. I got it. And when I saw my marked, I came to know I missed the "Merit List" by a whisker - just 2 marks. I scored badly in Hindi. The excitement was over. The new battle ground was getting ready. I was at crossroads - will I go to the college of my liking in Agra or will I have to study in the college which I would not like to attend...The outcome was desirable but that was the turning point I was talking about in the headline.
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