Aspire, Perspire, Conspire, Inspire and Transpire

Aspire:

6 years down the memory lane I recall being a 17-year-old kid who had many aspirations in life and wanted to show the world what he was capable of. It was the year 2006, the year I cleared my 12th board exams and was wondering what to do next. Joining the Armed Forces was the best I could think of. I had always longed to be in the forces, maybe it was the charm of the uniform or the fact that they get to play all sort of sports. Yes, that was the reason I gave to the Colonel interviewing me during the SSB at Allahabad for admission into the National Defence Academy (NDA). I was recommended finally and got a rank of 420 in the order of merit for a total of 335 seats. I had to wait for at least 85 candidates to leave so that I get a seat and that wait I remember was how tough as I had nothing else to do and worries regarding my future crept into my mind. I never wanted to go into engineering as apart from Maths I never liked to study anything else. Due to peer pressure and many other factors, I resorted to starting preparing for IIT aimlessly. After 3 days of that, I finally got a call that I'm in, I was ecstatic and overjoyed. I had proven many a people wrong including my teachers at school, friends, relatives, etc. I finally got what I aspired for! On 7th July 2006, I joined NDA, exactly 6 years from today. I can still feel those butterflies in my stomach while entering the academy. It was a proud moment for me and my parents! I was sent to the Hunter Squadron of no.2 Battalion which was known as the toughest squadron in the academy. This was my new home. My life had taken a turn and I was all set to face the challenges. Come what may!

Perspire:

My NDA days have been the toughest days of my life till date. The routine was such that we didn’t even have time to stop and think of ourselves. We were cut-off from the outside world for this world was enough to live in. One had to fight for survival each and every day. I got to do many things which I could have never imagined to do otherwise. Got an exposure which no civilian can ever imagine having. The word Royal fits aptly for the Armed Forces. The comradeship taught us what friendship actually meant. To what extent can one go for the sake of a friend was overwhelming. We laughed together, we cried together, we got screwed and we did screw too. We perspired to live, to excel and to overcome the daunting tasks, be it the Restrictions, water sessions, night sessions or the cabin cupboard. In my 2nd term, I turned 18 and was finally an adult. Also, it was time for the Greenhorn Camp, which was a 4-day excursion into the ruins. Except for the fact that this one wasn't for leisure. Those 4 days had beaten the hell out of all of us. I had never been so exhausted in my life. It was said that after Greenhorn we are actually born in the academy as we also complete 9 months into it. We felt that too when we returned back to our 'home' and were welcomed by our senior cadets. We now had a name, "Hallucinators". It felt good and with this we also earned certain privileges in the squadron. Time went by and it was the 3rd term. I had understudies now who were one 1st termer and two 2nd termers. I had to take care of them and whatever mistakes they did I was the one accountable. A sense of responsibility fused into me. I was beginning to feel as a senior now, but not for long.

Conspire:

Football Tourny was round the corner and all of us were practising day and night, for we Hunters are known to be Football champs and we had to win the trophy at all costs. Football being my favourite sport I was fully dedicated to it. I was appointed as the 2nd string Goalkeeper and was really happy. It was monsoon season and I used to dive fearlessly in those puddles of mud every now and then. One fine day, on 27th August 2007, it was a practice match of 1st string v/s 2nd string. I was obviously keeping for the 2nd. It was raining as usual. Who knew that it was my last football match for years to come! What are the odds of a Goalkeeper getting severely injured! But it had to happen with me. The Universe had conspired and I got hit by my own defender who was a Kazakh in the act of saving a goal. My left knee got twisted, but I didn’t care. I stood up immediately to save the goal, but I couldn't take the next step forward. I saw my knee getting twisted outwards again and I fell down on the wet grass. For seconds, I was all blank and couldn't figure out what had happened to me. Seniors thought I was mocking as the opponents succeeded in scoring the goal. They were making me stand, I was trying to tell them not to do so, but I was unable to spurt out words from my mouth. Ultimately, even they realised something wrong has happened. I was being kept aside from the field and I was lying down crying in pain. After the match was over, an ambulance was called, but it couldn't reach up to the field as it was on a plateau area, so I had to roll down on a bicycle and then get into the Ambulance. I was feeling a bit happy too while I was going to the Military Hospital for the fact that I will get to rest for few days. But I was unaware of what was in store for me. I kept sending messages to the Squadron that I will be back soon and will retain my position as the 2nd string Goalkeeper, but that day never came. I realised this fact when my plaster was removed and the doctors were clueless of what to do in my case. One month had passed and the doctors finally decided to send me to MH, Kirkee which was in Pune city. It was an MH with better facilities and good doctors. There I got to learn that I should have been operated immediately within 24 hours of the injury, but one month had already passed. I had also lost any sensation in that leg and I was starting to get worried. I then had an operation as soon as possible and after that started to recover gradually. I used crutches to walk for the next 3 months and it took me around 6 months to be able to walk without any help. Running was out of the question I was not even advised to climb stairs. Finally, I had to leave the Academy as I had exceeded the medical category limit and was about to get relegated for the second time. A third relegation was on the cards as it would have taken me a lot more time to come in shape 1 and I would have been withdrawn from the Academy which would have made me ineligible to join the Forces once again through any other entry in the future. I instead decided to resign so as to keep my future hopes alive of joining the forces. It was a major setback for me and a life changing event. But I was glad I met so many people, especially my Hunter coursemates and had a wonderful experience. My dream got shattered in front of me, I could neither save the goal nor myself.

Inspire:

After coming out of NDA, outside world seemed to be very unfamiliar to me. I was wondering how much a year and a half had changed me. People lacked discipline and there was no respect for a senior person be it in any form. Law and Order was a mockery. I missed being a part of what I was. But had to accept the bitter truth that its past now. I then realised why every Officer in the Academy used to tell us that we were living the Golden Days of our lives. Indeed, they were right. I eventually landed up in a place where I never wanted to be in, an Engineering College and that too in my own city whose board was near my school bus stop and I used to wonder who would ever join this college. Now I was one of them. Initial days in the college were weird as it was very different from the last Institution I attended. People came there from all walks of life and I felt pity for myself for being there. There were even some people for whom it was a dream come true to join this college. I was now sitting with the students who were 2 years junior to me and this very fact used to implode into me. There was a time when I used to be the youngest in my class and now it was the reverse. I had to accept the reality and move on. One thing I knew that the next four years of my life are going to be difficult. But, fortunately, I met some very good people who also had their own reasons for unfortunately landing up in this college. I was now in a circle of friends who helped me a lot in recovering from my past and instead learn from it and endorse it. Each one of us was a gem of a person and we had some great time during the 4 years of our engineering. It was the 3rd year when I started thinking about what to do after I pass out, apart from joining the forces again, as I had to have some more options open. I knew from the beginning I can never become a good technocrat, thus, a coding job was never on the cards. I got inspired to pursue a career in management as I felt it would suit me aptly. NDA had taught me a lot of life skills and helped me inculcate leadership qualities. So why not hone those skills further and make a career out of it. I started preparing for CAT at an early stage so as to enter into a good B-School.

Transpire:

It was the starting of the final year when I should have been preparing for CAT in full swing, but I wasn't because of the Summer Training in Pune. I didn’t study until it was October and I got placed in Infosys. I suddenly realised where I was heading to, is in a technical line and I wasn't meant to go that way. One of my friends woke me up from slumber and I realised how much time I had been wasting all time long. At once I started studying with full vigour and in some 20 days of preparation, I could only manage a decent enough score. I was happy as well as sad because I knew I could have scored much better. I could still convert some decent b-schools so I started preparing for the GD/PIs for the Institutes from which I had interview calls. In all this drama I could manage just 2 convert and 3 wait-lists. Of the ones I was waitlisted in, one was Nirma and I was sure to convert it and was banking on it only. I decided to leave the 2 converts I had as Nirma was a better choice. It was the place I fell in love with gradually even before going there. I joined the Facebook group of it and all the aspirants were there. We all became friends and it was really nice knowing all of them. It's practically impossible to make good friends on Facebook, but we felt we did. People having better converts also weren't ready to leave Nirma for those better ones. Time went by and the joining date came. My wait list number saw a transition from 88 to 35 to 17 to 14 to 11 to 9. Then just before joining there was a movement of 6 and my number was 3 now. I was so close that I thought I'll convert soon. But I never did. As of now my no. is 1 and the list is sealed. I always used to wonder how would people feel who get stuck at 1 or 2 and now I was one of them. I so desperately needed a convert and to join a b-school immediately after my graduation because I've already lost 2 years. Today on 7th July 2012, I'm having contrasting feelings than that of what I had 6 years ago on the same date. I guess there is something even better in store for me for the next year same time wherein I will finally get an even better b-school. I will miss being a part of Nirma 2012-14 batch, wish you guys all the very best, may you reach heights in the corporate ladder. I would also like to wish all my NDA coursemates of 116 Course for they have recently got promoted and become Captains, Flight Lieutenants and Lieutenants in the Army, Air Force and Navy respectively. Long Live Hallucinators! As for me, leaders must first aspire, then perspire. They must conspire and inspire in order to transpire.

#NDA #Army #SSB #Nirma #JIET #Football #Hunter #Engineering #MBA #CAT