Hmmm.... I have lot of time these days. Putting down the papers often lets you have a lot of peace of mind. Today as I sat reminiscent of my 2 years 3 months of my corporate life and beyond that flashed in front of me. What great I did in these 2 years.. Practically nothing. I still remember 16th of August 2007 when life put me in a big dilemma. TCS or THBS? both had joining dates close by. and there I began my corporate life with THBS.Bootcamp(that's what they call the training here) was whole lot of fun and challenging. But then came December and I get a surprise of a lifetime. I was assigned to a project team. Technology (WTF) some old dead wood legacy. I felt cheated. How can they do such thing to me? It was my first encounter with the stark but ugly reality of over hyped Indian IT industry. If you do not have the strength people tend to play with your life and that exactly what some ar*eh*le had done. But the die hard optimist in me said, "Mate this is an opportunity to change the course of your life". That day I decided no more of this bullshit now and enrolled for CAT coaching at TIME. Things started off in a positive note. I saw my mediocre colleagues bragging about their little piece of shits(You don't call changing 2 if conditions and adding five -six line of random codes here and there development) and yet it was marketed as if its real worth (I sometimes laugh at the very idea of sitting till 8 in the night just for doing a clearcase checkin-checkout). Yes if that is what the work an IT company does, hats off, I am better at my own. Result a silent resistance, no serious work, leaving at 6 (due to which I was written off as useless - but I gave it a damn), devoting time for myself. And in june mocks began. I was confident of my preps. so far, scoring was good, life was easy (thanks to being written off - no responsibilities), drawing 22k a month for doing nothing. Seems like a dream isn't it?
But nemesis fell. I was moved to a legacy support project. Perpetrators had got it perfectly. And then my gruesome battle with everyone started. Honchos had already fucked up in the planning and worse was to come. Here I scored 95%le in one of my mocks and I am dead sure to make it. Next day I am asked to hand over my passport to travel onsite (I was asked before and I had refused it but they were hell bent to send me). The cat and mouse game began. Somehow I got myself out of that mess, but desitny had something else for me in place and those 3 months of my life were nothing short of a living nightmare. I remember fighting every bit for giving the entrance exams for which I had prepared the whole year. (BTW I was working 15-16 hrs a day no weekends... in short life all screwed up a big time). The only fresh consoling breeze in my life was mom who was in B'lore for those days.
Its was her lap which gave me peace. Scriptures say it correct, mom's lap is heaven. I had a fight with almost all the seniors in my team. I already had a too good relationship with them and it was deteriorating further.
Anyways it was 09 Jan 2009 - CAT results were out. I had fucked it up and done it royally. merely managed to score 92%le. The world came crashing in front of me. Other entrance tests had followed the same collision course and some even worse. What was this fighting after all for? I reached my all time low. It was a similar situation when I had screwed my IIT and other entrance tests after dropping one year, only the location was different. Nothing practically improved for me. Worked like ass to overcome my frustrations. Luckily someone noticed and I was offered onsite again. This time I had no commitments and I said yes.
Life began with a full throttle in UK. I would say I had some of the best moments of my life there. 11th of April 2009(when the CAT 2008 final results were out),was what I had promised myself sometime back to make it the happiest day of my life, and indeed God made it for me but Kahani main thoda twist hai. I was roaming around in London. I smiled to God and said, "Hats off to you Boss". Anyways I had full fun for 3 months (ensured I worked little and make a hell lot of money). But this had to come to an end and I returned to India on 21st of June 2009 and headed straight to Lucknow (no B'lore please).
Returned to B'lore after a week of holidaying. Got myself good rating but my past sins had me. As put there was no hike.WTF stagnant at where I started 2 years back. Anyways I had understood the tricks of the trade. Work less, Brag more and there you are my boy. I had the power of being the critical resource. But all this was leading no where. I had to take some stringent measures now. Mustered all my energies and focused on CAT 2009. All the more had another offer and they are providing me avenues to finance my Dreams. So decision was quite simple. Escape from the Alcatraz :).
So now I have full time for myself and let us hope for the best.
