Day (-) 6, February 06, 2009: I reached home and braced myself for the long celebrations which were in the store of future. It was only 9:00 in the morning when I reached home, pretty early by my standard. But as the time will tell sleep is going to elude me for some days. Few close relatives came and then it was decided that we will be going to Asansol for the Bhaat ceremony. I tested my new Digi-cam and make the first official use of it. By the time we were back it was already 11:00 in the night.
Day (-) 5: Again in the store was a long day. Some more preparations; and in all of them I was playing a secondary role. Went to Dharamshalas (marriage venue) to check if all the arrangements were going on as desired or not.
Day (-) 4: More or less the same routine as the previous day. Nothing significant happened, which can guarantee a mention here.
Day (-) 3: This was the day which would tell me what it means to be involved in a sister’s marriage is. Some more relatives arrived. There were some traditional rituals which were performed. The name of none of those I remember right now. In the night it was a small family BC sabha, pretty different from the BC sabha’s which I was used to. And it was quite late when I went to sleep.
Day (-2), February 10, 2009: I woke up. Total sleep 3-4 hours. Woke up quite early even by anyone standard and a hell lot early by my own standards. We all went to Dharamshalla, I had my breakfast and yes I got Mehandi applied on my palms. Some of the people were shocked as I had the interviews coming in two days time. Even I was not sure at that time, but who cares, this was the last time I will be a part of any of my siblings wedding. The day consisted of running from one Dharamshala to the other, either on bike and sometimes even on foot.
I had my lunch in the meantime, in bits and pieces, taking share from everyone’s plate. It was also the day when Sangeet ceremony was going to take place. So some preparations in that regard were also necessary. So it was all traveling and running around on bike, car, foot etc. etc.
Then finally the Sangeet ceremony started and it was all real fun. A lot of dance and music and that meant fatigue. Finally after performing all the tasks at around 1:00 a.m. in the night I found out the hangout adda of all my cousins and sisters. I was going to join them for a game of cards/housie but suddenly I realized I haven’t yet filled the IIM interview form (IIF). So curbing my temptation I took out the photo copy of the interview form (this was the most sane and significant thing I had done to prepare for my interview, as I would realize later on) and started filling out the answers.
Why do you want to pursue an MBA? ….. I need money, but I can’t write these answer. So I called up Gaur and Mangal in Kolkata to find some standard answer on Google. In the meantime I keep on asking to my cousin regarding my strengths and weakness. At around 2:00 a.m. I again called up Mangal and jotted down the answers he was dictating on the phone. And that was it. I had pretty much made a rough draft for each answer and I decided that I will note down the answer on the original interview paper whenever I will get the time. <>. At least I should have seen the original form at that time. But….
So I went to sleep at around 3:00, promising myself that I will get up at 5:00 a.m. as a lot of tasks were to be completed.
Day (-1), February 11, 2009: But as usual I overslept and I woke up at 6:00 a.m. Total sleep of 3 hours. I just brushed my teeth somewhere on the way and then went to the next Dharamshala where the wedding ceremony was going to take place. And the same routine of the previous day, running from one place to next, but with a far higher intensity. I didn’t get time to have my breakfast, but this time I had my lunch in a proper manner. In the meantime a lot of rituals were taking place, none of which I remember.
But I do remember the Korath, because I was there to formally invite the bride groom and his side for wedding. By the time I reached back to the wedding venue the party had started and everyone was ready in their best suits/sarees. Only I and my elder cousin were wearing the same shirt we had on for the whole day. I rushed to my room and got ready. Then I rushed and escorted my sister to the wedding stage. Had some photo-sessions in between and then again I had to rush to get sweets from the other Dharamshala. So I missed being part of the traditional stage photo-shoot.
And the celebrations continued on and on. I realized that I have to leave in the morning otherwise I will miss the train. At 1:00 a.m. I went to home, picked up my clothes, the IIM interview form and yes, the necessary documents.
I went back to Dharamshala where now also, the rituals were going on. I tried to take a much needed break, but every now and then someone would interrupt and so.. At around 4:30 a.m, on the 12th morning I prepared to leave with no sleep at all, I missed the Bidai part, but so is life.
Total sleep of zero hours.
Day(0), February 12, 2009: THE D-DAY- The interview was to start at 1:30 p.m. I boarded the train at 6:00 in the morning. And as soon I boarded the train I fell asleep on my chair-car seat. I woke up, look at my watch its 7:30 a.m., again woke up, its 8:30 a.m., 9:15 a.m., 9:45 a.m., 10:10 a.m., 10:20 a.m. The train was standing still and half-empty. So I had reached
In the photocopy one question was not properly printed, so I had somehow missed that question and as a result had no answer for that question. But I had to manage somehow, so I scribbled down whatever thoughts came to my mind at that time on the original IIF.
And than another bigger shock, I had to paste a photograph in the form, but by my own grace I didn’t had one at that moment.
I got up to get myself ready and then I remembered I don’t have a white shirt to wear inside the suit. I searched through Mangal’s wardrobe. I found a crumpled white shirt. It was already 12:30, and I had an un-ironed shirt, a form with no photograph and me with no sleep at all. I creased the shirt at its front, tucked it in and rushed to get another taxi to the interview center(IC). But I had to get one instant photograph. I took the taxi to one photo studio and requested them to give me one photograph faster than the instant five-minute photo. By the time I left the photo-shop it was already 12:55. I was still in the
But miracles do happen, and I just ended 5 minutes late for the GD/PI session. And I had been so tensed and excited, tired and exhausted for the past few days that I was actually feeling really relaxed and calm in the cool AC-GD room. And I had never been so confident ever before any of the important days. Maybe it was all the result of hallucination caused due to sleep deprivation.
Group Discussion Room:
We were given a one page case-study and asked to give our suggestion in written format. The time allotted was 30 minutes and then we had to have a discussion for 20 minutes. But the funny part was, like everybody else I couldn’t figure out a problem in the case-study, so there was no question of giving an analysis and problem solution. After 15 minutes, the discussion started drifting towards the repetitive track. So overall a dull and boring GD. But I was feeling more confident than ever. Really that sleep-thing was taking me over.
Interview Room:
The interviews for most of the candidates were a 10 minutes affair. Same was with me. The interview was quite good by my standards, as till that moment I had done a negative preparation for the interview. So any positive step, howsoever small it might be, was a big achievement for me. The only screwing part was the Engineering part. The part goes like this:
Interviewer 1: So it seems that you have a special liking for Mechanics of Solids subject. What was this subject all about?
ME:
After my answer he asked but where was the mechanics part in this subject. Then I suddenly realized that I just talked about solids but no mechanics. So I again prepared myself for a long fatta about mechanics and somehow relate it to solids. But then he kept on persisting to explain him that why do we draw BMD??? Good question, only I had no answer to that question. But my nascent confidence/over-confidence just kept on giving one fatta after other.
And the interview ended.
At the end they asked me to have some chocolates which were lying in a bowl in front of them. I realized that I hadn’t had anything to eat since the previous night.
But who cares, I took another taxi to meet some of my old colleagues and friends from CTS.
And this is how one of the most important and happening day of my life drifted towards its end. Whatever are the IIM results, this day the 12th of February will always be etched in my memories, as this is the day my sister got married, I missed her Bidai and I took my lone IIM interview.
{By the way the subject Mechanics of Solids is actually “Strength of Materials” which was taught in 3rd semester. In that semester I was the topper of the branch (yes, believe it, puhleeze). I got all A’s, one S, one B and one C in that semester. And the C was in the subject Mechanics of Solids.}
