Time came and everyone of us knew we had to choose our direction .Right from the end of boards everyone had only one thought on mind What college will they get? Results came and people had different reactions. Now it was the time to board our respective flight .Everyone was departing with a smile on face and watery eyes; taking a lot of memories along with them. The ones who hardly interacted also joined the scene. Despite all the grief and sadness everyone was excited as they were to embark on a new journey of meeting new people and have new adventures. Among them was someone who was going relatively too far. He was excited as his wish was to come true but at the same time the feeling to leave his friends and was killing him from inside; dilemma without solution. The ship was stuck in storm and the sailor was all alone .He had to save his life but was clueless on where the shore was or in which direction to go so he decided to go with the flow.’ Now what did the phrase "go with the flow" in this case meant? In last days before his departure he just wanted to make memories. Everyone was informed and scene was set for action. The ‘Soul mate was told exactly how the shot were to be taken. He was doing all he could to make it perfect .Being with him throughout without any excuses, without any complaints, tolerating all the rude behavior and giving the phrase "one call away" a meaning. Just like a movie too many perfect shots were demanded with many characters that were to play an important role as each one was important and each role had its own significance. Everything was going perfect and then arrived the day, A day to remember 14th July 2016 because next day itself he were to board flight to an entirely new world; climax to the movie. Preparations were done to make the best out of it. All the important people gathered before a final good-bye just to make the good-bye a special one. AND YES, AS THE TEAM COMPRISED OF ALL SPECIAL PEOPLE i.e., THE STARCAST OF THE ENTIRE MOVIE THE GOODBYE WAS A SPECIAL ONE TOO. All the good-byes and see offs done and he was left with three people ,people closest to his heart ,people whom he never wanted to bid goodbye to ,people for whom the words always fell short ,people who were life; and all three goons standing there with a big smile, hiding away tears. And then the moment came when he finally, though unwillingly had to say good-bye, the next meeting was sure but good bye was the hardest one. As soon as these people were leaving he gave a hard handshake but then there was this person that Soul Mate who said in a very low voice holding his tears "bhai mujhse b bas haath hi milaega.. gale lag ja harami."He hugged him; hug which gave them strength .And eventually hugged everyone and they all left. As he saw them walking away he wanted to shout STOP! Guys please dont leave but he wasnt able to, holding back his tears for his parents were waiting inside, who cared even more and would have fallen weak on seeing him cry. So he held the tears in his eyes and left a text to someone special "Bhai teri bhot yaad aaegi.." and he left for dinner, he was about to begin and his phone rang .NOW WHAT? And it was call from the person he texted and the person on other side just said "aise message dobara na aa jaae." And hearing this he smiled and was like "OK". The things didn't stop with "OK" they actually began. None of them was able to eat that night. They just kept texting each other whole night. These texts cherished all the memories. Memories that had lots of emotion attached to them; as he cried .The person had to leave at 4:00 am next morning but wasn't willing to sleep as he didn't want to leave the other one. But eventually he got a green signal around 2:00 am and he finally slept. The other one was clever enough to provide the green signal as he wanted to say something but in absence of the other. He read the texts next morning faked a smile, got ready and left the place he had been for 17 odd years. He had a mixed feeling to leave the place but was fine as he had his parents and a lovely little sister along with him. They reached the airport and boarded the flight. Sitting in plane he went numb of emotions, thoughts right then were unexplainable. Only 2 hours 50 minutes of flight that covered distance of about 2100 km, from 200,300 meters to 2100 km. As he landed he found himself on another part of country, with an entirely different culture. In course of two days all the formalities were completed, he spend his two precious days with parents until next time .Warm hug from parents and his sister to bid goodbye and off coarse few words of wisdom. And as soon as they left he found himself alone in the room and soon realized the changes he needed to accept. Yes off course social media connects them but he still misses everyone, everything and everyday. Technology can help them stay connected but it can’t bring them together like before. Yes, emotions and bond they share won’t weaken but these 'buts and ifs' would remain with him. First scene of movie was perfectly shot and captured, and then these beautiful lines flash through his mind "We keep this love in a photograph we made these memories for ourselves". And all he could say is "I really miss you, even the strangers who seemed to be friends." That might have been the end of one chapter but new chapter waits to be written.

Sometimes the most scenic roads in life are the detours you didn’t mean to take. One such detour can turn your life upside down. And he took a similar one sitting in a lab along with one of his closest friends. The practical was over and both were wondering what to do and then suddenly out of nowhere an idea struck them to make a mobile application! But a lot questions were to be answered among which ‘What’ and ‘How’ were the two they had to answer in next 60 minutes. A wise man once said “Brainstorming is the nexus of ideas”. After a long brainstorming session they agreed on something that sounded wonderful. So the ‘What’ was answered. ‘How’ was still to be figured out. You can’t win a war alone , one needs a General, a Colonel, a Captain and your soldiers so from two they became a team of seven. Plans were made, strategies were discussed .They were all set to attack. 13th March 2017, the first few steps were taken. Few of them went on to collect the required raw data which took them a few days and meanwhile two of the techies started building a basic structure of the application. To be honest one started building the application while the other started learning. After a lot of efforts they made their first build on 30th March 2017. After the first build the next step was to take permissions from the University. Having put in all the hard work everyone had their fingers crossed as it was all down to few presentations now. It was like Sachin had performed well throughout the tournament and was couple of matches away from lifting the trophy and bang it turned out to be 2011 semi-finals for them.5th April, they were granted permissions to continue and along with few other valuable inputs. Just the gift he wished for on his 18th birthday. The initial product was ready and yet to be named. Now they had to decide a logo for the same. The first design of logo was created on a chart paper and costed 600 bucks. To be more precise it looked like a monkey wearing huge spectacles . The final result turned out to be very different. This was start of a great innings and the team was prepared to convert these into milestones. After a month full of sleepless nights they were ready with the final build to release it on the playstore. 9th May 2017, next day they were to meet Director for the first time, none of them wanted it to go wrong. Everyone was doing their best to make it a success. Another sleepless night with everyone staring at their laptop screens to make sure it’s all perfectly done. All the hard work was done and they were just a step away from lifting the trophy. 10th May the day of finals, for the first time they were standing in front of the Director fingers crossed, eyes lit and a single wish. A very old saying “Hard work is the key to success” was proven yet again. Yes, they got his approval with a few of his own inputs which were to be completed before the application could be published . But this time the it was even tougher as the finishing line was nearer but and they had to overcome a lot of hurdles. And 12th May 2017, it was when everything was done with couple of problems to be solved. The beginners had no idea how much time it takes for a play store account to be confirmed or to know the amount of users using their application. The time was running and they had no clues somehow they received a confirmatory mail and everyone were jumping around. The tech team figured out solutions to the most awaited problems. So the stage was set and the first production was to be rolled out. Gazing at their laptop screens for 7-8 hours the two slept at 6 in the morning but satisfied. Received a call at 8 from one of the faculty with the most expected question “Is the application published?”, “I am not sure” he replied unconsciously and went back to sleep. Again he woke up at 10 and the first thing he did was to open play store and check if it was published. He opened playstore and typed with trembling hands, and there it was. He shouted, waking everyone up and the team shouted at the top of their lungs while the entire hostel woke up to see what the sudden excitement was all about. Dedication, hard work, commitment, trust, faith and overall a good team was the secret to their success . This was one of best innings in their lives, one which they’ll never forget. Oh! Did you think that’s the end? No it isn’t, it wasn’t for them. A product is not successful until the people know about it and are using it efficiently. So they went out pasting posters, interacting with people and advertising it in all possible ways. The result was quite satisfactory with around 2k+ registrations in less than a week. Even the stats were amazing. This was just how it begun or one might say was the end of first day of test match. Four more days to go and lot more to come. Last but not least. Specials thanks to Team Think-Digital who were the unsung heroes of this story. As they were the ones who were and are still polishing the young people behind the scenes and motivating them with “Yes you can”. Thank You Team.

This was his 4th Diwali away from home and perhaps an extremely tense one as he had his final interview round at Texas Instruments a couple of days before one of the most important festivals of the country. Yes, it was Texas Instruments! It was like showing an airplane to a new born baby. He decided to fly back home this Diwali only if he got this flight. A day after the celebrations “Good things take time” hit him hard as the results were out soon after the festival. He couldn’t comprehend the moment and was pleased as punch. It was one of the best offers on campus and was extremely special for him. The semester exams were over and he was back home preparing to start his journey at Texas Instruments. As the joining date was approaching, his excitement knew no bounds. And suddenly he got a call from his mentor at TI aka Abhilash. He explained to him the dynamics of the internship program at TI and talking to Abhilash he realized that there were 52 aces in the deck. Finally the eagerly awaited moment arrived and he left for Bangalore. The city welcomed him with open arms and soon he realized why it was called the IT hub of India. He explored the city and still ended up choosing the wrong route on day 1. The calendar marked 6th January 2020 when he stepped into an office setup for the first time. Orientation, campus tour, receiving swags, meeting Abhilash and the team wrapped up an eventful first day. It was just the beginning of his wonderful story at TI. Right from the word go he started to enjoy the setup as every day came up with a new challenge. It was like Brett Lee bowling to a debutant. What’s that one thing you’ll need with Brett Lee at his peak? A helmet? Few more guards? What else? Let me tell you , A team! Yes you’ll need a team that resiliently stands beside you. And it is no surprise that you’ll need a strong leader with a good management backing it all. Did he get it? And the answer to this was a enormous YES as TI ensured every bit of it even before the journey began. The flexibility to walk up to the senior most member of the lot , the cubicle arrangement or the fact that there were no cabins helped him gel in easily. The fact that within a week he started to feel like a TIer reflects the culture of the organization. Abhilash , who held the responsibility to direct the scene closely observed the flaws in his technique against various deliveries and helped him in better planning of shot selection. At the same time he ensured that he adds up to the shots in the inventory. These shots included technicalities , soft skills , insights about different deliveries that life might throw at different stages in his career. He was making him ready to face any bowler and not only Brett. He was being tested with different deliveries but “Practice makes a man perfect” was proven right and everyone could see his technique improving with every new delivery that was thrown at him. Taking “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” into consideration TI has Texins , which is the recreational hub inside the organisation. Being a sports lover this turned out to be heaven for him. Everyday he used wait for the clock to tick 16:00 hrs as that was the time they went to Texins. He was amazed by the way TI ensures that it’s employees stay fit and healthy. After a lot of training sessions and league matches it was the time for quarter final , yes it was time for his first ever corporate level presentation. Everyone including people from top management were helping him to be match ready. The enormous support from each one of them helped him perform well on the day. Moving forward he was exposed to more dynamic and challenging situations each of which brought a new learning with it. Heading towards the semi finals Prabal walks up with a challenge. It was kind of mystery to be solved. Yes , Prabal came up with a new challenge and to him(the intern) every challenge was an opportunity to learn. At first he(intern) wasn’t sure about it but the training he had been through helped him to take a stand and accept the challenge. The mystery was solved and delivered to the customers. This was one of his major take aways from TI that even the interns were contributing on live projects and not some dummy projects. He thanked Abhilash and Prabal for believing in his abilities and giving him an opportunity that helped him skill up and grow at the same time. With each passing day he’s moving closer to the semi final. With fingers crossed , eyes lit and a single wish he moves forward. This is the first chapter at TI with an expectation of more to come. Last but not the least irrespective of what the result will be, I have loved each and every moment at TI. It’s been a great learning curve be it on technical front or on the business side. I have closely observed and learned how important it is to understand businesses value of things we do and how even a single line of code makes difference. I have surprised myself saying “Oh kya mai ye bhi kar sakta hu” so many times during this period of internship. Thank You TI for giving me this wonderful opportunity. And special thanks to Abhilash , Sai , Prashant , Ateet , Samar , Kanika , Prabal and each member of ESIT team who ensured me a wonderful stay at TI. Thank You guys.

The relationship between a grandchild and grandparent is a special one. While grandparents act as an authority figure and provide unconditional love, they also get to spoil their grandkids in a way parents simply can’t. Its a privilege to have grandparents guiding you through different phases of your life. But not everyone is that lucky to have them. Some don’t live with their grandparents, while some never got to see them. I am one of those privileged people who grew under the guidance of my grandparents. My grandmother died before I broke into this world, so I never felt anything for her, but with my grandfather or, ‘BABA JI ’ that’s what I used to call him, I have spent well 12-13 years of my life. He made me what I’m today, whatever good qualities I possess, are a result of his teachings. I feel so proud whenever I say that at the age of 7 he made me learn around 5-6 long prayers, and made me believe in God and have faith in him. Every time my mother scolded me (though she loves me a lot), he was there to protect me and make me realize my mistake. Grandparents are like an ocean, and a grandchild learns a lot of things from them, and so did I. I was never interested in reading a newspaper, so he used to tell me facts about cricket and other things every time he read a newspaper. Slowly and gradually, here I am standing in the balcony every morning waiting for the newspaper vendor to arrive. The stories he used to tell about my father about his father and all the other family members, how he struggled in his life, all is still there in my mind that help me battle out. He was always the backbone of our family but it got even stronger after the sudden death of my father in 2007. I was just ten and couldn’t figure out what was to follow, but still, I knew my father was no more, and hardships are here to stay for a long time now. But there it was a line or a phrase you may say it, but for me, it was all I could rely on. He said, “Ro kyun raha hai abhi main hun na…” I could not have asked for more. It relieved me so much I just can’t tell. It took me some months to come to terms and realize what the circumstances are. My mother the then jobless for 2 long years I guess, had to keep the family and my education going. All my relatives provided immense support but it was my baba Ji who made me feel good. He was around 70 then and I knew somewhere inside he is not gonna live long. Still fresh with the memories of my father’s death I kept aside the thought of my grandfather leaving me. And tried to continue the life from where I left it. Having dinner at each other’s house on different occasions is something prominent in our family. It was the new year and the turn was ours. I remember it was January 1st, 2010 we all had dinner, delicious food family gathering it was fun. The next day I and mom were supposed to leave for my Mausi’s house in Hapur. While going my grandfather said, “Jaldi aa jana, mera mann nahi lagega”. We reached Hapur and the very next day i.e. on 3rd of Jan news of his demise came. I didn’t cry, I don’t why but I didn’t shed a tear on hearing the news. I was and I’m so regretful of not being there by his side in his last moments, that whenever this thought runs through my mind it sinks me, and all I want is to cry, after all, I was his most beloved grandchild. He left a gap in my life never to be filled again. Within a gap of 2 and a half years, I lost both my fatherly figures. Still accepting the law of nature I never dwelled in past but being a human every time his or my father’s memory comes to mind my eyes get wet. I wish I could have met him one last time to tell him how much I loved him.

The only reason I am writing on art block is because when I was asked to submit a topic for the blog , I couldn’t think of anything, I didn’t feel like writing(which , I rarely do) and nothing about writing was exciting me anymore. I have these juniors from school who are writing such profound poems on instagram , on such varied topics and all I think of while reading their poems is , how on earth do they find inspiration to write so often. I have hit the most epic art slump and have nestled in its warmth ,comfortably. So, it only seemed fair to rant about it rather than work my way out of it. So, welcome to my rant (kindly ignore the fact that I have been ranting since the beginning of this article)! Art Blocks are so annoying.The longer it persists , the more you start doubting yourself as an artist. Want an example of an art block? I am having one right now while writing this article. I have no clue what to type next. I think that’s another annoying thing about it. It doesn’t let you say shitty things about it because when you are going through it , there’s no way you’ll be able to express it in any form of art. I guess, I am done with my ranting. If any of you relate with what I just said, I have taken the liberty of finding some techniques to combat it. They are listed below:
●Ask someone to give you prompts and write/paint them out.
●Read something. This is how Phoebe Waller Bridge (creator of Fleabag, current occupation: Queen Midas) gets out of hers.
●Go ,sit in your balcony and observe people. Think about the lives they might lead. Spin a conspiracy theory in your head about them.(P.S:If you are really looking for a conspiracy piece, watch the news these days fellas !)
●Give yourself x number of days for not doing anything . But after the x days pass, force yourself to work.
●Write/Paint about it(take some inspiration from me, I mean) I hope this helps ! I am gonna try a few of them myself.