Haiku #24 ~ Ph.D

HAIKU : A poetry form, with three lines. The first being 5 syllables, the second 7, then 5 in the third.

The first months are hard,

As time passes, the growth becomes visible,

Then the results shine out. 

Book Review #130 : Irrationally Passionate

Publisher : HarperBusiness

Author : Jason Kothari

Genre :  Non-fiction

Price : Hardcover Rs 523/-

Pages : 264

Irrationally Passionate is about the story of an entrepreneur who has successfully revived the fortune of quite a few distressed companies. Jason talks in detail about his turnaround from rebel to entrepreneur! If you like reading stories of powerful individuals and what they did, how they did and importantly, how they turned around things even when not everything was in their favour, you should definitely read this one.

Irrationally Passionate reveals the inside story of how a rebel, train-wreck kid transformed himself into a successful young entrepreneur and business leader who became one of the top ten paid executives in India while only in his 30s. Jason’s inspiring journey has something for everyone, right from students to entrepreneurs to corporate CEOs to even parents of students and entrepreneurs.

Irrationally Passionate is written in lucid language. You don't need a dictionary by your side! The language used is a fine balance between rich and simple sentences. I relished reading the novel. It was hard for me to believe that it’s Jason’s first novel. He writes very elegantly and effortlessly! The advice in the book seems to come from a friend directly conveying his life experiences to you!

Jason's fighting spirit and determination that reflects in his story makes the reader respect him.  Irrationally Passionate is a highly personal book which shares his turnaround story and learning. It is super interesting from page 1. A self-made entrepreneur, who had enormous courage in difficult situations, great fighting spirit and who took risks – his story needed to be told. The sharp and dynamic leadership qualities of Jason make for a balanced entrepreneur. Even in tough times, he maintains his humility and sense of humor. This book is definitely a very engrossing read with generous sprinkling of wisdom.

Highly recommended book for all those who love motivational books that can really open your eyes and provide you with rich insights. To conclude, I think the book is extremely inspiring, hard hitting, thought provoking and full of content. It is a learning experience; it is a precious book which can be read again and again! Full of actual real-life lessons, this book is a must-read for young readers and entrepreneurs to drive clarity and vision in their thinking. Jason inspires you to dream big and keep working for it! 

VERDICT: Buy this book. Read it. And imbibe it within yourself to give a new direction to your life! This book is a gem. It is a must read for entrepreneurs. 

Ratings: 5/5

P.S: This review is a part of the biggest "Book Review Program" "Indian Bloggers". Participate now to get free books!

Book Review #119 : The Light Catcher

Title - The Light Catcher

Author - Sameer Chopra

Genre - Fiction

The Light Catcher is a story of a young artist called Purab who, in search of a comfortable life, enters the competitive corporate world. He is constantly pushed to fulfil targets.  The story points out the stark reality of what happens in the so called corporate world which is full of favouritism and treachery. Amongst all this confusion he finds solace in photography and the company of Rati, his co-worker, who herself is pulled towards the glamour of this world.

I was attracted to the jacket of the book that tries to illuminate several themes that are addressed in the book. It shows a great city with skyscrapers staying awake all the night, the protagonist standing alone and observing the city with a camera in his hand in a hope to get famous and mark his existence in the maximum city. The title has a deeper meaning itself (which you come to know of later in the story)!

With an easy narration, Sameer Chopra deals with the themes of self-discovery and following one’s passion while recounting the struggles one undergoes to survive in any industry.

The author recounts situations with so much detail that a corporate worker will definitely be able to relate to. Purab’s dedication and belief on his work to the extent of disregarding authority or dominant social norms set a strong statement throughout the book.  The plot was entertaining as we follow Purab and Rati taking decisions and facing their consequences.

I liked the author’s writing style as he solidly described a typical 9 to 5 job system. I am glad author kept the whole thing crude and practical rather than showing unreal and overnight success kind of a fairy-tale. The details of photography are also mentioned in a way that non-photographers will also enjoy how a photographer has to get into details before clicking a picture of yours.

Overall, a realistic and well written contemporary fiction that is based on the mad rush and competitive environment of the corporate world. The characters are so nicely elaborated that you understand the pain and confusion of each one of them. Specially, the protagonist, Purab, becomes a part of yourself as the way his thoughts and approaches are discussed makes you relate yourself with him after every 2-5 pages. Purab’s character may inspire, irrespective of all the hurdles one has to cross or even putting at stake everything one owns, to create new possibilities and follow one’s passion.

Great narration and splendid sequence of events explained vividly in this novel. This novel is about a story of the protagonist who wanted to pursue his dreams - dreams of catching the light. 

If any reader is interested in the genre of Corporate Drama, then she/he can definitely check the book out. In short, the book is engaging, riveting and keeps the readers glued to turn every page until the story ends. This book despite of being a debut novel by the author has got all the elements in place!

Rating : 4.5/5

Book Review #84 : The Secret Wishlist

Publisher : Westland 

Genre : Fiction 

ISBN : 978-9382-618-188 

Price : 175 

Pages : 256 

The Secret Wishlist revolves around Diksha, Ankit, Tanu, Sandeep and Abhay. It starts off in Chennai, where, as a sixteen-year-old, Diksha is like any other typical teenager. She and her best friend Tanu spend hours and hours of time studying, discussing the latest crushes and gossiping. Enter Ankit, Diksha’s elder brother’s friend. Both Ankit and Diksha start liking each other and spending quite a bit of time together without the knowledge of either the parents or her elder brother. 

Cut to the present. In Bangalore, Diksha is married to Sandeep and they have a son Abhay. Diksha’s entire day, rather, existence revolves around both of them. Right from making the morning tea, to breakfast, lunch and dinner to catering to every whim and fancy of Sandeep and Abhay, Diksha seems to not have an individual life at all. She does not seem to mind her daily mundane life either. 

Initially, when the book begins, the way she keeps on shuffling between both the periods of story is too interesting. The school life of Diksha isn't kept too cheesy like other authors. Then her equation with Sandeep, her husband is described perfectly. I was able to imagine each and every sequence as it seems to be real and not a single part seems to be filmy and exaggerated. 

However, a sudden event in her cousin’s life seems to jolt her out of her existence. At the behest of the cousin, she decides to try and take some control over her life and makes a wishlist – a list of things which she truly wants to do. 

By a fortuitous turn of events, Tanu (who has been working at Gurgaon and recently re-located to Bangalore) re-enters her life and tells her that Ankit has been wanting to get in touch with her since a long time. With this conversation, Diksha’s heart and mind are forced to confront whether she would really want to meet him; if yes, what would the future course of action be, etc. How the issue is sorted out forms the climax of the story. 

The best part about Preeti’s writings is the time and effort spent in etching out each and every character and the interactions between them. Diksha as a bubbly teenager; Diksha as a housewife; Diksha as a housewife wanting to live out her wishlist; Diksha as a housewife imagining what it would be to go back to Ankit – all the various stages have been carved out beautifully. Sandeep’s character has been shown to be a typical, male chauvinist who only cares for his well-being without giving a thought to what his wife wants. The draggy narration of how the protagonist's husband uses as housemaid and sex toy as if is not painful enough, it is repeated in every tenth page making sure the readers still continue to hate him. 

Few bits I liked are the Salsa and the details, the mother in law who seemed extremely understanding and sweet. Such characters again are rare species in real life. I mean there are mothers who support even rapist sons so I don't think a mother in-law will support a daughter in-law immediately if she wants to walk out of a marriage. I liked the concept of writing down a secret wish list and I loved the cover page which lead to my great expectations. 

Every woman and for that matter every man should read this book. The women cause we at times let people take us for granted and also there needs to be some self searching to be done. Some women get so engrossed in their mundane house-office work they forget what it is to actually live. And all the men so that before they start considering their wife to be just a "housewife" realize that she too is a human who has her own dreams and life. 

Preeti Shenoy managed to pick one of the most ignored topic in Indian society, the suppression an indian housewife goes through, which although is quite appreciated, is also a story that is already known to everyone. A warm, heart-touching tale of a woman who tries to break free from her abusive husband and find her own calling. 

Shenoy is able to create moments of laughter, surprise and above all empathy through her words, which stream effortlessly across the pages. One yearns for the love and contentment she describes, and hopes to find such friendship and unconditional acceptance in their partner. 

Verdict - One time read. 

Rating – 3/5

Book Review #71: Colourful Notions - The Roadtrippers 1.0

Book: Colorful Notions - The Roadtrippers 1.0

Author: Mohit Goyal

Publisher: Srishti Publishers and Distributors

Price: Rs. 175

BLURB:- “Would you give up your high-paying job and comfortable personal life to drive ten thousand kilometres across India? Just for fun! Three twenty-something's dare to do just that! While the two boys take turns to drive, the girl gives voice-over as they record their entire journey on a handy cam. Ab, Sasha and Unnati are ordinary youngsters, rendered special by the feat they accomplish. As they recount their adventures, I crave to live their journey. They look at each other with a glint in their eyes, as if refurbishing those memories while narrating their spooky time at Bhangarh Fort, strange escapades at Wagah Border and Sundarbans, car breakdowns, wild animals, near-death experiences and highway robbers! It's nothing less than crazy. I doubted if I'd ever have the gumption to create such experiences. So I did the next best thing - I penned a book about them and their road trip. Colorful Notions is a journey of three young hearts on the Indian terrain and into the inner recesses of their souls, giving a new perspective to relationships, love and life.”

The cover absolutely seems to make complete sense in accordance with the title and retains the flavor of it. The long roadway and the car with three roadtrippers - so attractive for all the travel enthusiasts out there.

The story revolves around three friends—Abhay (Ab), Sashank (Sasha) and Unnati (Unns). They decide to take a soul-searching road trip covering the entire India. The plot sounds almost like Zindagi Milegi Na Doobara, right? The book met my expectations of going on an amazing journey across the length and breadth of India from the comfort of my own couch!

The journey puts their physical as well as emotional states of mind to test. While Abhay is trying to deal with a troubled past and his relationship with his parents which is strained, Sasha who is his bestie offers to accompany him on the trip. In a way, he is also trying to escape an over-protective family. Both of them then, convince Sasha’s girlfriend, who is a clueless assistant RJ to join in.

The trio plan to cover the entire India in just 75 days; starting from Corbett Park and ending in Delhi. The itinerary is well planned. The author has done immense research before penning down the book. They cover places like Goa, Haridwar, Leh, Amritsar, Alwar, Jaipur, Udaipur, Bhuj, Mysore, Kanyakumari, Hyderabad, Puri, Kolkata, Gaya, Varanasi, Agra, Kumbh Mela, Kargil, Golden Temple, Wagah, Bhangarh Fort, Thar Desert, Rann of Kutch, Ellora, Mysore Palace, Vivekananda Rock Memorial, etc. It is a fun-filled emotional roller coaster as they try to spot tigers at the Corbett National park, take a dip in the Ganges at Haridwar, battle altitude sickness at Ladakh /Leh, cause a security threat at the Wagah border, chase and be chased by ghosts at Bhangarh fort at Alwar, get caught in the marshlands and quick-sands at Runn of Kutch and finally encounter a man-eater at the Sunderbans while setting foot on Bangladeshi borders and even obtain enlightenment at Gaya! If this is not enough, you will get to read about the culinary delight that is India, as your senses take in the description of delicacies like the momos at Ladakh, Hyderbadi biryanis, Lucknowi Kebabs, Punjabi chicken, Goan seafood, Udupi cuisine and of course Idli, sambar and chutney and other rice delicacies from Tamil Nadu too! Almost all travel requirements like finances, stay & rest, fun, route map etc have been taken care of.

The language is highly simple and easy to comprehend. I found the details of the places quite engaging, which definitely makes it a delight for all travellers with the vivid picturesque narration.

How they execute the entire trip, how the feelings of friendship and love are challenged in the course of 75 days, will the trip help them lighten the emotional baggage that they are trying to escape from, how does the trip change their lives are some of the many reasons why you will keep turning the pages to find out what happens in Colourful Notions: The Roadtrippers 1.0.

The author writes effortlessly. It is difficult to believe that he is a first time author. The book manages to impart some simple lessons while not being preachy. Some of the chapters will have you thinking about the life we live, our expectations from it and our perspectives on happiness. This book seems like the answer to a lot of questions youngsters these days are plagued with. We all want to escape from our routine and follow our calling. Sometimes it also happens that just want to escape and in that process find our calling. This book is about such escapism. 

The author has also given a lot of attention to the characterization. The characters of Ab, Sasha and Unnati are well demarcated and evolved throughout the journey. They became more mature by the end of the journey. 

The story has it all. Friendship, love, jealousy, food, fun, adventure, horror and comedy, thus making this a packed entertainer with first hand lessons of what life is all about. There is not a single dull moment in the book and you will surely read up to the end page of the book.

The poor editing of the book is a huge dampener especially when you reading something which is pacy and thrilling.

This 200-page book is a must read books for all those who are looking for a fresh and light read during their journeys, and are bored of simple romance tales. It is for the adventurer in you and more essentially the dreamer in you.

Ratings: 4/5

I won a review copy from The Tales Pensieve as part of Reviewers Programme. Register on #TTP for lots of #book fun and activities.

Book Review #62 : 6 Degrees - Game Of Blogs

Title: - Six Degrees by Blogadda

Publisher: -Leadstart Publishing and BlogAdda.Com

Publication Year: - 2015

ISBN:- 9352013891 (ISBN13: 9789352013890)

Number of pages: -  422

Price: - Rs 349

BlogAdda, is a platform for bloggers to connect with each other, showcase their blogs and participate in interesting activities. The Adda has given writers various avenues to introduce their blogs to a large audience and interact with their readers.

Six Degrees is a product of the first collaborative blogging effort in India. It is a novel that is co-authored by many bloggers who are winners of the #CelebrateBlogging initiative by BlogAdda [that ran the first edition of Game Of Blogs in September 2014]. The objective was to write a fictional story revolving around five characters. Bloggers from across India came together as teams and after three rounds filled with it’s own set of twists & turns, three stories were adjudged winners by coveted panel of judges.

Each member had to write a blog page everyday and it all had to then come together in the form of a cohesive story. All the teams came up with their own distinct stories and writing styles and out of those thirty teams, the top three teams were selected for this book. Hence this book is the labour of love for writing of not one or two but 30 bloggers!

Hence, Six Degrees is not an ordinary effort but the result of “Collaboration + Creativity.”  The most fascinating thing about this book is that – Five characters are same and have the same characteristics in three stories narrated in the book.

The title isn’t clear at first glance and after reading I found that it relates to the six degrees of separation between the characters, stories and the storytellers. The cover is covered with a crowd of various types of smiley faces.

'Six degrees of separation is the theory that everyone and everything is six or fewer steps away, by way of introduction, from any other person in the world.'

As mentioned earlier, the book has three different stories with five characters (that remain same across stories). All the stories are set in Mumbai & Delhi. What we particularly liked about the book is that the language used in the stories is simple and authors (three teams of bloggers across India) have made a great effort to make the stories more engaging and keeping the readers hooked.

The Lead characters around which stories have been plotted are below:

Shekhar Dutta – A freelance writer and also a stay at home father

Tara Dutta – Wife of Shekhar and also a Media Professional

Roohi Duta – Their nine year old daughter. All the three stay as a close-knit family in Mumbai

Jennifer Joseph – Kochi based photographer

Cyrus Daruwala – Law student staying in Delhi

Three Stories that have been written by three different teams are below:

The Awakening

The Awakening is about Tara Dutta, Shekhar Dutta and their nine year old daughter Roohi. They are a close knit family who stay in Mumbai. It is a science fiction story with interesting twists and turns. They are leading a normal life until the arrival of a surprise guest – Jennifer, after which their lives become topsy-turvy. Every day, there are new revelations and incidents that threaten to tear the happy family apart.

Just like a Hollywood sci-fi flick, you can visualize the scenes and the good part about the story is that the scenes change at a very rapid pace. This keeps the readers glued to the story. The graphical representations of the aliens and the powers they possess adds more Masala to the entire story.

I liked the graphic descriptions of the aliens and their super powers and the story stays sharp till the end.

Would the ‘Once upon a time- Happy Family’ succeed to find out who are the strangers that have entered their lives ? What is the secret that holds the key to their happiness ? Would they be able to defeat the super-powers and save our earth ? These are the answers that lie in ‘The Awakening’, read it to believe it.

Entangled Lives

In Entangled Lives, a small seemingly happy family is thrown into turmoil with the arrival of strangers in the house. Tara and Shekhar Dutta have similar job profiles. Cyrus is an illegitimate child of Shekhar Dutta. She studies Law. Jennifer Joseph is an over-ambitious wild-life photographer. It is an intriguing story about an out of work writer, a power-hungry media head, a wild life photographer, 9 year old child and MURDER. The mystery that needs to be solved is who has murdered the maid of the Dutta household.

There is no direct evidence to link the murder to the crime though there is an eye-witness that will help in solving the mystery. For me, it was an edge of the seat thriller and a complete page-turner. Just like a Bollywood flick, this story has all the ingredients to make a great story – Relationships, Lies, Secrets, Betrayal and Revenge. We won’t be surprised if some Bollywood Director expresses interest in making a feature film on this story!

Missing – A Journey Within

As the title rightly suggests, this story is about a Missing person. Roohi, daughter of Shekhar Dutta goes missing from school. Roohi was accidentally clicked by Jennifer [photographer] when she was clicking pictures to complete her assignments. She recognizes Roohi since her parents have circulated her pictures on Social Media. So, who was Roohi last seen with?

Missing traces the journey of love, hope, care and affection right into hatred, ego, prejudice and negativity. It beautifully etches the pain that a family has to go through since there is a fear of losing Roohi forever. Just when hope to find Roohi starts to dwindle, journey takes a fascinating turn.

Would the family manage to find Roohi or they would loose her forever, Missing holds all the answers.

Overall Verdict: The USP of this book is the fact that the characters, their nature, the physical appearance and basically every other factors used for character development has already been defined and the teams had to think of stories around them. Usually it is the plot that defines the characters but it was a very unique experience to read how one set of character can be visualised in so many different plots and scenarios. “Wouldn’t too many cooks spoil the broth?” - I was worried that being a team campaign, there might be inconsistencies in the writing style but I have no such complains after reading the book. Written by a plethora of bloggers, with well knit stories - this book is a pageturner! All three stories are totally different from each other, but the characters and situations are believable which make them easy to connect to our lives. This book is a labour of love for writing. If you like to read about different perspectives in life, love drama, suspense; than Six Degrees is the book for you! 

Rating: 4/5   

This review is a part of the Book Reviews Program at BlogAdda.com. Participate now to get free books!

Writers Block, Caffeine Addiction, Rejection Letters - Here I Come!

This weather is suddenly somehow motivating me to have a desk full of empty coffee cups, laptop screen and sticky notes for my novel plot.

"I'll write it this year." - Me every year since 2013.

This unfinished story I started way back in 2013, pricks me to complete it. There are times, I feel, "Wow, my idea was original, then it turns out that it's been done a million times before!" This is the biggest distraction and de-motivator.

There are friends who end up asking me what happened to their stories that they told me to include in my book. And I be like - "Yeah, I'm writing!" whereas, I was not.

There are going to be rejections and I do not even know if I shall see it in print one day, but what you begin, you should end gracefully. I HAVE TO make time for this unfinished project. I have to carry this on, without worrying if I will be a published author or no. Yes, it is a dream to hold your book in hand, that's what shall keep me going!

Writers block, caffeine addiction, rejection letters - here I come!

Meanwhile, I have wonderful mails, snapshots and inbox messages - from some lovely people who read me to keep me going! I know who to send my drafts to read. ;)

****************

You only learn to be a better writer, by actually writing.

You fall in love with the characters you etch, but you have to kill them, put them through endless miserable trouble. Flawed characters sell. It is a constant battle between wanting the best for my characters and wanting them to die horrific, gruesome, painful deaths.

A book is a proof that humans are capable of weaving magic. Words create worlds.

Writer's block for me, is an excuse for poor plotting and laziness. I zone out in the middle of the day, and the cold, unfeeling keys stare at me, mocking me.

It is going to be war; not reaching the minimum word count, you always thought writing would be fun, and now you're in love with a bunch of people who don't exist and you have imaginary conversations with them!

I am in awe of people who manage to tie the entire story together in the last five pages. I totally suck at it.

Let's begin this journey of sucking at writing, improving and moving ahead. Need to build a strong writing routine, need best wishes :D

Making Love

It took seconds,

For his scent to replace the air in the room,

His smell filled my lungs,

Happily, I let it enter my bloodstream.

Wanted him in the bluntest way,

More than the ocean wants the shore,

More than the way rain wants to fall,

More than the way words want to be read,

I wanted him to the millionth degree.

What could douse the fire I had in me for him?

Well, I have burnt throughout and walked through flames,

I don't fear fire, now.

Like the only wells in the town, about to go dry,

Shy kisses drowned the evening,

The most important discussion I ever had,

Was the conversation between my fingers and his skin.

An insatiable hunger, unquenchable thirst,

To be with him grew in me,

It was more than just making each other moan,

It was more than slashing of flesh,

The slow passionate kissing, neck kisses,

Pulling closer, grinding and then the pauses,

While we felt each other,

This was more...

This man has a hold on my heart, that I could never break,

Even if I wanted to.

Taking each other's souls to a place,

Where minds and hearts play together

Like the unjaded children,

We became a part of each other.

The glint in his eyes,

So beautiful,

That I could see the next 60 years of your life in it.

Have you encountered a sleep so blissful?

That you feel magical as you sleep with your bodies entwined?

Have you ever loved a shirt so much?

That you could wear it for years together,

To feel him in it,

And never give it away?

Have you?

I told him, "We are immortal!"

He laughed then,

Today, I smirk, as hundreds read this poetry,

Today, we lived again!

An Open Letter To My Students

Hey,

My Extended Family!

It's a wrap. A year has passed, so swiftly. Summing my year at S.P.I.T, it was an amazing year, work wise, touch wood.

S.P.I.T is family to me. You, the students and the people I work with are a part of my daily life. By God's grace, S.P.I.T has been such a fun place to work! When people around you are so welcoming and cooperative, you are bound to feel comfortable always!

And you guys, I always saw you as friends.

Harshal Mahajan and Ashwin Mishra requested me to blog about my experience at S.P.I.T! And nonetheless, I gave it a serious thought. I write, I own a blog, I have been a contributing author for three anthologies and this gave me a kick to write something. 

Here's a letter wishing you all the best ahead, for your final board exams and life.

I may or may not teach you ahead, but the fact that I am emotionally connected to all of you and S.P.I.T makes me pen this down.

I always wanted to be someone - I needed, when I was younger.

Many might not know, Engineering was never my plan; yet I took it up, did a Masters and I am happy with what I do now, because teaching was always a noble thing to do, for me.

I could identify myself in many of you - how some are sincere yet fun loving, full of energy, chirpy - that's how I still am!

I believed in delivering quality education, I am of the opinion that any of you, if any of you, had to take external help for the subject I teach, it is a slap on my face. It somewhere means, I am lacking in what I do. 

Many of my friends, discouraged me when we all discussed our future plans, post B.E. They would snub off the idea when I would say, I want to be a Professor. They were of the mindset that no one comes to college to study. I did want to change that stereotypical mindset and break the cliché. And it was so good to know from some of you that since I was going to teach you, you didn't take classes for that subject. I was so humbled, for the trust that got built between us, made me know, wherever I am going - I am going right!

Having been associated with S.P.I.T as a student too, I understand what environment you are in. And believe you me, S.P.I.T is a place to flourish. The grass is greener on the other side, always. But you are in a very good space, trust me. Do not believe anything other than this. Do not end up believing your friends are in better colleges. You have got the best! And, no, I get nothing to endorse S.P.I.T!

I am very fond of all of you. Even the mischievous ones. I never wanted my classroom to be a terrorized environment where people are forced to shut up and be what they are not. Some did misuse this aspect though and after a point, I realized I cannot change them. 

But, my experience has been very, very nice. You have made me feel super nice with some lovely feed-backs throughout the year; some of which were overwhelming at times! To get a feedback like this, helps me grow personally. This is my report card, in true sense! 'A' grade again! Consistency, becomes a habit.

My friends tell me they can't believe students can be so nice to teachers, when I tell them about you guys. And at times, it becomes difficult to digest for me too. But I then realise, I have been nice to you too. What goes around comes around!

Some of my readers might have started judging me for giving a lot of 'bhaav' to the students. I don't think teachers like these, exist in a large lot these days. But, I believe the college is because of the students and so are the teachers. I wish every teacher caters to students' needs first. It so much helps to boost the teaching learning experience.

I have mentored and counselled some of you, in ways I never thought I could. I have discovered the counselor in me, I have comforted few souls and got comforted in return for the things that troubled me at some point in life.

Leaving S.P.I.T for a few reasons would definitely not be welcoming, for me atleast. I am feeling as if I might have to not go home.

As a teacher (who observes a lot) it becomes a daily routine to see the same faces every day, start knowing them, getting to know their habits and nature to an extent by simply observing them. And knowing how they will react to a thing you say! And I always knew, what I would do/say can cause what impact. So I avoided the things I knew would not be taken positively. To be honest, I don't appreciate stress and negative vibes around. I tried my best to keep things smooth and not to trouble anyone, just to gain sadistic pleasure!

I disliked a few students for making chaos in the class, the dislike which was purely momentary; even they know, I never held back any grudges ever. And the next day, I would be found laughing with them. Well, they know who I am talking about!

Either I am too sweet or I have a problem of not giving back to people the same that they give me. But teaching has taught me to be patient, sarcastic, and forgiving.

I am no one to preach you, but, I have a brother of your age and so I know what goes on in your head at this stage of life, but know that -

1. While there is life, there is struggle. Life is not going to be easy always. And, sometimes, it is not going to be fair, either.

2. Life will take its own way. I too met good and bad people, but I knew, what I had to take from them. Every person shall teach you something, just take the 'right lesson' from each. Get inspired from good role models (because there are bad as well) who can be beacons of light to help you.

3. Take charge of your life. Trust yourself, because each one of us has an indomitable will power. You will realize many of them are against you, but no, each one is with themselves.

4. To speak with candour, I always, advocate- Reach not just the top of your game, but also manage to stay there! Consistency is the name of the game.

5. Ask silly questions - That is when your concepts become clear, don't stay in self doubt.

6. Follow your passion and do what you love. Never settle for anything less.

7. Truth is always the right path, may not be the easiest though.

8. It doesn't take much to be kind. Make the world a better place!

9. Truth shall prevail, hard work shall be recognized, persistence in the right direction brings results, shortcuts in life have a short life.

10. Life is a balance sheet and in the end, there always is profit and everything tallies.

As I lock my cabin these days, the thought that I might have to leave this place is obnoxious. I will miss turning left from my cabin and entering your classroom.

I have had funny incidences in your class, that I would smile over even after the day was over!

My convocation! The highlight of my day is in this photograph below! Thank you to all, who made it special. You came up to greet me, said sweet things and clicked pictures with me. Always so grateful for the adoration you have showered me with! 

Over the time, my work helped me triumph over many apparent insurmountable obstacles of life.

SE EXTC 2015-16 will continue to remain special for me, as it was the first batch in my teaching career. And, you were awesome!

I hope all of you, get good placements and do what really is your calling! Thank you for the cooperation. Coming in huge strength, even on a non-instructional day, really marveled me. I hope you remember me, and I hope, I was instrumental in creating a positive difference in your lives.

For those of you who have been meeting me for the last week, saying "Maam, don't go. Is this your last day? We really wish to have you around. And it feels like home, when you're there." These things melt my heart, really. I will miss each one of you too, if I have to leave. The missing part is mutual, trust me.

It was for people like you I prepared hard for the lectures. Who actually paid attention and valued my efforts. Initially, when the subject was allotted to me, I was apprehensive if I would do justice to it; given the fact that very experienced faculty takes up this subject usually. But, that is true - I have worked really hard for Analog Electronics II and your class did push me to become better day-by-day. Thank you, for bringing out the best in me.

My parents always taught me, "wherever you go, go with all your heart. No chair, no position is forever, your work creates a ripple effect, and the memories you collect all the way will last forever!"

A Teacher’s job is extremely demanding! He/she has to have thorough technical knowledge, good oratory, command over communication tools, organizational skills, ability to learn and evolve and above all, a passion for teaching! A Teacher’s occupation is perhaps the most responsible one, as he/she handles the most sensitive, most vulnerable and most valuable resource - the young intelligent minds.

I hope, I did my bit, now is your turn - give your exams the best shot and make me proud.

Until we meet again,

Stay humble. Stay blessed.

Best wishes, always.