“
I didn’t sleep last night! So much to do and only 24 hours in a day!”
The fachcha went on and on. Two weeks into Hel(L), a grueling induction, one class after another, each more difficult than the previous one, CV iterations, committee selections, crossroads everywhere. I lost myself in a flashback..
Wasn’t it just yesterday that I was in those shoes, trying to find a work-life (sleep?) balance, figuring out what those god-awful subjects meant beyond their names, wondering if my entire life’s ‘achievements’ are enough to fill that one page which could decide my future?
A year’s worth of images flashed past my mind’s eyes within seconds. Overwhelming.
“
Aastha?” The junior literally shook my glassy-eyed self away.
“Sorry, yes, you were asking me about the CV…”, I continued, coming to terms with the fact that I was on the other side of the table now, supposed to be ‘mentoring’ the new bunch of part-nervous, part-confident, part-excited Hellites!
“For men may come and men may go, but I go on forever”. This is what these hallowed portals of IIM Lucknow must be saying to themselves, as batch after batch of smart, young business graduates leave its cocoon and fly out to make a mark for themselves. This place brings out the best, and the worst, in its incumbents, gives them lessons which go beyond the classroom. The rich resources, the mind-boggingly diverse peer group, the demanding syllabus, the vast alumni network- these are some of the many benefits one’s mind and intellect derives out of this place. But beyond all these lie the ‘intangibles’ – the friends and the ‘frenemies’, the gup-shup and the bonding, the mesmerizing beauty of the campus, endless scope for self-improvement, the ups and the lows, the falling down and the rising up, the urge to compete, and the harsh realities which prepare you for the big bad world outside.
The new batch embarks on a roller-coaster ride called Hel(L), braced up to face a hectic schedule and make the most of their time. With time, they would all be well-moulded into the system, raring to leave their marks. I wish I could hold the more apprehensive ones and tell them, everything will be alright. If only I could go back and do all of that all over again, I would. I would.
Time sure does fly fast. Before we know, we would become stories, parts of the legacy, when the day comes to throw the convocation caps up in the air.