“Mom… mooommm!! Where have you kept the black Allen Solly shirt? I can’t find it! You know it’s my lucky shirt and I can’t find it!!!” I was frantically going through my wardrobe, picking up things left and right. I was to board the train to Delhi the next morning and I had decided I will not be going to my new college without my lucky shirt – that specific black one from Allen Solly. “Mooooomm! Come here!!” I shouted. Hearing my panicked tone, she came to my room, holding the shirt with a smile on her face. I felt relieved.
During the course of last year, I cried, cribbed and complained about everything under the sun that was remotely associated with an MBA. It was early April when I sat down and started preparing for CAT. Cracking CAT was one of the most daunting challenges that I took upon myself. The initial months of preparation were a smooth ride and filled me with confidence about the exam. However, then came the mock exam season, the season which threw me off track. Moreover, I was burdened with work at office as there several transitions in my team.
I remember telling my mom, “Maa,
ye mujhse nahi ho paayega, ye mere bas ka nahi.” Ever so wise, she said, “Beta, koi bhi bada aadmi raato-raat nahi bada hua, never give up on what you dream of becoming.” She has reiterated this time and again throughout my life, and today, sitting in a B-School, when I see CXOs delivering their success speeches, I couldn't agree more. So is the story of Aditya Vikram Birla. After being given a part of Birla group to run that he did not enjoy, he fought for something he had always dreamt of doing - opening his own textile business.
Fast-tracking to the day of the exam, I was travelling to my exam center, listening to my favorite song, Fix You by Coldplay. The lyrics, “When you try your best but you don’t succeed, when you get what you want but not what you need, stuck in reverse; lights will guide you home”, struck a chord with me that day. I was travelling through the Bandra Worli sea-link and had never felt more confident about acing the exam – the atmosphere around me was so safe and comforting. I was wearing the same black Allen Solly shirt and was travelling on the pride infrastructure of Mumbai.
Post the declaration of the CAT results, came the frenzied interview time, and that meant buying the most dapper suit. Excited, I went to the Van Heusen showroom in Mumbai and bought my first ever professional suit! With the end of season sale on, I ended up buying a couple of shirts as well! “Suit up!” was the caption on the Instagram post I shared with the suit on, and I blushed to the compliments I received! There was a feeling of content, comfort, and confidence I had on wearing that.
Through the next four months and a series of interviews and preparation, I made it through one of the most prestigious B-School in India, MDI Gurgaon. The day had come when I was to leave for Delhi. My mom stood there in the kitchen, packing the last of homemade food I was going to have in the coming months in the FreshWrapp. God, there’s no better aroma than the mother’s food! I bid adieu to the city I love and the people I admire, with a dream of becoming big, Big in my Life!
