And I blamed my family for my past life. I blamed their upbringing, their life choices and their lack of exposure for me turning out the way I did till then.
I had decided I was going to rise above my upbringing.
There are certain phases in our lives, when we really feel like all our learning is over. It's time that the world takes notice, as I teach it a lesson or two. The final term of your two-year MBA is definitely one of those phases. Having made lots of friends, cracked a PPO and pulled off a good 2 years at my MBA, I was bang in the middle of that heady, arrogant, and foolish phase.
In the midst of such a phase, came the convocation day and I decided that I didn't want to call my parents for it. This was my day. And I would be embarrassed to have their ideas and thoughts being bandied about on a liberal campus like mine. I didn't like how they talked, dressed or thought. And I didn't want this painstakingly built image of mine on campus to get destroyed by one day.
And so I stood on the dais, taking my certificate in my robe and turning around to wave at my friends. And I missed them like hell.
It came back to me how my mother had broken down in tears when my father told me I was going to MICA. It came back to me how my father explained in typical Gujju practicalese, why he thinks I should not take a loan and that he will fund my education because he can afford it. It came back to me how I rushed back by train and flight every time I faced heartbreak, sickness or failure on campus.
I realised my shiny new ideologies, wisdom and successes can go beep themselves. I got here because of them and I didn't have them here to celebrate it with.
Today, my relationship with them has come a long way. After years of night long arguments, they acknowledge my ideologies and find ways to work around them. On the other hand, I realised I wasn't really that different from them. I embraced my gujjuness and so did my friends.
But graduating from MICA still remains one of the most memorable days of my life - for what it taught me and what kind of person it made me.
And I will always regret not having next to me the two people who sacrificed the most to get me the education that was bound to take me away from them.
So pick up that phone, log onto IRCTC and book them a ticket to your convocation. They probably deserve the party more than you do.
Comments
Rajashree Banerjee
Thank you so much for sharing this
18 Feb 2019, 07.28 PM
Miti Vaidya
Miti Vaidya is an alumnus of XLRI School of Business (Batch of 2011). She is currently enjoying her work as marketer of a healthy foods start-up - Kapiva. Prior experience includes 2+ years as Product Manager + Core Team Member at InsideIIM-Konversations and 5 years with the Tata Group as part of the prestigious TAS programme. A graduate from Narsee Monjee College of Commerce & Economics (Batch of 2007), Miti has also completed her C.A.
Love the honesty - thanks for sharing, Kunj. Very well expressed.
18 Feb 2019, 10.30 PM
legion battles
hjhgfhgfhfgf
You have failed as an educated person , still insecure ,like really ?
26 Feb 2019, 12.17 AM
+Read Replies (2)
kunj sanghvi
Hey, I agree what I felt and did was really unexpected from a well-educated person. But I'd like to believe that education doesnt mean you dont make mistakes. It means you accept and make amends. Which I am. Having said that, Im sure Im still insecure about a number of other things even now. Still a student, still getting educated. :)
26 Feb 2019, 02.11 PM |
Reesa Bora
The sheer honesty reveals that you have it in you to embrace your shortcomings... Well written well expressed thanks for the little ounce of courage this post gave me
27 Feb 2019, 08.19 PM |
Gopikishore Panda
A first year student of MBA-HRM at XAHR (formerly XIMB-HR) with 3.5 years of experience in Operations at HPE.
Loved it. Thank you for sharing your story.
4 Mar 2019, 05.24 PM
Santanu Das
Excellent narrative of your self discovery
15 Apr 2019, 10.36 AM
Aashit Agarwal
This man has guts !! _/\_
15 Apr 2019, 10.40 AM