I still remember the day in crisp detail. It was the first day of placement season in my undergrad college. I was attending my first ever pre-placement talk. And it happened to be my dream company at the time. I still remember that day in minute detail. Nervous jitters the night before, waking up 2 hours before my alarm clock was supposed to ring, pacing up and down my room revising anything and everything I’d learned, being excited and nervous at the same time. I distinctly remember taking out crisp and pressed shirt my mother bought me from Allen Solly and trousers to go with it. I remember the smooth fabric hugging me like a blanket, making me feel safe while still making me look elegant. I was transformed into the person I wanted to be. This was the suit of armor I was going to wear to fight for my chance at this crossroads in life. The moment I put those clothes on, my inhibitions went away. I felt confident, ready to take on any challenge thrown at me. I went on to excel in my group discussion and interview rounds. I displayed presence of mind and coolness in that stressful situation so that my hard work could shine. And I ended up converting my first company. This was the impact a simple piece of cloth had in my life. So many years later, I still have that shirt in my closet and will keep it for years to come.
Living in a small town as a sheltered only child to my parents made sure that I remained the introvert that I was and not come out of my shell. But getting a good enough rank in engineering entrance exam meant that many doors opened to me. Deep down I knew that if I wanted to achieve my goals in life, I had to open up, let the world in and let the experiences change me for the better. For this reason, I chose Netaji Shubhas Institute of Technology in Delhi as my undergraduate college instead of PEC University of Technology, Chandigarh which was closer to my home. I had vowed to myself to steepen my learning curve further and catch up on the experiences I had missed till then. As expected, I met with severe resistance from my parents. Their concerns, while legitimate were not ultimately beneficial for me. Hence, I spent weeks trying to come up with every argument I could think of. I even prepared presentations and tried to put my case forward. Finally, they agreed and I knew that this obstacle was nothing in front of the challenge I had put before myself. I spent the next several months trying to adjust to the new environment of a city I had never lived in before, trying to make new friends, balance my academics with extra curriculars. Even though in the moment I was very uncomfortable I pride myself on allowing myself to take a chance, to fail and get back up to learn some more.