A Dream, that is going to end soon !!

My tryst with XIMB began when one of my good friends, Tarun suggested me to apply for this course. Though I had decided on joining a job probably at Pune or Gurgaon, yet, just for the sake of giving an exam and seeing whether I am good enough for XIMB or not, I applied, and as luck would have it, within a month, on July 1^st was allotted a dorm-room number 309 in this CENDERET Building (our hostel) and a seat in the Classroom 534 with occasional venturing out to Class Rooms 533, 1 and 5, which are best utilized for sleeping!! On that very first day, while entering the gates of the campus, an incident flashed back to my mind. It was probably two or three months prior to that, in February ’10 when, we had finished our 5^th sem. graduation exams, were drunk, had a car with us and illegally driving through the streets of Bhubaneswar past midnight. Just as we passed the Xavier Square, out of intoxication due to the liquor, my head popped out of the car, looked towards the XIMB sign on top of the new academic building, and my right hand flew up to my head in the process of exaggeratingly giving a salute while I blurted out, “Once in a Life, whatever it may be, a 2 day program or a 2 year one, I am going to be in the XIMB!” My other intoxicated friend Tarun (he gets his high from the charming scent of air only, so no need for him to be on alcohols!) appreciated my meaningless blurt and asserted me that I will !! Maybe, God was speaking from his voice, or, maybe, he was a God sent messenger for me!! Thanks Tarun!!

And so, the XIMB journey began, many things happened during this 1 year, good and bad, I got many new friends, got a wonderful room-mate in Tanmay, who in his taunts, though being a year or two younger than me, taught me a thing or two about dealing with Public Relations, how to be smart while dealing with others and all, but I failed him miserably. I am still that pathetic Soum, by nature, which I always used to be - zero on PR, zero on Communication, undervalued stock. Period. Sorry Tanmay! I know, he will be LHAO (Laughing His Ass Off) reading this post. Aur Sallu Bhai?? Kem Cho? Still, we enjoy irritating each other to the core. Him, blasting all Bollywood new chart topper songs, which I dearly hate (sorry guys! I am not that big an appreciator of Dhoom-dhadaaka waala music like the Sheelas, Munnis and the Dheela Characters ones, gimme the light hearted or the classical ones and I am happy!), and me, blasting horrible and potentially destructive gases just to make him irritated! And he, does get irritated, that too, big time! So, mission successful! And not to forget the missiles of derogatory remarks towards his Salman Khan and my Football!

During this journey, as happens with everybody else, I inherited so many nicknames, so many that I won’t mention any ;) . In fact, I have just lost count of it! Lol ! I don’t know whether these are given to me just out of love and friendship or to make fun and mockery of me. In fact, to speak the truth, I don’t care to want to know. Truth’s always bitter, so better stay away from it. So, I always believe they all love me as I love them! Barter-Give and Take, that’s the way the world works.

Now, coming to a much serious note, in fact, besides all the fun and bore which we experienced here, most important of all, the knowledge and quality  of teaching that I got here, frankly speaking, I had never got in my entire 17 or 18 years of study and had never gathered so much during my past lifetime! Thank You XIMB! Only if my communication skills would have been great enough, I would and I think everyone of us would show the interview our real capability. That’s a grey area till now, but no worries; I am working towards it and am confident!

Now, that we have left just short of one month to conclude, I feel if this was all just a dream which’s gonn’a end soon. But deep down, my heart says, it’s a reality…I and we, have been there and done that! Yeah! Thank You XIMB for everything! You’re our darling!!

I conclude this article with a self designed phrase which has always been my way of life and hope it to remain so – Minimum Resources Maximum Impact! That’s Soum for you guys!!