Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Reincarnation - Sandy to Sandeep Balan

16th February 2007

7: 00 pm

Do I have to go tomorrow?? Was it my name only that was on the list?? What if it was not mine?? Won’t it be embarrassing to just go there and comeback??
Anyways whatever happens, can’t get any worse that the day when I didn’t get into the Indian software giant Satyam na. This is anyways some small company only, so let me try my luck. If not then something else is awaiting you sandy.

9: 00 pm

All the documents ready. Okie let me not tell anybody I am attending the interview tomorrow. Unnecessarily will have to take the friends sympathies and the mother’s sorrow if I don’t clear. Enough explanation I’ve given to people after failing to clear each of my earlier tests with fate. So better keep mum. As mummy tells. Whatever happens happens for the good.


17th February 2007

7: 30 am

Sandy, is there any interview today?? How come you are dressed in formals??
No mummy. Have to give a seminar today, that’s the reason (had to lie even on that day).

9: 15 am

Hey Suyash, have you checked the list dude?? Any confirmation if it was indeed my name on the list??
No dude, nothing till now. Actually no other Sandeep S seems to be there in our college and these company guys anyways don’t have the original list with them. So you don’t worry. Just go give it your best shot.
Okie Suyash thanks.

10: 30 am

Last group for group discussion. 6 outta 10 from CMRIT. Topic: Euthanasia.
Hard fought battle for supremacy. In the end 3 selected.
Counted myself lucky as I was one of them. The other 7 were as good.

12: 00 pm

Room no 305, my very own classroom. Don’t know if it was luck, but ended up with an electrical engineer as interviewer for my tech interview. Just the stroke of luck I was waiting for. Never has any interviewer made me that comfortable. Poured my heart out for the next half hour. And never have I spoken so much truth in any of my earlier interviews. Came out of the hall almost hundred percent sure that I’ll clear this round, but worse things have happened to me before. So just managed to control my excitement. Deepak Kasturi was indeed a gem of a man.

12: 20 pm

What happened Vikas??
You’ll have a HR round in sometime dude. So be prepared.
So does that mean I’ve cleared tech??
That I am not sure dude, but it almost means you’ve cleared.
Hmmm… control yourself sandy. It’s still not over.

1: 10 pm

Excuse me maam!! May I come in??
Have to accept she bambooed me, roadies audition estyle.
Found a negative trait in everything I told positive about myself.
Somehow wanted this to end quickly. And then.
The unthinkable happened. Sandy popped again.

Interviewer: do you have any questions??
Sandy : yes maam, what technologies does ACCENTURE work on?????
Interviewer: what?? Accenture???
Sandy : Oops. No maam. I meant Capgemini.

That moment I thought it’s all over.

1: 30 – 3: 30 pm

Switched the cell off
Was kicking myself for screwing it all up after giving a flawless performance all day.
The wait was madness. Two hrs felt like two years. Tried taking a quick nap. Was virtually impossible. Sandy, keep your cool. It might just be your day.

3: 45 pm

Results time. Yahoo. No jokes. My heartbeat had stopped.
Reading the names out one by one.
Have experienced all this before, and had reached that state where I thought never will my name figure in any such lists.
Don’t remember the first two names called out.
Then Amritha Tejaswini
Anish Ninan (was next to me, smiled at him with great difficulty)
Sandeep B
What??? Did they really call out my name???
Anish assures me it was mine. Again heartbeat stops.
I’ve got a JOB. It’s still not sinking in.
Is the wait really over?? Have Capgemini actually recruited me??
By then all names called out. Few of them had their heads in their hands, and the rest off the heads were jus waiting to pop off their shoulders.
There were wild celebrations. Hugs exchanged.
Sandy, u’ve finally got a job. Hmmm… still it’s not sinking in.

5: 15 – 5: 40 pm

My most memorable walk ever from HAL Police station stop till my house.
Have never felt happier. Walked like a king with head held high above the shoulder.
But still didn’t call home. Wanted to witness that special moment.
Got some sweets on the way back. Surprise surprise.

5: 45 pm

Mummy was on terrace.
Went to the terrace. Mummy was surprised to see me there.
Asked what the matter was??
I didn’t know how to tell it, words were just not coming out of my mouth.
Hesitated, and then gave her the sweets.
And told her. Your son has got a job mom.
She could not digest what I told. She asked again??
And I told her the same again. I could see the tear in her eye when I put the sweet in her mouth. That moment. It finally sunk in.
That sandy had actually got a job and what it means to the person who was always waiting to see that day for the last 22years. Thanks a lot mom.

It has been exactly one year since, lots of things have changed. A carefree sandy has now become a corporate sandy. Added responsibilities, commitments, priorities in life. But I love life this way. Been one year since my life took that drastic U turn. And it truly made me believe that someday all the hardwork you’ve put in life will bear fruit. So learn to be patient.

Congratulations Sandeep Balan. Hope you have a great career ahead. All the very best dude.

3 comments:

Abhishek said...

I cried too.... Whilst reading this.. Wish i come up with something truly heartfelt..
:)

Sanju said...

"it's ok man"
you fckng know it very well, it is not ok; it is nvr ok.
"i can understand dude"
how the hell could you understand u sonovabitch; what makes u think u can understand.
but as someone said "things will remain a part of the game and as always the larger constituency and so it is always for something bettr" ;)
let there be more clamor and more echoes!!!

Anonymous said...

hey bum ive never told may be ill never tell u again..m very proud to have frnd like u..god bless u..that was anice way o sharin yo experience..love ya god bless:)