Beyond “Boundaries”

June 01 2007: A defining moment in my career,the first day of the orientation programme at COGNIZANT.We had just finished college three weeks back and so we did not have even time to let the feeling sink in.The day seemed just like another ordinary day,with good buddy Viki dropping me at Liberty Bus stop in the evening and me getting into a 12B after a mini struggle ,until I got a call from Srikanth..”Machi ..I got placed da”.. those words really made the day.. I have been with him through a torrid month in his academic life and this was really warm news for all his good friends..

After the first few days, we were clubbed into a batch titled “AJ34″.Only after meeting people there,did I realise how invisible outside my department because almost all girls from IT department did not even know that I was from their college!I built bonds really thick
and fast and got to know more about a few people than those 4 years in college.It was unlimited fun,if one could ignore those minor irritants in the form of exit tests.It just seemed like an extension of college.. life was getting better..and I got aquainted to some really wonderful people..( especially KAVYA-she is one of the most interesting personalities I have ever met.. )

The fun continued through the month of July and August…and what Lalith Modi was to IPL,Siddharth was to AJ34.. he introduced a game titled “Mafia” which soon became our staple diet..It also brought our batch a lot closer..Bench life though was getting monotonous beyond a point and I starting putting serious effort towards my Graduate Record Exam preparations. On September 17,we were deployed into different projects..

I was ushered into the account “HartFord Life” in Thoraipakkam Campus.Initially,I was supporting the Business Analysts and had to make shuttle trips to Palikaranai for my Oracle Training.It was quite a challenge to keep pace with my GRE preparations during this time.I used to sit in the lobby at PKN office in the mornings for revising my word lists and in the evenings, I continued my preparations while returning by bus from TCO.I used to take up the last seat where the lights were really dim.The journey via the velachery by pass roads added to the eeriness,making me wonder if ever bright times were around the corner…

Another twist in the tale, one that would change my life for ever… In the first week of October,I was pulled into the Oracle Back End team in my project as they were short of resources to start development work.I was working under a brilliant Project Lead Hema,to whom I am indebted for having confidence to entrust responsibilities on some one who was a novice.I gave my GRE a shot on October 18,and God’s grace , I got 1450..but this time too,no time to celebrate because I had a deliverable the same day.I finished my GRE at around 12 noon,and was back to PKN at 1 30 to report to work!

Things started getting hectic in November, and again I had to balance out between my work and application procedures to the Univs(most of my work in this regard was offloaded by my sweet sister.. lucky to have her around!).

December:An eventful month..began with some drama with me almost missing my dearest friend Lakshmi’s engagement thanks to a deliverable at office.I somehow managed to pull it off and make it to the function at the last minute…It was a month of hope and near misses..Had an emotionally draining time,especially as the year drew to a close..but there was some solace towards the business end of it all,with the dawn of the new year bringing me super cool news that I was selected as the “Star of the month” at the account level for my contribution towards my project…

It definitely was a very defining year for me,career wise and also on the personal front.. one that made me carry joy,hope, and the subsequent gatecrashes, pain,disappointment,elation all along…but looking back, one that would be hard to forget..!

Sometime last week ,me and my school friend were reliving our fun filled days at school-P.S.B.B K.K. NAGAR and I thought it would be nice to write down some of the most light hearted/embarassing moments here.

1.We will start from the kg days..I was a die hard Rajnikant fan right since childhood, and those were the days of video casette times and mom had just bought an imported akai set from singapore..I was bunking classes under the pretext of fever and used to watch thalaivar movies like raja chinna roja,rajathi raja,maapillai etc and once while I was with dad on the way to the casette shop, I was caught red handed by my class teacher.I had bunked the day citing fever and when she saw me,all hell broke loose.The next day,my parents were pulled up by our headmistress, and there was this female, complaining to the head mistress that I was all the time doing thalaivar styles in class.. semma dose anikki.. but years later , I had my sweet revenge.This female came to my street looking out for another ma’am’s house which was near my place and when she asked me for the route, I guided her in exactly the opposite direction( I have not seen her since!).

2.The next one was in second grade.By this time,the focus had shifted to cricket.It was one of the benson and hedges tri-series finals and I did not want to miss it.But we had a cycle test on that day, and it was difficult to get permission from the staff on test days.Luckily I had high fever that day and used it as a reason.In my school,people who had health ailments were quarantined to write in the library so that the other children would not be affected.But, we all know nature is unpredictable and right in the middle of the test, nature came calling( singles).I asked the librarian permission but being the strict female that she was,she refused sternly ,saying I was not to budge until I completed my exam.The next few moments have caused me embarassments till this day..most of my close school buddies still recall it.I do not know why I did it but after the next few seconds, warm urea matter(good enough to warm a kettle) was tricking all over the library.The librarian realised this after a few seconds and could only laugh.The next two days were a laugh riot for all at school but I was left hiding for cover…

3.Fourth grade..this time in the music class..Me and my bench mate were pretty bored with all the sa re ga ma..And I am sure all of you would have tried this cute little game.. allow air to enter your ear holes..spread your palms ,place them facing each other and gently move them towards your ears,striking them gently,and move them apart.. the faster you do, the more you feel the gush of air.Unfortunately,it did not strike my mind that this was not the cutest game that could be played when some one was singing!the teacher thought we were mocking her by trying to close our ears..and the next instant,she boxed my ears hard..the swelling did not go down for more than a week..

4.Cricket again,this time in sixth grade.It was the friendship cup between India-Pakistan at Toronto,and being the cricket buff I was, I had stayed through the night to watch India’s victory.Trouble started when one of my mates asked how Saeed Anwar was caught by Nayan Mongia and I demonstrated the dive for him.He was not visibly pleased and wanted me to give a clearer picture.I looked around and as fate would have it,my eyes fell at the teacher’s desk(which is usually higher than all other desks).Namma pasanga thaan yethi vudradhulla killadinga aache,plus naan cricketer veara,so goaded on I climbed up the desk and attempted a full length dive,and the next moment, I could feel my jaw snapping, I landed straight on my jaw on the hard floor and it required four stitches.

5.The annual sports day is always fun and the selections were on for various events like high jump,long jump etc..the P.T master was a tough man and he ensured that every body participated in the prelims of each event,whether they liked it or not.There was a guy called “eli” who was not particularly fond of high jump( he was just about 3 1/2 feet).He somehow got through the first level,and now the P.T master raised the bar.”eli” stared long and hard.. it was his turn.. we all waited with bated breath.. “eli” ran in hard, his face was looking straight at the bar.. he was determination personified.. we were alternating between watchin “eli” and our P.T master.. “eli” was now only two feet from the bar.. and as we all got ready to see his grand kick off..”eli” ran straight under the bar!He did not stop there.. he ran all the way out of the ground,up the stairs,into the class room..you should have seen the look on the P.T master’s face.. well.. no words to describe it..

6.Ninth grade time,and my friend was interested in a girl from another section.. after some R&D,we started collecting the details about her..unfortunately,when she confronted him straight,my friend panicked and gave my name out for the R&D part..In the evening,when I went to look for my cycle in the stands,I could not spot it.. and lo! after a thorough search,we found a highly shabby mass in the puddle.. Yes,it was my dearest”highway patrol”.. lying in a pathetic state..besides it was that girl’s cycle,standing upright, containing a note saying it was the girl’s work..dejected, I picked up my “highway patrol” from the mess( well girlie,if you are gonna read this by any chance ..take this from me.. when you and your boyfriend are on a jolly ride on a highway,the tyre would be punctured,the bike will run out of fuel,the brakes would fail,and not a soul or a shop would be anywhere in the vicinity..)

7.This happened during the biology class.. the teacher was busy explaining about different systems in the body and my pal was busy dozing off..she was taking classes on the excretory system and she pulled him up for a question.. poor guy was hardly in his senses.. the question was “is control of our senses of urination voluntary or involuntary?” Pat came the reply.. no second thoughts..”Involuntary ma’am”..the entire class burst out laughing.. the poor guy had still not woken up properly and he could not understand what was going on.. the teacher for her part joined the fun,came straight to his desk, made a thorough search and remarked,”well I was just wondering if I could get a sample of your involuntary actions”!..

These are a few of the incidents I can never forget..and for those who want to comment,please do include some of your memorable moments in your comments..For it is our school life that has many “firsts”.. those are always memorable days.. those hurried two minute “kuliyals”.. one or two mouthfuls of breakfast..the breathtaking cycle races to school,with each one taking pride in his/her own “highway patrols”,”cannon barrels”,”hercules mtb”,the early morning prayers, of course with one inquisitive eye always half open..the breakfast break for ten minutes in which we eagerly scan what the others have got for lunch,and gulp them down,so that the half hour for lunch could be used to play “four corners’ and tennis ball cricket..the silent afternoon naps after lunch,with a few other already planning which lane ruotes should be followed for the evening cycle race back home..telling loads of stories about the day’s happenings to mom.. and of course goin to bed with wonderful memories and hopes for the next day… as I keep saying.. sometimes I wish we never grew up..