Diary of A Chick(en) Addict: The Engineering Saga-II

continued....

mixed up with career choice

I marveled whole night, why there is so much fuss about engineering. I was bushed. I couldn’t find the answer.

I wished Mr. Vidhu Vinod Chopra had made his film “3 Idiots” in 2008, at the time of my admission in engineering college. I would have shown that movie to my parents and would have pursued my dream happily(?).

wish it would have filmed one year back

That night my father came with a letter in his hand. That was the call letter from National Defence Academy. I was called for my SSB interview at 1AFSB, Dehradun for my SSB. The reporting time was 8^th August 2008 at 0700 Hrs. My first choice was Indian Air Force. I was welcomed there at the selection centre. On the very first day, I had hunch about my rejection. It was because my eyesight was not perfect, and they postulate the exact 6/6 eyesight to become a pilot in Indian Air Force.

Overall, it was one of the most esteemed experiences I had ever been through in my life. People say, merely reaching to Board is not enough, if you don’t experience the five days task; your experience of SSB is zero. I was lucky, though not enough so I came back, I was not recommended. But the experience was awesome; not exactly, but it was.

“You did what you wanted to do, now it’s my turn, and you ought to listen me this time”, my father said when I returned from there.

“Go for engineering!” It was his command, it appeared from his tone.

"But...", I tried to keep my point.

"No if & buts", interrupted my father "give me a coherent explanation and I'll consider your wish of not choosing engineering. You're well cognizant of our fiscal condition."

He had a point.
Even if I had to rebel, I had to give a plausible excuse for it which I didn’t have against his logic. Eventually, I said YES to Engineering. I capitulated.

I asked my sister if I could get admission in the college she’s in. The answer was NO. She didn’t like her college. But she’s been supportive throughout this. She’s one of the coolest sisters available on the earth. Don’t be jealous, you can’t be as lucky as me in this case!

I got to know about LPU and I was admitted. I thought it’d be fun but it was all beguiling and my fate had some other plans. It really sucked….counting about the problem my calculator will run short of this. And it was more shocking for me when I checked the menu in the mess. There was not a single non-vegetarian dish in it. It was as though it's running a campaign "go vegan".

the university hostel was like this

I started cursing whole management for this. I cursed the Director of my University for keeping the hostel vegetarian. And he had to for he was a "Marwari". For me food means Non-vegetarian food.

my definition of food is this!!

Later I met Binayak, a perfect gormandizer like me. He was my cohort. We were kind of clique. And somehow I had to settle there, I had no other option.

My sister warned me once to not to opt Mechanical branch, but there comes a time when you listen to nobody but self. My sister admonished me not to opt for mechanical as she had a clue what mechanical actually was and she knew me very well. She considered me as a headstrong person with not few but many of the screw of mind loosened if those screw actually existed.
She often wondered whether there was not a chasm where my brain should be. For her I was a categorical idiot.
She had an anticipation that I’d botched up further. And I guess her prophecy is coming true.

that's what mechanical engineering all about

And this way I landed in engineering…..Mechanical Engineering.

Few days back, I was murfing some YouTube videos and I found an interview of Chetan Bhagat by Richa Anirudh of IBN7 in her show ”Zindagi Live”. Though it was quite old episode but I like her show for two reasons. Number 1, I had a childhood crush on her and number 2, her show was very inspirational.

Richa Anirudh at Zindagi Live: beauty redefined

I can say the show would make you a true human being if you happen to watch full episode; it’s better than the other sitcoms like “How I Met Your Mother and Vampire Diaries”.

That day it was Chetan Bhagat as a guest and he was there after release of movie “3 Idiots” based on his novel “Five-Point-Someone”. There was a bit controversy about his credits in the movie and few differences arose between the 3-Idiots team and him. He was asked why he pursued management after he graduated as an engineer. Well, that man has an answer for it.

He stated “In India, when we come from a middle-class family, basic needs come first and then passion is followed. If you don’t have food and your passion is singing, definitely you would go for making way for food not for singing. If you really want to pursue your passion then first you must have your basic needs and go for it. As I first made money, did savings and then I pursued my writing, and I think this is the better way.”

Now I realized; I am not confronting this alone. Let’s face it!

Sometimes I feel like the sayings of Bhagwadgeeta are true. It says “Whatever is happening is good for our life and whatever is going to happen is also going to be good”.

In 2008, there was terror attack on Hotel Taj, Mumbai and following which the tourism industry went down. Had I opted for Hotel management as my career, my career would have gone gloomy.

26/11: Dark day for India

Later in 2009-2010, there was seizure of a vessel of Merchant Navy by Somalian Pirates. The pirates killed many of the hostages. And the government was perplexed to take any action as it was the not in its territory. Even the company was not of India. However, it took eight days to confer order to Indian Navy. Thanks to Indian Navy, it rescued the hostages in no time. But the whole operation tickled my thought again. Had I been in Merchant Navy, I could have been one of the hostages or may be one of the hostages that were killed brutally.

Indian Navy overpowered Pirates

But again every field has some danger zone. Every career has treacherous side in one way or another. IT sector was on the boom once. But during 2008, there was recession and it came to same ground. We have to deal with it, no matter how hard we have to work or perform.