Flipping through pages... closing days at BITS Pilani

I was concluding my two hour long telephonic conversation with one of my old classmates who had managed to trace out my ten digit mobile number after two years.

"When will you change da? You still seem to speak the same way!", he said.

"Oh! Really? Why do you think so? Proof?"

"I don't know if you remember what you said during your graduation speech at the VC tea party. I am copy-pasting a part of my diary on a mail. Check it out. And please, do something about it!"

A few minutes after I hung up, I opened my inbox to find his mail. I could say only one thing after I finished reading it, "Oh! Really?"


Madhurjya announced, "May I now request volunteers from the graduating batch to speak a few words..."

Even before anyone budged, Kulki was on his feet. The look on his face convinced all of us that he didn't know what he was doing. It is always fun to watch Kulki speak without preparation. And trust me, he did not disappoint us this one last time. He began, just as I managed to switch on my favourite audio recorder...

"Good Evening everyone. 27 July 2000. It feels as though it happened just yesterday. And it's already 30 November 2004! Truly hard it is to believe that half a decade of BITSian life is coming to an end..."

I could hear a slight "hmmm..." all around me.

"I came in here as a confused, childish teenager!"

Ah! That's Kulki for you! The audience was already clapping!

"And today, I step out of this place as a more serious, more thoughtful twenty two year old young man..."

Junta were already in smiles. Another small round of applause! I was wondering why he isn't cracking his silly jokes yet.

"We are warriors. We came here with lumps of steel in our hands. And today, we go out with a beautiful hilt supporting a sharp blade on it. And it is this sword that is going to help us out in the battle. Yes friends, the war of life now beckons..."

I felt as if I was going to wage a war tomorrow! This guys always has his way of linking everything to a war.

"This is how I see BITS Pilani..."

Okay! This is going to be a big one!

"I was like an unmodulated signal!"

That's it! Here it begins! Oh no! Prof. BalSu is already laughing! Well, his favourite subject after all. And what's that? Vice Chancellor and Director too? Oh no!

"BITS is a frequency modulator!"

I am sure he would have got bums for this had it been the bhawan and not this graduation party .

"And today it has modulated me. Given me enough carrier energy to travel thousands of kilometres and fight the war of my life!"

This is much better! Deserves an applause. I started it this time. Crowd is always funny. They were clapping for quite a some time on this point. He had linked his two points! May be they appreciated that.

"Before I close my last ever speech as a student of BITS Pilani, let me quote the first words Prof. Surekha Bhanot told us in our first ever interaction.

Sahana vavatu
Sahanau bhunaktu
Sahaveeryankaravavahai
Tejaswinavdheetamastu
Ma vidvishadvahai
Om Shantih!
Shantih!
Shantih!"

I liked the way he ended it. I am not sure he appreciated his speech. Silly guy, is always self critical. But the people did, so much so that, they were clapping till Madhurjya took the mic again and said, "Thank you"

Nitesh Aggarwal... my mentor he was...

31 Jan 2007

"Why do you worry, dude? You will definitely get into B or C. Just relax", said he as I hung up the receiver.

I was speaking to my mentor from IIM Indore for the Group Discussions and Personal Interviews process. The months of January and February were marked by a number of phone calls I made to him, the immense amount of confidence I gained in the process of talking to him. There was no such moment when I found myself helpless. There was a person sitting Indore, always ready to help me.

2 May 2007

"Congratulations dude! I knew this would happen. All the best for a great time at IIM Bangalore", said he when I conveyed the news of having been selected for final admission at five IIMs, including IIM Indore.

He seemed to have more confidence in my ability than I had in myself. It was a moment when I could not stop thanking him for all the help he had done to me during the preparations.

3 Aug 2007

"It's been quite a some time since I have spoken to Nitesh. Let me talk to him after the mid term exams get over", thought I on the last Friday (3 Aug 2007). I wanted to talk to him about where my life has brought me.

I wanted to speak to him... I wanted to thank him for all what he had done for me... I wanted to narrate to him my stories, my experiences, my thoughts, my plans... just so many things....

10 Aug 2007

My mid terms indeed got over on this Wednesday (8 Aug 2007). But I never saw him online on the messenger again. I never got a chance to speak to him on the phone again. I never got a reply to an e-mail again... Nitesh Aggarwal a.k.a. geminithegreat, by that time, had already reached a world from where people do not return. His earthly life ended on 5 Aug 2007... the occasion of Friendship Day... the occasion to celebrate those intense feelings of friendship... the occasion to thank a friend for all what he has done... he was one of the unfortunate two who drowned in the river at Indore on that fateful day...

I wanted to speak to him... I wanted to thank him for all what he had done for me... I wanted to narrate to him my stories, my experiences, my thoughts, my plans... just so many things... just so many things...

Wish I had one more chance... just one more chance to hear the encouraging voice...