For you, a thousand times over...

“If the world seems to be turning their back on you, it’s time for you to turn around.”

I read this somewhere when I was in school... At the time, this phrase didn’t make much of a sense. But I kind of liked the sound of it... so somehow memorized it. And today, as I am standing at a point where I never foresaw myself, I feel like going back in time. And find those rare words of wisdom that were carrying me the way I am until now. Those words were from people who meant a lot to me... they still do... whether or not I am in touch with them. They helped in shaping me the way I am today. For which I will be ever so grateful to them. This blog is dedicated to all of them, my closest friends, philosophers and guides... People I am proud of having in my life... and I will always be.

“There is no parallel to Mother’s love in the world. Even if the son goes bankrupt, the wife can leave him, but a mother will never”

Vishal N. Dhingwani, Raipur, 1996

The first time we met, we fought - so much so that the Vice Principal of the School had to intervene. Parents were about to be called when we called a truce and decided to compromise on the object we both were laying claim to: the school desk. So was born a friendship which I still am so proud of. This guy is in some way responsible for giving me my dedication towards my parents. A Hansraj College B Com (Hons.) Convert, dropped the admission and joined a local institute just so he can be around his parents because they needed him to run the family business. We all thought he was wrong. That Hansraj could have changed his life. 13 years gone, I do not know whether he was right or wrong. But surely he is a winner and a great businessman today. And now, as I retrospect, thinking of who should I go to and ask for guidance, his name is amongst the first to come on my mind.

“It’s not the destination that matters the most, but it’s the journey, and the person you become while travelling it.”

Sudhanshu Sinha, Bhopal, 2006

Blessed as my brother is with various gifts from the Almighty, literary genius is definitely not his forte. But then, he sometimes ends up giving out these tiny bits of wisdom that leaves you speechless and makes you really think. It does not take literary genius to make a remark as great as that. It takes clarity of thought, the right attitude and an openness of mind. And he is great when it comes to that. What's with someone else, I have seen him transforming into an altogether different individual in the amazing journey that he has had in the past 8 years. His words were one of the few pillars I had when I regained some strength and caught up in the race of my MBA Admissions in 2008.

“There are always two ways of doing anything you do, even tucking your bed. One is, doing it just for the sake of doing it. And the other is doing it to your own satisfaction. So you feel proud of doing a quality job.

Never compromise on quality of what you deliver; even if it is small and insignificant.”

Mrs. Anita Sinha (My Mommy dearest), all my childhood J

Mommy dearest is a constant source of support and courage in my life. So much so that whenever I feel even slightly confused or distressed about things, I come rushing to her for strength. I never need to tell her what I am going through, but just looking at her face makes the world seem alright. I won’t go into details of how she has shaped me and my life. The contribution is just too huge to capture in a blog. But yes, this is one of the things she believes in that I will always keep by my side. Another thing that my Mom has given me is my unwavering faith that there is just NO task in the world that a woman CANNOT do – if only she makes a determination towards that.

“Manhood is not in keeping a hundred wives or thrashing someone in the middle of the road. Manhood is in making those 4 people who depend on you feel that they have nothing to worry about, as long as you are around.”

Mr. Alok Shrivastava, Raipur, 1999

Nishchhal, Nirbhay and Nishpaap: three words that come closest to describe my favourite uncle. He is again a source of great inspiration in my life. Narayan Moorthy has famously said that the softest pillow is a clear conscience. I think all great men think alike. More than anything else, the integrity and plain hard work with which Alok mama has built his business is remarkable. I remember him saying once that a man should always walk on his straight path. Everything else takes care of itself. He has taught me courage, being nice and an amazing outlook towards life.

“A man’s mind is in two places: one in the head and the second in the heart. The more you use one, the more it dominates the other... It’s upon you to choose”

Ankit Gupta, Pune, 2008

My favourite roommate will probably think a thousand times before moving in with me again. This cleanliness freak had a hard time living with me in Pune for a year. But all was well that ended well – we both are finally doing what we had set out for. I cannot forget what he told me during that roughest phase of my life, and how much it really helped me. If you take some time to ponder over what Ankit said, you will find the profoundness of these words... We went about extending this theory to 3 places where a man’s mind is. Those interested in learning details are requested to contact us separately. Trademark rules apply J.

“Be nice to people. If someone is not doing good now, they will eventually improve. It’s not your job to change them. Just give them some space to cover themselves up for the time being.”

Vikram Singh Chauhan, Bhopal, 2005

One of my closest friends till date taught me tolerance towards people’s weaknesses. For a perfectionist, egoistic, selfish guy like me, this was a great awakening. I never told him that this sentence really moved me, and, for starters, I started looking at him with a lot more respect. For as much as we love pulling his leg, Vikram is the nicest friend you can have. Trust me, no one else can go to any extent for their friends. I can only try to be as good as him... and that will make me a lot better. He taught me unconditional friendship, being enthusiastic and a great way of looking at things and people.

All these people are no sages. They are people from this world whom the Universe brought into my life and made it change its course, and in the process made me learn some of the most important lessons of my life.

There are more people without whom this picture couldn’t have been complete. People who made me love, hate, laugh, cry and shaped me in the person I have turned out to be in the last two years. People who showed me the mirror of my own darknesses and made me learn about honesty and simple truths. Not for the rest of the world, but for my own self and for those who are dear to me. People who made live in the moment by making me realize that this is really the best time of my life... and it will not come back, however much I long for it. People who taught me to open up to the world, take risks, enjoy, express and to be ruthlessly truthful to myself. In short, people who made me the man I have grown to become...