Keep the Spark

This is .... Inaugural Speech by Chetan Bhagat for the new batch at the Symbiosis
BBA program 2008.
Not getting time to write posts these dayz,I found this mail really good and thought of sharing with you all.

Good Morning everyone and thank you for giving me this chance to speak to you. This day is about you. You, who have come to this college,leaving the comfort of your homes (or in some cases discomfort), to become something in your life. I am sure you are excited. There are
few days in human life when one is truly elated. The first day in college is one of them. When you were getting ready today, you felt atingling in your stomach. What would the auditorium be like, what would the teachers be like, who are my new classmates - there is so much to be curious about. I call this excitement, the spark within you that makes you feel truly alive today. Today I am going to talk about keeping the spark shining. Or to put it another way, how to be happy most, if not all the time.

Where do these sparks start? I think we are born with them. My 3-year old twin boys have a million sparks. A little Spiderman toy can make them jump on the bed. They get thrills from creaky swings in the park.A story from daddy gets them excited. They do a daily countdown for birthday party – several months in advance – just for the day they will cut their own birthday cake.

I see students like you, and I still see some sparks.. But when I see older people, the spark is difficult to find.. That means as we age, the spark fades. People whose spark has faded too much are dull, dejected, aimless and bitter. Remember Kareena in the first half of Jab We Met vs the second half? That is what happens when the spark is lost. So how to save the spark?

Imagine the spark to be a lamp's flame. The first aspect is nurturing - to give your spark the fuel, continuously. The second is to guard against storms.

To nurture, always have goals. It is human nature to strive, improve and achieve full potential. In fact, that is success. It is what is possible for you. It isn't any external measure - a certain cost to company pay package, a particular car or house.

Most of us are from middle class families. To us, having material landmarks is success and rightly so. When you have grown up where money constraints force everyday choices, financial freedom is a big achievement.

But it isn't the purpose of life. If that was the case, Mr Ambani would not show up for work. Shah Rukh Khan would stay at home and not dance anymore. Steve Jobs won't be working hard to make a better iPhone, as he sold Pixar for billions of dollars already. Why do they do it? What makes them come to work everyday?

They do it because it makes them happy. They do it because it makes them feel alive. Just getting better from current levels feels good. If you study hard, you can improve your rank. If you make an effort to interact with people, you will do better in interviews. If you practice, your cricket will get better. You may also know that you cannot become Tendulkar, yet. But you can get to the next level.Striving for that next level is important.

Nature designed with a random set of genes and circumstances in which we were born. To be happy, we have to accept it and make the most of nature's design. Are you? Goals will help you do that.



I must add, don't just have career or academic goals. Set goals to give you a balanced, successful life. I use the word balanced before successful. Balanced means ensuring your health, relationships, mental peace are all in good order.

There is no point of getting a promotion on the day of your breakup. There is no fun in driving a car if your back hurts. Shopping is not enjoyable if your mind is full of tensions.

You must have read some quotes - Life is a tough race, it is a marathon or whatever.. No, from what I have seen so far, life is one of those races in nursery school. Where you have to run with a marble in a spoon kept in your mouth. If the marble falls, there is no point coming first. Same with life, where health and relationships are the marble. Your striving is only worth it if there is harmony in your life. Else, you may achieve the success, but this spark, this feeling of being excited and alive, will start to die.

One last thing about nurturing the spark - don't take life seriously. One of my yoga teachers used to make students laugh during classes. One student asked him if these jokes would take away something from the yoga practice. The teacher said - don't be serious, be sincere. This quote has defined my work ever since. Whether its my writing, my job, my relationships or any of my goals. I get thousands of opinions on my writing everyday. There is heaps of praise, there is intense criticism. If I take it all seriously, how will I write? Or rather, how will I live? Life is not to be taken seriously, as we are really temporary here. We are like a pre-paid card with limited validity. If we are lucky, we may last another 50 years. And 50 years is just 2,500 weekends. Do we really need to get so worked up? It's ok, bunk a few classes, goof up a few interviews, fall in love. We are people, not programmed devices.

I've told you three things - reasonable goals, balance and not taking it too seriously that will nurture the spark. However, there are four storms in life that will threaten to completely put out the flame. These must be guarded against. These are disappointment, frustration, unfairness and loneliness of purpose.

Disappointment will come when your effort does not give you the expected return. If things don't go as planned or if you face failure. Failure is extremely difficult to handle, but those that do come out stronger. What did this failure teach me? is the question you will need to ask. You will feel miserable. You will want to quit, like I wanted to when nine publishers rejected my first book. Some IITians kill themselves over low grades – how silly is that? But that is how much failure can hurt you.

But it's life. If challenges could always be overcome, they would cease to be a challenge. And remember - if you are failing at something, that means you are at your limit or potential. And that's where you want to be.

Disappointment's cousin is frustration, the second storm. Have you ever been frustrated? It happens when things are stuck. This is especially relevant in India. From traffic jams to getting that job you deserve, sometimes things take so long that you don't know if you chose the right goal. After books, I set the goal of writing for Bollywood, as I thought they needed writers. I am called extremely lucky, but it took me five years to get close to a release.

Frustration saps excitement, and turns your initial energy into something negative, making you a bitter person. How did I deal with it? A realistic assessment of the time involved – movies take a long time to make even though they are watched quickly, seeking a certain enjoyment in the process rather than the end result – at least I was learning how to write scripts , having a side plan – I had my third book to write and even something as simple as pleasurable distractions
in your life - friends, food, travel can help you overcome it. Remember, nothing is to be taken seriously. Frustration is a sign somewhere, you took it too seriously.

Unfairness - this is hardest to deal with, but unfortunately that is how our country works. People with connections, rich dads, beautiful faces, pedigree find it easier to make it – not just in Bollywood, but everywhere. And sometimes it is just plain luck. There are so few opportunities in India, so many stars need to be aligned for you to make it happen. Merit and hard work is not always linked to achievement in the short term, but the long term correlation is high, and ultimately things do work out. But realize, there will be some people luckier than you.

In fact, to have an opportunity to go to college and understand this speech in English means you are pretty darn lucky by Indian standards. Let's be grateful for what we have and get the strength to accept what we don't. I have so much love from my readers that other writers cannot even imagine it. However, I don't get literary praise. It's ok. I don't look like Aishwarya Rai, but I have two boys who I think are more beautiful than her. It's ok. Don't let unfairness kill your spark..

Finally, the last point that can kill your spark is isolation. As you grow older you will realize you are unique. When you are little, all kids want Ice cream and Spiderman. As you grow older to college, you still are a lot like your friends. But ten years later and you realize you are unique. What you want, what you believe in, what makes you feel, may be different from even the people closest to you. This can create conflict as your goals may not match with others. . And you may drop some of them. Basketball captains in college invariably stop playing basketball by the time they have their second child. They give up something that meant so much to them. They do it for their family. But in doing that, the spark dies. Never, ever make that compromise.
Love yourself first, and then others.

There you go. I've told you the four thunderstorms - disappointment, frustration, unfairness and isolation. You cannot avoid them, as like the monsoon they will come into your life at regular intervals. You just need to keep the raincoat handy to not let the spark die.

I welcome you again to the most wonderful years of your life. If someone gave me the choice to go back in time, I will surely choose college. But I also hope that ten years later as well, you eyes will shine the same way as they do today. That you will Keep the Spark alive, not only through college, but through the next 2,500 weekends.And I hope not just you, but my whole country will keep that spark alive, as we really need it now more than any moment in history. And there is something cool about saying - I come from the land of a billion sparks.


Keep the spark in you glow through out ur life........

Good to be back

And here I am.Back to the place which has been my home and friends who have been my family for the past 3 years. This time it is special because we have come after a 6 month break and moreover this is our last semseter in BITS GOA.
I plan to do lot many things in this sem and a 'TO DO' list is being made with the assistance of my friends. We have ticked the first thing on the list and I think we should have done it way before and that is 'New year celebration in Goa'.Living in goa for past 3 years is different and celebrating new year over here is something else! To cut it short, it was the awesomest new year ever. If this happens when beach parties are banned and security is tight, I can't even imagine what must be the case like when everything was allowed. Nonetheless we had an awesome time. Be it the club we danced till 4 in night or the beach where firecrackers mesmerized us at midnight, or the hot Indian chicks( Foreigners are a common view now you see ;)) or the pole dance by drunk chicks in clubs, had a memorable new year!
Now coming back to campus life,had a dreadful time first two days since campus was deserted and I was allotted AH3. But my heart sways for AH4 and I finally managed to get a room in it. This is the hostel where I have had the most pleasant moments in Goa.Today we have our registration in some one hour. Campus is buzzing with kids I don't know, first yearites probably whom we are still to interact with ;). Nobody is speaking about placements and I think people have accepted the fact that there won't be any this sem :P. So better to enjoy the last sem. Two mba results out,the 'big' one is due this week. Lotsa thing in mind, but hardly any time to apply my thoughts on anything.
All I can say is it feels good to be back.Good to find the old faces moving pass the corridor. Eating at our joints(although they suck) and doing nothing but vellagiri which we are best at. People are skeptical that they would have nothing to do after two months. But as of now, I am enjoying the campus and hopefully would find ways to keep us all entertained :D.

PS:HAPPY NEW YEAR :D

The Day I was Conned

I must confess I have never felt so stupid in my life. I have traveled in almost all parts of the country and in almost all modes of transport and when I boarded my train on15th Dec from Bangalore to Jodhpur, it was no big deal.

But yes, this was the first time I was traveling 45 hours straight (because I had to take my bike back to my hometown in the same train). I changed my ticket from 3^rd AC to 2^nd for the first time and I got an upper birth which I changed to lower birth (I have always preferred upper birth though; but my cabin had just two guys, so took it).For the first time I accepted food from a stranger (as I mentioned that person was to be my sole companion for next 48 hours), and ya ok, we chatted for quite some hours. For the first time I had just 100 bucks left with me during a journey and I really did not minded him paying my expenses (him being a businessman going on a business trip to Jodhpur to seal a deal with Bikaji Namkeens).

So let us talk about this businessman. He knew everyone and I mean everyone in the pantry car; from waiters to managers to the TT of the train. He had relatives at almost every other stop we had. He was on calls for almost the entire time. He was the owner of ticket booth of PVR cinemas, Forum Mall, Bangalore, he was the contractor of food in Rajdhani express and he had local businesses in railways and many other diverse fields. Every damn tea boy and attendant was treating him as he was the Prince and yes, he was carrying 95k cash with him which he showed to me. He was a fat small guy who looked stupid, and more importantly looked genuine. All this description explains why did I trusted the guy and why did I had his food and why did I chatted with him.

Now it was 3.30 am in night that I got up and found two of my mobiles (Sony Ericsson P990i and Nokia 3220) missing and my wallet secure (thankfully it just had 100 bucks ,so the thief must have shown some pity). I told the ‘businessmen’ about it and he said his wallet was missing too which had some 5k cash. Rest 90k he had it in his pocket. So he made me write a complaint letter which he said he’ll deliver to RPF Ahemdabad so that they can track the thief down and he also assured since he is a railway employee, they’ll be more vigilant for this case. In the morning he told that 1 Lakh rupee has been taken out from his ICICI credit card which was there in his wallet. Now he told me that he has to get down at Marwar Junction(a town near Jodhpur) for some work and he’ll be in Jodhpur the next day where we can meet up with my Dad for verification at Jodhpur station. I had his number and he gave me landline nos. of his home at Bangalore and Marwar. HE asked if he can borrow my Ipod for 1 day because he’ll be bored otherwise and he’ll give it back tomorrow when we meet. And I gave him, because after all we had become friends.

Next day I called him and he said he has some business deal in Bikaner and he’ll meet up tomorrow. And we spoke for him on 4-5 occasions on the same day and the next. Finally on 19^th, he said he’ll be coming railway station in 15mins and that was the last time I spoke with him. His phone was unreachable after that and I realized finally what a fool I had been. It took me two days to connect all the things and how he played his role to perfection to con me.Obviously all land line nos. were fake.

Probably first time in my life, I have been deceived in such a manner and I am just helpless and can do nothing about it. I can just imagine his face filled with satisfaction, he even pulled the last act of taking my Ipod to perfection, and what a fool I had been the whole time. I know I won’t be able to recover my phones or ipod or my 600 contacts or 1200 messages or pics or anything else. But I just wish I meet that person once more in this life and can get even. Just hoping to get my hands on him one day in future….

In short, this trip is something I’ll like to erase from my memory. Nothing good came out of it except few important lessons that you all can infer yourself.

PS: I may seem really stupid after the whole narration and probably I am. But I can just say one thing about that guy, he was good, fucking good.

Last Day at Broadcom

Today is my last day at Broadcom and I really don’t know how to react or feel about it. I have been longing to go home for so long but when the time is coming close, it’s like I don’t want to leave this place. It’s hard to believe that almost 6 months has passed since I came to Bengaluru and when I look back, I see so many good things coming out of this internship and this place.

Living by yourself is a whole new and enriching experience. I remember the day I came here with so many apprehensions about the place and work. But everything worked out just fine. Had a real good time in the company and exploring this city. But now its time to say final goodbye and I know I’ll be missing this place.
I’ll miss my cubicle and my computer and the awesome net speed over here. I’ll miss the free phone calls and the free cold drinks and juices :P. I’ll miss the rush I used to make to come to the office when our instructor used to visit us. I’ll miss the thread on gmail which all of us used to stay in touch and telling stuff about their PS and their companies. And of course I’ll miss the chinkies!!

I’ll miss the tea that Jayashree makes for me everyday (after some motivation :D). I’ll miss the game of snooker I used to play with Sumeet and Gampa. I’ll miss all the stories told to me by Shantanu and his sense of humor :P. I’ll miss the grave look on Neeraj’s face. I’ll miss the tamil conversation between Janani and Jayashree. I’ll miss the wannab ‘Kaushik’ :P with his typical choices(eg- Sunil Joshi being his favorite cricket player).This guy is really funny. I’ll miss all our lunch and snack times and gossips on the terrace and in the ‘Bay’.
All in all I’ll miss all the pleasant moments I had with the other interns and my team members who made this 6 months look so easy and manageable. It was really nice working here and I really hope I get to work here some other time.

But as of now, I am leaving this place today and glad that this internship happened. Learnt a lot and made new friends. I will take lot of memories from this place and miss many more things(like the Coorg and Mysore trip :P). Hoping such times come again. Looking forward to the new year bash in Goa now.


“Don’ cry because its over, Smile because it happened”- Dr. Seuss(taken from Melange’05)


PS: My blog journey started from this place. But won’t end here ;).

Being a Bitsian

As semester end is approaching fast, I have so many thoughts that it's indeed difficult to jot all of them down. One thing that surely separates this end from other semesters is that each semester we cribbed about final comprehensive exams and prayed them to get over quickly so that we all can run our home, but this time around every one wants to stay. Be it people who are doing their PS(practice school) or those who are still in college, every one wants to live the romance which is coming to an end with each passing moment.

People in college know that this is time to bid final goodbye to Goa and the wonderful lives we all had for past 3 years.Now is there time to see the corporate world closely and have all together different experience.And others who have to go back campus have accustomed to such an independent and unrestricted life that it would be really hard to be back in rooms by 11pm and eat at our beloved Atish's mess in the college. But I guess that's what happens to every Bitsian at some point or other and experiencing this cross road has groomed us all very well indeed.

Next semester also gonna be the placements speaking about which has become a taboo as of now :P. Economy is on a roll(sense the sarcasm) and we are fortunate enough to be facing our placements in such a situation(yah its still going on).Also people will be waiting for the results of different MBA exams they appeared for and universities they applied for MS.

The end of the semester reminds me of the reasons I took PS in first sem:
1.Getting a job during internship
2.Had a gut feeling that I'll prepare better for CAT in Bangalore
3.Almost all my friends were going for PS in first sem.

Just had the (3.) to look forward to next sem. Thanks to recruitment freeze,no chance of placement during internship and my mediocre performance in CAT,I guess I didn't get what I had sought for.Anyways no regrets,looking forward to next semester.

PS: Infosys has got the distinction of registering as the first company on campus :D

Gateway Peace March-Dec 3rd pics

Respond to 26 Nov - Take Immediate Action Petition

Respond to 26 Nov - Take Immediate Action Petition