I remember very well. It was the monsoon season. The rains were splashing down heavily upon the roof of a very old and lousy building near Marine Drive which made the atmosphere really romantic. Anyways that just set up the mood and it stopped soon. The same building, when I entered gave me a mixed feeling of surprise and shock. I had made entry into the B school I wanted to come to, not with the aim of having to just pursue my MBA but move away from my comfort zone, to experience the glamorous and unstoppable Mumbai life, to live with my own set of rules, that disallowed me to be carefree at times in the sober and educational city of Pune, where I was compelled to stay within the pleasant conditions of life that surrounded me.

There have been moments in the past, when moving to a different city seemed like a distant dream, I guess 4 years back but I dreamt and dreamt seriously! And here I am today standing on the footsteps of IGTC, not knowing where I am going to head after this chapter closes but the so called ” practical world” concept came true in the vastness of thoughts that was surrounding me in the lucid yet competitive environment besides the shores of Marine Drive.

One year has passed to this day, in fact more than a year and I feel I have already experienced some phases of my life which many of my counterparts yet yearn to have. Apart from studies, there have been crazy sleepovers, some impeccable food items tasted, one companion that I feel lucky to have met because of the family that she meant to me in this city, new friends made and friendship as a relationship evolving from being a mere tool of communication, to something which became constant emotional support and a guide for learning from others’ as well as my mistakes, and making sure your friends do not commit them as well, people met not only in college at IGTC but outside the premises as well who gave first hand experience of spectacular photography, events going on in and around Mumbai and beautiful long drives within the vicinity of the city stretching from Kalyan to Worli and Malshej Ghat to the outskirts of Borivali where tribal culture still flourishes away from the hustle – bustle of the metropolitan.

This quiet little place in the corner of an old insurance building at Churchgate comes to life when the inhabitants of the 2nd floor make it active, chirpy and lively. This year I would say has not been so easy. From dirty politics played, trying to demean people for their ignorance, to the most helping and genuine people around who made sure that everyone stayed together, ate and sang together. When I say that the year had its ups and downs it is not only by things around but changes inside me as well. From swaying away from the main road into stupid thoughts to bunking one or two lectures for extra sleep and speaking out all views which may have impacted my friends’ emotions have been some the decisions at IGTC which I wish I could look back upon and improvise.

At IGTC you recognize the true inner self inside you and learn to control and manage your behaviour. It is very difficult to survive in this arena if your self- control is elusive. The major shift from Pune to Mumbai was that change or a better word to describe may be a learning that made a drastic evolution from me being optimistic only about things that were read in the “scriptures” we memorize to a person who has begun to come out of the cocoon. A process of true metamorphosis coming to reality.

The caterpillar crawl is coming to an end, and that phase of long introspection is about to begin which will end only when the butterfly is ready to say, that it wants to fly to achieve much more bigger dreams.This is my story. The phase of introspection, not in isolation indeed, but with sheer joy that results get transformed only when you motivate and believe.

What’s yours?

Rucha Khot