Ye Hai Meri Kahani

Certificates say my name is Pritesh Jain.
I say I am Pritesh,
Also known as PJ, for the obvious reasons.
Wonder if my parents had foreseen my talent.

Dad is a banker, mom a housewife.
Have an elder sister,
And her two little kids.
I become a kid with them.
They are my love, they are my life.

Born in Khandwa – the birth place of Kishore Kumar
Did not realize it till I was in class 4th.
It has no significance anyways,
I sing terribly even by bathroom singing standards.

Always topped in school,
And made my parents proud.
They told me -
"Success is a journey, not a destination."
So keep walking.
And to this day I haven't stopped.

Indore – Bangalore – Ahmedabad
Three stops in my journey.
Each one more significant than the other.
Each one as crucial as air, water and sun.
They showed me the world,
Helped me become what I am today.

Indore – city of my dreams
3F of my life - family, friends and food.
School, board exams and merit ranks.
My first interview in a news paper.
Success and happiness.
And then the question – am I content?
Home was nice, I was happy,
But naaa, It was not the time to stop.
I had to explore more.
And so I moved on.
Good Bye Indore.

Come Bangalore – city of opportunities
RVCE - my abode for four years.
Four best years of my life,
Studies – the first love,
My gang – the second one.
College fests, cricket and rockbands.
In between blood donation and eye check-up camps.
Goa, Panchagani and Gokarna
A new experience every time,
Newer learning to go with it.
Those 4 years went very fast.
I did well.
I did well in exploring.

Riverstone was the next step,
A small start-up situated in the heart of Bangalore,
A place filled with enthusiasm and optimism.
Saw myself getting transformed into a so called IT professional
Projects, deadlines and deliverables,
All became part of my life.
I worked, and learnt bit by bit. Step by step.

Learnt French between in between,
Became a movie freak and a reader.
And worked for an NGO.
Those kids taught me a lot,
To be patient and caring.
They taught me virtue of enthusiasm and optimism.
In return, I taught them computer basics.

Riverstone got acquired, Lucent was the new master.
Things did not change much.
Still felt like I needed a change,
I needed some more challenges.

Juniper offered the same.
A place where I could challenge my limits,
And define them again.
Big team, bigger customers and even bigger targets.
Opportunities.
To learn, to grow and to help others grow.
I grabbed them all.

Work is fun and fun is work – my motto in life.
If it is not fun, you better find something else.
Change is the only constant thing.
And it is good.
Challenge your limits,
Else they will restrict you.

I needed more.
Opportunities, challenges and responsibilities.
I wanted to grow faster
As a person, as a business leader.
And so happened CAT and IIMA
Time to say goodbye Bengaluru

And here I am today in Ahmedabad.
IIMA – the place where excellence is the norm.
Red bricks, big arches,
Dreams, passion and ambitions.
A class apart, all along

Excellence
I have always strived for
I continue to do so.

Want to work more for children.
Want to bring more smiles on their faces.
My camera – my passion
My Blog – that keeps me alive
I call it “in search of UTOPIA”

Got lost once during a night trek.
It was an awesome feeling -
To find my own way,
And come out of the troubles.
I want to do it again.
And again.

One day I want to jump from a high bridge in New Zealand
With an elastic rope tied to my ankle.
They call it bungee jumping, I call it my dream.
I am sure I will survive.
I will survive.

Saw it on TV last night –
“Be born everyday
Aaj rockstar kal pilot
And who knows what the day after
Kabhi kisi anjan station par utar ke dekho
Kabhi kisi gumnam shahar ka ticket katao
Dusri ki galtiyo se kya seekhna, make your own mistakes yaar
Never resemble your passport photo for more than three months
Har subah shock your reflection
Explore
Bachpan ke kya kuch nahi banana chahte the
Why not today?
Be born everyday”

This's my new mantra.
Change – Innovate – Reinvent
Myself,
My life.
Live on the edge.

To this day,
I keep walking.
This journey will be interesting for sure.
And for me, that is all what matters.


ps: Wrote this poem as part of an application process for summer internship. Never got to know if the firm I applied liked it or not. Nonetheless I am happy that they gave me a reason to look back and think.
Life has been hectic post placements. That's the IIMA magic. You are never free. Confluence is starting today. Looking forward at having a great time.