Normally we never remember each day of the calender, but there are some dates, which never fade away from memory and even when year column changes in calender, the date "flashes back" in mind.
3 years back,31st May, I just signed a "small piece of paper", looked at my workstation and with a heavy heart proceeded towards HR section. HR Section was possibly not more than 50-60 steps from my seat, but with each step that piece of paper was becoming heavier.
For a moment I stopped and questioned myself. Am I taking a right decision? This apparently "small piece of paper" was going to change the course of my life. Automotive sector, possibly the most glamorous field of mechanical engineering was about to get away from me. Submission of that paper would move me out of "corporate world" and very vividly reduce down the numbers which appear at the end of every month in my bank account. More than reducing the incoming numbers in the bank, there would be a strong debit in the form of education loan emi. Journey after this would be in a totally unknown territory and that added more to worries.
I stopped, was about to turn back. This was perhaps the first and last time when I questioned my own decision of moving to rural development field, decision which was not acceptable to my parents then, not acceptable to many of friends and well wishers. All the arguments which my parents gave for opposing this decision of leaving GM and moving to IRMA, came fore-front. My friends comments that you are not just leaving GM but you are also losing something more than that. They added one is very lucky to get project of one's choice, department of one;s choice and over and above that Boss (Atri Sir) who is more than a friend and I had all three.
But it seems, there are moments when rationality looses all its importance and that was the same moment.
Prof. Channiwala's (my mentor) words which he said while convincing my father on phone about 10 days back before I was supposed to submit my resignation that "I need 10 years of life of your son. Its May 2007, we will talk back in May, 2017 and I am sure that this decision will make both of us feel proud".
I took a deep breath and decided to follow my heart.
3 years have passed by, 2 very worthy years at IRMA, which have literally transformed me and now with Disha Cooperative evolving in much better way than I dreamt, have a feel that something positive will start appearing soon in the lives of people of Mayurbhanj.
Seven years at hand when Prof. Channiwala will be back on phone, speaking to my father. Let time disclose what it has in its next chapters of my life
ना हार से ना जीत से
बस केवल एक उम्मीद से
वक़्त के पन्नों पर कुछ लिखता मिटाता हूँ
गीत नया गाता हूँ
