Retrospect

I wish to do something different on the last day of the year, at the least on the blog. Let me try my hand at summarizing what 2004 had for me.

The year had begun in my room at Sion, Mumbai, with calm darkness enveloping and words of prayer and good wishes from Supriya echoing in my ears. With dreamy eyes and drowsiness in my bones, I welcomed 2004. I was with a major services company slogging my life out and one of my main concerns was to get out of there. It is a great company, has great clients and great projects, but it isn’t the place for my kind. The company and my group had core competency in technology and no one trusts them with consulting engagements, which are my interests.

Two months passed making efforts for a change of job. News kept on pouring from my business school that for the current year students, there had been tremendous placements. For the experienced, however, the picture didn’t seem that rosy, particularly if one wanted to change from technology to finance or from marketing to finance. I used to worry a lot if I would be stuck with the thisCompany, just like a square peg in a round hole.

The other big decision that had been put in abeyance for long was to talk to my parents about my love life and Supriya. I was coming home from work when I rang up my parents and in the spur of the moment, told them all about everything between me and Supriya. Hell broke loose. My mom just couldn’t believe it. I knew it would be a shock for my parents who always thought that I was a kid and never had guts to look into the eyes of a female. How could I fall for a girl and how could I hide this information for so long? It had been two and a half years since the time we saw each other first. It was the fear of this shock and its repercussions that had held me up from revealing my relationship with Supriya. The year was to be so full of emotional break downs and sentimental verbal exchanges.

There was one of my friends from work who got married. Prince Mathew married Cherry in a church. Supriya made me visit the church and take a look at everything that happened. That was one day when I could dream of my own marriage in a systematic manner. I just hope that there is at least one such church in Hyderabad where they can let a Hindu marry a Christian. Or I will have to marry Supriya in a dusty, dirty and old courtroom in front of a registrar with thick glasses.

Then Deloitte happened. I had applied for Valuation services online. I got interviewed by two people from their US office, and three people in Mumbai, before their company became mine too. That was good news for me. Supriya always wanted to settle in Hyderabad. I liked being there too since I had been in Hyderabad for three . I can still remember the echo of her kisses on phone when I told her that I would be moving to Hyderabad to join Deloitte. She was located at Calicut, a port city of Kerela. We had to think of her relocation to Hyderabad too. If only Indian Airlines could let her be here with me!

Last four months have been a tremendous learning experience. Deloitte has a very good work culture. The valuation practice is a small group as of now and is poised to expand in times to come. We had Daniel Huggard and Prateep Menon from our US offices come over to India and train us on valuation methods and approaches. Daniel is a great friend, a great person to work with, and a good soul that has romantic and artistic way of looking at things. Our group misses him a lot. Prateep was great in his analytic skills and management. With him the processes were streamlined and we are now in a better position to serve our customers. Ashok Jain visited us too. He is the valuation partner for Mid-west region in US. A thoroughly well informed, knowledgeable and philosophical man he is and is one whom I can look up to for inspiration. Our National Managing Partner Frank Piantidosi also visited us and it was a great privilege to meet him. His visit confirmed the commitment of Deloitte in developing its Indian operations.

My parents visited me at Hyderabad and that helped thaw a lot of ice that had frozen in. They could see how I lived and how responsible I was. They could also view pain written all over my face. They desired to caution me and wanted me to revisit my decision and agreed to approve my marriage with Supriya if I was confident of my future with her. That was the biggest gift that 2004 had for me.

There were many moments that I cherish on the last day of the year. Though there were some pains and some sufferings, the year was good for me. It gave me some of biggest inputs in terms of knowledge and skill. It gave me a good company to work with. It gave me good insight into relationships. It gave me the idea of a blog!! It gave me many more things which I will carry with me all through my life.

For the New Year, I wish things fall in place and I can be at peace with myself and my life and with all around me. Let the New Year bring happiness and joy for all. Let it bring everything that everyone desires. Amen.