"I find I'm so excited, I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it is the excitement at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain", by Red (Morgan Freeman) in The Shawshank Redemption. This line has come to my mind when I remembered my first day at IIM Lucknow.
It was June 6th 2010, my birthday. Had a great time with a midnight blast at friend's place and a party at Ohris Banjara. I was so busy meeting friends, throwing parties and enjoying every moment, that I was in no mood of packing. My mom gave up and started packing for me. So I had to take over from her and then realized that I should have started at least an hour before. Slowly the bags started filling up but the things left never seemed to reduce. I realized that I underestimated packing time by a full two hours. We had our flight to Lucknow at 10 AM, the next day.
The whole of last month, right from 28th April, the day when IIM Lucknow announced their results, was so filled with activity and enjoyment that it had become difficult for me to sit at home even for a day. I had a wonderful time, with so many parties, outings and very little work, that their memories make me nostalgic even today. I still wonder whether I really worked so hard that all my colleagues threw party after party for my farewell. The one week in Guntur, after I bid goodbye to Pune, was also filled with lots of activity, little boring this time, as I had a lot of paper work.
June 7th, the flight was on time. I did not worry about the size of my luggage as my Mom and Bro were travelling with me, without whom I would have easily paid the price of another ticket for extra luggage. I was really happy that I forced my Mom and Bro to join me to Lucknow, and watching them excited on their first air travel made the journey even more memorable. The flight landed in Lucknow and with all the excitement, I wouldn't have bothered even if it was delayed by an hour.
The scorching heat suddenly made me remember all the people who told me about the Lucknow's erratic climate. The campus is one hour travel by car from the airport, and the heat and sweating made it unbearable. Adding to our dis-comfort, the taxi-wala took one of the worst routes possible to the campus. All the agony disappeared at the sight of the entrance, and the words "Bharatiya Prabandh Samsthaan, Indian Institute of Management", mentioned majestically. The words "you have belled the CAT" seemed to reverberate in my mind and it made me feel proud that my dream of being in an IIM has come true, 4 years after its conception.
The formalities were completed almost immediately, and my hostel room for the next two years was selected by a lucky draw. The hostel was lot better than I had expected. I had never been so excited when I moved to a new place. My mom was also equally excited and I guess it was the only thing that helped her walk so much that day, in spite of her joint pains. After one more round in the campus the next morning, it was time for their return flight. It was not a joy ride this time as my Mom was little nostalgic that I am going to live so far from home for the next two years.
So this is it, I am in an IIM finally!
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