The TCS Story - From the beginning......

4^th March. About 3:00 PM – The day when it started.

My phone rang several times before I noticed that there are 5 missed calls from my CAT coaching centre. I called back. The conversation started:

“Hello, Sir? Is it you?”

“Yes Chinmaya. Hey…. Why don’t you attend a GD-PI tomorrow in Jaipur. The college is not so great, but still you will get the stint of GD-PIs. The fee is also less.”

“But Sir, I am not at all prepared.”

“Don’t worry. You are just practicing before you take on the real ones.”

After some persuading and morale-boosting, I agreed to attend the GD-PI.

4^th March. 5:00 PM

I was already at the bus stand, buying ticket for a journey to Jaipur. Called my Home:

“Mummy, I am coming.”

“Arre waah…… achaanak. Great !!!”

“Arreeyyy……. It’s not so great. Anyways….. prepare the dinner. My balance is low. Bye bye.”

5^th March. 10:00 AM

Sitting in the air-conditioned conference hall of 3-star Jaipur Hotel, I was feeling like a timid kid, who somehow managed to reach the hotel, doesn’t know what he is doing in a GD, and simply wants to get out. But that Rs. 500 note asked me to sit and listen the crap the others were shouting.

After four long hours, the whole process got over. Finished the formalities, and took an auto for Home.

5^th March. 5:00 PM

“Mummy, I am not feeling well.”

“You must go to Dr.Mittal immediately. See, how thin you have become. Oh my God !!! Don’t you take food in Ajmer.”

Few hours later, I was already at 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and knew that this is going to go worse.

10^th March

It felt almost like a month sitting in the bed and reading newspapers and old magazines. Pretty much sure that nothing fruitful is going on in college; I kind of started liking my stay in Jaipur.

But then, Life is not so easy, especially for engineers : P. So there came a letter about a GD-PI call of an MBA college in Ahmedabad (College is in Noida, Ahmedabad was just the centre). After a week, finally there was something to do !!!

12^th March, Evening

Failing in shifting the centre or postponing the GD-PI call, I had to leave for Ahmedabad. All the stories of my illness and my-documents-are-in-Ajmer seemed worthless on the numerous phone calls I made to the college’s admission office.

At 8:00 PM finally, the bus began its journey. The funny part of these buses is the movies they play on the LCD screens during the journey. I had to watch “Shivaji – The Boss”, starring Rajnikanth, as it was played on the maximum possible volume. As for the movie reviews, I can’t find words. God only knows what these South Indian directors want. After the crap was over, I was fast asleep.

At 2:00 AM, as my mobile vibrated, I woke up suddenly. Opened the flap and the screened showed:

6 missed calls - All from my roommate Pankaj.

1 unread message – “TCS coming . JECRC, Jaipur on 16. I will come ur home on 15. Happy journey”

Now this was like a bolt out of a clear sky kind of thing !!!! I was shocked, pleased, happy and furious at the same time. Knowing that all guys must be preparing for the recruitment process, I felt like a dumb-ass who is going to attend a GD-PI call, even when he knows that he isn’t going to convert it.

I didn’t sleep for the whole night after that.

14^th March, 10:00 AM

Time for attending the actual GD-PI call. Same process – documents check, essay writing, PI etc. One long tiring day. Came out of the centre at 4:00 PM. Screwed up everything I could.

The next evening, I took bus for going back to Jaipur again. And why shouldn’t I? After all, TCS was coming, and I am a dumb-ass.

What I learnt from my Ahmedabad experience: College campuses are much better in Gujarat than in Rajasthan.

15^th March, 8:00 PM

C, C++, DBMS, Norman Lewis, Barron’s GRE – All of them were lying on my bed. Fresh and intact. Just the way they I purchased them. Pankaj had come to my Home, and bought the books with him as I had ask him before leaving Ajmer.

I looked at the wall clock. “12 hours later I have to reach JECRC.” I thought. What the heck !!! I closed all the books and put them in the cupboard. Played NFS Most Wanted for one hour, checked my Facebook status, and went to sleep.

16^th March, 8:00 PM sharp

Looking your friends in shirt-pants and formals, who you are looking in payjamas for the past four years, feels comical. After three hours of wait, we were finally given entrance to the computer-automated aptitude test lab. Without going into much details, let me tell you the schedule:

11:00 AM – Computer based aptitude test. This was the biggest surprise !!!

3:00 PM – Technical interview. The interviewer, after 40 minutes, proved that I know nothing and I am a worthless creature on this planet.

5:00 PM – MR interview. The first question was: 82 in X, 72 in XII, 62 in engineering. Why Chinmaya?

7:00 PM – HR interview. Was like meeting an old friend and having my career path discussion. Enjoyed.

Took a bus for returning Home at 7:30 PM. Dinner and straight to sleep.

Woke up at 6 in the morning. After that, till 11:14 PM of 18^th March 2010, each second was like a lifetime.

18^th March, 11:15 PM

My phone rang, and showed ‘Anuj Khandelwal caliling…’.

My heart skipped a beat. After hearing some poor jokes, he finally told me that we (both me and Anuj) have made it. Confirmed the news with my branch’s placement coordinator.

After that, it was bliss. We know the rest. The feeling, the temple visits, the status updates etc.

“Yes, I finally made it.” I told myself at 4:00 AM, before going to sleep.

25^th March

Returned back to Ajmer. The inter-college quiz preparation began (see one of the previous post on Inter-college quiz). After 5 days, we were done. Everything went on fine.

30^th March

Gave party to my dearest friends in engineering: Amratansh (Golu), Arpit Mathur, Pankaj Kumawat, Mithlesh, Prashant Kulwal (Nawab Sahab), Keshav (Chaini), Krishan Kumar Shekhawat (Krrish), Raghvendra (Raghu bhaiya), Anuj Mehra (Bidibaaj), Deepak Sharma (Chabra), Atul Agarwal (Ganja).

15^th May

Celebrated with my fellow college mates who too were selected in TCS. 20 were present out of 25. Enjoyed. Danced. Dinner. Late night talks. Awesome !!!

Today, after posting this blog, the story will get over. I would like to thank the Almighty, my Family, all of my friends who supported me, and at last the technical interviewer (I still don't know what was on his mind).

Thanks for reading. I am at peace (and gaming) now.