Episode 2 "Dad... I wanna start up my own business!!!"

The day I made a decision



It was 21st June 2008 and the days were just passing by. I was doing my ususal job of maintaining the account of a US based client. A typical maintenance project. It was on 28th of June when I was having a conversation with my Dad. Normally, the conversation would be a typical dad-son conversation filled with work life, salaries, savings etc, but this day was a little different.

Me: Dad, I have something to tell you.

I could sense a change in tone in my dad's voice.

Dad: Well, what is it?

Me: I have submitted my resignation today.

Dad: What??? WHat are you saying? R u serious??

Me: Dad... WHy would I joke on issues as serious as this?

Dad: Yeah there were occassions like your tenth results, your college brawl etc when i really wished you were joking. But they all turned out to be serious.

Me: Dad, but this is not a negative decision like tenth marks or college brawls. I have taken this decision keeping my future in mind. I cannot continue in an IT job throughout my life dad. I knew I had to quit and follow my dreams someday and I think the day has come.

Dad: So what plans now? How do you wish to approach?

Me: Dad, I think I need to do MBA to learn all the tricks and techniques of business. So CAT awaits me on the third sunday of November. I ll give it a shot and hope for the best.

Dad: CAT is an exam where lakhs of students takeevery year. And with your potential for preperation I would be surprised if you even qualify. Anyways, I just hope you know what you are doing.

Me: Definitely Dad.

And there ended the call.... I wish I were as confident as I sounded. I knew CAT was a tough nut to crack. Infact I would call it a stone in the form of a nut. One of my bookworm friend had given it last time and had scored a 91%le. And if anyone who knew us had to rate our studying capabilities on a scale of 10, they would give him 10 and me 1. (Or they might even slide down to negatives had they known me too well).Hence, I knew I had to set a realistic target.So, I had set a %le of 80 as a target. I just thought of one thing, "Education is equivalent to Goddess Saraswati. So it is the same everywhere, let it be in the IIMs or any other so called B grade B schools. After all God is omnipresent." Hence I decided I would get into some mediocre B school and learn everything I can about how to run a business.

So next day, I caught a train back to my hometown, Vizag, with only 1 thing in mind... CAT.

.............. (To be continued)....