The crowd outside wanted to know how stable the market was and where they should dump their money. I sat inside, cool, calm, unaffected with the noise outside and the discussions as to why I chose to be the CMO and not the CEO of the $ 100 billion firm, the technician was setting up the mic and I was browsing through my Facebook and twitter feeds. In less than ten minutes I was to address a world full of a budding audience about the stability of the markets, the targets in various industries and how we would strengthen the pre-sales force. The phone buzzed. My personal number, a mystery to all gets a call from an unknown number.
“Hi, AB.”
“Hey, how are you? You seem to be doing great in life.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t catch your name.”
“I am C from your Alma Mater. Could you please help us with the PI rounds and some speeches during our selection process?”
I was shocked. I felt anxiety. My adrenaline rushed. I was getting a headrush all over again. My Alma Mater remembered me. I felt my heart throb like it had on the day of my own interview. I felt cold sweat after about eight years.
“Hey AB, you there?”
“I will be honored to do this for my alma mater.”
“I’ll mail you the rest. I know you are about to speak. Apologies if I caught you without notice.”
“That’s ok. Will await the mail.”
I went back to a flashback, 3 young guys, unknown to each other, happen to enter the building at the same time. They acquaint themselves in the lift and start discussing. The tension and anxiety on the face clearly visible, yet the effort to hide it creating lines on the temple. This was the PI I was waiting for since the day of results. We entered and saw a 50 people group. Tension increased, we started calculating probable chances. If it was 1 in a 4, was it 1 in us 3?
After 6 grilling hours of GD and PI, we left the place. All we were left with were the questions asked. The millions of things we prepared that remained unasked. The 20 minutes that we thought we rocked. Did we? The shouts of the GD still buzzed our ears. Who should have done better? Who should have said what? It didn’t matter anymore. The moment passed. We did what we had to. They had a smoke. All the three seemed to have done well. The wait for the call was what was left. And that’s when my alarm rang.
I woke up only to realise the PI results weren’t out yet. Life was playing a dirty game. Dreams of being a CEO and harsh reality of better students putting up their profile on PaGaLGuy. Just then my mother brought in my coffee saying “if you are done drooling over yesterday’s PI, Wake up to the PI called LIFE.”