“Passion” for me has lot of meanings but one word is common in all i.e. “excellence”. I hail from place where English is still an alien language but their game Cricket is common passion for entire socio structure there. Like every other boy when I reached to age where I could hold a willow in hand I started playing it with growing aspiration to become Rahul Dravid one day. Surprise no Sachin :) yes it was Rahul I modeled my game on because of his impeccable technique and amazing temperament.Rahul was not gifted as Sachin or Sehwag but he made it big because of his sheer passion, hard work and never say die attitude and he is batting manual if you want to master this batting art. In the absence of basic amenities I practiced in scorching sun, make the decks myself, watered it rolled it daily and used to think about game 24*7. All this paid off to an extent I went to college and represented my university all 3 years in state level tournament. I used to be only student from math stream to represent university, historically it was always art stream students since it required 3 months camp, no classes no practical which is tough for science stream student.

As they say sometime life is too tough for no reasons and one day I had to take a next step in life where pitch got changed suddenly. I had emergency in family and it required me to do a job to help my father financially instead of continuing my studies post graduation so I took the train for Galib’s city with plain graduation degree, bare minimum proficiency in colonial language but oodles passion for excellence and winning. I used to think quite often do I have any positive take away from all that invested in this game? What was it which drove me nuts? To practice in scorching sun, to bunk school/college, travel in jam pack busses umpteen times to play matches where barely any spectator or good prize money at the stake. And I got my answer it was the “PASSION” for the game. And then I told myself if I can bring half of that passion in this new phase of my life I’ll make some place for myself. I always believed no matter what the situation is there is way around to turn that into good and that is always on me every single time. As someone said you never win silver 99.99 times you lose gold thus never settled for mediocrity. It’s all about self belief that you can change the game and if you can’t there is no pointing being in that game. I landed in HCL and found myself amongst top notch management school professionals I was indeed odd man out with plain graduation degree. I had been brought on board on backdrop of sheer deliverables and credentials which I made with my 25 people firm I started my career in. HCL have had their doubts apparently because lack of management degree vis-e-vis the role but finally they decided to take a risk driven by their DNA :) and called me one day to say “you have the passion for this craft and we want to take a chance”. I told myself this is what all I needed just “A chance” this is my time now and before opportunity knocked the door I got up and opened it. Circumstances were trying and I backed myself to go about my business with surgeon precision. HCL recognized that passion and perseverance and I have had privilege to be twice on coveted podium of O2 .HCL is ever changing canvas find your passion and paint it with your success story remember situation can be changed for good and it’s always on you every single time. Keep the endurance alive to explode your passion and keep pushing your limits.....