Bus ride to Koti & Gokul Chat

It feels good to be back in good ol' Hyderabad. I did my engineering here, and it feels even better to be back here as a student. During my 4 years of engineering, going to Koti was a ritual that kick-starts a new semester.

I take a crowded bus 225 to Koti, get down the running bus while it turns right on the Andhra Bank HO junction, walk down to a book-stall, return books that I hated in the last semester, and buy new ones. Then head over to Gokul Chat, and savor a plate of bhel-puri. Walk down slowly back to the bus-stop, take 225 heading back home, reach home, drop the books, glug down 3-4 glasses of water to re-hydrate my system, and black-out.

Now that I am a student again and have a couple of pre-term books to buy, I really wanted to re-live the experience of going to Koti as a student. I could as well hire an auto or drive down to Koti in my car, but I really wanted to do it the good ol' way. So, here's how it went:

Bus 225 was crowded as always and I had to stand for about 10 minutes to find a seat. Then I got to squeeze into the last seat, sharing the long seat with 6 others. My thoughts drifted back to the bus I used to take in Williamsport. The bus there always had a seat for me, and I didn't have to share it with anyone. The temperature was controlled, and the driver would always wish me well when I get off the bus. Open my eyes and I am back in a sultry bus sweating heavily and breathing the exhaust of my neighbors.

I reminded myself that I have done this many times before and that this cannot be classified as suffering. I reached Koti and was prepared to see all the shops on the side of the road taken off. This was a move to ease traffic on the road. The book-stalls have been moved to a different location nearby. I walked past Gokul Chat with a smiling face, this is a place I sorely miss from my college days.

The guy at the book-stall over-quoted the price by Rs.200 and after I convinced him that I am ready to shove the book into his mouth if he doesn't quote the correct price, he relented and set his record straight. After finishing the book hunting, I walk down to Gokul Chat.

Gokul-chat, for the uninitiated, is a landmark fast-food joint in Koti, and almost every student has his dose of chat during his book-hunting trip. This place is so famous that terrorists targeted the place about 18 months ago. The place was reconstructed from the ashes and was re-opened to stand as a symbol condemning the thoughtless act. I felt that going back to this place and enjoying a savory dish is a way to remember the lives lost here, and a way to let the terrorists know that we, as citizens of Hyderabad, will live on. If you are reading this blog and have never visited the place, please do it once, for me.

I then took a 225 back home. I was very tired by the time I dragged my feet back home with the books. I needed several liters of water and two hours of solid sleep to start feeling normal again. The sultry day gave way to a thunderstorm in the evening, and I had some fun time walking in the rain, something I didn't get to do in the US, because the rains over there are not so inviting.

Looking back, the journey was worth it, especially because I could fulfill the dream of going back to Gokul chat. Living in the US is a league of its own, but doesn't compare to the experience of taking a bus to Koti.

I Hope I Know What I'll Do This Summer

The last 15 days have been life-changing for me. I can't say whether it made me any better or worse, but well, life has, you know, changed.

After a long and arduous wait, ISB has finally offered me admission into their 2009-'10 batch and I didn't spare an hour to give it any more thought. I was waiting for the results with bated breath (well, I did breathe just enough air to keep me alive) and when I finally got the news, I sort of cut loose. I quit my well-paying job, settled my lease, booked my tickets back to India, popped open a bottle of Chopin and what not. And now, I am here in India.

The weight of my decisions has yet to reach my brain, and I still can't believe it's happening. I've been hearing conflicting opinions from people - half of them are ecstatic about my achievement, and half of them are concerned about my future, unsure how the market will turn out to be when I graduate.

The objective of spending a year at ISB should not be the "post-MBA salary". That's probably the narrowest of perspectives you could talk yourself into. From the interactions I've had over email, I seem to have hit a group with a wavelength that matches mine, and I look forward to make many friends. The infrastructure and faculty at ISB is the best money can buy, and more. I am fine as long as I make good use of what ISB has to offer, and sooner than later, I'll get where I always wanted to be.

But the money involved does make it tough for us to step back and take the broader perspective. I guess some of us will always carry our apprehensions within us until we find ourselves on terra firma after completing the course.

For now, I'm all set to take off into outer-space. I hope I come back home with a smile on my face, and a little more than a couple of moon-rocks.