Challenges overcome and lessons learnt. Fears thrown away and friends earned

Yes, it may be a small product that gets lost in the gamut of products ABG has produced, but my childhood would have been incomplete and full of hunger without this.

Another brand that has shaped my life is PANTALOONS. Out of all the big retail chains, Pantaloons probably is the only brand which keeps a good range of clothing items which are big enough for me to wear. Other brands do not carry a lot of clothing pieces which are of plus size. The variety of clothes is good. It keeps up with all the trends. Plus, it sells all of it products at a reasonable rate. When you are a little too conscious about your body shape, it becomes a little difficult to feel beautiful. But almost all their showrooms are beautified and decorated in such a way that you do FEEL beautiful. You start admiring yourself in those big mirrors, appreciating everything about yourself. And trust me, it does feel rejuvenating. It’s a one stop destination for anything and everything. It really comes handy when your family has to squeeze time from their tight schedules to buy some Pooja dresses or birthday goodies. All the wonderful and new schemes that keeps coming up is cherry on the top

CHALLENGES OVERCOME

As I sit to ruminate on the challenges I’ve faced, struggled through, went up & down like a Ping-Pong ball or even became morose & gloomy at times, I’m reminded of something I’d read once – an old classic – The Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens where he talks about of a time as “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the spring of hope., it was the winter of despair”…..

I’ve been fond of reading – how could I not – my mother being a Literature student, often insisted that we read widely, saying that books are our best friends. Well I won’t go that far, but yes, I read – a lot – at first out of a sense of obedience and then gradually I started enjoying the spell of the written words.  So I read and loved doing so….

From reading to writing – a timorous step, riddled with hesitation, self-doubt to a gradual realization of the fact that I liked writing, I liked putting my thoughts on paper, I enjoyed seeing my ideas come alive, the scenes that would come alive in front of my eyes, the characters whom I could see as they talked, moved, looked, laughed, wept and lived their lives in my mind.. More so, I relished putting articles together – getting my friends to write – whatever it be – articles, poems, letters to the Editor (!!), stories, essays – whatever and I could put together a compilation that I would present proudly before them. And the smile on their faces strengthened my beliefs further.

That was all till 2013. That year I moved to Vadodara, joined the Science stream and reluctantly had to have a brief separation from my love – that of creating my own writings and compiling creative works to make an enjoyable read. Academics kept me busy & always on my toes – at times I’d glimpse at the “magazines” we’d so lovingly put together and them back with a sigh. Too soon it was college time – and the first year went in enjoying the freedom, making friends, going places, getting to “know” Vadodara – the place and the college, getting acclimatized with the curriculum.

And now I come to the challenge that has moulded me to a great extent. Second year came and we were asked to join committees we wanted. I had a longing for the Editorial Committee, but as luck would have it, I fell ill when the committee process was on and missed out on being a part per se of the Committee. But I gathered my nerves and spoke to the Committee Head/Editor about my penchant to be a part. Out of the blue. A challenge was thrown to me – the College magazine …(give name) …was to be brought out. The Editor was busy with forthcoming exams, the team was not setting properly, so could I “see what best I could do?”.

A challenge  - yes – but for me it was more than a wish come true. I immediately acquiesced. I walked out tall – breezing with confidence. After all hadn’t I done such things in the past? Hadn’t I created “magazines”? So, what could be different or difficult this time? Much – as I gradually realized. Only that it wasn’t gradual. As I’d been given a deadline. And a task that included not just getting articles, but editing them, preparing creative, getting sponsorship. And of course, the biggest of all – getting together the team that would do it all with me.

The Committee was raw and it appeared not too eager to take on the task. So I had to bring together my class, the friends with who I enjoyed my first year so much. Again a realization hit me – the friends were prepared to enjoy, to hitch a free ride as it were, but not too eager to get to the task in hand. I remember using all the free time I got – not in discussing movies or gallivanting around – but in coaxing students to join hands. My closest friends – Akash, Gauri, (some more names) proved their worth in more than gold – as they went around with me. To Akash was given the task of organizing groups to seek sponsorship as he could literally haul people to places. For Gauri it was a chance to show what she loved best – getting students to eat her baked goodies while they sat together & created designs. ….., a tom boy par excellence, literally sniffed out ‘talents’ who could write, draw, photograph and what not….

…… considered himself an artist – so to him went the thankless job of the cover design of the magazine. So many suggestions, so many inputs, each person had a design which they naturally to be better than all. Sifting through all that, sorting, picking one and then discarding it and then again reverting to it – I can still see him clutching at his beard & hair in turns.

All of them did their bits. As interest grew, our group grew, our arguments grew, our bonding grew over long hours of opinionated assertions and tea. The articles started coming, the designs started looking better, the sponsors – loyals who always supported the curriculum and new sponsors who were probably giving in to the persuasions – started slowly rendering their support. Then came the time of heart break – rejecting articles, drawings, photographs, stories, poems – all the pouring-in that we had achieved. Expectations were high alongwith the superciliousness of our seniors. I was voted as the one who had got the group in the “soup” and so had to be the unofficial Editor. I had to get a go at it. As someone who loved writing, I could see the painstaking efforts in almost all the submissions. But I had to whittle away at it. I did – often with a gut wrenching feeling, often wondering which was more of a challenge – getting it all started or now bringing it to a closure?

But I stuck to it – even telling those whose submissions we could not take up. Bad moments – but we stuck to it. Then came the day when we handed over the first cut to the Editor along with the list of sponsors. The gleam in her eyes and the open mouths of the other committee members (who, by the way, had been studiously avoiding us all this time) was enough for us.

No, our names were not mentioned the magazine – yes some of our articles and others submissions were published. No we were not roundly applauded. Yes we continued to be recognized as a team that could do & did it all without any official portfolio. A bet of time overcoming the bad times – enjoyed and cherished.

Challenges overcome and lessons learnt. Fears thrown away and friends earned….

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