Time Flies by!

Dubai, the land of dreams, has never failed to live up to its name. It is one city wherein you find people from all walks of life. Be it the tourists, who fly in to experience the grandeur of this desert nation or be it the white-collar employees, charting out big dreams for their life, or be it the blue collar employees, in the hope of earning some extra cash (in Dirhams) to support their families, back home. So, everyone whom you meet in this city will have a long story, left behind.

And so is one such story, the story of a young teenager, traveling all the way from India into a foreign country for the first time in his life. Never did he expect that even his passport will be stamped one fine day. Every single event that made his journey to Dubai was totally unplanned. What started off as a commitment to keep his relationship intact, ended up losing both the girl he loved and the anticipated B-School of his choice. But, his parents had always believed in him and they had always trusted his moves. It was they who suggested him to fly to Dubai, even though it meant burning their pockets heavily. But, they did not worry about it, as all that they wished was for him to have a new life, a better life, away from home, away from the losses that he suffered, and away from everything.

Classes went on well and so was his urge to learn. Over the past twenty-five years, it was here wherein the urge to study & learn more hit him like a thunder. Of course, he did it pretty well in comparison to the whole batch. And in the company some great people, his life was progressing fine. Days went by, weeks passed on and years flew by, and suddenly today he is still in Dubai, but not as a student anymore. A nice job at a multinational firm has made his schedule busy and engaged. He did understand that the next phase of his life has begun and it was the time for him to move out of the place, which hosted him for two long years; (i.e.) the college hostel.

No more late night studies, assignments, exams, chatting, fighting, gaming, late night walks and finally, preparing spicy Maggi in the middle of the night to feed the starving stomach. When he recollects those memories, a small smile pops up at the end of his lip. And at the same time thinking that there won’t be any more such moments to cherish upon does make him emotional. It is time for him to step out of academic city perimeter and relocate into some cozy neighborhood.

“It feels like yesterday when I first entered Dubai and now I don’t even remember how each day went by”. Time just swept me off my feet and I don’t know how further it will take me, is what dwells in his mind.

Those small moments, well enough to steer your life forward

With the series of unexpected death in the recent past (Sri Devi and other few Bollywood stars), it is evident that life is unpredictable. And in such a case what is the point of charting out your long-term plans, when you are unsure if you will be alive the next morning.

You may think that I am being pessimistic, but I would call it being “realistic”. Expectation and reality never come together and so I believe that it is better to stay alive and enjoy the very moment of the reality rather than living in the world of expectations. Who knows, if you or I will even get a second chance to live the moment?

And so was one such moment of reality that I shall cherish for the rest of my life. Though I am the only one who knows the true reason for seeking an admission with Institute of Management Technology Dubai, I adapted well early to this place and with my batchmates too. I started liking the place and made it work for me in the way I preferred. Though there were too many cases of back-stabbing and bitching about one another, nothing much happened with me or to me, as I was being fair with everyone (except for a set of students from a region). So, over the two years of MBA, life was pretty good with too many moments to cherish about.

One such incident that will remain close to my heart was this year’s birthday celebration that was planned by my close ones. To be honest, I, after a certain point in my life, felt no interest towards celebrating birthdays. But this birthday was so special, only because of them. I owe a million thanks to my besties (Boss, Rishab, Shivani, Sayani). You made the day and you also made me feel the importance of holding on to certain relationships.

So, a big thank you, to each one of you, who planned and executed it very well. I wish many more such happy moments in all our lives and hopefully, we shall all stay connected over an extended period.