“What’s in a PoR?” 5.0 – Aman Singhal (Murgi)

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Self Written

A short introduction

Aman Singhal, IITB: 2009-2013(?)
B.Tech Civil Engineering

I am Aman Singhal (sobriquet-Murgi), an outgoing B.tech final year student. Despite having finished with my endsems, I call myself an outgoing student; you’ll figure out why once you read this post and connect the dots backwards 😛

I was no more than an average student. Like any other rat in the race, I preferred IITB over not-sure-how-many places. I don’t feel in anyway inferior to admit that I’ve always been a six pointer, as I was busy being fascinated by the fame, power and respect one can command while holding a POR. Not that the aforementioned is entirely true, but by the time you gather that, you’re either extraordinary or you’re in the same position as I am today.

In my freshman year, I was overwhelmed by the plethora of opportunities this place had in store. I had resolved not to be a pedant and to explore what’s there beyond the books. I invested my whole year in participating across various cultural genres and found myself at the end of the year juggling my choices. Should opt for a POR, or should I continue dramatics at which I was gradually excelling and gaining fame? Eventually, I opted to be appointed the hostel dramatics secretary, which in the following year entailed a compromise with my studies, any role in any play or for that matter all my other priorities in life, but I, as any responsible secy was putting in my best. Meanwhile, I was tapping every contact I had in college to notify how I desperately was looking forward to the Institute Dramatics Secretary post. Some would even suggest that I stood a pretty good chance to be an MI CG too. Straddling my legs in two different boats, l was pretty sure i would fetch one post or the other. It was during my post endsems time in Goa when the results were out, save for one subject whose pass grade I already doubted. This was the time when I had to mend my ties with a long-lost mate; I started praying incessantly to Him and promised Him that I wouldn’t ever touch booze if He saves me from getting an FR. My friends were mocking me for acting so dumb, but I was unable to sink in the picturization of me without any POR.

But as destined, I flunked the course by only a single mark. I jugadofied some big fake medical certificates, claiming I was keeping unwell during the exam, I pleaded endlessly before professors to an extent that I didn’t mind crying my eyes out; but all efforts went in vain and the annoyed knuckleheads kicked my ass out. I was so devastated that I’d not take proper meals, I’d just cluelessly roam around the campus in tum-tums for hours, I’d lock myself in my room. A few more days passed in the same manner. But I was fortunate enough to come across a few people subsequently who made me realize the value of this post. They said, “Don’t run after a POR, plan where you actually want to be years down the line.” They are not renowned and never were any POR holders but I respect them for who they were and who they are.

I picked up the fallen pieces and moved on. Though I now was the least likely of all to be the CG, I worked for MI throughout the month of December and got over with my FR gradually.
In addition, I still got nominated as a fourth wall convener which, to my belief is an unofficial post but you get to frame policies in consent with the 3 other members. This turned out to be a rejuvenating experience for me as I still was getting what I wanted. Apart from facilitating my interaction with industry professionals, it helped me make bonds with juniors, seniors, batch mates, whom I’d never even meet otherwise. In the meantime, as soon as I cleared my FR, ‘POR ka keeda’ once again was springing up within me except that this time my eyes were upon the post of GS Cult. I had more contacts than before, more people knew me now and most importantly, I was cautious not to repeat the same mistake.

But when your time is cursed, even Gods mock you. So was mine, that I again got an FR. More than devastated, I was unable to face myself, let alone those many friends who were prepared to vouch/chip in for me had there been any elections. It was an unanticipated setback but I knew this time sulking wouldn’t change anything. I did not even try to get that FR reverted because somewhere within, I knew that it might be the right idea, but certainly not the right time. As I needed an immediate deviation, I went over my uncle’s place for few days. I came across a friend of his, who owns a private equity firm. He took me on board and unconventionally, it was my first internship in three years which really helped in surmounting my fall. In the following summers, I again pursued an internship with a leading firm where I helped them build a business model, probably the first of its kind in the market.

The subsequent semester was full of placements crap. Attending placement talks, writing aptitude tests was a routine. I also was working upon a project with my internship firm simultaneously. Meanwhile I also enrolled myself in a financial modelling training program for 10 weeks. Albeit I was already overloaded, I burdened my semester with 2 extra courses. With my placements at stake, it could go wrong from minimal nothing to at most everything. Now that I was in this position, I‘d say to myself: what else could go wrong, I’ve already hit rock bottom. To everyone’s delight, where half of my 8-9 pointer friends were yet to be placed, I was placed unexpectedly on the sixth day, and on the other hand, I myself was taken aback to bring home my highest SPI ever 😉

The title doesn’t suggest that I share my personal life unrelated to PORs, but I don’t believe the Insight Editors will be so reluctant in that regard 😛 There I was in my final semester with a secured job in hands, all free time to myself. Time was flying by, but there were yet more setbacks to confront. I lost one of the closest friends in an unfortunate accident, the wound of which is still fresh to me. We lost PAF by 0-9 (oops 0-10), an unprecedented achievement 😛 and last but not the least, I met with a very severe road accident on my valfi day. Fractured my bum and have been bedridden since then. I am unable to stand, walk for that matter. My joining date is here, and I’m afraid that I might have to let my job go if I don’t recover soon. The same may cause me repeat the whole semester if taken to extremes.

Not that my achievements are magnificent to look upon; neither I have held any big PORs as an accolade, nor do I have shiny academics to flaunt. So what exactly do you think I’m going to communicate and conclude my post with? That none of it matters. All those who adulate batman must remember this quote from the trilogy: Why do we fall? We fall to learn to pick ourselves up. Even today, when I am in the worst of my state, I have all the unwanted free time in this world, I can ponder upon the things I did in past 4 years, and not any of ‘em is a waste effort so far. If given a chance to travel back and repair my past, I wouldn’t want to change anything.

You may not be a POR holder but everyone must have come across some ‘point of realization (POR)’ in their life to learn by. Sometimes you just have to turn around, give a little smile, throw the match and burn that bridge. I still haven’t figured what I actually want to do with my life, where I actually want to be years down the line, but really would I care? Maybe I’m just an ordinary fella.