To hell and back

To cut a long story short , I am placed.
Yipppppppppeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

I am not going to take names, but it is normal software firm without a bond which is exactly what I wanted. And after meeting the team and all, even if I have to spend time with these guys it is going to be all right .

Now the 'hell' part of the thing . I study in a government college and as is the case with most governmnet colleges, TCS came visiting campus first. Since I am the department topper there was a huge probability that I would be taken but then TCS has a two year bond , even the sound of which made me feel stiffled

But then not sitting for TCS was indeed a big risk, what if the next company did not take me ?
And other than this one guy who and I did the whole 'thinking thing' together, NO one else was letting TCS be.

7 hours.

Thats the number of hours I was either on the fone with someone discussing this , or thinking about it reasoning it for myself...
Friends, seniors...gosh there are sooo many people who listened patiently to me ranting about this silly thing!!!
Pacing the drawing room for 7 non stop hours , is, believe me guys, not a joke!!
So, finally amongst a batch of 380 students, 2 of us( me and my friend) did not sit for TCS.

Getting placed is an experience in itself....there is good in it and bad as well....like when the results of the written round were to be announced I was in the hostel with 4 other girls and we all siiting , very quiet, waiting for the news of the results to be announced....then it came.A spoke to S ,"Kya, aur kisi ka nahi hua?? Ruchi ka hi hua hai? pls ek aar chek karr doh..shayad mera naam miss kar diya ho, plz dekh loh"
So, I did get through the written round, but I was surrounded with people who did not make it thru. Girls broke down into tears...and I did not know what to say or do!
I mean, i kind of hated myself for getting through. The sheer dejection on the faces of these girls was enough to make me feel wreteched...I mean..it was terrible.Had I stayed there a minute longer I would ahve broken into teras myself.....I got the news at 3:25p.m and I was told that my interview was scheduled for 3:30 and I was to simply rush to the TPO and not waste even a second in changing into formals .
But well...I completely refused to do this, changed into a formal cotton(pink:) ) salwaar suit and even took my own sweet time putting on the kajal and only then stepped out of the hostel....
The huge 100 kms walk to the TPO from the hostel was so terribly 100 kms!!It would not end!!!I used that time to call up bhai who was very anxious about my written results as I had really messsed it up...
The interview scheduled for 3:30 sharp happend at around 5 sharp.
I was getting so restless there and the wait seemed never ending . It was such an experience to be part of the multitude waiting to give their interviews. The guys who had been placed in TCS had come as well to provide help and support to the people sititing for the interview. These guys were helping us with questions, helping other guys with their ties, with the files, if someone was hungry they would go and get them, something ...it was like so...err...umm.... something...
You know how tense I can get and as I would heave a deep sigh I would look up to see a TCS placed guy looking at me , then he would come over and tell me that it is going to be okay...sab theek hoga...
It can be so comforting...guys and girls coming up to you and giving their own tips and all that...frineds..no not even friends aquaintances coming forward to help each other..it was amazing...

Then the interview happend.
I was addressing the HR guy as 'sir' and he asked me to call him by his name and it was so wierd!!
The interview passed smoothly without a single tech question!!!!
Can you beat that!!!
MOst of the time we were talking about my articles that have appeared in the newspaper and all that....
IN the end the HR guy says" so , ruchi, I hope you will take our offer!"
Hell!!! Obvio I would!!

Then follwed some 5 hours of solid waiting! I have never been in college at nine in the night and even while I was there I was trying t keep in my mind all the details..I was trying to make a memory, you see;)
The TCS guys and gals stayed with us till the end...loads of jokes and mazaas later the panel said it was ready to anounce the results and would we please assemble in Lecture Theatre 21..
All of us trooped to LT-21 and thats when I got considerably jittery.The whole day had been so wrought with tension that even the thought of having to go thru all this again if I did not get thru this compnay was terribly scary.

The HR team was like really cool, with loads of "yayyy guys' and 'gimme that million dollar smile guys' etc etc goin on.One of the HR guys provided us with background music as one the reps brought the final list with him.And they started announcing the names....
One by one, in no particular order..
And you should have seen the euphoria when the names were being announced...whenever the name of any popular guy/gal was announced we clapped like crazy!!! guys piled on top of each other...slapped each others backs , the HR guys ( who were siting on the stairs while all us sat on chairs!) cheered and clapped like crazy along with us...For the record , for the first time in my life I saw two guys kissing..hehe..on the cheeks!!
My name was announced towards the end and it was such a relief to hear them (wrongly) pronounce my name!

One of my friends,N, whom I have mentioned often on this blog , and who also happens to be an intelligent girl ,did not make it thru.She was sitting right next to me and as the 3rd last name was announced, she whispered, " Mera nahi hua , ruchi"
And I was like, "abhi doh naam aur bache hai" But then the next two names were also not hers.
Never have I stared so hard at someone hoping that he would take a particular name..but that did not happen...
As soon as the last name was announced, N , just got up and left immediately. I did not know what to say. Almost everyone was buzy with their cells ...I had brought dad's cell( I have lost mine, btw but that is another post in itself!) and there were loads of people I had to call up.But I sat there ,still, unable to grasp what had happened to N, for a long time. It was only after a considerable time that I fished for my cell and made the essential calls...

But then loads of congratulations followed..
There I was , outside the academic block, at 10:30 in the night, tired but essentially happy, using both hands to congratulate people and be congratulated as well..
Loads of guys came to me with a 'bola tha na tera hoga 'handshake...
But there is this guy in class, he is a nice guy really , a hard core Jain who wouldnt eat 'aloo' also, who came to me and said ," Ruchi, yaar main tere liye boht khush hu "
Simple words.
But they were said so earnestly that had I been one of those girls who are okay with hugging guys, I would have given him 3 hugs!!
Girls who had not made it thru were crying real bad and that is why also this experience was a bit hellish..

I am placed now and now I can go back to CAT ki padhai achche se...
I am relaxed after many days and everything is light and nice and for once I am breathing easy...the end sems+pracs+placements..its finally over for me...
I got the compnay I wanted, took a risk and thank Gawd it did not backfire....
It's nothing terribly ossumm but am okay with everything...
All the best to all those who have not been placed....
And a million thanks to Blogger friends also who helped me decide in favour of my company and made me believe in myself a teeny bit more.