It started off innocuously enough. In fact I travelled in each of the three month before the thunderbolt hit us. Met a few alumni of IMT Nagpur, in Delhi and Mumbai, and went to a get-together of a music group in March first week, and got to Pune for a weekend, just after finishing my Marketing Research class. Did not realise that I would be stuck there for almost six months.. the lockdown began on 24th March.
There were good and bad things about the year. I met my Mom several times after the lockdown ended, at her place. Other relatives who live close to her too. Celebrated her 91st birthday on August 10, with a Zoom call, where she heard her favourite songs from old films too. But later in November, we lost her to complications from old age. We were happy that she was happy almost till the end, and that many of us were around.
Taught some Ph.D. courses on Zoom. Got back to IIM Indore campus, and started packing for my new destination- NMIMS (Narsee Monjee) at Bangalore. But also got a chance to train some enthusiastic students (Prachi, Akansh, Anusha and Shantanu) in playing Golf, and made friends with them as a result. So I now have a pal each from Bho-pal, Delhi, Ghaziabad, at least. I also got some lovely parting gifts from them.
Got to Bangalore without a mishap, and Agarwal Packers did their part of the job. Joining an institution where students are not on campus is a new experience, but I have met most faculty and staff in person, and that's a start.
A couple of nieces, and a couple of ex-students became mothers for the first time, and that was a big plus. Some got married, and others got new jobs and moved.
It was not as horrible as it seemed, at the end. But still, hoping for a better and brighter 2021 for all, like many of you. Some goals for the coming year are to get re-acquainted with Bengaluru hudugas and hudugis (boys and girls), and new (to me) students/alumni of NMIMS. We might do a virtual Convocation/Graduation soon-that'll be a first too.
And yes, I made my first video- on Personal Branding-thanks to a former student, Shailaja Gupta Kapoor, who also kindly lauded me for my courage!
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