Kota Chronicles: The leaky piston

It was a usual chemistry class. Amay Pandey Sir was in his usual intellect and charm. I was in my usual meditative focus I had cultivated in those IIT days. Class was usual, filled with many friends and a few competitors. I was sitting in the second row, the optimum for Amay Sir's style of presentation: not getting too overwhelmed by his aura, nor being out of his sight. Then came the challenge. It was a piston-cylinder system which was leaking. It was being heated as well. The piston would go up or down? He framed the question twice. That was it. It seemed to be a normal trivia. But, it was not. I realized it when the answer eluded me and carried me deeper into my thoughts. I would not let it go either. I took up the challenge and put the problem in the category of 'constant contemplation' problem. These problems would be very tough only my subconscious mind in partnership with some higher intelligence could solve it. I went everywhere with my new friend: the leaky piston.
It was there with me on the cycle. My maximum attention on the problem, I only cared about not being hit by the vehicles. In the room, in the washroom, the mess, everywhere I went I argued with, coaxed and threatened the leaky piston. It was not yielding. Then, voila! in a flash it was there, it would go up. I rechecked my logic. I played it in my mind. It would go up! Was is it a special problem, sir did not suggest it to be so. But, it took all my thoughts to arrive at the solution. It must be special.
The next Amay Sir's class was here. I took my seat, felt a turn in my stomach and a bit of temperature. Did he remember the problem he asked in the previous class? Will he ask for the answer. Yes he did: "Soocha kisine?". There was a silence. There were all these geniuses in the class, they had not got the answer? I took a deep breath. Should I divulge my answer or will it be too outrageous, out of norm. I think it is best to keep quite. "Kisine nahi soocha?" he repeated. I thought he expects to hear the answer from someone. I had to tell: "It would go up". There was silence. He looked in my direction. "It would go up," I repeated. He winced and then grinned. "Senior se puch liya kya?" he questioned quiet surprised. I said I thought it out and explained it in short. "Badhiya yaar pehle kabhi koi nahi bataya iska answer", he said and gave that charming smile with dimples. I was pleasantly relieved but behaved as if everything was normal. But, I was excited to my bones and shivered a bit. He winced and smiled again, turned around and continued with his usual intellect and charm. 

Kota Chronicles: Failure is the stepping stone to success

Well we have heard this so many times: take lessons from your failures and make them a stepping stone to success. And this happens in the lives of most people who have achieved something worthwhile in their lives. This is what happened to me as well while in Kota. Not remaining with crowd had many advantages and disadvantages in my life. At one time what seems as a disadvantage turns into advantage at other point in life. So, the 10th boards were over, me and bhaiya were going to Kota. I had already filled up the form of Bansal classes. I had not filled up the form of any other coaching institute. I heard that my other classmates were already there in Kota finding materials to prepare for the entrance exams of the coaching institutes. I was not really inclined to join them. I always remained sort of independent bird. The exams came and I thought I had done fine but Bansals thought otherwise. I was not selected but all my other friends were, I think 7 of them. It was a set back. But, something incredible happened after that setback. After that failure I would enter into a regimen that would cruise me through to IIT-JEE. I took stock of myself and started preparing for te second phase of entrance with full decisiveness.

I did a few things that mark the method for success in any field in this world.
1. I found a mentor: I would call it a divine arrangement that I met Shivam in the same flat that I was living in, Few things had influenced me as much before than he did. He was ranked 3 in the Bansal entrance test and a formidable candidate for top 100 rank at IIT-JEE two years later. His way of thinking for solutions to problems astonished and educated me. Problems that I would fret with for 2 hours, he would solve in just two minutes. My brain grew trying to grapple with Shivam's intellectual level. He was intelligent, helpful and humble. The very combination that I wanted to be myself.

2. I found the right materials: It was also incidental. I already had a NTSE book of TMH. But when I went to the book shop I found a NTSE book of MacMillan. I flipped through it and found some questions similar to those of Bansal entrance exam. Although I am always very cautious at spending money, I ventured and purchased that book. And well, it was the exact material that I need for the entrance tests. For the next one month I poured over the book and solved every part of it cold.

3. I worked hard: If that failure had not happened to me, I would have never taken the decision to work that hard. I studied almost the whole day at the same time maintaining my mental sharpness by light exercises. I could get a sensation that I was making mighty intellectual leaps.

As it happened I cleared Bansal, Resonance with Scholarship and Delhi with Scholarship. It was all happiness and I chose Resonance as it provided scholarship.