My Beloved's MBA Plans

By Disha

My Beloved’s MBA Plans is a collection of engaging stories with a common
thread running through all of them – How much are you willing to give to
fulfil your MBA dream? Will you be willing to give up a cushy job and start
from scratch? Will you be willing to stay apart from your spouse? Will you
be willing to uproot your family from a well-settled life?
Read on to discover how Vivek’s MBA course turns out to be quite an
adventurous journey his wife Divya and their two kids. For Arpita, it is a
second chance at love. Payal and Nitin make the campus their home while
Geet faces a tragic loss. Join Suraj and Priya as they break away from the
family business to carve out a path for themselves and discover how Rahul
and Dimple spend an unusual honeymoon. These are just a few stories
from this colorful collection set against the backdrop of life on campus and
aspirations for an MBA degree. The book is a ride through different shades of life and experiences. Whether you are single or married, this
book is an absolute must read for anyone who wishes to take an unconventional decision in life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Srishti Publishers
• Release date: Aug 1, 2013
• ISBN: 9789380349985

Book preview

- Crossroadsof love and ambitions

Disha

Srishti Publishers & Distributors N-16, C. R. Park

New Delhi 110 019

[e-mail]

First published by

Srishti Publishers & Distributors in 2013

Copyright © Disha Chhabra, 2013

All characters in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance torealpersons,livingordead,iscoincidental.Forauthenticity and to aid story telling, the author has used places, organizations and institutions that are real, however, there is no intention to imply anything else.

The author asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the Publishers.

Typeset by EGP

Printed and bound in India

I am dedicating this book to my grandmother, Late Mrs Ram Devi, who has showered me with much love through the years. Without her, life is not going to be the same.

I am grateful to God for blessing me with such a loving and caring family.

Contents

Author’s Introduction ix Preface xi Introduction xiii Acknowledgements xv

Vivek and Divya: Daring to Challenge Conventions 1

Arpita and Aman: Cupid Strikes in Uncertain Times 11

Suraj and Priya: Spreading the Wings of Life 18

Monali and Mangesh: Trust Conquers All 27

Vidhi and Gaurav: A Risky Ride 34

Nitin and Payal: Staying Back Forever 40

Rahul and Dimple: Happily Just Married 47

Shrishti and Prashant: The Wedding Bells 54

Amit and Renee: Living Life on the Edge 60

Sonam and Suhaas: Riding the Stormy Waters 67

Pranab and Sakshi: A Road Less Travelled 73

Geet: A Battle with Cancer 79

Raj and Simran: Call of the Heart 86

Pari: Miles Away She Dies 92

Tarun and Gitika: A Global Love Story 98

Sunil and Puja: A Match made in College 104

Author’s Introduction

Apoet, a dreamer, a philosopher and a writer – that’s how I would like to describe myself.

I am proud to be an alumnus of Delhi College of Engineering and the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta. My alma maters go a long way in defining the person I am.

This book is a non-fictional retelling of the events of the lives of real-life couples who were my batch mates at IIM Calcutta’s PGPEX (Post Graduate Programme for Executives) programme. I would love to hear from you. Do write to me at [e-mail].

Preface

In the world of love, there are no ifs and buts. I read this line in a book long time back and completely forgot about it until I met my batch mates at IIM Calcutta where I was pursuing a one year full time MBA. This course was meant for people with more than five years of experience. I was surprised to know that more than 75 percent of my batch mates were married and many had kids as well. I often wondered how people with so many responsibilities could manage to study as it was a rigorous programme. When a person in his or her late twenties makes a decision to pursue higher studies, it is not just a professional dilemma, Apart from the fact that it means leaving a well-settled job and almost starting all over again, it’s a big decision on the personal level. The whole family has to start afresh. It may mean a year-long separation which can be quite unsettling for the children. Sometimes the spouse may have to leave his or her job to come along. One’s parents also need support at that stage of life. It gets even trickier if one is a woman as various societal pressures come into play.

Over the period of the last one year, I have met couples who have faced it all. The couples who have emerged

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victorious had one thing in common: unwavering faith in each other and a great level of love and commitment. For it’s not easy to give up one’s career just because one’s partner decides to do something which is not run-of-themill, nor is it easy to stay apart for a long duration. But in the end, it is love that conquers all.

I wanted to pen down the journeys of these people in some form and started interviewing them. Each experience was a learning experience for me. I am sure there are lots of people out there who go through similar situations. I hope this piece of work will be a source of inspiration for people seeking answers to such difficult questions. There are stories of togetherness, of separation, of starting a new journey together and of emotional family conflicts. In every story, it is love that helps them sail through trying times. What makes these stories even more special is the fact that these are not stories of fiction, but of real people and real emotions. There is so much to learn from each story.

I hope you enjoy reading this book as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Introduction

I have been writing poetry ever since I was a child, but dreamed of writing a book. A year ago, when my sister published her book, I realized that in the daily hustle and bustle of life, I had almost forgotten my dream.

When I came to IIM Calcutta for my MBA, I knew it would be a year of sweat and labor. But what I never imagined was that I would be writing my first book here. A random thought while having dinner at the mess changed it all. I came back to my room and thought long and hard about it.

I wanted to write about the dilemmas people face when they take a road less travelled. Be it a single person or a couple deciding to take a break from work and trying out something different, it is not easy. From finances to a spouse’s jobs, from one’s parents’ health to the children’s school; everything tries to bog one down. I wanted to know what drove people to take the risk.

I decided to narrate each story through the person’s own words. I spent the next few months interviewing people and taking notes. I was so engrossed in it that I almost forgot what I had come to IIM-C for. It has taken

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xiv Introduction

me many sleepless nights and umpteen cups of coffee to study and write the book at the same time. But in the end, it seems all worth the trouble and the experience has been truly gratifying. The stories are true, but for the sake of confidentiality, I have masked the names of the couples and their respective institutes if they have desired so. I wanted to write about real experiences and I hope they’ll help the people who read the book make some of their own decisions in life.

Acknowledgements

No accomplishment, however big or small, is possible without the support of one’s family, friends and the Almighty. This book may have been authored by me, but has many people behind it

My family has been always special to me, always encouraging me to chase my dreams. My brother, Siddharth, a bibliophile, has helped me improve my writing with constant positive criticism and constructive feedback for every poem I have written since my childhood. My grandmother has been my best friend throughout my life. My cousin, Jyoti, is my biggest source of inspiration and has recently published her own book, Dream Sake.

My friends at IIM Calcutta have opened up their hearts to me and have shared their experiences. I thank them for their feedback and valuable suggestions. I’d like to give special thanks to Malaya and Satyakam for their constant motivation. This book wouldn’t have been possible without you people.

And last but not the least, thanks to my friends in Delhi who have always kept my spirits high. You guys believe in me more than I do. Nipun has been showering

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xvi Acknowledgements

compliments on my writing and has unfailingly done so for each and every poem, each and every blog, in fact each and every line that I have ever written ; Sumit whose writing skills I so admire; Rashmi, Anita, Girish, Suchita, Mansi, Avneet, Kashu ... the list is endless. All I want to say is that I am happy to have you guys around.

And finally, each time I was stuck with my words or faced any kind of dilemma, my faith and belief in God helped me go the extra mile. Thank you, God.

Vivek and Divya: Daring to Challenge Conventions

We shall not cease from exploration and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started