This beautiful morning, with the sky so clear and birds
chirping, I believe is a perfect time to pen down my experience of visiting
Kota few months back. Most of you might wonder what is so special about this
city, but I am sure, who so ever have made this beautiful a part of their
success story would love this place and understand my nostalgia more than
anyone.
I was so small, just sixteen when I was exonerated by my
friends to move to Kota, the education capital of India to prepare of something
called IIT-JEE. The word IIT-JEE, was so alien to me that i understood it as
any other chemistry jargon which I had been hearing for long time. After a deep
deliberation and strong persuasion by one of my friend Mr. Satyarth Sharma I
finally decided to go for coaching. However, there was a big catch, I could not
clear any of those entrance exams held by coaching institutions during those
days. I had no dreams, a boy from village and a lower middle class family was
highly confused if he should follow other’s dream and gamble with hard earned
money of parents for preparation of something which was not known to any of us
in family. I am indecisive, good by heart and make good friends, I was carried
away by emotions and decided to go with friends.
I landed up in kota, was offered admission any how in the
last batch of one of the reputed coaching institutes. I tried to find out goal
of life and learnt that the goal of life is be to achieve the immediate next goal. Thanks to the magical environment of Kota and my friends, my the next
immediate aim was to clear IIT-JEE. Because stakes were high, I worked hard and
came out victorious. A city that gave me goal, success and learning is a city
too close to my heart.
One fine day my sister called me and she asked to come along
with her to Kota. I had been thinking of going to this place since long but could not find a radical reason to justify my parents for visiting this place. That
day I got one and I was so happy, why not, my million-dollar dream was about to
realize. I wanted to relive the memories.
The train reached kota and I could feel the aura of this
magical city. I became restless and excited to touch every nook and corner of
this place. A child in me went naughty and my sister was so surprised to see this. I
was trying to reconnect this city with my memory but could hardly do so because
this place has under gone a complete make over in last 11 years, over bridges,
tall buildings, wide roads and many more, everything has changed. Most of us,
even I say that India is not progressing, but after this scene, my perception
about progressing India has changed. Yes, we are growing leap and bounds. I had
to stay for just one day but could manage to see visit Vigyan Nagar (the place
where I stayed), those lanes, alley, hostel, P.C.O.(the one which I use to make
home calls), Bansal classes (2-KA-17)( I owe my present to this hall of glory),
Brijwasi sweets, Sangam mess and what not, I was so excited that that I tried
to touch every point walking under scorching sun in that one hour available to
me. There is shop named Sonu cold drink, a hangout place for student, a shop
like none other. I never paid for patties i bought here. I was reminded of all
the childhood pranks we did. I could never lose the opportunity to have patties
at this place and so I did, but this time in a different style, I paid for it.
I even confessed to the shop owner about our mischief which left both of us
laughing. This city is adorned by students, no doubt about it and I could
find one every now and then. I could see a dream in their eyes to capture this
world and immense energy to make their dreams a reality, I saw my past in these
students. I was reminded of the happiness I used to derive out of solving that
one difficult problem of mathematics. I swear nothing in this universe can give
me that happiness. It’s evening now and i had to board the train to Mumbai, but
wait the story I not over yet, the task of relishing palpable food at Amar
Punjabi Dhaba is still unchecked. It is one of the important milestone for
whosoever one visits this city and so I did. I ordered a lot, ate a lot and enjoyed
a lot to finally big good-bye to this heaven with a hope that I would visit this
city again, very soon.
Thank you Kota, thank you for forming me, teaching me lessons
of life and for life.
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