Start-Up in 1995

Startup Business todayToday everybody knows the meaning of “Start-up” but back in 1995 when I read Business Magazines on a regular basis I used to get confused when I read it once or twice in the whole magazine.

Nevertheless…. I loved the regular article in Business Today that had a special Start-Up page featuring stories of Entrepreneurs.

Today when I fetched that file while working on my project of and for Entrepreneurs…..Many memories came back flashing of cycling to Channa Market in Karol Bagh and buying these mags when I was in class 11th. Reading the Start-up  page first and then the rest of the magazines.. My dreams of getting featured on the cover of Business Today before I turn 30 and many more of them.

Some dreams got fulfilled and some have been postponed to a later date but the memories are intact and I love myself when I see back.

Lost opportunities… Did some work which did not make me happy…. tried to please everyone and in bargain lost myself…. tried to become like others to get accepted. Nothing worked…. but for not one moment did I let my Self confidence dip. Had that happened then probably I would still be in wilderness.

It was my Parents Blessings and confidence in me and my Jhaiji’s Love that did not let me loose hope for even one moment.

Sorry……Just got carried away to a different trajectory and apni aankh mein hi ansoo aa gaye.

Kehna yeh chahta hu ki jab bhi aapko lage ki hope nahi hai…… then see towards people who have made it… People who are doing it inspite of all odds….. People who dont know where the next meal would come from. People who may have lost everything and rebuilding it…… Get Inspired, Start Building, Start Smiling, Start Hoping and Keep Achieving

I know bahut khichrri bana di hai maine…. koi na.. aaj Khichrri hi Kha lo.. Biryani kal sahi :-)

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Me in my RED TURBAN

The Day I talked to my Turban

17 Sep. 2015

Hi Turban,

We have been together for 23 years and have never shared even a word. Probably you would have talked sometime, but I never cared to hear you.

I saw you first on the Day i was born. My Papa took me in his strong arms, and I saw how smartly you were Gracing his head.

I may not have much Knowledge on who you are, what you do but yes, I loved my father and since you were his constant companion I loved you too.

His handsomeness multiplied whenever he wore you. He had limited choices in colours.  He would either have Brown or Maroon Turbans. And somehow I thought that My Dad is boring. Why doesn’t he try different colours?

I turned 12 in 1991 and that’s when my “Dastaar Bandi” happened & you graced my head for the first time.

 

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Moment after official DastarBandi



The Very Same night at the DastarBandi Function.
The Very Same night at the DastarBandi Function.

Initially, it felt tough.

I was wondering how I would ever be comfortable with this uneasiness and weight on my Head. Never knew that Weight was of a Crown which I would fall in love later. :-)

I studied in a Convent school and it was not compulsory to wear the Turban unlike in Sikh Schools where a few of my friends had to wear it daily from class 6th onwards.

I was very comfortable in my Caps that I bought from Gaffar Market. Some said “Lakers” and on some “An Innocent Boy” was embroidered :-)

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In my Laker’s Cap

It was only at Family Functions that I started wearing you and for that too I seeked help from My Cousin, Brother or Papa. You were just so difficult. Sometimes I thought that I shall get my hair shorn just because I would not be able to tie a Turban.

How silly I was!!

 

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Wore a Cap with Formals too. Here in my classroom at National Institute of Sales!

But time passed and I wore you more often. More so because I started working.

It was only in 2001 that I started gracing you everyday after my job at Appu Ghar.  And the colour I wore  mainly was BLACK. Not because I liked it. But I had a well fitted Black trouser and they matched. Only thing I had to worry about while dressing was about Shirt and Tie to wear. That was easy.

Slowly, time passed and I started wearing you in different colours… Some Really Bright and some really Dark.

This continued till an Uncle who is also an Astrologer came to meet Papa for some work.

He casually mentioned that I should not wear Black or Dark Coloured Turban on Thursdays as Brahma occupies the mind on Thursdays and hence dark colour should be avoided that day. I may not believe in Astrology as much but I just asked myself. Why not?
It was that very moment that I decided to shun wearing Dark Colour Turbans all together. I keep taking these kind of on the spurt decisions and have never regretted.

That was the day I said Bye to Navy Blues, Dark Greens and Blacks in my cupboard. I started wearing Sky blues, Reds, White, Cream, Orange etc.

AStage, where all my Turbans matched with my Clothes. Here in Appu Ghar with Hargun
Stage, where all my Turbans matched with my Clothes. Here in Appu Ghar with Hargun

 

Orange Turban matching with the Colour of Text on my Tshirt.
Orange Turban matching with the Colour of Text on my Tshirt.

 

Clothes play a big role in enhancing moods.

Slowly I started realizing that when I wear Red Turban, I looked good and some how had a nice day. When I wore White, the day was dull. When I wore Brown, I felt lazy and day didn’t turn up well. So slowly I started wearing Red almost 4 times a week.

 

2 years Back, I was supposed to meet a friend in some crowded area and I reached before him. I told him my location and waited for him. Even though he was in the complex he was not able to find me. And then finally, I called him and reached where he was standing.

And I confronted him that I gave a specific location and still he not able to find me.

And what he replied set me thinking. He Said “Tikku Paajee, I was searching for Red Turban” and when I saw a white, turban, I thought this can’t be you.

 

This is when I realised that people link me with RedTurban. And after giving it a thought I realized, it feels Good when I’m in Red Turban, It matches all kind of Clothes too.  Then why not just stick to Maroons, Crimsons and Reds. And so I did.

Just a few years back I used to think My Dad is boring as he wore turbans of only 2 colours and I’m now down to just ONE. :-)

Dear Turban, You have been always with me. Made me look good, Made me Feel Confident, Given me an identity. I would to “Thank You” for everything.

It is said that “Amle ke Khaya aur Burre ka kahaa baad mein pata chalta hai”.  I would add ki Pagree ki mahima bhi Kuch samay baad mein samajh aati hai.

You are my friend & much beyond a Religion Complusion.

Thanks, Please keep Gracing me :-)

Me in my RED TURBAN
Me in my RED TURBAN

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Keep Smiling, You never know who’s falling in Love with it

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A Pic Clicked by Aarti Bhatia jee when I was smiling for myself and not for camera. The Essence of this Blog :-)

 

I have always said Keep Smiling, you never know who’s falling in Love with it!!

 

And for sure I mean it Literally, But I also mean it in another way.

“It also means, keep doing what you think is Good not because some one is seeing it, but because that’s the right thing to do”

It’s an Instance of August 1994. I was in Class 11th in St. Michael’s School, Delhi and was the Vice Discipline Captain.

The duty of all captains apart from many other things was to Inspect Uniforms and maintain order while School Assembly is ON.

Thanks to my Schooling in  a Hostel, Bishop Cotton School, Simla my uniform was always Neat and Complete.

Here in Delhi we just punish the offending Student by writing a note in his Diary or asking him to stand out of the line while assembly is on. But in Simla, it would have meant the guilty student  being abused by the captain,  walking bare foot all day or even a getting your back smashed by a Hockey Stick.

It was one of those days in August when it rained heavily through the day. Even after the school was over.

Our School bus (Outsourced) didn’t turn up and since my home was only 4 kilometers away I thought to walk rather than wait for bus.

What I didn’t think was that my Shoes shall get wet too.

 

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Pic of Black Shoes lying to Dry after a Rainy Spell in Simla. Clicked a few days ago

Yes, My Shoes were wet and it was more evident when I got ready for school next day and realised my Black oxford shoes were unfit to be worn.

I took out my Sports Shoes, Got an Application from my mother citing the same. And went off to the school.

It was assembly time and I was in the line with other students. That is when I was hauled by my supervisor and she blasted at me. What kind of Captain are you as you are not doing your duty and standing in the line with other students.

 

That is when I pulled out the letter from the monogrammed pocket of my Crisp white shirt and handed over to Ma’am. And Said “Ma’am, I’m not wearing proper School Shoes as my School Shoes got wet yesterday in Rain. Here is the Explanation letter from my Mom” On this she asked, “But why are you standing in Line, is what I am asking” to which I replied, “Ma’am, Since I am myself in not proper Uniform, How can I punish some one else for the same”

At this she smiled and went away.

I forgot this instance completely. But then after one year, while coming home in my Bus No. 2, A student 3 years junior approached me and said “Guru Bhaiya, Today Ma’am mentioned you in class” And I was horrified because only there was hardly any positive reason for which I would be mentioned.

 

I asked him, Why, When, How, What.

And he Said, it was in Moral Science class.

Now that left me more confused. Why So??

He said, “Some time back you were not in Proper uniform and stood in the line and even got a letter from home. Whereas at the same time many of your School Cabinet Colleagues never wore proper uniform on regular basis but never failed to show their authority on other offenders.

But you knew what should be right and did so and this was noticed by Ma’am”

 

And all this was told in a Moral Science Class “Be Sincere to yourself”

 

Couldn’t control my tears and I cried in Bus. For the first time, some one praised me and that too not to me, but to 30 other children.

“Keep Smiling, You never know who would fall in Love with your Smile”  “Be Sincere to yourself”

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Keep Calm and Stop Abusing

 

keep abusing

We Punjabi’s take a great pride in Abusing others. Yes, We may not mean it literally, but Literally speaking it’s gross when we think about the literal meaning of a few of them.

 

Do the people who say it, mean it? Do they think twice when they say the same to their Friends in a Friendly way.  Some times a Father would say the same to his Son, but does he actually want or for even a moment think bad about his Wife/Daughter through her son. The Answer is NO.

 

But then why?

Probably it’s a part of growing up in North India, listening either to someone abusing in family or in markets, Social gatherings etc. is quite common

I’m not sure why but I always detested this!

 

When, I was in class 1st (6 Years) I was packed off to a Hostel, Bishop Cotton School, Simla.

 

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Main Building of my School, Bishop Cotton School, Simla

No, No, I didn’t abuse till then, but yeah was naughty and my Father wanted me to be a BIG Man, A Disciplined Man, a Man of Values, so he sent me to the Best hostel in India.

In a Session we used to stay in Hostel for 9 months (March-Nov) and came back only for 3 months (Dec-Feb)  for Winter Vacations. I didn’t even pick abusing then.

However as soon as I came back for class 5th which was the first soft step of stepping into Senior Dormitory and Senior school I started abusing a bit as the environment changed completely post moving to the senior dorm.

However, Our Dormitory Warden Mrs. Rosalind Barretto was a Sweet lady but Strict as far as abusing was concerned. And if somebody complained of another student abusing then her favourite punishment was to ask the Abusing Student to apologise in writing, and that too by writing 100 times or 500 times.

 

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This Pic of me along with my Sister Sumrita was clicked around 1989, the time I was in Remove C. The same time when I started abusing

 

Once I casually abused a dear friend Deepak Bhalla in jest and he complained to Mrs Barretto.

 

Henceforth, I was summoned in her room & was asked if I had abused Deepak. I nodded my head in Affirmation.

She asked me to write “I shall never abuse again” for 200 times on coming Sunday.

On that Sunday morning when all my friends were playing wearing Home Clothes, here I was in my dorm “Remove-C” writing “I will not abuse again”. By the time I reached 100th line, I got a bit uneasy and wanted to be with my friends outside who were playing and my mind started playing Bluff games.

Thereon, after every 3 lines.. I would miss 3 or 4 serial numbers and then write again. So I finished those 500 lines by writing just 300 times.

We Students think that we are smart but forget our teachers are smarter and Mrs. Barretto got hold of it and asked me to sit in her home and write it again for 500 times. Which I did till 200 times and then started feeling restless and humiliated. Aakhir 10 Saal ka baccha tha.

Mrs  Barretto saw through me and asked me to write 50 more and then I could leave.

What a Relief it was to me and to my Thumb which was looked as it has got dented by pressing the pen for so long.

Yes, I stopped abusing then.

 

When I came back and settled in Delhi I saw every one abusing, from my 4 year old cousin to my 70 Year old grand uncle. They did it with aplomb.

What really turned me off was when I saw my cousins 2-5 years younger using the same language and that too in front of my sister.

This is what I was not able to stand and asked them to stop abusing in front of my Sister atleast.  My Sister was their cousin too. When they did not agree to me I used to walk out of the room and did not play with them.

I was called all sorts of things, from being Dheela to Sissy to Jhalla.

It did hurt, but then what could I do?

As time passed and my schooling finished, the very words I detested started flowing from my tongue too, a Bit hesitatingly, but they did flow. My vocabulary had many, but thankfully my Tongue was restricted to 2 most common ones.

In past years I tried to control it, more so when I was in Home with my family, but kahi kabhi ek do nikal hi jaati thi and I used to really feel bad about it.

Anyways, things did continue and life did go on.

But, a few days back while driving I started talking to myself (I do it often, or shall I say, it happens automatically and there I Talk to the person who knows me the best. Myself)

And I started Deliberating with myself on “Why do I abuse?”

It started from MayaPuri Chowk and by the time I covered 10 Kilometers and Reached Delhi Haat, it had been decided that I shall not abuse thereon.

It’s been 5 Months to that I have not abused and hopefully shall continue for life.

By abusing someone, We are not only Abusing him, but also every Girl, Women and ourselves.

Today on Mother’s Day, I decided to write about it because after Bhen the Next most common Gaali is on Mothers.

I am sharing this Decision of mine with you not that I want you to do the same, but atleast think about it.

mothers-day-happy-mothers-day-color-facebook-timeline-cover

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Be Kind to Your Clients, Be Kinder to your Vendors!

 

This Valentine day, I’m reminded of an instance in 2010 when I was in a sticky position with a vendor.

I was working with “Swiss Junction” as a Marketing Manager and for Valentine’s Day promotion, we had ordered some Vinyl Stickers to pasted on the Store (Great India Place, NOIDA)  front mentioning “Valentine Gifts”.

Also ordered were 3 Pairs of Hearts Shaped Stickers to be placed on each side.

When the Stickers were being pasted, I realised that valentine has been misspelled as Velentine. :-)

And on pointing the mistake, the vendor apologized profusely and pleaded that he will change it by late Night or Early morning. Now this was a weeklong promotion, so the Sticker was not to be used for more than 7 days, but at the same time, it made no sense to let it remain as it is.

Standing in front of the shop an Idea struck & I asked the vendor to fix the Smallest of HEART on the misspelled E. And that did the Trick.

 

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The problem was not rectified but the complete sticker looked better with the Heart in Valentine.

And yes, the Smile on the face of the Vendor was priceless :-)

Mentioned below are a few lessons that I learnt from this incident.

client vendor hand on hand

Act frugal: Try to find a solution. In most cases its simple logic and Common Sense, not Rocket Science

Find Solutions: Rather than looking at the problem for too long. Start thinking what would be the best solution to the given problem. Running away from the problem only creates more problems.

Don’t Waste Money: You may be an Entrepreneur spending from your own pocket or a Company Executive who would have a certain Marketing Budget to spend. In both the cases, it is your responsibility to ensure that every penny you spend is utilized to the fullest.

Don’t act Pricey because you are a Client: Around the same time as this incident, A Very Senior Corporate executive who was trying to shift jobs told me “Gurpreet, I’ve learnt a big lesson. “Never to Ill treat your vendors”. It is commonly thought that since one is a client he can delay payments, Reject Work, Shout at vendors and Create problems. And he did exactly the same. But now when he was looking to change his Job, he is finding none. Nobody is willing to refer him and even if somehow he is about to get the job, the word spreads around of his cruelty and he is refused the Job. Being Strict for quality is Right, but being heartless is not.

 

And do remember to share it with your Vendor, So that they can expect to be treated well from you and also with Clients, so that they can get an indication that you too want to be treated well 😉

If you have something to ADD, Compliment, or Criticize? Please do :-)

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candle peshawar

 

When the Attack on Peshawar School happened, we were driving to chennai to catch a train. What we heard left us still and we refused to believe it.

We were at loss of Words and Thoughts, like anybody else.

Peshawar is the Place where we had our Ancestral house, Till my Dadajee came to india Post Partition.

Some how, have tried to let out my feelings on the same.

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DTC (Delhi) Bus-Then and Now (1995-2014)

I love to have great heavy Breakfast and  more Quainter the place, the more I love it. So When I got to know that there is an Eatlo Eatup at Cafe Ama in Majnu ka Tila area in Delhi, then me and Gurleen (I’m her Husband) decided to go for it.

Though Gurleen had a meeting at 11am in North Delhi, she still insisted to be part of it.

We went in a single car and decided that I shall take a Metro from Vishwa Vidhyalya Metro Station and come to office after changing the Train from Rajiv Chowk.

 

IMG_3978

The Meal was OK, the Place was Awesome and while we walked to our Car, I realized that Gurleen has a meeting in Shalimar Bagh. Shalimar Bagh is almost halfway to our home so decided that taking a Metro would take an Hour and Auto would not take more than 30 minutes.

On the way till Shalimar Bagh, I thought that I have to go Straight only on Ring Road till Maya Puri Chowk, so why not take a bus, rather than an Auto. As it is, it’s been long that I have not been on a Bus.

And so, Gurleen dropped me at Shalimar Bagh Bus Stand. Somehow I assumed that almost all the buses shall go straight till Mayapuri and hitched on to the bus which came as soon as I got down. While taking the ticket realized that it would not go to Maya Puri Chowk and hence got down immediately at the next Traffic Light and walked back towards the Bus Stand. Thankfully after 6 Buses drove by, a Bus came which would be going via Maya Puri Chowk.  And I hopped on. Bas uske baad hum the…. Aas paas ka Mast nazara tha aur bahut Insights thi, which I absorbed, Clicked, Enjoyed and now sharing some.

Delhi is Beautiful as it is, aur zara Upar se dekho to aur bhi khoobsurat hai. In this case a few feet above Ground, from a Bus.

Some Things I noticed inside the bus….

  • The Seats are very comfortable and even have Seat Belts. (They must Install Seat belts on State Transport buses too)

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  • Lots of Emergency Exits. But sadly one of them needs a Hammer to “Break it”. And there is No hammer in Sight. So, When you hop on a Bus, Ensure you have a Carpenter along :-)

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  • The Conductor did his Job very well and was In Proper Crisp uniform.

  • Earlier, there was fear that someone may Snatch your bag or Pick your wallet & jump from a Moving Bus. But now as the doors are closed, One can heave a sigh of relief…….. Till the doors open :-)

  • There are some people who are doing some great work. For example, this subway down there was Very Colorful, but Dust had covered it and rather than being an Attraction, it has become an eye sore. Shall share this pic with respective authorities and agar Ek mahine mein saaf nahi hota, then shall go with friends and clean this. Atleast once. Some times, One time is all that matters :-)

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  • The Bus Stops are really Clean and Maintained well. Baithne ke liye saaf jagah mil jaye, wohi bahut hota hai.

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  • In case of Fire, The Bus does have a Fire Extinguisher. :-)

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  • I saw this Poster of Arvind Kejriwal inside the bus. No, I don’t think it was Paid for to DTC.

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  • The City is Awesome, Down there was an Under Pass. And on the Surface level was again a Road and  On top of it, was a Flyover where I clicked this pic from a Bus and overhead there was Metro Train running.  Four Levels!! :-)

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I know,  bahut parr liya aapne, so ab aap agar is window ko band kar denge, to mein bura nahi manunga. But if you can spare 165 more seconds, then do read on. May be this becomes the topic of discussion with someone you meet today. Facts to pata hi hone chahiye na :-)

So here it is…..

I have shared some Experiences from 1995 when I used to travel a lot on DTC buses and have compared them with today’s experience.  .

                                             Difference In travelling in a DTC Bus-THEN and NOW

THEN 1995

NOW 2014

in 1996 , The Student pass was for Rs 12.50 Rs and allowed you to travel unlimited times for a month

Today for a 5 Km Distance, I paid the Same Amount

Earlier the Male-Female Ratio was 50-8

Today it was 50-2. Seems, Females Prefer the Safer Metro, even if the time taken is longer some times. :-)

Earlier The Conductor used to sit in the last and we used to first grab seats wherever we got, and passed a 5 Rs coin and asked some one ki Do rupye ki ek Ticket le dena and he would pass it to his piche wala.

Today, The Conductor sits in the centre, and you need to get up and get your Tickets.. Because the gaps between seats has increased, more so between the front seats and conductor’s Seat

Earlier, it was Get up get down anywhere. I remember, getting down from a chalti hui Bus many times. But once I miscalculated and crashed with my full body on the ground. It was not a Busy road and thankfully no traffic was coming piche se :-)

Today the Gates are closed when the bus is moving so not as easy

Earlier Most of the time was spent on seeing bahar or Snoozing or Talking to Co-Passengers. I remember, Once I told a lady on the Bus ki Unke Khaali kaan acche nahi lag rahe. And she smiled and took out her Earrings and wore them usi time. I still think ki usne mujhe channtta kyu nahi maara :-)

Today, It was same as far as snoozing is concerned. But today some people were snoozing while wearing ear phones. Good Way, Jab Gaana chal raha hai to masti ho rahi hai. And Gaana band ho jaye to headphones will cut the external chatter and shor.

Earlier, The Entire route of the Bus was written at the Entry gate and even on Wind Screen of Bus

Today just the final destination is written. Khud soch lo. And issi Wajah se, I got on to a wrong Bus today/ Thankfully it was red Light after the Bus Stand and I got off and walked back to Bus Stand

Thanks for reading through all this. I/m not sure, if you liked reading it. But if you did.. Then through some signal do let me know. It Shall add more Ink in my pen.  The Ways to Signal are… By Liking the Post on Blog, Commenting on Blog, Sharing on Blog and Subscribing the Blog.
Uff.. Seems I’m watching too many TVF Videos. Woh bhi end mein aise hi bolte hai :-)

 

 

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School Student becomes an Entrepreneur

Circa 1994.

This was the year when my results for Class 10th board were announced. And to me, it seemed as if I have crossed the English Channel even without knowing Swimming.

Ok, I know I am exaggerating. But believe me I didn’t study for my boards. Apart from English no Subject lured me enough to study it. And whatever English I would study and learn, would go waste, because due to my BAD handwriting my teacher was not able to decipher what I had written.

Anyways, I was relieved that now Board Exam is after 2 years… And I can LIVE!!!

For me Living would mean, going back to the days, when I went to Pragati Maidan for any and every kind of Exhibition that was running or to hire Video cassettes of Hindi Movies or Pakistani Plays or Tom & Jerry cartoons.

I loved Pakistani Plays more, the Comedy ones Like Bakra Qisto Pay, Buddha Ghar par hai, Nayee Ammi Purane Abba etc etc.

bakra quiston pay

Umar Shareef was the person who made Pakistani Comedy Plays So Popular. If you note closely , you may find DNA is same in Comedy Nights with Kapil

And all these Cassettes were rented from a Video Library just 2 houses away from ours in Karol Bagh.

The Uncle who ran this Shop was an Amazing person. He was first a Neighbour, A Family member and then a person from whom we rented cassettes.

I remember, once Budda Ghar par had released and I went to his Video Library and asked uncle “Budda ghar par” hai?

And he cutely Said “Yes beta,Saamne baitha hai” ha ha ha ha….. Such was the relation :-)

Most of the Times, when we used to go to get a cassette, Aunty would ask us to wait and then would cook some Delicious Anda paranthas. I still yearn for those tasty Paranthas.
I can still eat them, but for that, I need to go to London and not walk down a few steps as I did Earlier. As aunty is settled there now.

After my Exams…. I went to Uncle’s shop and asked for a few latest videos and he told me that he does not have it and shared his decision of closing down the Library.

For Sure, it made me sad and then I Casually asked him what he would do with these 700 cassettes.

And he replied he shall sell them at throwaway price at the earliest

I went back to home, Read an India Today magazine and “while I was trying to sleep the crazy entrepreneur in my awakened”.

I decided to buy the entire collection for Rs 7000 (Rs 10 a piece)

it

 

Sep 1994 issue of India Today, I began to Read Every India Today Word to word since I was in Class 8th and whatever English I have learnt is thanks to the Magazine.

 

Next morning I shared my decision with my father and asked for the money. He asked my Plan, Smiled and gave me the money.

I went to uncle, gave him my offer, he Smiled and Accepted the money.

In my House, I had a Small room on Mezzanine Floor. The kind of room, where If I went today… I would not even be able to stand straight due to its low height.

So, I made around 30 Trips for 2 days, Every trip had me carrying 20 cassettes & dropping it to my room.

VIDEO CASSETTES

 

(An Actual photo of those cassettes in my Room, neatly Stacked as if it’s in an Actual Video Library)

 

Decision Taken, Money paid, Cassettes in my Custody, Now What!!

So, the First Step I took was to Sort them. English Separate, Hindi Separate, Pakistani Plays Separate and then sorted it according to new and Old. Next step was to sort them as Original and Recorded.

 

sorting

Sorting was one process That I Loved & today when looking back, I realise that probably Sorting helped me Focus on what to Sell/Push. Also, it is Very Akin to Setting priorities in Life.

Uske baad I fixed the price for New Original Movies @Rs 50. Then I spread a Word of the same to my School Friends and Home Friends about it. They seemed Excited and I sold 40 of them in the same weekend.

40 Units * Rs. 50 = Rs. 2000

I still remember, one of them was “Shahenshah”(Can be Spotted in the Pic above) and was a Special Double Pack and I sold it for Rs 80. Rest was priced at Rs 25.

Out of them, there were 40 of them which were not named. MY only fear was that they could either be Blank, Corrupted or even Porn.

And Porn was the last thing I wanted to sell.

So, I gathered some Courage and asked Uncle if any of the cassettes were X, Double X or Triple X.

He answered in negative. I was not sure whether I felt Relieved or was Disappointed.

xxx

Anyways, a query cleared I focused on selling my cassettes and in a Month Sold 300 of them and collected Rs. 10,000.(Average rate Rs 35)

Out of the Money Collected,I Returned Rs 7000 to my Dad. Along with the amount was a small gift, because he had loaned me that money.

After a Month, I had Rs 3000 profit and still 400 Cassettes to Sell. I had already exhausted all my resources and had no Idea what to do with them.

If by any chance, you would have read my BLOG The Gift of Lessons, My Gifting Company Taught Me, You would know that I was a Frequent Visitor to “Sunday Chor Bazaar” behind Red Fort in Delhi

So, One Day I decided to go there and check if any trader there would be willing to buy the remaining cassettes.

So, I went one Sunday morning and talked to a few shopkeepers selling VCR’s and TV’s and shared my reason to be there. Thank Fully, One of them agreed to come to my home and inspect the Cassettes the same day.

Within 2 hours, he was at my home, and after giving the cassettes a Glance, he offered Rs 7 per Cassette!!!!!!

The feeling I got was so Awesome, that I said YES, without Bargaining!

So, that Sunday my Month Long Rendezvous with those cassettes ended and left me Richer by Rs 5800, Increased Self Confidence & Lots of Contentment.

After that I had many more of these Short and Long Term Entrepreneurial Experiences which I shall be sharing in my Blogs to come.

Thanks a Lot for Reading TILL HERE!

 

If you Liked this Blog, Then You May Also Like Chala Tikku Copywriter Ban’ne….

 

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Some Images are mine and some have been sourced from Google Images

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Linlithgow: My Introduction to Hostel life

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Many of my Memories are Linked to this Building called Linlithgow.

I stayed in it for barely 9 Months, but the time spent there was very important.

 

It was here when I spent my first night and then next 90 Nights, without the sight of my parents.

 

My Parents just left me here with a promise to come back and pick me in evening. And they did not.
I kept Crying and Vomiting the entire night and I am know My Mom cried the entire night too. (I’m Teary Eyed when Writing this)

 

The very next Day I was Bullied, Kicked, Punched, Abused by my Classmate and it continued for atleast 6 Months.

 

Did I mention that I was only SIX years old then!!!!!

When I Think of Linligthgow, I Think of our Matron, Mrs Jacob!!

 

She injected DISCIPLINE into us. To an Extent.. That every night she checked our Underwears to see, if they were soiled and The Soiled one would get a Coat brush Whack.

 

And that was my bed, Just next to the Right most Window
(1984)

 

BISHOP COTTON SCHOOL SHIMLA

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Happiest Date of my Life “1st Dec”

1st December was and will always be special in the life of Cottonions. 

This is the Day when we used to come back to our homes after staying 9 months in our Hostel BISHOP COTTON SCHOOL SHIMLA 
This was the day we met our Family and gali ke friends for the first time since March when we left for the session.
This is the day when our Final Exams got over.
This is the day when we had THREE MONTHS of vacations waiting for us.
This is the Day when we came back as 35 kg and went back as 45 in 3 months after having maa ke haath ka khana.

And this is the Day we used to get our Clothes and stuff packed in our Trunks to get back home. This Trunk is 30 years Old!!!

This has been and forever will be the Best day of my Life!!!
Happy 1st December!!!

 

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PS:-Waise this DIAMOND Sticker was of Diamond Shoes. Which I had purchased from the factory. It had a small pocket and Was a good place to keep some cash…. this would help us not getting bullied while the seniors checked our shorts and trousers!

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