Genesis

Finally the final shape to the brochure has been given. The initial prodding by Prof Bagchi and Prof Mahadik. Sometime in July. We were at sea as to how to go about putting ourselves on paper. We slept on it.We chewed on it we spent sleepless nights as to how to work out our curriculum Vitae for the consumption of the possible employers. Gave it up as a bad joke and let it hang fire for sometime. Enter Ms Padmashree. With patience and examples she guided us step by step as to the various ways we could employ to prepare our resume'. We gave it alot of thought and then again put the idea on ice for sometime to come. Whenever Prof Bagchi or Prof Mahadik asked us about the brochure our standard reply was - " we are working on it". Whereas in reality we had not yet got to the first base (Preparation of the CV).Thus we angled for some more time in preparation of the CV. 

Then things started picking up. The one thing we feared happened. We were set a deadline. Prof Bagchi said " Guys it is time you got out of your fugue and started producing something concrete. Enough of this dilly dallying . Time has come for you to produce something. You have taken enough time and now is the time to produce a brochure. I would request you to write down some thing which will be your CV. If possible by the 1st of September". We knew that we had reached the end of our long rope and now was the time to work on it . A conference was held and taking a leaf from some other brochures we settled on a format for the CV. Hurried consultations and comparing of CVs and soon we had a format ready . It was time for us to get the CVs vetted. And who was more qualified for it then Ms Padmashree. One by one we sent the resume's to her . Like a professional editor she ran through our resume's and suggested corrections which were incorporated in the resume's.

Then we hit a road block. One of us was away for a long period of time . With this absence , again came a lull in proceedings. The body was through but the tail was stuck.

Then came the shocker. We were to get the brochure designed by a professional. Is not ASCI going to do it? we asked Prof Bagchi. He looked at us incredulously. He was undecided whether to tear his hair out or laugh outright at our naivete'. Of course he did neither of these. In a controlled voice he told us that it was our responsibility. Now it was our turn to look at him in disbelief - it was a day for looks. An impasse was reached. Proceeding further was not possible without someone   taking initiative. And so it was back to an after lunch conference. The conference finally established that unlike the Services we had to do everything ourselves. In the services we were used to putting out an idea and there were people available to execute it. Here we had to do this ourselves. After brainstorming I remembered a friend of mine who fit the bill for designing the brochure. His clients ranged from Oxford university to Air India (Preparation of safety manuals) Saudi Airlines, Cambridge and College of Air Warfare where he redesigned the training manuals and for the fiftieth Year celebrations he had published the Coffee Table Book. Who better than Vishwanath for this task? I asked myself. So the next day we invited Vishwanath for lunch and within about fifteen minutes into the lunch we were breathing easier. Things seem to have concretised a bit.

All that remained was to give the requisite material and photographs and the whole thing would be ready in about two days. Photographs ? We had to give photographs also? and that too in a suit? In any case the whole thing was arranged . Our cordial relations with Dr Ramu , our next door neighbour came in very handy - that added to the fact that GJ put in a good word for us procured a photographer at a time when every one was wondering whose responsibility it was to arrange a photographer,,,And then the unimaginable happened. Vishwanath fell ill and was admitted in the hospital. Notwithstanding his problem he was in constant communication with his staff. The brochure was finally ready. 

A cardinal mistake one commits is that one likes to seek everyones' approval . Then everyone becomes a critic. The whole brochure starts looking like a mistake. You start wondering if it was worth it . One print later and a whole lot of criticism and pent up frustration which could not express itself. All these are a part of life I suppose. In spite of deciding to go ahead with the publication , it was decided that me and Banjo would make one final visit to the designer before giving it to the printer. After all the corrections I suddenly realised that Banjo was a confirmed perfectionist. While I was sitting with the designer calmly pointing out the mistakes Banjo would suddenly shout from behind " that 'c' is a capital letter". It disconcerted the poor girl so much that finally I had to tell Banjo to lay off! I am glad to say that the long arduous task of putting together a brochure is finally over Thanks to Viswanath and his staff who were available to us without complaining and doing a sterling job. At last we are going to sleep peacefully...