It was Thrilled O'Clock,I loved my existence.

November 2011, a live music event that was organised in a week from its inception to this very day…

All set and ready, but one small problem, who would host this show? We needed somebody to go on stage and bring the crowd alive.

‘Bhaiya, Why don’t you do it, you talk good, you are right there, nobody better than you can pull this off!’, recommended a junior team member. Now, this was something I’d love to do.

‘Yes, I’ll do it’, I replied with a straight face, not showcasing how I really wanted to do it :p

Attire: Reds Checks Kurta & blue denims (In its 5th year) & FILA basketball shoes (In its 3rd year) | Phone: Brand New LG touch screen + side slider Qwerty keypad phone (the reason I bought) — In black & Orange (Screw you! Santosh Electronics AGAIN on the colour availability) — I lost my green & white phone in a local train | Song on Playlist: Rock on (Hindi Film) — Title track | Mindset: Jaako raakhe saaiyan, maar sake na koi… (The one protected by the lord would never be harmed) | Time: Thrilled’O’Clock

A metal freak friend blasted at me. ‘Dude what is this? Is this how you will go on stage?’

‘Yeah, what is wrong? It’s a musical event’, I was wearing a traditional kurta.

‘Sir, we are not hosting a Ghazal night. it’s a rock show, you will have to look like a rock star’,

‘But I haven’t got any change’,

‘Chutiya! wait, take this’, He removed his brand new AC-DC t-shirt which he specially bought for this event. He gave it to me.

‘Abey, what will you wear then?’,

‘I’ll manage… Go now!’

2 hours to go — Stage set, trailer set (Yes! Our stage was a truck-trailer), sound set, the bands had arrived and were gearing up. We had our sponsors who were ready with their set up and all the deliverables we promised them. The rebel senior ‘X’ was making all the security guidelines clear to everyone. Yes, he came on board for this. But till date, I have no clue, if this was out of interest or as guided by the Princi.

5 mins to start. We had a decent 1500 to 2000 people in that small arena. It looked packed and I knew more people would turn up. There were already seniors from SUC or Non-SUC who came to me, congratulated and said those 3 magic bumps, ‘Proud of you dude. You made it!’, I had no reaction to this by just a smile and goosebumps. I had 20 of these goosebumps in like 30 minutes. I was on a different high. Loving every second of this. All the hard work, sleepless nights, the team, their humongous effort, my dream — I could see it all around. The place was too active. I went on stage. In that different high. I shouted at the top of my voice greeting the audience. Now, I knew interacting with masses really well, pumping them up, but this was different, this was a dream I lived, it was coming true. My energy was different, it wasn’t me but my aspirations doing the talk.

To the ones who’ve seen me host various events till date tell me, this was the best I ever performed. In fact, a photo I still have of this event remains my ‘WhatsApp DP’ even today. It refreshes me, even today.

The first band went on stage. The event kicked off.

A tear dropped off my eyes. I was backstage, I heard that guitar strumming, the bass of the drum, the vocalist in sync. I couldn’t believe I did it. 20 days from when I invited my seniors which had no existence. 20 days from then, they were witnessing my promise/challenge. Can life be better than this?

While in my emotional high, a few drops of water busted on my head. I looked up. The venue was right next to the college building.

‘Who the faaaack is throwing water here?’, I shouted aloud, a team member came to me. I asked him to go and check who is throwing water on stage. He stood there. I shouted at him, ‘Go run idiot, what you are waiting for?’, He replied with his face low, ‘It is not someone in the building. It's God up there, it's raining.’

WHAT?? I looked up in the sky, he was right, there were a few droplets, a very light drizzle coming down. I checked the date. It's mid-October. Why the hell is it raining now, it was sunny since a week, even till early evening today. Why? So many problems I faced in the last few days, everything had a solution. Now, what would be the right solution here? Who can help me with this? The crowd way enjoying, they took the rain in a very positive way. It was like euphoria for them. Even I thought for a moment that the show would go on, but I looked at the console where all the sound set up was done. The sound manager was not looking happy. His equipment worth lacs were at stake.

It started drizzling heavy now. The band still kept performing. It now started pouring, very heavy, with winds, the music stopped at the moment, and it was a hush-rush situation. Everybody started running in and out. Too much noise, the production team ran taking every possible coverable sheet or banner they could use to cover the equipment. And ME? I was exactly at the place where I first realised a drop of water fell on me. I didn’t move an inch. I was there still in shock and technically brain dead at the moment. A junior came to me for something, I didn’t reply even after he asked me thrice, he left. I was backstage and everybody was taking shelter. I kept standing in the rain, all drenched with my eyes on the ROCK RIOT logo of the main backdrop. Just too scared, numb & super helpless at the moment.

My fingers are trembling as I write this, I remembered it all over again. Shit! Why did it rain?

It rained for a decent 80 minutes. I was counting the time. In 30 minutes, my knee was hurting & I sat down, 1000 of thoughts now rushing my brains like wave. It stopped finally, the venue was devastated. The entire senior team spotted me. They ran to me.

‘Are you alright?’, a senior asked. I didn’t nod.

‘Get up, come, come with me’,

I started walking with him. We went to the sound manager.

‘Can we re-start?’, the senior asked with a low voice.

‘Are you mad? Even if you give me 3 days from now, I wouldn’t be able to judge the kind of loss I’ve made. Forget starting it again. I need a few people to help me. Please arrange’, he said in a very irritated tone and It was justified. Nobody could do anything about this. We had a situation, a natural calamity. It wasn’t anybody’s fault here.

I lost it at this moment. I was 0.001% hopeful if we could have a start. But NO. The crowd, nobody left. Everybody was still there, even when they knew it wouldn’t start but nobody left the venue. In fact, one of the bands started performing within the crowd with drums, acoustic guitar and singing his voice out. People surrounded him and they were enjoying it.

I looked at them. Super disappointed. They were here to have a gala time. They were, but now it's over. Its all over, We let them down. Even if it was the rain. I took the responsibility of the calamity. We should’ve had a cover on the top. This was the basic we could do. Nobody could predict rains, but no excuse, when you’re executing something. Do it full proof and we kept this loophole. Everybody in the coming days said it was irreparable. But even today, I feel it was my fault, I should’ve thought about it. I should’ve done it. My team, the dynamites, they were stressed, but they did not show it on their faces. They spotted me, 2 of them dragged me to the performing area, there were 400 people around. They took me to the vocalist. He stopped singing. He introduced me to everyone. ‘Though we couldn’t perform, thanks to the rain-gods, but trust me guys, I haven’t seen this kind of energy ever in my life. The arrangement, the organising committee, the hospitality and most importantly the crowd. We haven’t performed before with such maniacs who live, eat, drink & sleep music. So much that I don’t want to stop at all, ARE YOU GUYS ON FOR THIS????????????’

A big roar went into the crowd. He started performing again.

That’s it, I couldn’t take it anymore. I finally had an emotion in my mind. I ran out of the place. Outside the venue, I burst out loud. Started crying very loud. Like a child who is sent to school on his first day. I don’t know what was happening. But I felt like it, it had to come out, the hard work, the madness, the dream, the cancellation of an event, the rush. It all had to come out.

A team member came running to me, he hugged me tight, trying to counsel me. But I was out of control. Within minutes the entire team of 40 were around me, I kept looking down and crying hard.

Within a minute, I was hugged by all of these 40 guys in unison. Like the 11 players celebrate a goal in the football field. Just a sight, I saw every 40 of those eyes wet, some loud, some silent but nobody as loud as me. Finally, seniors and my team arrived.

‘Krishna, quiet, it wasn’t your fault, quiet’, he had his hands on my shoulders. I finally was quiet. The boss stood a meter away. Everyone was silent. Our Lord came to us. ‘Krishna get up, Princi is here’

I stood up wiping my eyes. He came straight to me & shook hands,

I couldn’t take it easy, I hugged him & started crying again on his shoulders.

I whispered, ‘Sorry Sir, It couldn’t be the best, I let you down’,

‘Stop crying, you’ve done an outstanding job. I haven’t seen this college as live and happy as this’,

I controlled myself again and went quiet. He called out everyone for a briefing. The entire SUC & team of 40 surrounded him.

‘Guys we’ve made history today. So what it rained and the show couldn’t go on. But this was out of our hands to manage. You’ve done a fantastic job. *The most prestigious Newspaper* has covered this event, the local media has covered it, I have some good positive feedback from the university. We created a huge impact. Thank you all for your brilliant attempt. You have made me & the college proud today’, Everyone shouted out of joy, they kept clapping for 2 minutes. ‘Come see me tomorrow, chill and take control of the situation’, He said while leaving. ‘Yes Sir’, I told him, the only 2 words I spoke in the last 3 hours.

It was over. The dream, execution & the wrath. I didn’t sleep the entire night. Was in college at the venue. Though a bit better now.

Next morning, still at the venue, came a junior with a local newspaper in hand. *The rain Gods spoilt it, but this remains the best ROCK event in the city ever. The crowd and arrangements were simply outstanding*, said the most prestigious newspaper of the region in their city coverage. I blushed, first time in last 16 hours. I think I partially lived my dream. People captured pics and posted loads and loads on Facebook.

This incident was an eye-opener for me. Why? Few things –

- It all started with me staring at this video on a colleague’s phone, it all ended with almost the exact content of that video live in front me, Planned & Organised — This my friend is called bringing Dream to Reality — First time in life

- No matter what anyone or everyone opinionated about your dream, its your dream, you own it — face it, fight for it but Do it — First time in life. Every single human brain thinks in a different way, some fall in line with you, some against it. Prioritise yourself, you need the first category around you or you’re aimless.

- All of the above shouldn’t just get you agitated to start dreaming immediately and start planning your goal. It is important to have a focus, an agenda. Why are you dreaming about it? Will it help you succeed is what your larger goals are? Is it an obnoxious dream (At 50, you cannot aim a selection in the Indian Cricket Team when you’ve never played cricket in your life) — The dream should make sense, as long as it can be 25% more than what your maximum limit is…

- Decide on one thing, one path, stick to it, no matter what every living or non-living thing tries giving you a direction with. Take the positives which are thrown at you — If it adds value. Else, the Lord has given you 2 ears, use each of them for one function — Listen and flush it out.

- Confidence matters the most. If I have to succeed in something. I have to make the world or eco-system around me believe that I will succeed in it. The beginning of it is Confidence, it would come to you spontaneously (remember — ‘You’re invited in 20 days’) I never planned it, but it just came at random because I believed in it. If you believe in something, you wouldn’t have to search for that confidence anywhere.

- Lastly, Plan your dream. If not human even the lords can break your heart. Like the above case. Nobody could’ve done anything, but I still take the blame that I should’ve thought about the rain protection angle.

These 7 thoughts are the exact specific way I remember, analyse, use to plan any thought or dream which comes my way. And mind you this is not taught in any management class. This ain’t S.W.O.T. analysis. This is something you need to build on your own.

What works for you the best? Don’t imitate anyone’s thought process, build your own, the best in the world have done this. What are you waiting for?

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