First Day as a Managing Partner

I was pretty excited to join my own office with a new role - “Managing Partner @ Appxerbia Software Solutions”.

I woke up early in the morning and got ready for the first day in my own office. I could reach office in mere 10 mins with full of energy. The other partner was already in and awaiting for me.

Pushing the glass-door and entering into the office with ownership is an amazing feeling. I could feel the pride and confidence in myself. The office was lit with lights, so do my eyes. I always wanted to have such feeling and I’m going to experience it everyday.

My office, my space. A place where I can learn, build, experiment and evolve. Awesome isn’t it?

My partners brought a beautiful bookey and a welcome gift to announce my ownership and stake in the company to the employees. Receiving a warm welcome from all the employees was really encouraging. I visioned my dreams to them in my official first speech.

“First of all thank you so much for a warm welcome. 

I was working as a full time employee in Amdocs where I learned a lot.
But now I’m a full time entrepreneur with my own talented team. 

I believe we will achieve our goals and excel in our journey together.

I wish all the very best to all of us. We are here to stay and stay strong with confidence.”

Change in professional status in my social media profile on Facebook and Linkedin gave me hundreds of like and numerous congratulating comments. For some it was real surprise. My phone started ringing with phone calls and beeping with WhatsApp messages. Tons of congratulations, all the best and smiley.

I’ve formally announced myself as a “Managing Partner @ Appxerbia Software Solutions” on 15-Nov 2019 to the world.

Dream of the Future

Unsettling Thoughts:

Since last 9 months there were so many changes happened around me. Some were welcoming, some were not-so welcoming, and some were really bothering. In this entire duration I was working and working hard to understand the situation and tackle to best of my beliefs. There were peaks and valleys in my entire thought process. I had to stay calm and decide the path forward.

I closed my eyes and started to look back in my life to find some clues. Pictures were rushing through my eyelids. But every time pausing when there was a hope, instinct, creativity and most important a Dream. My dreams had made me live and pursue to see the unseen paths of life.
I had a dream to be an Entrepreneur. But in the process of life, somehow it was getting blurred. This was unsettling to me time to time.

Challenges:

There were financial challenges though. How could I take a step forward to quit a job which give me 6 figures salary? The road ahead looked to be turbulent with financial instability and unforeseen incidents. I sat for long hours and scribbled numbers on my balance spreadsheets (thanks to managerial dashboard preparation activities that I did for many years). The numbers were not so good.

In between my mother had heart blockage attack, near distress situation. She was hospitalized. Now she is breathing through a pacemaker. Again, my father struck with another medical issue to see. His vision was getting weaker and impaired.

I held back my dream for some time. But there is hope, creativity and the dream itself.

My wife Ashwini helped me all the time to always remember my dream and followed numerous occasions where I can save some money to pursue my dream someday. She is always a constant feed for my energy.

Stamping on my decision:

My unsettling thoughts came to the rest when I finally decided to follow my dreams. I told my parents about my decision. Though they were worried, but still they believed in me. I resigned from my job. I quit my full-time stable job for my full-time entrepreneurship journey. This will be going to be the complete transformational decision of my life.

Dream of the Future:

I’m going to start my new life, a new beginning for the new chapter as the Entrepreneur. What could be the best day to start, it’s Thursday 14 November 2019, a children’s day. I take it as a birth day of my new professional life to learn, play, build and evolve as a child do.

Incident at the US airport

Below is a small incident took place with me at the airport while in US.
I just remembered it and thought to share it with you all my friends.

There was a small situation happened to me to.

When I was comming back from US to India, while checking in my carriage bags to security at DFW airport in Dallas, I was asked to seperate out one of the bag and declare the things in it. For few moments I was anxious and worried abt why was only I asked to do so among so many passengers. Later I kept myself calm and tried to remember what all things I packed in that bag. I listed out all the articles to the lady.
She opened my carriage bag in front of me and started taking out all the items. I tried to help her to to get things out of the bag. She shouted at me "Sir, do not touch anything in the bag. I'll do it all by myself. You just answer my questions." I was taken aback.
I fakely tried to smile at her as I didn't want to show any fear on my face of the situation. She asked me what all those heavy books for. I calmly said those were the civil engineering books for my brother (brother of my friend which is what I didn't tell her).
There was a small box under one of the heavy book. I spoted it and she waved it in the air "What is there in this box?"

I said there were some kitchen items with few knives for my mom and gave her a cheerful smile.
She smiled to me and showed her white teeth on the black round face. Then she repacked my bag and gave the green signal to go ahead by wishing a safe and joyful journey back home.


I felt very relaxed and moved ahead to board the plane. :)

-Amit

Understanding through misunderstanding...

Understanding through mis-understanding:-

2-Apr-2010 7:48:00 PM
“It was all false. I made you fool. I was doing acting for those many days.”, she said and laughed.
“What! Why you did that to me?” I exclaimed with a shock.
“Yes, I did it because I always wanted to remove your dependency. You know, I came to know many things.” she explained.
“What many things?” I demanded composing myself.
“I’ve not listed them yet on paper, I’ll list down and let you know.” she said easily.
“Ok.” I ended the call.

We usually talk on phone for hours. This time the conversion was only for two to three minutes but hold lot of meaning for that matter.
The simple sentence “It was all false” made me nervous. I lost my temper and started cursing her for her did. ‘How can my so beloved best friend do this to me? Why did she play with my emotions? She used me.’ I concluded.

Mom asked me to come over for dinner. Mom had prepared my favorite Shahi Paneer and Roti for dinner and Kulphi in desert, but it didn’t taste sweet anymore. I was not at all attentive to it. I was only thinking about that simple sentence. Finally I went to my bed to sleep after dinner.


3-Apr-2010 12:16 AM

My phone rang. She was calling me. I disconnected.
After some time phone beeped saying ‘One message received.’ I knew whose it was. I opened and read. “Hey, Im waiting 4 your call. R u angry on me?”
I replied “I don’t want to talk to you now”, unknowing and not even caring. It was all anger that overcame all my care for her.
Another message flashed, “What happened, dear?”
I didn’t reply this time.
After half an hour new message delivered, “It’s ok if you don’t want to talk to me now. You sleep without thinking anymore. I’ll see when to sleep. Gn. Tc.”

I didn’t bother to wish her good night, but couldn’t sleep whole night. Thinking, thinking and more thinking….


3-Apr-2010 9:18:27 AM

I was watching TV, some action movie was on. Hero was fighting to some Villain and I was to myself. I heard a message tone from my cell phone.
“Saath chute to rishte nahi chuta karte, waqt ki dahliz se lamhe nahi tuta karte, milte hai kuch log aise zindagi me jinse kabhi naate nahi tuta karte. GM.” it was her again.
The action effect from TV transferred to me. I was in no mood to listen to her any attempt of counseling.
“You always wanted 2 remove ur so called DEPENDENCY. After playing with my emotions, u must have achieved it.” I replied harshly and started surfing through TV channels.
She didn’t reply. Instead she called me on my mobile. I didn’t pick the phone.
After some time she texted, ‘Call me when get into mood. Don’t think more in a misunderstanding. Trust me; I did it for some reason. Have a nice day ahead!’

She was asking me to trust her, when she didn’t trust me. My heart was broken in millions of pieces. My mind said, ‘It’s all fake. Yet another time, she is lying to me. ’


3-Apr-2010 4:37:05 PM

She was working in the office on that day on an important production application, when she sent a SMS.
“Alright, don’t call me if you don’t wish to talk to me. In tension, I screwed everything in production application and now sorting it all alone. Nps, if you want to give me a huge punishment for that one thing.”
It was a hot afternoon. Sun was burning, so the me. “I’m on a bike. I need to be alone 4 some time. U just concentrate on ur work, don’t spoil it 4 me.” I replied. This time knowing that, she won’t be able to concentrate.
“Even you can’t understand me, dear? I thought you would recognize the real reason.”
She had already told me the reason in a very simple sentence. ‘What the hell I need to understand now.’ I thought.

I went out with my friends to play cricket so that I could forget her words. Being a good striker of the ball, I usually open innings for my team. I was bowled out on the very first ball. During fielding I missed some catches too. I couldn’t slip her from my mind. Her tainted feelings had made me nervous. We lost the game.


To be continued…

3-Apr-2010 10:40 PM

I picked up my phone to see whether any of friends called me. There were no other calls except her missed calls and a message. I hesitantly read it.

“I couldn’t concentrate and now nothing is happening well 4 me. Even u are not by my side.
I never played with your emotions; I did this to come out of my own depression.
Last few months were very depressing due to pre-wedding process that my mom enforced on me when I was not at all interested in any other person.
So I decided to come out of it by living in that world itself in my imagination, I was really happy while talking to you.
When I noticed, I’m coming out of it I told you the truth, but given some different reason because I didn’t want to share it with you.
This is the truth. Waiting 4 ur reply!”
Once again I was broken, this time not because of anger but because of guilt.
She deeply cared for me even in her depression. She didn’t let me know her emotional trauma so that I shouldn’t get stressed out.
“Say anything, but please don’t hate me dear, otherwise I cannot sleep. I’m extremely sorry that I troubled you a lot.” she texted me again.

I couldn’t stand out for myself, then how could I stand in front of her and even ask for an apology. I didn’t call her. A biggest mistake I did.

I was upset through my heart while lying down on my bed. Every second was an hour for me.
I was switching my side in every minute or two, looking at my cell phone screen and reading her messages over and over.
I didn’t sleep that whole night.


4-Apr-2010 8:54:59 AM

“Sunrise’ gives us one day more to HOPE! So hope for the Best. Good day and good luck! Good Mrng.”
Needless to say, it was her one more time.
I had no courage to talk to her. I did not have my lunch well. I was giving punishment to myself for punishing her.
My head was aching like anything. I was numb for rest of the day. The world around was dead for me.


4-Apr-2010 6:35 PM

Till the evening I gained some courage and thought of meeting her. I decided to meet her at the railway station.
I knew she usually travels back to Mumbai by train in the evening. She likes to stand in door of train and feel the open air.
I just wanted to say her sorry.
I got to the Pune railway station. There was no one at the station. I asked station master when is the train due time.
He said train had already gone and I was late. Yes, I was late. Time was playing games with me.
I sent a message to her “Where are you?”

“I’m in the bus and on the way back. I’ll call you once I reach at my room. Will you pick up my phone this time?” she replied.

She also missed her train and was going by a bus. I dis-heartedly left railway station.

“Hey dear, I want to talk to you a lot and listen to you even more.” Yes, I address her as dear. I wanted to hear her voice.
I wanted to open my heart to her and to know how she felt all through those days and nights.
She called me as she promised, but I didn’t pick her phone as I was having my dinner.

To be continued…


4-Apr-2010 10:50:03 PM

“Don’t take my phone if you still not willing to talk to me. Today also I’ll not have my dinner.” I found a message after my dinner.

The word “Also” kept tingling in my mind. She did not have her meals for last few days and I never realized it.

“Please, have your dinner. I’ll talk to you after your dinner.” I requested her.

“No, I’ll not. If you cared for me, you would have picked up my call. I’ll take my meal only when you talk to me. You have my swear.
Talk to me dear. You are not feeling well because of me then tell me how can I remain calm?”
She was all thinking and caring for me even in that situation.
Mom was sleeping; I took my phone and went out of our apartment. Finally I called her.
My head was aching till I heard first words from her, “Hi dear! How are you?”
I said her sorry for doing all those things to her. She told me how she felt those days when she needed her best friend by her side.

“Hey, do you know I couldn’t sleep for nights. I was just thinking about you.” She said.

“I’m sorry dear, I couldn’t understand you.” I said mildly.

“Yes you stupid, you didn’t understand me, my friendship, my care, my love for you. I love you so much.
I gave you so many hints so that you could identify my feelings and propose me. I was just waiting for you.”, she said shyly.
I was really a stupid who couldn’t recognize her love. I liked her saying me stupid.

“I love you too dear. I thought you see me as your best friend only.”

Yes, we were just best friends since our college days, but no more now. We realized how deeply we were in love with each other.

We talked for hours first time so dearly for the whole night till the crack of dawn. I was feeling love in the air.
Her voice was stringing in my ears like violin. I understood my true love through misunderstanding.

THE END.

Experienced adrenaline rush at Zero Gravity Adventure Park

It was a beautiful sunny Saturday in Dallas, perfect to try out something new and adventurous. My friends and I decided to take this opportunity and go to one of the most recommended adventure park in Dallas, the “Zero Gravity Adventure Park”.

We called a yellow-cab and drove through North-Central Expressway to reach the park at 11131 Malibu Dr, Dallas, Texas 75229. It didn’t looked very happening from the front door. We went inside to see what all things were there. There were five adventure rides in all. We scanned through and went back to the ticket counter.

There was a beautiful American girl at the counter. We asked her for tickets. She quickly briefed us that being it an adventure event we needed to undertake full responsibility of any mishaps. I was quite worried and concerned while signing her undertaking form. She tied a wrist band to each one of us and wished us to have fun. Finally, we went inside the park thinking which one to experience first.

We thought lets take experience of the "Texas Blast-Off" ride first. I saw the instruction board. It read “Texas Blast Off. Launch to 150+ Feet. 0-60 MPH in 1.2 seconds. Do not ride if you have high blood pressure, heart trouble or nervous disorder.” which made me even more nervous. I started calculating 150 feet means around 45-50 meters, 60 MPH equals to nearly 100 Km/hr in 1.2 seconds!!!

A bucket seat was suspended between two giant vertical poles with tension springs. With hesitant heart I sat in bucket seat. One of the members from support staff tied all safety belts tightly around me. He attached a hook at the bottom of the seat and started giving tension to springs. I was shivering with fear and excitement. My heart was pounding at the rate of 80, 90, 100, 110 pulses per min.

And the hook was realized. I was launched into the air as if bomb being fired from the cannon. I couldn’t gasp my breath. I closed my eyes and hold handle bars tightly. I was reached at the highest peak point and was stopped for a microsecond. The return trip towards ground was a free fall. I couldn’t able to take that anymore and started screaming as loud as I could. I thought I would hit hard on the ground to death. But instead again I was launched up into the air, wobbling, rotating. There were a few up and down movements in air but a lot in my heart. Finally the ride came to rest and I came back to life. I was still alive.

to be continued…


Just after having that extreme shock, we moved to get another; it was a “Bungee Jump”. I handed over my ticket to the staff member. He asked me to stand on the weighing machine so that he could check my weight and assign appropriate tension belt. He wrote “B1” as a code on my wrist-band. Then he firmly fixed a blue nylon belt around my west and blue straps around my legs below the knees and just above the ankles. I was ready for my next excitement.

I was climbing through the staircase to reach the top of the building. With each step taken my fear was increasing. I reached at the jumping point on the top. There was a person who checked my weight and chose a tension spring-rope and tied it to my leg straps. He instructed me to stand on the red line at the jumping point.

I looked down at the ground. I was standing at the height of 7-storey building. I hold the side bars in fear and took long breath. My feet were shaking and mind was refraining to make suicidal attempt. I moved back. My friends were there waiting for their turn. They gave me moral support and I was again ready to dive in.

I stood on the red line for the second time, looked down again. The person who tied tension spring-rope to me started counting, one, two and three ………….
I was not able to jump. He said I need to get reed-off this fear and have to jump. He instructed me, this would be the final time he would be counting for me and I had to jump, else he would send me downstairs.

Again I stood on the red line. Now this was my final call to heavenly skies. Count started. One….. Two…… aannnddd Threeeeeee.
I spread my hands as wings of a bird and jumped. Yes, I jumped.

In few seconds upside-down hanging in the air, I was overcoming my fear. I put my hands on my chest. “Nice job bungee jumper. Reach out for black strap between your legs and pull your head towards your knees”; called the staff member. I did the same and reached to the balloon on the ground. It was a very good bungee jump.

to be continued...

Bungee jump was a real thriller; you need to make your mind and take a call whether you want to jump or not, standing on a point at such a great height.
We moved forward to see next ride. But to our bad luck “Free Fall” ride was closed for the day. We came to know that one need to go up at the top of a 16-storey building by a lift. They hang you to a hook and let you suspend in the air for a while. Then release the hook and you experience a Free Fall without any support whatsoever. You fall in the net just above the ground. That’s right, no bungee, no parachute, just you and the air!
We took incredible feeling of Free Fall in our thoughts only.

to be continued...

Next was the “Skycoaster”. My friend and I took this ride together. We were tied to one end of a 110 feet long steel cable. They attached a hook to us and took us to one of the crest point.

My friend asked me to take the lead as he was a bit afraid of that height, unknown of the same feeling in which I was in. I too was scared of that height and also closed my eyes. We heard some words from ground like ‘pull the plug’, but I was not listening to them. I was just horrified with the thought of releasing plug. My friends on the ground yelled at me. I had to pull the plug; I made my mind and finally pulled it.

Another free fall reaching at the ground just above few feet with velocity of 60 MPH and again to crest of other end!!! We were moving like a pendulum of a huge clock. I stretch my arms in that open air and felt like a flying bird. I enjoyed the moment.

A tale to tell

Hello guys, here I'm sharing my experience of being airborne first time and a much awaited professional event called "Onsite Visit". I'll be narrating as and when I find some time to write. I hope you'll enjoy it.

You are welcome to scribble your comments on this post.

My first air travel experience…


After lot of discussions and recommondations from client for sending Amit Sali (that’s me) for the site visit for production of new software version in the month of Oct-Nov 2009, the month of Diwali itself. Being recommended by client, I was so exited for my first site visit. I was travelling to Dallas City in Texas state of United States Of America, aka USA.

Everyone in my family, friends, me, even my doodh wala was exited. I received my passport with USA VISA stamped on 15th Oct, 12:03 noon hours by courier, and then I started for ticket, hotel booking and cab registration. I completed almost all the things by 4 PM and left from Pune office towards Mumbai Airport at 5:30 PM. I received lot of phone calls and SMS during travel to Mumbai. I could not talk to my
parents much due to heavy call traffic on my phone and my cell phone battery was almost died.

I got to airport, the "Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai" at around 10:00 PM. I went through all airport security stuffs and immigration check and reached to breakout area, waiting for going aboard as the Delta Flight DL-185 to Atlanta from Mumbai was scheduled on 16th Oct 00:30 hours.

I still had 1 hour to go. Thoughts and excitements were flowing at a lightning speed within me, like how could be the flight, what facilities would be there, what if the plane crashed, have I missed any thing to take, how pretty would be the Air Hostesses, etc. I was fantasized with all those dreamy waves.

Suddenly the call for Delta flight DL-185 passengers got announced to reach the terminal. I woke-up from the dreams and head towards the gate through the breezway. A girl of age may be 24/25 of average height; curly brown hair in pink-white suite with cheerful smile on her equally pink chicks came at the gate of the flight and welcomed me aboard. Wow! She was so beautiful.

to be continued....

and the story continues....


I looked at her, she was looking pretty. I smiled and said “Thank you”. She smiled too, and then escorted me to my seat with proper directions. She asked me to call if I need anything. I nodded and thanked her again. I moved slowly towards my seat through aisle. Every passenger was busy in keeping their belongings inside the overhead compartments, reading magazines provided, listening to music on their iPods, making comfortable in the seats. I reached to my seat, it was a window seat as I requested for it at the time of issuing boarding pass. I put my bag and made myself comfortable in the seat.

I started going through magazines, watching advertisements, looking at those pretty ladies on each page and also in some of the seats of the plane, and thinking who will be the one beside me throughout the journey. My curiosity and patience came to an end when an elderly fat bull of age around 50-55 came and sat on the seat next to me. My heart was broken.


to be continued...


To counsel myself I started looking for that girl with pink suite and pink smile. My eyes were scanning every corner of the plane, but failed to get a glimpse of her beautiful face. I couldn’t find her on the flight. It was another discouragement for me.

With disappointed heart I started looking outside through the window. I could see delta flight support staff, loading our luggage and baggage on the plane. Few were inspecting the flight for the final time before take-off. There were lots of planes parked in line, waiting for their turn to fly high.

Meanwhile there was an announcement from our captain whose name I do not remember as now saying “Welcome all to delta flight DL-185. We are about to present you a video on your screen. Please keep attention to all the instructions shows in the video. Our crew members will also guide you if you find any difficulty in understanding the instructions.” There was a precompiled video showing where are the exit doors on the plane, what to do in case of emergency, how to fasten and release seat belts, etc. I was very attentive to those lessons as if I’m listening to a commander in chief addressing a very strategic speech to his soldier who is going on a war. I carefully fasten my seatbelt as instructed.

And, there was a jerk, a backward jerk. Two flight support members with green and red lamps were guiding the captain to take the plane on the runway. At last the plane was moving. The plane was moving slowly and carefully on pathway towards runway. I could see few flights taking off and flying in the dark sky. With last turn we were on the runway, a huge one may be for our huge plane. The plane stopped for a while, and was ready to take off.


to be continued…



Captain started giving thrust to heavy engines of the plane. Engines started leading to their highest potential, gaining sound like a whistle of an old chemical factory. That monster sound was unbearable for me. My ear’s diaphragms were resonating, I thought it would burst. I closed my ears tightly with two fingers.

With that sound, plane started accelerating on the airstrip. With every second the velocity was increasing exponentially. I was pushed back inside the seat. I hold the handle-bars tightly with fear and excitement. I was breathing my breath. 0 to 100 in just 5 sec. I could see direction boards and landing signals passing by rapidly. Finally, captain raised the nose of the plane towards dark sky. The plane was about to take-off and I was about to leave the ground. At last the plane lifted itself from the runway and I was airborne.

I was airborne for the first time in my life. I was flying in the air. It was an exciting moment. I could see the beautiful city Mumbai, illuminating in Diwali lamps and fireworks. Everyone was celebrating. Everyone was wishing good bye to me, thought rushed through my mind. I said good-bye to all of them. I was flying higher and higher, passing through dark clouds and reaching an altitude of 35 thousand feet from the ground. I was on cloud-nine.

to be continued…..

and the story goes as follows...


Within few minutes we were at height of nearly 11 kilometers from the ground, I spotted it on the LCD screen. I peeped through the glass of the window, to check how our earth looks like from that altitude. I could see nothing but endless dark sky with twinkling stars and signaling light of few airplanes. “Is it a dream? Am I in a fairy tale?” I thought. Yes, I was dreaming. It was a wonderful moment that I was enjoying for the first time in my life.

Soon one of the crew member announced, it was safe to release our seatbelts and I came back in real life. People were already moving in the plane as if they were walking in the garden. I too joint them. I walked through all corners of the plane watching every little thing on it, being it doors locking system, pathway, chairs, lavatory and very importantly those pretty air-hostesses on board.

to be continued…..


I came back at my seat and relaxed myself. That bull was not at his seat. I thanked god for the moment. I was missing my loving mom, dad, and my cute little sister who packed my bags. My sister was so excited. She had made a check list of all required items and checked so many times so that I did not miss anything important. Mom was very worried about my travel. I could make out that from her tone while talking to her on the phone. She was giving so many instructions and orders to take care of my belongings and myself, to call her when I reach at US airport. She was very concerned about my eating habits, this and that. She was telling every possible thing she could. While dad was confident enough and just wished me luck and boosted my morale.

I couldn’t meet them at the Mumbai airport. They couldn’t reach on time due to heavy Mumbai traffic and slow car driver. I had to pass immigration check and I was a bit late too. Yes, now I was missing them all.

to be continued…..