I've studied in two colleges; MNIT and IIM Lucknow. And there was a stark contrast about how I felt about these two institutes. I absolutely hated MNIT, the college, but loved the people I met there. Maybe because it was a part of growing up and sharing the best of youth with the carefree people around who didn't look beyond that day. It was a slow but a very happy life in the days of MNIT.

IIM Lucknow was a different world. I absolutely loved the college for the facilities, administration, and the quality of teaching, but hated many of my batchmates. It's funny what money does to people. Everyone was a competitor, and nobody was a friend. Everyone was seen as a potential threat to the job offer one wanted. I'm sure the same people were very different in their undergraduate days. 

The toppers in MNIT were known to help their classmates. In IIM Lucknow, the toppers were the people abhorred by the most. Simply because of the extent to which they went to ensure that the other person doesn't get close to their grades. 

Placement committee was one committee everyone disliked but kowtowed to. Because they controlled the placements, the very thing we were spending 15 lacs rupees for. And like most of the dictatorial governments, they said this in the name of helping people. "Oh! We have to be strict so that the batch gets the best placements." There's a broad line between being strict and being an asshole. And the placement committees were assholes by a distance. 

But we were the weaklings. IIM Lucknow showed me what the world is actually like. Give people money and power, and they will show you their real face. 

I miss both the places. MNIT for the friends, IIM for the college it was. 

हैरत

एक  दुनिया है जो छूट गयी है पीछे। 

कभी कभी अच्छा लगता है पुराने blog posts  पढ़ कर. 

खुद के ही नहीं, दोस्तों के भी।

मैं तब ज्यादा समझदार था या आज ज़्यादा बेवकूफ हूँ, ये समझ नहीं पाता। 

किताबें थोड़ी ज्यादा पढ़ ली हैं।दुनियादारी की समझ थोड़ी ज्यादा है पहले से।

सब लोग ज्यादा पैसा कमा रहे हैं।  इतना कि कभी सोचा करते थे कि इसका आधा भी कमा लेंगे तो  मस्त रहेंगे. लेकिन कम ही  खुश है।

जो दोस्त 7-8  साल पहले प्यार मोहब्बत की बातें करते थे, आज घर और गाडी की EMI की बातें करते है।

पहले सचिन के रन गिनते थे, आज stock market और investments की बातें करते है. कुछ दिन बाद बच्चों के बारे में करेंगे। काफी बाल सफ़ेद हो  चले है. काफी झड़ भी गए हैं।  कुछ ही साल में हम आपस में बीमारी पर चर्चा करेंगे। 

उन्ही चेहरों में पुराने दोस्त ढूँढता हूँ तो नहीं मिलते।

ये होना ही था। कोई अनहोनी नहीं हुई है इन सब में।

कोई दुःख भी नहीं है कि कुछ भी पहले जैसा नहीं रहा है।

लेकिन हैरानी होती है कि इतना जल्दी सब कुछ बदल गया है।

वक़्त बहुत कुछ सिखा देता है धीरे धीरे अपने आप. वो सब भी जो आप कभी सीखना नहीं चाहते थे. आपको वो भी महसूस करा देता है जो आपको लगता था कि आप कभी महसूस नहीं करेंगे. वो आइना भी दिखाता है जो आप कभी देखना नहीं चाहते थे.
कुछ हुआ नहीं , फेसबुक पर कुछ पुराने लोग दिख गए और थोड़ी यादें ताज़ा हो गयी.
ऐसे ही लिख दिया कि कुछ लिखने का मन कर रहा था.

एक पुरानी दोस्त से whatsapp पर बकर काट रहा था। पता नहीं क्या सूझा कि हिंदी में लिखना शुरू कर दिया. तपाक से बोली, ये क्या नौटंकी कर रहा है। हिंदी में मत लिख, समझने में दिक्कत होती है।

एक समय था जब मुझे इंग्लिश समझ नहीं आती थी। इंग्लिश की फिल्म देखने में एड़ी चोटी का ज़ोर लग जाता था, अख़बार पढ़ना तो बहुत दूर की बात थी।

आज परेशानी उलटी है। हिंदी फिल्म देखे हुए अरसा बीत जाता है, हिंदी का अख़बार घटिया लगता है, और अब दोस्तों से  इंग्लिश में ही बात होती है। ATM पर भी कभी हिंदी भाषा नहीं चुनता हूँ पैसे निकलते वक़्त।

कई बार शर्मिंदगी सी होती  कि अपनी जड़ों से अलग सा हो गया हूँ।

कल मृदुल के एक दोस्त निखिल से मिला जो हिंदी में उपन्यास लिखता है। उसने कुछ अच्छी किताबें बताई हैं पढ़ने के लिए।

ऐसे दौरे हर साल के शुरू में पड़ते है। कि इस साल शायद उर्दू पढ़ना सीख जाऊँगा, 50 किताबें पढ़ लूँगा , खाना बनाना सीख लूँगा और कुछ ऐसे ही खयाली पुलाव। देखते हैं..

P.S. : पथिक दिल्ली-6 के गाने चला रहा है। ये गाना काफी पसंद था...

On Investing - Part 2

The more I read about investing, the more I realize what all I have missed in the past 7-8 years. Apart from building wealth, by investing, especially in the stock market, one learn about oneself a lot.

Psychology and Philosophy have as much, if not more role to play in this discipline as knowledge of finance and statistics. It requires patience, and being calm under pressure especially when the market is going down and you see your wealth getting reduced because of market madness. My senior in the company, who actually pushed me in this direction, tells me that it's all about having stomach, to be able to stick to your beliefs when everyone else is telling you otherwise.

Also, the more I watch the Youtube lectures of famous investors, or read their essays and letters, the more I realize that none of them ever offer any stock advice but stick to talking about the principles which made them achieve superior returns.

It's an interesting and challenging field. And it's difficult. Which is why it's so much fun!!

On Investing

One of the very few things that I realized in 2016 was the importance of investing money for the future. I had not given it a thought until late because I hardly ever had money in my account. Around December'15, I paid off my loan. For the first time I had some disposable cash about which I didn't know what to do. Around the same time, my boss recommended me to read "The Intelligent Investor". It's one of the best books written on investment by Benjamin Graham, the father of value investing. As my interest grew, I read some more.
In this short duration, I have hardly learned anything; but these books have given me a direction. More than anything else, it kindled my interest in Finance, something I had long given up on.
Here's a list of the books, videos, and blogs I would recommend to anybody who wants to invest in stock market. One thing that is to be kept in mind is that there's no shortcut and investing is a very difficult art to learn. Like any other art, it takes years, even decades to become a good investor. I hope that in time, I will be able to do well for myself.

Books

1. The Intelligent Investor by Ben Graham 
2. Security Analysis by Ben Graham, David Todd
3. The Most Important Thing by Howard Marks
4. Essays of Warren Buffett by Lawrence Cunningham
5. Margin of Safety by Seth Klarman
6. One Up on The Wall Street by Peter Lynch
7. A Random Walk Down Wall Street by Burton Malkiel
8. Poor Charlie's Almanack by Charles Munger

Essays/Letters/Memos

1. Warren Buffett's Letters to Shareholders - Berkshire Hathaway
2. Howard Marks Memos - Oaktree Capital

Blogs

1. Safal Niveshak
2. Ashwath Damodaran on Valuation

 Videos

1. Google Talk Videos

On Friendship - Part 2

"We check our leave balances when we need vacations, we need to save them for our marriage, or kids or for any kind of emergency. We are such fools. But its life, thats the price we have  to pay. We cant really go on living each day fearing we might not get up tomorrow. But there are things we can do. Like not switching off phone on our birthdays :)

You are a very special friend and annoying and sometimes very irritating and illogical. But you are among those very few with who I can share my most personal and complicated problems. Thankyou for being there :) "

-- A response to the mail that I had written on 1st Jan.