Started quite simply
September 19,2008; This was supposed to be a regular Friday of my life as a Senior Software Engineer in a Indian MNC [ Patni Computer Systems,Mumbai], end of a long and busy work week and it was exactly like that until 11 PM.I got up at 10 AM , finished my chores ,boarded the company bus to my office at 11:30 like usual; at work did my share of meetings,chatting,coding, defect fixing and I was all ready to start my long and lazy week-end. Left office at 10 PM and reached home in about an hour; watched TV for some time and it was around 11:30/11:45 may be, I was getting ready to go to bed when I got a call on my cell phone.
The call that changed my life
From the called ID it was clear this was a call from on-site USA.I dreaded the worst, questions started popping up in my head ; is there a production issue ? do I have to go to office during the week-end?.... .I picked up the call and it was Renuka [Solutions Architect] my on-site contact. And the first thing she said after me saying "Hello!" was that "Don't worry Debasis this is not about any prod issue and Sanjay [Account Manager for the client I work for] wants to talk to you " I was relieved to know it wasn't about any issue but also a bit concerned because Sanjay rarely talked to me directly. Renuka transferred the call to Sanjay and these were very tense seconds.
The Ultimate Offer
Then after the customary greeting Sanjay asked "How soon can you finish the current assignment you are working on ?
My mind started making guesses again as to why he is asking this question ? I knew I was on track with the time-lines and most of it was already done.
I answered saying "We are on track to finish the development and unit test creation within one or two weeks time".
He said "can you finish this within one week?" Now I knew he was up to something here, I said I will try my best to finish the rest of the stuff within one week .
Then he revealed the big surprise.
He said finish what you are doing this week and I have an opportunity for you which can come very suddenly.If required work during the weekend.
I asked "No problem I will work on Saturday and if required on Sunday and finish the remaining work.By the way what is the opportunity you are talking about and he said I have an on-site assignment for you in Marlborough MA."
That was the sweetest thing he had ever said to me. I could not sleep the entire night , I tried realy hard to catch some shuteye as I had to go to office in the morning. It was simply too hard for me to digest that after waiting for this for more than three years it was finally my turn to FLY[मेरा नंबर आ ही गया].
Later I came to know that it was Renuka who had suggested my name to him when she heard that there was requirement at on-site as I had told her quite some time back about my ambitions.
I could never thank her enough for what she had done for me.She is the most humble and down to earth person I have ever worked with apart from being brilliant technically.
So after reaching Marlborough I met her in person for the first time and it was very nice to have finally met her.
That's about it. This is my first post on my blog. Any comments from anybody are welcome.
Debasys
September 19,2008; This was supposed to be a regular Friday of my life as a Senior Software Engineer in a Indian MNC [ Patni Computer Systems,Mumbai], end of a long and busy work week and it was exactly like that until 11 PM.I got up at 10 AM , finished my chores ,boarded the company bus to my office at 11:30 like usual; at work did my share of meetings,chatting,coding, defect fixing and I was all ready to start my long and lazy week-end. Left office at 10 PM and reached home in about an hour; watched TV for some time and it was around 11:30/11:45 may be, I was getting ready to go to bed when I got a call on my cell phone.
The call that changed my life
From the called ID it was clear this was a call from on-site USA.I dreaded the worst, questions started popping up in my head ; is there a production issue ? do I have to go to office during the week-end?.... .I picked up the call and it was Renuka [Solutions Architect] my on-site contact. And the first thing she said after me saying "Hello!" was that "Don't worry Debasis this is not about any prod issue and Sanjay [Account Manager for the client I work for] wants to talk to you " I was relieved to know it wasn't about any issue but also a bit concerned because Sanjay rarely talked to me directly. Renuka transferred the call to Sanjay and these were very tense seconds.
The Ultimate Offer
Then after the customary greeting Sanjay asked "How soon can you finish the current assignment you are working on ?
My mind started making guesses again as to why he is asking this question ? I knew I was on track with the time-lines and most of it was already done.
I answered saying "We are on track to finish the development and unit test creation within one or two weeks time".
He said "can you finish this within one week?" Now I knew he was up to something here, I said I will try my best to finish the rest of the stuff within one week .
Then he revealed the big surprise.
He said finish what you are doing this week and I have an opportunity for you which can come very suddenly.If required work during the weekend.
I asked "No problem I will work on Saturday and if required on Sunday and finish the remaining work.By the way what is the opportunity you are talking about and he said I have an on-site assignment for you in Marlborough MA."
That was the sweetest thing he had ever said to me. I could not sleep the entire night , I tried realy hard to catch some shuteye as I had to go to office in the morning. It was simply too hard for me to digest that after waiting for this for more than three years it was finally my turn to FLY[मेरा नंबर आ ही गया].
Later I came to know that it was Renuka who had suggested my name to him when she heard that there was requirement at on-site as I had told her quite some time back about my ambitions.
I could never thank her enough for what she had done for me.She is the most humble and down to earth person I have ever worked with apart from being brilliant technically.
So after reaching Marlborough I met her in person for the first time and it was very nice to have finally met her.
That's about it. This is my first post on my blog. Any comments from anybody are welcome.
Debasys