Day -4: 13th March 2023

08:48 AM: Guys does any of our student innovators want to participate in the Startup Mahakumbh happening at Delhi?? The above link for the startup Mahakumbh. If you're interested please add details.

~ Monica Goud, Our Startup Mentor

As soon as the message struck, without a second of hesitation, I opened up the link and as usual, without asking my team whether they would be interested, I just fill up all of our details from my repository. (for everyone who asks about privacy, it just has a skip here 😅).

A few searches for our Aadhar; followed by searches on Google about the Startup Mahakumbha event; pushing them to ChatGPT asking for three great unique answers for a single question: Reason for Nominating (what is the specific interest in entrepreneurship); and there we have three great applications.

Day -3: 14th March 2024

08:37 AM: Hey Manas, I am nominating you for startup Mahakumbh. Will you be willing to travel to Delhi??

~ Vikas B. Srivastav, Director, VDC

I just put my feet on the GITAM soil on my way to the University, listening to some high pop music on my AirPods Pro, flexing on my Splendor as I just heard Siri announcing the above message. I quickly took a U-turn and went reached VDC en-route KRC. The first feeling, to be honest, very privileged, my mind making 100s of calculations to reach the event, what so ever it may. After stylishly getting down of my Splendor, and acting like ....

I fill in the form, receive the acknowledgement receipt. I visit sir and he shares that he shared the names with the Ministry and that I might receive the tickets for the travel. That was like music to my ears, as being a student and a startup founder, gathering funds to travel via air, that too just 48 hours before the event, is never on the list, and getting a ticket to Delhi on tatkal is just like finding a nail in a haystack.

Thanking sir for his support and his hassle for us, I went back to ICT realizing I had my Computer Network lab. The two hours passed and it was time for lunch. Soon, we reassembled for lunch, and not soon than ever, I heard tears. Looking to my side, I just realized I had to get back on duty. I had to reassure my #Akhila Akkagaru who was starting to break down, realizing the reality of life, that everything is going to fall back in place. Once I got down from my job, I ran to the mess to have food with my right hand, P Sidharth at the mess with hot hot Baingan curry, roti and pulihora , wrapping it up with yummy bread halwa. Limping back due our heavy meal, I kidnapped my man, my Salaar, @LochanMathukumilli and shared with him, about this opportunity that I received.

Self-assuring me to focus on the event and that he'll be handling things while I'm away with the notorious team that I have, got back to work, wiring up our website. After a long boring class of Universal Human Values, it was time to leave. The time struck 3 PM and our classes came to end. However, a phone call from CEO and I had to go to office to work on a project. I, then hooked up my bike again, and full accelerator ahead, I was at AU-incubation. I sprayed a bit of code spray on the project code and all the bugs were martyred.

Now, unable to backup this message to my locked folder, I rang the phone up to my pillars, first to my Didi, my mentor, Bala Tripura Sundari Vemulakonda shared the fiery news! The one thing she asks me in return,

My straight answer, (to be dined with a pinch of humor)

She, then takes a moment of relief, and then asks me show what her brother can do and set Delhi on fire 🔥! I said, that is inevitable 🤣

The next command, "Hey, Siri! Call Mastaaru Mastaaru."! The phone rings and anna while driving asks if he call back, but unable to control my excitement, said..

Within seconds the atmosphere changes, he gives the blinkers which I can hear over the call. He pulls the car over to the side, rechecks if he heard it right, and then out of my iPhone on 30% volume, my ears scream with just his icon word:

Burrraaa-paaddd raa, putra 🔥🔥🔥! Congratulations. Chimpesi vachesey!

I return back home and while driving I give my mom the greatest nightmare, only she could imagine. I call her up at 10 PM in the night and ask her to make sure everyone is up and awake. She asks me if anything has happened wrong. I assure her nothing much like that. Her tension multiplies exponentially. Seeing the green light on the signal, I tell her I'll reach home in 5min and will share it.

Reaching home, amidst complete silence, I put the helmet back in place, went to wash my hands, tried everything possible to take that tension that my mom just spilled on her face to the peaks. Unable to control her tensions, she bursts out asking, "What happened?". Everyone putting their work aside, stares at me with excitement and fear of what I was about to spill.

Breaking the silence, the words that come out of my mouth,

Pack my bags for a week, I'll probably be leaving to Delhi tomorrow.

This was definitely something my mom didn't expect to hear. Reprocating, she asks, "Why such sudden to Delhi?". I could clearly see her calculations for the trip and before she could complete them, I tell them,

I've been selected for the Startup Mahakumbha event, taking place in the capital of the country (The Rajdhani), New Delhi, hosted by the Central Ministry. The Prime Minister is going to be the special guest.

Everyone stares in awe and confusion if their ears aren't cheating on them and they heard it right. Repeating the same, everyone share a moment of joy.

Having a quick dinner, getting back on my website building process, I slightly slip-off into my bed.

Day -2: 15th March 2024

Fridays seem too lengthy, especially when you get to have a long weekend off from University and get to hang out with fun and friend (my laptop and code, atleast till then).

Recollecting the need to try the impossible, at 10 AM, booking tatkal tickets for my Delhi trip, I went and sat in Computer Networks class and assimilated in the lecture on router tables, forgot about my train table. Suddenly at 10:14, just before the tickets came live, I rush out through the door, trying to book the tickets. Just not a second pass-by, all the tickets sold out.

Disheartened and having the only hope on the Ministry to provide us with tickets, I move forward through the rest of the day, receiving a call from one of the organizers of the event, asking me for a few certificates of my startup and a 4'x8' banner.

Alarming me of the last hour to share the design files, else my exhibitor wouldn't have my branding, I sit on a rock behind the CV Raman Bhavan, with an ear that I threw on the even more interesting tale that Sree Teja Dusi was narrating, I setup to design the poster on spot with an hour left. Gathering all my creative intellect moments before the deadline, and yeah with the all assets, I've designed so far, I was successful in getting quite a good banner.

I then called up my dad at 5PM, just to his surprise, asking if we shall start home, so that I could purchase a few clothes for the trip, and have unlimited pizza along the way at Pizza Hut. The minute hand is just about to strike the 12 numeral, as I receive a text message that the Ministry confirmed the tickets for travel, but left us in dilema on the date of travel.

And with that, marks the end of the Day -2 of Chalo Rajdhani!

Make sure to follow the series to tune into the exciting epilogue of `Chalo Rajdhani!`.