“So how do you see yourself 10 years from now?” she asked, her lovely, long eyelashes doing little to blunt her deep, sadistic gaze that cut right through me. I somehow always knew that this would be one of the questions. It always is!  But this time I hadn’t prepared for this one. I maintained a false calm about me as I bought split seconds before coming forth with the most apt of answers.

Inside me, my neurons had already recoiled, dug and traveled millions of layers deep to the first time I had confronted a similar question, 10 years back. Deep inside, at that time, I had wanted to be a rock star, and a business magnate; both combined. I’d have a big home with lush gardens, a cool workplace where I’d have teams excitedly going about one of my innovations. At night, I’d have a band playing my compositions. And I’d be living with my girl as well.

But well, I couldn’t have shared my innermost dreams with someone I had just met over an interview table. I also knew just what to say; just what she wanted to hear! I fabricated the most brilliant of responses – ambition and aggression bar none. I got the job!

Now, back to the present, another batch of neurons had already volunteered with the ferocity of warriors. Their frantic search in my deep brain-innards, had led to no answers.  They stood dejected, almost at the brink of sacrificing themselves at the altar of a ’10-years-from-now’ concoction.

I waived off their help. This time I didn’t need them. I just smiled at the lady with lovely, long lashes. “I don’t have a 10 year plan,” I said, as I got up to leave. “In fact,” to my own surprise, I added, “I don’t even have a 1-year plan.”

As expected, the lady was taken aback, her eyelashes started fluttering in rapid, disappointing movements as she looked beyond me. I walked out, sad to have lost an opportunity, but happy nevertheless to have conveyed what I really wanted to.

My last 1-year plan didn’t work, my last 5-year plan didn’t work, and if my last 10-year plan is anything to go by, I must have been stepping in an opposite direction.  I’m not a rock star today; nor am I a business tycoon.  In fact, I had just walked-in for a job interview!

I never had planned upon traveling continents, or climbing mountains, or writing, and playing music and sports – all of which have given me the most exhilarating moments of my life. I never had even planned of coming across the most important and wonderful people I have in my life, . I never had planned the downs, nor the ups: they just happened. Rudely, without me even planning them!  Neither did I plan upon the attitude I currently have.

And tomorrow, if I get the right fit in the right place, I’d live up to it with as much passion as I would when climbing a mountain, or returning a volley!

So what 10-year plan!? Or a 5-year plan for that matter!?