Every new beginning starts with a grand farewell

I’ve been around the block, as they say. Across continents and geographies.

Jan 5, 2018 was my last day at Yatra. And my team gave me the grandest possible farewell I could ever imagine. Scratch that. I couldn’t possibly have imagined the kind of farewell they gave me.

A year and six months is not a long stint but that’s a misleading number. The mGaadi journey started in Jan 2013 so it was really a five-year journey. The team doubled and the fun quadrupled in the past 18 months. The new entrants were no different.. they just had to hear some of the old “war stories” all over again.

So how exactly did the team make me feel special?

First, they made me cut this amazingly designed cake (if you know the kind of runner I am, you’ll see the attention to detail this cake has captured!). Then they embarrassed me by gifting the largest and heaviest bouquet I’ve ever seen. And this was just the beginning apparently.

There were a series of unsigned “We’ll miss you…” notes being left on/near my desk, all of which were to be retained and would play a critical role in a game we’d play later in the evening.

You’ve seen how basketball stars get introduced at the start of NBA games? Well, as I was leaving the office they formed a cordon-of-sorts and did something similar.

And a lovely evening at Harry’s Pub where the conversations, spirits, and emotions flowed and ebbed.

Thanks guys! I really REALLY loved it. And it’s been an absolute pleasure working with you all.