Six months can be a relatively long period… but my training time at Indian Institute of Petroleum(IIP) was definitely not that. Infact a feeling of nostalgia sweeps me all around as I look back to those ups & downs of my rendezvous with IIP…

I still remember my very first day here, when I entered the gates of IIP after a long 30 min. travel (“long” in context of doon) on my bajaj chetak. The guard would just not allow me to get in without an I-card. So with a visitor card with the name of training incharge, Dr. V.P.Sharma on it, I finally got in. And hence on that historical day of 5 june,2006 I started my journey in the hallowed portals of one of the most respectable CSIR laboratories in India.

My first meeting with my guide, Dr. Gautam Das, was quite fascinating to say the least. For my dear “sir” had an unbelievable coded accent. The first 10 minutes that “sir” spoke to me were completely an OHD (overhead transmission), which hit like bullets on my mind. No matter how hard I may try, the comprehension remained below 10% (absolutely pathetic for a CAT apirant indeed). It was nevertheless once in a life time experience for me, an unforgettable one. But the very first thing that strikes you about my dear “sir” is his amazing physical stature. So much so that everyone at IIP feared for his well-being on a particularly windy day. One always got the feeling that you really don’t need to travel so far as moon to experience “weightlessness”, you could very well experience it, if you happened to be in my “sir’s” shoes. This association with my “sir” reaffirmed my ever growing belief that Bengalis are becoming an integral part of my life. Be it my room-mate in college or the headquarters of CTS. But I am really enjoying that a lot now.

And now to the person who was the best decoder of my “sir’s” accent, with whom I enjoyed every moment of my stay there, who shared all my joys & sorrows & vice-versa, and who infact is “The Reason”, I am writing this article : Mr. Sunil Kumar. The word “sweet” in the title owes much of its presence their due to this guy. Not only the fact that he was the incharge of the “sweetening” lab & my project was on also on “sweetening”, but more so because he was such a sweet person himself. I had developed such a great rapport with him that it was really difficult to contemplate life at IIP without dear sunil. From the various experiments performed with him to the celebration of his promotion party, from the innumerable times when he saved me from my “sir’s” anger to his very kind help in completion of my project report, he has been the driving force behind my survival at IIP.

If there was anyone person at IIP who could be termed as a “genius” in the truest sense of the term, who had a completely positive attitude towards everything in life, who had an aura associated with his persona, who was a great source of inspiration & motivation for me & who I respect the most in IIP, he is the one & only : Dr. Sudip Ganguly sir. The one thing that attracted the most towards him was his very friendly relationship that he developed with his students. His cheerful nature & a very good humour made him an instant hit with everyone who had the honour to come in contact with respected ganguly sir. As sir himself remarked once, I have indeed developed a “permanent bond” with ganguly sir. And I assure you sir that I will always stay in touch.

And this is not all, because there are many other people, things etc. that made my stay at IIP a truly remarkable & an unforgettable experience. And it is not possible to accommodate them all in my memoirs. My regrets to all of them.

So as it was on 4th December, the last day of my training when my dear “sir” gave me farewell. I bid an emotional good-bye to each & everyone at IIP who made my rendezvous a “sweetening” experience.

THANK YOU IIP…