23!

I turned 23 recently; no firecrackers went up, no thunderstorms lashed the city; even the traffic was pretty quiet :). My manager came to know of it, and took the team out to dinner. I returned to office and worked till 5 in the morning.

Different years signify different turns in life:

3 - eyes wide open
5 - first lie
9 - crossing the street
10 - riding a bicycle
12 - girls, self-consciousness
16 - rebellion
18 - ambition
21 - expectations
24 - maturity
30 - responsibilities
35 - mid-life crisis
40 - last chance for greatness

I can't imagine a life beyond 40, not yet.

What does 23 mean? At 23, I and other close ones have expectations from me; I am not fully mature yet. It is one of those in-between phases, like the period between two exams.

I am fairly confident of clearing the exams - have spent the last 23 years, coached by parents, teachers, friends and circumstances to become mature and go on to take responsibilities (sort of like an MBA after bachelors :D).

Except that the exams never end, and as they say, it is not the marks that matter, it is what you have learnt; and so how you do in them is perhaps not so important as studying hard and enjoying the subjects you are being taught. Also, one doesn't need to take particular subjects just because a teacher recommended it, or because the guy next to you is taking it.

In interviews/chats with friends, I have been asked, "where I see myself 5/10/20/30 years down the line" - I have a few ready answers, none of which is any closer to the truth than the other.

I really don't know what I want to do beyond 40, or even before it. What I know is that I am no longer afraid of it - the subjects are interesting, and in any case, exams mein luck factor bhi to hota hai :D.