For some however, it’s an entirely different future they have in mind, as I found out recently. An old colleague, with whom I worked on several Indian deals in the past, has been in banking for decades. He led the first few large IPOs in India. He took in his stride the bleak sentiment in the country that preceded Modi’s election. And now, he’s enjoying some welcome pick-up in primary activity.
But I have just discovered where his heart truly lies — and it certainly isn’t in banking, or even technology. It turns out that this chap is actually a big crossword aficionado. And I’m not exaggerating when I say big. He spends every weekend at his local crossword club (yes, apparently they exist), squeezes in a session on at least one weekday evening and has even represented his country in major tournaments.
And his new goal? To quit banking by the end of the year to make crossword solving his full time job. Now, I’m not one to deter anybody from following their dreams, but giving up the cut and thrust of banking to hunch over a piece of paper guessing what 10 across means seems a rather dull affair.
But then again, maybe I’m biased, as the best I can do when it comes to wordplay is spell out a six-letter word for a hard liquor that starts with a 'w' and ends with a 'y'.