Goog5e

Dear Google,

How you've grown since we first met! You were a little noun then, and now I believe you have become a fully grown up verb in all the dictionaries. 5 years back, when we saw each other on this day in the hot Hyderabad summer, you welcomed me to your well air-conditioned home with all the food in the world. You were straight out of a fairytale, and continue to be.  I fell in love with you and still do.

We were both much younger then. I, just out of college, you, a year after going public. To me the idea of an office was that of steel desk and wooden chairs with loads of paper files piled up, gathering dust. Some young kid carrying trays of tea in chipped glasses and an old fan whirring above. I can't start describing how and how much you changed my persceptions. Having spent the three previous years in a college hostel, feeding off stuff that can be termed edible at it's best, the food you provided seemed to come straight out of a dream. To be honest, I still think I wandered into the Hansel & Gretel house, only here there's no witch, but a fairy godmother. All credit for helping me move from 66 Kgs to 87 goes to you. Also, thanks to your gym I am back to 74 now.

As I type further, I realise it's quite pointless to thank you for the past 5 years, because you figure in every nice thing that happened to me during this time. Some of the closest friends I have today, the little joys of promotions and hikes, the first foreign trip and the ones after that, the sense of achievements in setting up a part of the business in Gurgaon, the opportunity to learn from and interact with people of outstanding calibre, well everything actually! Besides everything else, you found me my life partner! To say you're family is understating the obvious. Oh yes, Misc-India too, for those who know:)

I am in an obviously emotional state as of now, and please do not assume that I will stop cribbing henceforth. Every time I am skipped for a promotion I will feel pissed and threaten about calling it quits, every bad review I will blame you and your screwed up systems, I will complain about the office being cramped, the lack of a campus, how all other offices are better than ours. I think we've learned to live with each other's eccentricities. [That doesn't mean you don't give me that next big hike, okay?]

I could go on and on, but as they say a picture says a thousand words, so signing off with some of the cherished memories. Thanks for everything, and looking forward to many years to come.

Love You,

Suhel

Batchmates of 16-May-2005 (Remita & Darshini missing from the photo)

The Hyd office - October 2005

Gurgaon Office, May 2006

Google India with Sukhinder, December 2006

Shailesh Joins Google India - April 2007

With my then girlfriend, now wife - December 2007

Team India grows! - November 2008

Lights Out at home, Night out in Office:) - September 2008

Tie Day In Google - December 2009

Google India offsite in Sri Lanka, November 2009

Google Dublin Office, April 2010