The Butterfly Effect #NehaManoj

(First Person Thoughts from Manoj)

Ever since I was a child, I have always understood concepts by linking them to real life examples. I always had good memory of the things I learn only because I used to link them up to something I know or experienced already. Just a few days ago, someone was asking me the meaning of “butterfly effect” and I was trying to think of any examples that can explain the concept. Bingo! I found my own life story as a perfect example for this phenomenon.

What is the “Butterfly effect”?

I am sure a lot of you already know the “butterfly effect”. It is an idea that small causes may have large effects in general. A very small change in the initial conditions could create a significantly different outcome. The last couple of years in my life is a straightforward example of this phenomenon. This is also an example of how a single Facebook post can actually have a long lasting impact in someone’s life.

October 2015

I had just turned 25. My family and I had small talks about marriage, my marriage ofcourse. In my mind, I was very clear that I am ready for marriage but I would prefer living in Hyderabad to Bangalore after marriage. I was quite happy with my job at Cisco, but I was looking for a move to Hyderabad since Cisco had limited opportunities at my hometown. I was open to any position at any company in any domain, such was the confidence I had in myself. And while I was scouting for opportunities and was busy applying for the job, I saw this Facebook post –

Priyanka is a very good friend of mine from College. She had just joined a startup that time and went for a recruitment drive at Hyderabad. That’s it! I pinged her and asked for a job. We had a long conversation right after and she setup an interview with her boss. This was a digital marketing services company, a completely different domain than what I was doing at Cisco. The whole prospect of moving to Hyderabad and a new domain in a startup got me excited.

Got a job. Packed bags. Moved to Hyderabad.

It was the December of 2015 and I just moved to Hyderabad.  The GHMC (Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation) elections was the topic in town. My friend Narasimha was contemplating to contest and was seeking support from all corners. When he approached me for help in Fundraising, Campaign Management and Photography, I readily agreed. I was always very fascinated about Politics right since the year 2011 and this was the best chance to see it all directly!

Narasimha called for a meeting with all the interested stakeholders right after our conversation. The agenda was to introduce “Narasimha – The social worker” to the world and express his desire to contest the elections. And then, “she” walks on to the stage with a mic. Neha, also a good friend of Narasimha, was the host for the meeting. Tall, beautiful eyes, and confident when she spoke. And instantly, right there, I was crushed. (Is that also called a crush?). And the next couple of months, Neha and I worked together to with Narasimha on the Election campaign. We got to know each other during this time, I fell in love, I asked her out and we eventually got married. What happened between Dec 2015 and March 2018 is a beautiful story that I promise to pen down some other time.

So, I just happened to notice a Facebook post and that changed my life for ever. Had I not opened Facebook that day, had I not moved to Hyderabad, I would have not met Neha and my life would be something else altogether.

The Butterfly Effect.