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BY MEGHA KATIRA
 Through
the dotcom boom and bust, Alok Kejriwal and his
website contests2win.com survived. One of the few
real Indian dotcom entrepreneurs, Kejriwal runs a
popular -- and profitable --operation. The glass
cabin, the mahogany table and the artifacts at his
well-furnished Mumbai office attest to that. Just
last year, he won a Yong Achiever award. Here I
am, waiting to talk to him about his lifestyle,
memorizing the questions I went through while on
the cab…
Individualism is his style. Though Alok
Kejriwal does not believe in framing rules, at the
same time, he is one tough and demanding boss.
I think about the time when I had given up
entirely on participating in any contests or
jackpots because I thought my luck just never
worked at the right time. Guess contests weren’t
made for me. It seems that every other person on
this planet always found enough luck to win a
contest, but not me… Here comes the Contest Man:
“Come, come, please sit down; so tell me what
will you have?” I greet him and decline to
have anything. I tell him that I would like to
know more about his lifestyle – most of his career
and his success have already been written about.
“So, what more would you like to know about me?”
he asks me smilingly. I start with most obvious
question: How do you spend your weekends ?
“Hmm…well, you see I don’t like to party where
there is loud and throbbing music; I basically
choose to go to a lounge bar.” I nod
understandingly; of course, these days, people
prefer a peaceful place where they can just laze
around. He continues, “My evening starts with a
wine and ends with a cognac.”
Your favourite nightspots?
In Mumbai, it’s Indigo, Indiana Jones and
Golden Dragon, which I rarely visit. And in Delhi,
it is Tea House and Agni –Fusion Restaurant. I
like to pair my glass of wine with a dish of pasta
and I am also happy to say that I have done two
levels of wine appreciation! Your ideal way of
spending an evening
The ideal way of spending an evening, would be
in a smoky lounge bar, a Moet vosp cognac with a
Monte Christo No. 2 cigar. (Kejriwal loves to
listen to jazz and western classical music)
Music & Art
I like western classical music and jazz. While
on tour to Prague, I visited the Mozart opera.
Nothing captures pure beauty like music,
especially Mozart. I make it a point while going
to Europe to visit the many art galleries there. I
can easily spend four hours in any art museum.
Comfort and confidence
I am not much of a formal dresser; my clothes
define my comfort and confidence, just to be
myself. Final Word
“I believe in just having fun in life,” says
Alok, and he is. One look around his colourful
office environment, and you come away with the
impression that not only him, his employees too
are happy with the brains behind the popular
website.
BY MEGHA KATIRA |
