It’s 6:30 in the chilly winter morning.
I don’t like to get early in the morning and that too when it’s winter – I’d rather love to cuddle my blanket and sleep as if there is no morning, as if there is no work to do, as if the Almighty made this season for hibernation. But today the things are different. I was unable to sleep till the wee hours of the morning. Believe me – you get the best sleep between 4 and 6 in the morning. Today while I was about to take my best sleep, the milkman knocked the door.
“Why do these milkmen come so early?” I wondered.
“Perhaps they want to harass us. No. They are the only ones who provide us our first tonic of the day, without which some of us wouldn’t even like to leave our quilts and get out of our beds”, I thought.
The newspaper also came at 6 a.m., a bit early today. Starting from the last page, I scoured through the entire paper. I like to read the newspaper that way, without reading the entire news. The only sections that I like to read entirely are the Editorial section, Sports section and Filmy gossips section. The only news that captured my attention today was right there on the front page. I feel that the most irritating part of the front-page news, that covers the most sensational news from around the globe, is that sometimes they feature only advertisements on the entire page. Today it read, “Whet your brains, it’s a CATty Sunday – Aspirants all set to bell the CAT today” and I was reminiscent.
(Common Admission Test for admission into Indian Institutes of Management and other allied institutes)
One Year Ago
It was a cold Sunday evening and I was getting ready for a dinner with my friends. I had worn blue denim, black t-shirt and my favourite denim jacket. I had a muffler wrapped around my neck.
When I was just about to comb my dishevelled hair, my father came and asked me, “Aryan, where is your CAT result? Have you cleared the exam? What are your plans ahead? Have you thought about the interview processes?”
I was at my wit’s end.
“Damn. Why did he ask now?” I whispered.
“He has decided to screw my plan with my buddies”, I thought.
I handed over the result to him and was looking for a safe exit.
“What is this?” he shouted at me.
I said innocently, “Dad, it’s my result.”
Infuriated, he said, “I know it’s your result.”
I asked, “Then what?”
He shouted, “Have you seen the marks you have scored? Is this what I paid the fees for?”
“Be ready at 9 in the morning tomorrow. You’re joining me in the business from tomorrow”, he ordered.
It came as a heavy blow to me. This was my second attempt at taking the CAT and I fared really bad both the times. My result this time was worse than the last time. I had to drop my plan and didn’t have my dinner that night. Even my family members bothered little to ask me for dinner. I kept weeping in the bed and finally fell asleep. But as they say, “Food is the most primitive form of comfort”, I woke up at midnight and went to the kitchen.
“Welcome son. What can I get for you?” smiled my father.
That was the most cunning smile I had ever seen. “O God! He is still awake”, I told myself and stood there with my head down. “He won’t let me eat today”, I thought.
I went back to my bed. I had no other option but to get up early in the morning the next day.
But as usual, I was in my bed till 9 a.m. My father came and woke me up. Before he could say anything, I quickly rushed to the bathroom. I managed to escape a scolding. No phone calls and no gossiping. It was a heavy day. I had never imagined that life had this in store for me. I wanted to study, although I never took it seriously. I didn’t want to get into business this early. Few days passed like that. I had lost interest in everything. I went to my father’s office (yes, my father’s office) and came back home. That was my life then.
“What happened son?” my father asked me one fine day and his hand on my shoulder. That was a gentle touch, reminding me not of a father-son relation but of a bosom friend. After all he is my father and not a torturer.
I cried, literally.
“Hey brave boy, what’s the issue?” he consoled me.
With great strength, acquired from my tears, I asked, “Dad, will you please allow me to take CAT again and make it to the IIMs?”
He said, “Son, I’ve already given you two chances and seeing your results I’m sure you don’t want to study. I can’t give you money to waste like that. I don’t want any further discussion on this. What is the problem here? Help me expand the business. I need a helping hand. I need someone I can trust. ”
“Dad, I’ve never really asked much from you. All my life I’ve always believed that I would either do the work I love or love the work I do. I tried a lot to love the work that I’m doing now. But I couldn’t convince my heart. I’ve failed to win over my heart. I know I’ll never be happy doing the work that you love to do and I’m sure you wouldn’t want me to work here assiduously without actually enjoying my work. Dad, this does not interest me”, I said.
“Please give me one more chance to do the work that I love to do. Please give me one more reason to live for a purpose. Dad just one last wish”, I pleaded.
“I won’t let you down this time. Please trust me Dad”, I promised.
He turned and started walking. I thought my dreams were shattered. I thought as if the world has come to an end. But when you really want something to happen from the bottom of your heart, it does happen.
He turned back again and said, “I hope you won’t forget your promise this time” and he smiled.
My happiness knew no bounds that day. I had taken a vow that I’ll bell the CAT this time, come what may. That day I realized how caring and supporting my father is. I don’t know if I would’ve ever given my son a chance had I been in my dad’s shoes.
I really worked hard. I had shunned all the pleasures. Nothing had changed in this one year, except that I was now more interested in studies than in worldly pleasures. My life some days ago was office to home and home to office but now it was home to my classes and back to home. I don’t really remember when I last met my friends; neither do I remember the last movie that I saw. TV really seemed to be an Idiot Box to me now. No more social networking. No hobbies, no interests. The year just went on with studies, studies and some more serious studies.
Present Day
It’s 7 a.m. All my family members had woken up. I took a bath and got ready. Everyone in my family started advising me – the DOs and the DONTs, except my father. His silence reiterated his faith in me and reminded me of my promise. It was 8 a.m. My father, mother and sister, all came to drop me to my testing centre. The silence in the car was killing me. My anxiety reached a new high and my heart was beating faster than ever.
Dad was driving slowly and safely. I could distinctly see the 40 km/hr in the speedometer. I wasn’t afraid of reaching late at the centre because we had already left two hours ago and the journey would have hardly taken us 35 minutes. But not all those who drive are careful.
I still remember that white Honda City coming from our opposite side with an aged man and a lady, probably his wife. The aged man suddenly lost the control over his car. Life always gives you the most unexpected thing and that too when you expect something good to happen in your life. We met with an accident with the car. The car collided with the front of our car. It was too severe. Our car was broken to pieces.
With the accident came an end to my studies, to my dreams, to my career that had not yet started. I couldn’t take the CAT. My dreams were finally shattered. But more painful was the fact that I had lost all my family members in the accident. It couldn’t have been worse than this. I was severely injured and was unconscious. I didn’t even know who brought me to the hospital. I had always believed that whatever happens happens for a reason. I don’t know what the reason behind this was.
My uncle and his family were informed about the accident. They came, consoled me and took care of me. After two months of recuperation, my uncle asked me to come over to his place and start a new life all over again. This was the same day when the CAT results were to be announced. Although I did not appear for CAT, I tried to stand up to take a newspaper and see the CAT results. But I was unable to move.
I felt that someone was holding me back. I just wanted to get up from my bed as early as possible to have a look at the CAT results. But I saw that I had lost my legs. I would never be able to walk again.
“O God! Why did you do this to me?” I cried. “I didn’t do well for two times in the CAT. When I actually studied really hard, I was unable to take the CAT. I lost my family. Now I wake up only to find that my legs have been amputated. Why me God? Why me?”, I lamented.
I told my uncle that I need to spend some time alone. My aunt agreed to stay with me and take care of me till I become completely fit. I was really missing my mother today.
Three Years Later
“Good morning students. Life will give you many chances to prove yourselves, but very few chances to improve yourselves. Go – change for the better; live the moment and work harder”, I, on my wheel-chair, greeted the first batch of CAT aspirants at my own management institute, Aryavrata, imparting the training to bell the CAT.
May be this is what God wanted me to do.
May be this is what God wanted me to love.
May be this is how my last wish had to come true.
P.S.: This story was one of the inspirations for my first mobile product CATapp.
While 90% of the story is real, 10% is fictional. The only point I’m trying to drive home is that sometimes God has bigger plans than what you’ve envisioned for yourself. Just believe in that power. You might feel dejected initially when your dreams are not fulfilled but He always has something BIGGER and BETTER for you. May you get that!