PUNISHED FOR BEING ME

CHAPTER 1

VEUREKA SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING, A DREAM FOR 50% OF THE ENGINEERING ASPIRANTS IN THE COUNTRY AND AN UNACHIEVABLE GOAL FOR THE REST.

ONLY A TENTH OF THE TOTAL 1000000 APPLICATIONS ARE SELECTED EVERY YEAR TO JOIN THE COLLEGE BASED ON AN ENTRANCE EXAMINATION, THAT CAN BE SAID IS ONE OF THE WORLD'S TOUGHEST EXAMINATIONS. THOSE WHO CLEAR THIS EXAMINATION IN A SINGLE ATTEMPT ARE OFTEN SEEN AS UNPARALLELED GENIUSES THAT ARE BOUND TO EXCEL AT EVERY OTHER CHALLENGE THAT THE LIFE THROWS AT THEM.

WELL NOT TO BOAST BUT EVEN I WAS CONSIDERED THE UNPARALLELED GENIUS AS I HAD MANAGED TO DO SOMETHING THAT A GUY COMING FROM MY BACKGROUND HAD NEVER DONE BEFORE, I MANAGED TO TOP IT. YEAH, I MANAGED TO BECOME THE #1 STUDENT IN THE COUNTRY.

WHEN I WALKED IN, THE PLACE SEEMED AS IF IT WAS A WHOLE NEW WORLD. IT DIDNT EVEN SEEM LIKE AN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE LET ALONE THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS ONE IN THE COUNTRY. THE STUDENTS WERE WALKING AROUND IN GROUPS, SOME PLAYING IN THE HUGE PLAYGROUND THAT COULD EASILY ACCOMMODATE A VILLAGE FIVE TIMES THE SIZE OF THE ONE WHERE I COME FROM AND SOME CHATTING WITH THEIR FRIENDS IN THE CAFETERIA THAT LOOKED NO LESSER THAN A HIGH-END RESTAURANT.

MY PARENTS' EYES BEAMED WITH PRIDE WHEN THEY SAW THE COLLEGE. THEY KNEW THAT ME STUDYING HERE WOULDNT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE IF IT WAS NOT FOR THE FULLY PAID GRANT THAT THE INSTITUTION OFFERED FOR STUDENTS LIKE ME WHO COME FROM FINANCIALLY UNSTABLE BACKGROUNDS. THE ONLY WORDS THAT CAME OUT OF THEIR EYES WHILE DROPPING ME OFF AT THE HOSTEL WERE "SON MAKE US PROUD."

WITH THEIR WORDS RESONATING IN MY MIND ALONG WITH THE NOISE OF THE ALREADY PRE EXISTING TRASH IN THERE, I SET OUT TO DO THE LEAST OF WHAT WAS EXPECTED FROM ME, STUDY.

TO BE HONEST STUDYING IN THE TOP COLLEGE OF THE COUNTRY IS NOT AS PLEASING AS IT SOUNDS. ONC YOU GET IN THE COLLEGE NO ONE SEEMS TO GIVE A DAMN ABOUT WHETHER YOU RANKED FIRST IN THEIR ENTRANCE EXAM OR LAST. FOR THE PROFESSORS YOU ARE NO MORE THAN AN UNEDUCATED MIND. THEY TAKE THIS JOB OF TEACHING THESE UNEDUCATED MINDS QUITE SERIOUSLY. AND IF THE STUDENTS CANT COPE UP WITH THE SPEED AND TECHNIQUE THEN HE MAY AS WELL BOOK HIS TICKET BACK HOME.

AS YOU MIGHT HAVE GUESSED THE COLLEGE LIFE HERE IS NOT AS EASY AS IT SOUNDS BUT FOR A GUY LIKE ME ITS MUCH MORE TOUGHER. THE HOSTEL LIFE ISNT TOO GREAT EITHER BUT ITS ALL PART OF THE PACKAGE.

BUT NOW ENOUGH OF THE SCARY COLLEGE TALKS. LET ME NOW TELL YOU A BIT ABOUT MYSELF.

I WOULD LIKE TO START OF BY APOLOGISING FOR NOT INTRODUCING MYSELF. MY NAME IS RAMLAL PANKAJBHAI KISSANWALA. AS YOU ALL KNOW I COME FROM A VERY POOR BACKGROUND. I LIVE IN A VILLAGE SO SMALL THAT IT DOESNT EVEN SHOW UP ON THE GOOGLE MAPS. MY PARENTS ARE FARMERS WHO WORK THE DAYS ON OUR SMALL PIECE OF LAND GROWING WHATEVER THEY CAN IN THE HARSH WEATHER AND IN THE NIGHTS MY DAD GOES TO WORK AT A FACTORY NEARBY JUST TO BRING IN A LITTLE MORE INCOME TO BARELY GET US BY. ISNT IT IRONICAL THAT THE PROFESSION THAT GIVES THE GIFT OF LIFE TO ALL THE PEOPLE IN THE WORLD IS THE MOST UNDERPAID JOB IN THE CURRENT TIMES. WITH THE PRICES GOING OVER THE TOP IT HAS BECOME DIFFICULT FOR THE FARMER TO EARN HIS HARD EARNED MONEY. I DID MY SCHOOLING FROM A NORMAL GOVERNMENT SCHOOL WHERE THE TOTAL STRENGTH OF MY CLASS ON A GOOD DAY WAS 10. THE TEACHERS MADE AN EFFORT TO MAKE THE CHILDREN COME TO SCHOOL ON A DAILY BASIS, BUT THEIR FINANCIALLY HANDICAPPED BACKGROUNDS DIDNT ALLOW THEM TO. MY FAMILY WAS A LITTLE WELL OFF THAN THE REST OF THE OCCUPANTS OF MY VILLAGE BECAUSE OF THE FACTORY JOB THAT MY DAD HAD. IT HELPED US SAVE MONEY AND MAKE OUR LIVES BETTER A PENNY AT A TIME. I DONT KNOW HOW I MANAGED TO TOP THE EXAMINATION LET ALONE CLEAR IT. BUT AS THE SAYING GOES HARD WORK IS WHAT PAYS. AT LEAST IT LITERALLY DID PAY FOR MY COLLEGE, IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.

I HAD NEVER STEPPED OUT OF THE VILLAGE IN MY ENTIRE LIFE EXCEPT FOR HELPING MY DAD GET THE SUPPLIES FROM THE CITY OR HELP HIM TAKE THE PRODUCE TO THE MARKET. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT I WAS GOING TO BE AWAY FROM MY FAMILY AND MY VILLAGE FOR AT LEAST 6 MONTHS AT A STRETCH. IT WAS GOING TO BE A NEW JOURNEY, A NEW BEGINNING AND A NEW EXPERIENCE. SO WITH MY CHEST SWOLLEN WITH PRIDE AND MY HEAD HELD HIGH I PUT MY FIRST STEP INTO THE VEUREKA SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING.