Scholarship / 'a middle class Indian family' - Story about my life [NEW]

I was born in a middle class Indian family. Since the age I got to understand this world I saw my parents working hard all day and night. I learned at a very young age the struggles that my parents faced. I was good in studies from childhood and that was the biggest thing my parents were proud of. At the end of each long day my dad would say to my mom, "I will give my son the best education, he will not struggle like this. What I was unable to do, my son will do." My father wanted to become a doctor but could not make his dream true, as my grandfather didn't provide him money to get admission. My father then left his studies and opened a restaurant. I was in grade seven when I lost my interest in studies and I moved towards business. I used to go the restaurant with my father to help him. I clearly told him that I want to be with you, want to help you, want to work with you and along with that I will also continue my studies. My father never forced me for any specific thing. He wanted me to do the things in which I was interested. My life went on like this and I was the youngest among my friends to work. Taking each moment as a learning experience, I learned what it means to deserve what you worked hard for.

Time passed and then I entered my high school class. The most important class of a student's life. Till this time my interest in studies had all gone. The hunger to earn money was increasing in me with the each passing day. From childhood I had always heard that "Business is the shortest possible way to earn money". I made it as my sole motive. Though I continued going to school but my performance was becoming worse day by day. My parents didn't expect this from me. One day my father told me the story of how he was not able to complete his dream of becoming a doctor and what he wanted to make me. I don't know what happened to me after that and my life was once again on the same track. As my high school final examinations were approaching fast and I became more determined because of the promise I made to my father that I will complete his dream. I started studying hard.

After a few months my high school result was out and I secured 93.2% marks. After this my father sent me to New Delhi for secondary school education and to prepare for IITJEE entrance examination, India's toughest competitive exam for the Bachelor's Degree in Engineering. Through this examination, the cream of the applicants is selected for India's most prestigious Institutes- the IITs (Indian Institute of Technology). I started my life in a new way and silently 18 months passed.

It was an evening of Saturday September 11, 2011 suddenly and my world changed. My father was no more. He had died because of Heart attack. I had lost him forever.

He left me, my elder sister and my mother. He was the sole earning member of the house so someone had to take the responsibility. My relative suggested to my mother that I should leave my studies and takeover my father's business. I followed that advice, but it was quite difficult for a 17 year old boy to handle the business. Though I gave it my best shot, I was unable to match the demands of that position. After two months, on November 5th, my mother advised me to quit the business and continue preparing for IITJEE. My mother then took over the responsibility of the business and I began my studies again. At that time two thoughts started coming to my mind. The first was the concern that I was lagging behind by two months from all those who would take the test with me and second was that I needed to take care of my family. Without telling my mother I started a job so that I could takeover my own personal expenses. Though doing this job risked my preparations for IITJEE but I was not afraid to fail. I knew that 'failure is part of life and that if I stay focused and don't give up, goals are ultimately realized'. From then on I worked four hours at my job and gave myself fourteen hours of study. This continued till February when I left my job as by this time, the Grade 12 Examinations were fast approaching and I needed to study even more. A Month before the examinations, my mother told me to focus on the IITJEE preparation since this was

more important for my future career prospects and she believed that I would easily manage to get a decent grade in the Grade 12 Examinations without too much preparation. Her words gave me a lot of confidence. I continued studying for JEE and appeared for my Grade 12 Examinations without much preparation. After a few months, both my results were out and now; I am among those lucky students who have cracked JEE with a decent score of 78.2% in my Grade 12 examinations.

This has been my life for the last few years. And now my world comprises of my mother, my sister and my passion to complete my father's dream to be a student of MIT.