VARINDER SINGH: from a RED LINE wonder to a LEADER IN ACTION

You are one of those 552 Indians reading this story of a person who in his childhood days was as confused as a child in a topless bar. A person who was born on 20th March, 1989 in a land of Uranium Mines – Mosaboni (60 kilo meters from Jamshedpur in Jharkhand) and whose entry in this world brought smiles on hundreds of faces is here to share with you a fact that how small things bring Big Revolutions.
Dressed in white shirt, grey half pants and a with a tie on my shirt, I was ready to attend my first day of my class in Vig English School in Jamshedpur where I was admitted in class V, just because I scored miserably in class IV at St. Joseph’s Convent High School and could manage to save 5 subjects from getting a red line out of the 8 that I appeared. I was not thrown of the school but was thrown out of my grandparent’s house. My grandparent’s wanted me to get under the clutches of my father. First day of school with new faces, unknown buildings, unfamiliar corridors and teachers, who appeared to me as aliens, many thoughts came floating to my cerebrum as I was keen to know about my new friends in my new school, I wanted to get mixed with my fellow mates but I was given a seat in the last bench of the class. At first, I thought that to be a tradition to welcome the newly admitted students to the school but later I realized that I was made to sit with the brightest student of the class who became a very good friend of mine after few days. It’s true that sometimes our bench partners turn out to be our best associates. By the time I joined this school, quarter of a session was already over and I was told that I had missed 4 weekly tests. I tried to study to make up to my missed classes and concepts, but could manage to get a rank of 52 in the class which had a total strength of 54 students. I was happy because I was ahead of 2 students in my class but my dad wasn’t. On listening to this news he displayed me 7 stages of fury.
I was promoted to class VI. It was time to wear full pants and write with pen. This excited me to attend classes. I loved playing gully cricket but ‘Vicky! Go and study’ was one phrase which kept on ringing bells in my mind. Reading text books or doing home works was something which I never enjoyed. I wanted to live in world full of enjoyment and excitement, a world which would free a student from books, home works and exams. I enjoyed my time in school talking to friends, hitting them with chalks when the teacher would turn towards the black board to write, snatching their Tiffin boxes and decorating the class’ soft board. My parents kept on warning me about the exams but these warnings always fell in deaf ears. I was living in my own world when suddenly I realized that it was exams time and I had no other option left in my bag. I studied but this time I had a reason to be proud of myself because this time I was ahead of 4 students in the class. I could find an improvement in myself from 2 to 4. But this improvement was too low to inspire me to study.
I moved to class VII. My course was becoming tougher and tougher and I couldn’t find things going my way. Suddenly I got a brainchild. This was enough to make me study till my board exams because I shared the idea of opening a big variety store with my dad after completing my board exams. This business would flourish as it was evident from my lackadaisical attitude towards studies and an added interest towards recreation. As soon as I shared this idea with my dad, the next moment came a reply from my dad. I still remember those exact words which he uttered. If I distort those words, I will take the spirit of the man away. He said,” If you have anything to discuss related to my studies, I have both Time and Money for you. If it’s related to anything apart from your studies, I have neither Time nor money for you. ” I was traumatized at this. A pageant silence got gulfed on my face.
It seemed as if I have lost the battle of my life. I felt deserted even among my own loved ones. It seemed as if my strength and determination has flown away in the horizon, in just one dolt. I had nothing to repent over the most precious dreams of my life, though there wasn’t any fault of mine. I tried to convince my mother but landed up in vain.
Those words of my father inspired me. Those words motivated me. And then came along a time when I realized that nothing is constant and permanent in the world, neither time nor life, neither problems nor solutions; neither precautions nor cure, neither success nor failure. I felt that the dreams that I had lost was never mine. I acquired that dream just in the process of combating the battle of time. Then I started emerging my curiosity to study and work hard, this time as a student and not as a business man.
I still remember those moments when I stood 17th in the class of 54. That gave me a chance to boost up my confidence level. I worked hard and could manage to end up my school life as one among the top 3 students of the class for which I am proud to be even today. I realized a talent in me and that was my ability to speak in front of any big crowd. I gave enough time to nurture this talent and it had helped me to win 5 national level awards till now. I got into engineering at KIIT University, Bhubaneswar and during the 4 long year vacations, I did almost all the things which I could and this arrayed from organizing events to night outs, late night sleep to regular classes and from no smoking to no drinking.
Today I have much more in my bags than just drafters, dreams and documents. This was possible because I didn’t lose hope. I had faith and belief in myself. I realized that every human is born with a purpose. So I kept on thinking positive and behaving like and optimist. I wish that these positive vibrations will keep on attracting and attaching new strings in my life. These strings will bring and create harmony and music in my colourful life. Today my life has become a musical note….