It was 22nd March, 2013. I had just finished my 11th class school exams. Though they went superb, I was feeling very anxious and confused. Not enough time was left. I had to make a decision- a decision - on which my whole future was dependent.
It started on December 25, my tuition teacher gave us a surprise (not a good one as one can guess from the context). He told us that he would not be teaching us from next year. In simple words he was going to leave the city and had joined an institute in Chandigarh. It was more than a shock I could withstand at that time. He was the best in the city (at least according to me). He was the one who created my interest in math and even today I owe a lot to him. OK, let’s come back to the context. Just after 1 month, the same announcement was made by our physics teacher.
I couldn’t think of being taught by any other teacher even in my wildest dreams. I cried a lot those days. I just could not understand what I would do next year.Then our physics teacher advised me to join the same institute (Chandigarh).
Then came the confusion. My father had been posted in Ambala for 3 years but we hadn’t shifted there and he used to come at weekends. Now, the decision was to be made. One choice was - the family would shift to Ambala (for me) and I will have to travel to Chandigarh daily for coaching which would cost me 3 hours daily. (There were no good institutes in Ambala and my father had simply discarded the idea of me living in a hostel at that time.) The other choice was very simple- I would have to study in the same city under some untrusted teachers. My father gave me the power (actually the tension) to make the decision.
I was very confused. Many people told me I would not be able to manage. The tiredness caused by 3 hour journey would not allow me to study and I will destroy my future instead of embracing it. There was one more fear inside my heart. What if I am unable to crack JEE? What if I get bad results in all the exams? All the efforts of my family would go in vain. Everyone would taunt my parents. What was the use of shifting for the girl? (Though I knew my parents would never think like that and would not mind listening such things for me but I personally didn’t want that.) Studying in the same city wouldn’t give me anything – I had this opinion. I tried hard to make up my mind for the new teachers but was unable to achieve it. Everything was messing up in my head.
Finally. I took the risk and on 22nd March I told my father that I want to go to Ambala.I went to Chandigarh everyday – up and down – back to Ambala with no less energy and enthusiasm to achieve my goal. And here I am, finally, in an IIT. So, there is no need of telling what I gained. In addition to getting into an IIT, I had a really great and new experience of studying in Chandigarh- the City Beautiful. I got to meet new
people and discover myself more.
On the other hand, it made me loose many of my friends. I missed (actually miss) my sweet cousins and the love of relatives. I lost the joy of being together. I lost the happiness which I would have had if I were in my own city; the delight which would have got quadrupled had I been with my friends. But it doesn’t matter now since I have gained more than losing.
At last I would just like to quote a few lines of Jim Rohn:
"If you are unwilling to risk the unusual,
you will have to settle for the ordinary."
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