My husband lost his father to cancer when he was nine. What compels you regard someone else? He, later, lost his mother to an ailment when he was fourteen.
What compels you regard someone else?
He topped his school (that later had to be shut down due to poor performances of the students over a stretch of years) in senior secondary with 94% marks. This was in 1998.
His school principal offered to pay for his higher education but he instead chose to work because he had to earn to survive and feed his siblings. He joined Indian Air Force.
At the age of sixteen, when most of his friends were picking up smoking and drinking, he quietly sat reading books under a tiny lamp. He enclosed himself in a cocoon and refused to see anything other than the school, the work, his siblings, books and his exams.
He scored 94% in senior secondary in Maths and Science and 96% in High school.
In the meantime, while he studied at the school, he worked in a glass factory to earn a meagre amount. In the evenings, several times he missed his meals because his palms were cut and wounded with the glass and eating with hands hurt him.
After he worked with the Indian Air Force for over a decade, and he finished his BA and MA with distance learning, he appeared for UPSC and passed the exam with AIR 6 without any guidance, coaching or mentorship and became an IAS officer.
While he worked with the IAF as a MTD driver he immersed himself in books.
So, what’s most respectable about him?
In a time when he was being pushed to the ground, he rose above it.
In a time when he was being lured and surrounded by vices, he chose to abstain them and pick up the goodness.
In times of adversity, he dreamt of touching the sky and he did touch the sky.
In times of touching the sky, he remained grounded.
So, what makes me respect a person?
What a person decides to do when he is at the lowest.
My husband chose to rise during his lowest periods and that’s what makes me respect him.
This is us. On the first day we met. Back in 2009.
Update: Thank you very much for the kind comments and messages. A lot of you asked for more details. So:
He has achieved greater heights since his induction in the Civil services. God finally decided to go easy on him.
He recently finished his Master in City Planning from MIT, USA after he secured Fulbright Scholarship. This was his first time in college and he did very well with 4.9 out of 5 CGPA. 🙏🏻
Also, you may want to read another similar inspiring story of a brilliant IAS officer here.
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