Prologue

“So, I did not get anything, Mom,” I called my mother after the NEET PG counselling. To those who do not know about it, NEET PG is the postgraduate medical entrance examination. Ours was the batch that gave the first ever NEET. My performance there was, to put it mildly, less than satisfying. To put it bluntly, it was abysmal. I was aiming for surgery, and I fell way off the cut offs.

“When are you coming home?” she asked calmly.

“In an hour. I have to finish some formalities,” I lied. I just wanted to hide in a corner and cry. I was in no mood to face anyone, least of all my friends and family, who had huge expectations from me. Yes, I had not only failed to get the seat of my choice, I had failed in the eyes of those who cared for me.

“Okay. Try to come early. I have made matar paneer and dal fry for lunch.”

Damn it. My favourite food, on my worst day ever. Cursing my luck one last time, I walked to the car, put on a sad song on the phone, and drove home. We ate lunch in relative silence. My father, the one who inspired me to never back down in face of any circumstance, was oddly silent. Mother was silent too, bar an occasional word about our new maid. After lunch, I went to my room and cried myself to sleep. In the evening, Mom knocked my door and said, “What are you doing right now?”

“Nothing Mom. Why?”

“Come with me. Lets go out to eat,” she said, to my utter surprise. Now, here is a person who refuses to go out half the times I ask her to. And today, of all days, she was asking me go out? Something didnt seem right. We went to a nearby cafe, and ordered a sandwich, cold cocoa and fries. Once the food came, she got to talking.

“Now listen here. I know you are down, I know you feel you have let everyone down. But remember that if you are on the ground, the only way is up.” I nodded, surprised by the sudden turn of events. Generally, inspirational talks are the domain of Dad.

“The reason I made your favourite lunch, despite knowing that will not get any seat, or the reason we came here is to celebrate. You have tasted your first failure. Now, you will never be afraid to fail, because you know what is it like to fail. Today, we celebrate the first day of your journey towards success.” I smiled and sipped on the cocoa. Maybe it was the words, or the highly concentrated chocolate in my stomach, but I felt good for the first time that day.

When I look back today, that evening, seven years ago, gave a new direction to the rest of my life. I am glad to welcome you all in this journey, from abject failure to achieving what I wanted, and more. Be a part of this amazing journey that not only gave me a coveted seat in one of the best institutes of India, but also changed me from inside.