Yesterday I came from the last paper of S.S.C. exam at about 2.00 p.m. It was a great feeling....Neither did I dance, nor did I shout happily or laugh.... Relieved to be away from studies.... But was also sad because it was the last time I touched the books of std 10th..... These were the books, I had shared most of the time of my life for about one and half year with.... They were not MY books, they were MYSELF.... But now!!!! After all, Time moves on, and nothing but change is permanent....It just seems to be yesterday that I came from the last paper of standard 9th, dancing and shouting...... [ Just a paradoxical situation, to what I am now..... From just this, one incidence, I feel that I have grown up a lot in just 1 year ].... As I was just about to announce my BREAK for at least 5 days, my mother asked me to bring the second hand books from one of our neighbours for the next, 10th standard. Now my mother did not bother buying new books, but it was just that she wanted me to start the preparation for THE MOST IMPORTANT YEAR.....It was not a surprise On me....... I was already receiving such phone calls, form December, from even FAR AWAY RELATIVES who were wishing me Best LUCK and expressed their expectations from me..... As the year started in, in fact MARCH itself, I found that I was studying more than ever... I studied up to late night 3.00 a.m. woke up at 7.00 a.m. I studied even in lunch breaks... I had all the determination, hope and vigour and aimed at being FIRST in state..... [ Just a MIRAGE]..... Yes, I worked hard.... And as October approached, I lost it all..... Not that I was tired, but I had understood that the accomplishment of my goal was next to impossible.... But my dear distant counsellor, my aunt, Gauri Tai [ as I call her ] was up with the duty of re-energizing and rejuvenating me . It was during this period that I enjoyed the privilege of late night web-cam chat with her as she was in USA then.... She was the one who filled me with hopes and made me aware of my deep hidden capabilities... Also travelling to and fro for the Phalashruti lectures in Mumbai [ which meant a one night journey ,two times EACH SESSION ] was a great experience.... During this one year I met several people who have devoted their lives selflessly for students..... Living with such people was sometimes like walking on fire, while sometimes it was like the touch the well know Paras stone [ a mythological stone known to have the capabilities to even change an iron piece into gold ]..... I will always be grateful to all the teachers at Phalashruti, like Varde Sir, Nayak Madam, Kulkarni Sir, who after knowing that I had some potential, even took me to their homes, to teach me..... Most of the times it used to be afternoon and all the times we were made to [ forcefully ] have lunch with them.... I will also be grateful to Dilip Rane Kaka, Nadkarni Kaka and Hatwalne Kaka [ of Pune whose both the children were first in the state in their 10ths], Deuskar Sir, etc etc for all that they did by being my GURUS...
But the most important members were my family members, especially my mother and father.... They did whatever they could do for me.....They used to stay awake with me as I used to study..... Even during my exam time they used to stay awake with me as I used to study up to 2.00 a.m. at wake up at 5.00 a.m. .....Most important is that they loved me from the core of the heart which gave me the strength to FIGHT!!!!!!...
All my competitors Gauree Aravkar, Nikhil Kerkar, Shruti Sawant, Ashay Dhuri and all those unmentioned ones were important in making me work hard because Adversity does the work of eliciting talents which in Prosperity would have lain dormain....... In Sanskrit there is a shloka which says---
