This friend I am writing about is an achiever. Nope, achiever doesn't mean that this friend is a World Guinness Record holder or something similar but an achiever of own type. Having one's life diverted from the flowing towards drain to a positive path all by herself is also an achievement, I believe. Few of my friends fall in this category, and they will find a place in my blog subsequently. This particular friend whom I am writing about now is a bit peculiar, that is she is just like us, just like any of us. But the effort she has put in to reset her family's status is commendable.
Life in a small town like mine is very simple. Life is in simple social circles. Life inside these circles are more or less predictable and the circles are almost similar. The friend I am referring to, is a only daughter of a School teacher and a home maker (I like this word). School teacher in my town are so very typical in nature. so as to say, they will have an yellow painted house with maroon borders in 1440 sq ft with in the town limit, own a TVS Champ and ride it in middle of the road at a speed of 30 kmph, subscribe THE HINDU and read up to the phone number of the publisher etc..,. Even the food will be very typical, 5 idlies for break fast, variety meal for lunch and 3 dosas for dinner. Yeah of course, one chutney in morning and with sambhar in the evenings. Weekly trip to Government library, monthly movie, a visit to Aliyar Dam once in two months etc..,. Her dad was no exception, but for his unusual debts.
The debts were not his own but 'bought' out of misplaced trust. Her Dad had few friends who had to 'struggle' for even the next meal and had to take loan and her Dad was the only soul available in the earth for signing surety for their loans. Yeah obviously the struggling friends went into even more struggle. Since these friends struggled and could not pay the debts, for all money was not enough for their own extravaganzas, everything came on her Dad's head. Loans were from institutions as well as from landlords. While the institutions were taking legal routes, the landlords took on to 'gundagiri'. Imagine, your dad being threatened for life right in front of your eyes !!
With the hereditary house being sold out in compulsion for a gap plugging instalment, staying in a rented house in the same town, believe me, is painful. Necessity to stay in the same town for the purpose of job, forced them to live with this pain. Our friend was in high school. Same town, same world but no friends, relatives, well wishers or house. Not having a own house is not painful for there are at least 35% of the Indian Society living on rent, but being forced out of own house and to stay in the same town in a rent house, all because few 'acquittance' betrayed is like hell. Moreover, job was not the only reason to stay in the town, the landlords had threatened not to try to vacate the town without fulfilment of the loans. With a teacher's salary and no one to shoulder, only hope of the family was, our friend.
After the school, our friend joined a reputed Engineering College, for during those years Engineering Degree that too in soft fields (Computer, IT etc..,) is the only salvation in the life. Other than these, your life is otherwise. With a merit seat, our friend was an above average performer. Even with fire in the belly for the family's resurrection, the feelings blossoms. Our friend's heart fell for a class mate. There are a lot of practical problems in marrying a classmate. To state a few, the age problem. Age difference in Indian marriages is mainly with concern to maintain a ratio in the 'maturity' of husband and the wife. Also the time taken for settling down with good job is a big obstacle in marrying a classmate. Thank god, her affair didn't come this far, for it broke inbetween, due to some, god knows, reasons. Some diseases after their effect leaves a positive trail in us, like a jaundice sometimes makes you fair. Similarly our friend had a positive effect out of this ditching, she grew stronger towards her goal. Normally these circumstances may break down anybody, but she proved otherwise.
You lose anything only when you acknowledge that you have lost it. Don't even think or consider that it harmed you. She had this lesson drilled in her and she came out of everything. she came out of the college successfully with a 'First Class with Distinction' grade and joined a MNC. While three of her classmates went for higher studies, only 2 persons of her class got a MNC job including her, out of 63 in the class. At a time when the gold was selling Rs. 800 per gram, she got a pay package of 6 lacs p.a as a starter. Rest of her class had to scorch around for a while for even a job. With the job and her commitment towards the work, she earned, saved everything other than her food, cloth and room and paid off all the debts. Last year, she had fulfilled her second dream of buying a new house in her Mom's name. I had seen the photographs of the house warming function, believe me, people the joy, proud and the satisfaction in the eyes of her parents is worth anything. And more recently she bought a car also.
Buying a house or a car is not a big deal now-a-days, but considering the various circumstances from which she grew, it is, for her. Being a small town girl even selecting the right department in the Engineering college is a challenge. Facing people from different walks of life in the college, surviving in a throat-cut competitive environment for four years and to top everything, a heart break is asking for too much from a feeble person. Remember, everything of these is under the pressure to revive her family's stature. Anybody could have broke down for ever, could have totally shattered out into noughts. but for our friend. Should I read about such a person, even I may not understand the importance of what that person deserves, but believe me people, I have seen her from close quarters, she is a fighter.