What Is Your Worth?

By Gaurav Dubey

What is your worth?

This is my third post from the series “Ricordare”.(Read my previous posts – gdubey.medium.com)

July 2013, Banglore.

I was pursuing my Engineering from Lucknow when Indian Army visited our campus for their UES (University Entry Scheme) Programme. This program offers Sub Lieutenant entry to Indian Army for pre-final year candidates of engineering. You can otherwise choose to go through the TGC (Technical Graduate Course) program, but you need to complete engineering for that first.

I somehow managed to clear initial interview rounds and was supposed to receive a letter from the Indian Army to attend the SSB board in Cubbon Park, Bengalooru. Like any other Indian, I was excited about the opportunity. Somehow, I didn’t check their email update and by the time the post arrived at my home address, it was already just a month before my interviews. There are very few trains connecting Bangalore with Lucknow, and hence, the reservation was full for the next couple of months.

I sent my father a message with the SSB details and told him the reservation issue.

“What about the flight? “

“Seats are available, but prices are almost four times”

“Then book the tickets. It is a lifetime opportunity, don’t worry” he said.

“I can see return flight tickets as well, at a fairly normal price. Shall I book that as well?”

“Don’t book the return tickets in advance. SSB extends for a period of 1 to 5 days, and in case you get eliminated early, I will let you know the next action plan in Bangalore only”

I was a bit surprised by this comment. My father always believed in planning things in advance and rather than asking me to book tickets in advance, he instead asked me to wait.

Anyways, I booked the ticket and started preparing for the tests.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

One month later.

During that time, domestic flight was not so common as these days. I enjoyed the flight, took photographs, updated my status “travelling to Bangalore” on social media and was happy.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

On the second day of my arrival, I failed in the Group Discussions and was asked to leave the campus along with other 200 participants.

Disappointed as I was, I called my father.

“Dad I couldn’t clear the rounds. I am asked to go home”

“No worries. You must have got Travel Allowance”

“Yes Papa, around 3500 INR”

“That will be enough for you to manage your return tickets and extended stay”

“No papa, not enough. And also, I don’t have enough to book flight tickets”

“Why do you need flight tickets? Tatkal windows open up at 8 am early in the morning. Get a ticket and come back”

Furious I was, frustrated from rejection, still asked my father for last time:

“Papa, why not flight tickets”, to which he replied:

This journey back to home will teach you two things:

“One, the onward journey, what your father’s worth is, and you have his support whenever you need.”

“Second, the return journey, how hard it is to earn money, how to survive when you have limited money in your life.”

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Till Date, that return trip is fresh with me. I remember the contrast between the two journeys — one where I was wearing a Blazer, travelling in an AC cabin, enjoying flight meals.

The return journey, I was in the Sleeper compartment. It was pleasant weather in Bangalore, it changed to hot and humid in Chennai, dry heat in Nagpur and finally back to Lucknow.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

When I see the current situation in these COVID times, my relatives are struggling with online classes along with their kids. Can we try some real-life lessons (obviously not this much hard) that teach them life?

Can we emphasize equally on civic sense, emotional wellbeing, as much as we do on Science, Maths, Computer English?

By Gaurav Dubey