It is said that a person’s name reflects a lot on his/her characteristics. But is it always true? My name is Sushil, which means, to be good at everything. I was totally the opposite of it and was a very notorious child. I was born in an impoverished family where there were tons of responsibilities for my parents. I became a ray of hope to them as they believed that I will achieve something big in life and get rid of all the problems. My hope got decreasing growing up as I was not paying attention to anything.

My father was the sole earner of the family. He was a rickshaw driver, who used to burn the midnight oil to manage the expenses of our home and also to pay the fees of his children. My father also had a small shop called ‘Gumti’, in which he used to repair cycles. To help my father in that, I started working with him. Although, this did not prove to be helpful as my marks got very low in my 8th grade. My parents got devastated and made they realize that this might ruin my career ahead.

My naughtiness continued till the 10th grade, until one day, observing my father, I decided to make my parents proud. After I completed my 10th grade, I decided to take up a job as I wanted to bring in extra income which could help with my family expenses. I also took up a diploma course, even though it was not my desired study option. My father’s health was not very good and my mother was also continuously worried and crying about him.

A couple of years passed by and things got a little back on track. My father’s health improved and he again started to drive the rickshaw. Talking about me, I passed my diploma with distinction. I was already dreaming about various things which I will enjoy but it could not be possible soon. As I stepped out of my college, I was expecting a decent job with a handsome salary. But those dreams were shattered as I could not get a pleasant job due to the competitive market which exists. Sometime later, I got myself into the Electrical industry with a mere salary of just ₹5000. My position was as a Junior Electrical Engineer. I did not just do the work related to my position but also did all sorts of odd jobs also which were not related to my employment.

I knew that I could not move forward in life like this. I had to do something different which would take me to someplace. I started developing new skills with each passing day. I used to make notes of several things, started meditating to keep calm, prepared for job interviews, and also learned fluent English.

I was finally placed in L&T after many years of struggle. I was on cloud 9 when I received my offer letter. Though my salary increased to ₹40,000, it still wasn’t enough to meet the expenses. I had purchased a house at the age of 23 and the monthly installments were being debited from my account. Along with this, the responsibility of the marriage of my sister was also in my hands. I also got married in 2019, and with new members added, new responsibilities were also added.

My salary was stagnant for 3 years and it was becoming very difficult to manage the household expenses. The tables turned one fine day when I got an offer letter to go abroad for work. I was very excited about this opportunity but convincing my parents was also difficult.

Eventually, they agreed and I shifted to France as a project manager. I am happily living here and also looking after my family. I even started the next chapter of life as a Father. This phase has brought me immense happiness and also I feel much closer to my parents.

When I started my journey, I never imagined my life like this. Even today, there are many parents in Bihar, who cannot give their children a proper education and a good standard of living unless they migrate to another city.