With the voices still echoing in my sub conscious mind, I went for a swim…Remembering my brother sing “Papa kehte hain bada naam karega” when he was 6 years old, brought a big smile to my face. I began to wonder that life had changed so much, we had grown up so quickly…both brothers have become doctors (my parents dream fulfilled) and at peace with God and life. I began wondering that over these 26 years of my existence, I had changed my career options so many times. So I thought of penning down those thoughts. The following is the true reflection of a child’s brain as he grew up.
Police officer- I was in my 1st standard and movies with the protagonist as a police officer were a rage then. Whenever anyone asked me what I wanted to be when I grow up, it was my standard reply. Police officers I thought were the strong, non fearing, honest supermen who always would fix everything till the end.
Actor- Well growing up in Mumbai can take a toll on your career options especially when you randomly meet actors occasionally. I met Govinda, Sanjay Dutt, Amrish Puri to name a few while I was very young and seeing their persona, success, public demand, I started to think I could be one of them too…That was the time when education in the primary school days consisted of worksheets, dramatization, poetry and singing…Never pursued acting seriously though, otherwise I would have had no place to keep the number of trophies…lol.
Astronaut- I was in my 4th standard when we were introduced to Geography as a separate subject. (Environmental Science- EVS till then) I distinctly remember, chapter 1 was about the universe, stars, planets, galaxies, etc. Since childhood, I was always fascinated by astronomy. I loved gazing at the clear night sky looking for moving satellites and ‘tut ta tara – shooting stars’. Whenever we used to go for a vacation at my grandmother’s house, I would prefer to sleep on the terrace gazing at the sky instead of the warmth of the room…it was then that I decided I wanted to be an astronaut. But I soon realized that chances were slim and the cost too high, so idea dropped. (I am still in love with the stars and will buy a high resolution telescope to be placed by the window when I buy my own house.)
Archeologist- Growing up can be fun and it reflects on your mentality…after geography, by 5th standard, it was history which fascinated me. I’m a great fan of Indian architecture and I loved visiting historical places even then. I began to wonder that if I could excavate even a single pot of jewels or find a stock of old hidden cannon balls and sell them, I could live on the money for life…I used to visit forts and keep myself busy looking for undiscovered spots where the gold would be hidden. That was the time I thought archeologists dug up the dinosaur bones too.
Singer- I was always passionate about music and I used to love singing. I don’t think I ever got ready for school without the music while taking bath. All my batch mates in school knew I was always a die-hard fan of Sonu Nigam, and that’s what they started calling me. Any free period and I used to be there, singing. It still remains my dream to launch a music album of my own with all my original songs before I die.
VJ (Video Jockey)- By 6th-7th standard, I was hooked to MTV and channel V…it looked good to see the VJs just talk to people, play the song of their choice, still stay popular…simple job...I thought I could do that too…my communication skills would come in handy and I was talkative too…Then I realized I wasn’t being realistic and idea dropped again…however, 5 years later when I participated in Channel V panga, my aspirations were back temporarily to fulfill a childhood dream.
Sportsman- By the 8th- 9th standard, I had become one of the best TT players in school, a strong center defender for the football team and the meanest leg spinner and the hardest hitter of the cricket ball in the colony. Friends started calling me Viru (for Virendra Sehwag) and I used to open the innings for the colony team, hitting a few quick fire big shots and get out soon. I could spin the cricket ball to almost 2 feet (trust me, I still can). I was also complimented for my strong smashes in TT and friends said they could hardly see the ball. (I know bahut jyada ho gaya :p) I began to wonder if sports was my calling.
Air Force Pilot- As I grew up, I had become crazy enough...eccentric...in my 10th standard, I told my parents that I wanted to be an Air Force pilot…Speed still thrills me (I have driven my car at 170 km/hr on Mumbai Highway) but to my disappointment the reply I got form my mom was, “Mere 2 hi bete hain, jyada hote toh bhej deti”….chapter closed.
Doctor- In spite of scoring 95 plus % in both accounts and math in the 10th board exams, my parents had by now sealed my fate. They wanted both their children to be doctors and I was naive to seriously decide what I wanted to be…Although I worked very hard, getting an unexpected 147 rank in the state merit list for the medical entrance, I found it extremely difficult to adjust in medical school. I was never so studious in med school and did not fare well in the exams. People did make fun of me as I never felt one of them.. but I always knew I would become a better doctor than most…after my dad heart attack and subsequent bypass surgery, I found myself lonely and began blogging and playing music to express myself.
Musician &Writer / Rockstar- Deep down in my heart, I still feel I’m more of a writer, singer, musician and medicine is my side business…playing my guitar, singing originals, with the beats on my synthesizer in the background is nothing less than heavenly for me…I would never stop any of these no matter how old I get.
Well, now I have reached a juncture in life where I cannot change anything. I finally have accepted my destiny and I enjoy my work, and thanks to these extracurricular things, I still feel like a school boy at times…but yes, looking back in time, probably the best thing for me would have been to pursue commerce after 10th and become a charted accountant… but the world needs good doctors too ;-) and probably God wanted me to be here…so no regrets now.
The Future- I will always remain passionate about clinical medicine and I now want to become an extremely good emergency physician & an entrepreneur (www.seekmedicine.com is my 1st step towards my goal)… I want to do something which will make me famous…I don’t know when and how, but definitely it will happen one day…I also want to be involved in charity work…education of under privileged children in near future…I now have only one wish from God – “Please keep me close to victory”.
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