Perseverance grooms

“Yes, there have been low periods during preparation. Foremost, there is the marriage pressure. Secondly, my brother who is in the US, passed out of Harvard and has always been a super student. There is this subconscious need to be as good as him. Then there is the financial pressure since I am not working now. It doesn’t feel comfortable to keep asking family for money at this age though they are more than happy to fund me.

And lastly, there is the parental pressure, where they already keep harping that ‘Hamara bacha toh IAS hai.’ It is scary… I asked a wise man once, why is UPSC so tough. He told me something brilliant: ‘Every single day of yours after you crack the exam will be even more difficult. You cannot buckle under this pressure now.’

Honestly, despite the difficulties, the preparation has groomed me a lot. If you find a sincere aspirant who has been preparing for 3 to 4 years, look at the way he would walk after that. Notice how he talks, notice his pronunciation… I can vouch that he is a changed man. There was this time when we were looking for a bride for my brother. She mentioned in front of my family that she is a Kathakalli dancer. Post that I gave 10 points what the mudras were all about, what the tribanganas were and she was shocked. Even she didn’t know this. My parents looked at me with this quizzical look as to how I knew so much. And my brother looks at me with surprise and he asked if the match was for me or for him. Hahaha… I can now stand as a part of any group, at any point of time, anywhere and give a thousand lines on any topic of discussion.”

- Ashish Sharma | Jaipur | UPSC Aspirant

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