Good News / Bad News →[More:]I passed my first year BA exams last week, which was a huge step for me. I'm a highschool dropout, and for the past ten years have been ashamed of that fact, to the extent that I'd avoid going out in public because the first question that anyone asks you over here is: so, what are you doing right now (as in--what course of study are you pursuing; there's a huge premium on education in India, and everyone wants their children to either become a doctor or an engineer).
I wanted to be neither, but my parents had been dreaming of my becoming a doctor since the day I was born. In fact, I can remember being 5 years old or so, and being introduced to one of my father's friends as--this is my son--Daanish, and he's going to become a doctor... I was fucking FIVE YEARS OLD. (Talk about pressuring a child).

So, there I am, having completed my tenth, with my entire life ahead of me, and the prospect of spending a huge chunk of it studying medicine. (Teachers would warn us that it wouldn't be easy, and only the best of the best could even dream of getting through; the cut off marks would be as high as 95%, sometimes even higher, so failure was a very likely possibility).
I wasn't that interested in Medicine to commit to something that would require that kind of dedication, but my father would not hear of it. So we fought--bitterly. I once told him that I wanted to become an actor--and he said--have you ever seen your face in the mirror. (He wasn't a monster, just desperate to get back at me for not fulfilling his life long ambition--to do something that he could never do himself [or rather, was not allowed to do because his father had never supplied him with the means to do it, otherwise he would've] according to him at least).
I wasn't any less either, always blaming him for ruining my life. And maybe he had, but that didn't mean that I couldn't overcome it. It was easy to be a victim, and I played the role as long as I could (which ended up being almost 15 years). It was a terrible time, but somehow we both got through it. And now, there's a glimmer of hope in my life, which I plan to make the most of if I can.

What's the bad news? Well, I had that interview that I'd told you guys I was going to today, and much as I expected, they asked me to come back next year when I complete my Graduation. The HR manager was sweet enough to explain how it's company policy that they have to follow, and assured me there would be a place for me there if I wanted to come back next year, with my degree in hand, so I can't wait to finally be able to answer the question--so, Daanish, what are you doing these days--with a, oh, I've just completed my BA.