An Indian Engineer

"Rishi...Put all your unwanted books and things in that trunk box, we need to pack quickly" my mother asked pointing to a trunk box.

We are shifting to a new apartment as my father got transferred to a new branch in our city.

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As we shifted to new apartment, I was very much tired and unable to get up early in the morning. So I was late to the college. I went to the college from afternoon.

When I reached my college, many arrangements were made. I enquired my friends about that and came to know that a grand meeting was arranged in which passed out students who are successful in their chosen careers will address.

I was very happy because we lost the boring classes that noon.

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"Good afternoon elders, lecturers and my student friends. This is Nikhil Agarwal. I am very pleased to be speaking to you today on behalf of the alumni. Before I begin my speech, I would like to respect, thank and acknowledge the traditional owners of the land upon which we met.

It is such a pleasure to share in the intensity of emotions filling this auditorium as you who are graduating close this chapter of your life's story.

I would like to recall an incident that happened some years back. I think it was during my class X, the company which my father working for was bankrupt and the employees were not paid salaries. Along with my father, there are few people who stayed in the same company waiting patiently for their salaries for years together. But they never paid thereafter. My family suffered financially. Then my father approached relatives and friends for money. They somehow helped us with their money and offered free advises taking the situation as an advantage. My father's only worry is about my career. He wants me to complete a degree with good percent and attain a job.

After our family recovered financially, I made up my mind. 

"What if the same situation occurs to the company I work for in future?"

The only answer I got was "Entrepreneurship".

Yes !

"If you are capable of providing a job to someone, why do you still need a job ?"

I questioned myself.

When I was in second year of Engineering, looking at college placements, I was afraid of the situation. As we all know that these grades will never be able to build a complete man inside you. Many thoughts came into my mind.

When all these things made me confused, I answered them with my project which I started during my second year. That project is the reflection of my idealogy and pain I suffered alike most of the teenagers.

Briefly, it is a move to bring the hidden talents of young generation into limelight especially Engineering students. Among us some are capable of writing beautiful poems, some are good at singing and some guys are amazing in sports. Why can't we shine those talents?

We can.

Along with their academics, they should be good at minimum one extracurricular activitiy. By this, we can proudly build a quality nation for tomorrow.

I worked on it for almost two years and approached the government authorities. Because it seems to be impossible to implement so I need to make it as simple as possible with perfect planning. And so it took two years to execute my plans.

I worked on it collecting a lot of information travelling across many colleges in our state. During this, I lost many subjects and they remained as my backlogs. Later to fulfil my father's wish, I had to complete those papers with a lot of hardwork.

My first start up is my project which got its acceptance from the government and an official announcement has to be made by tomorrow.

And I would like to conclude my speech with a small incident that made me more determined.

One day, during my third year, after the completion of a meeting about Enterprenuership, one of the faculty member in the college came to me. His eyes were filled with some proud feeling. He looked at me from top to bottom and criticized me using bad language. He warned me to concentrate on studies rather than wasting time in the name of Enterprenuership. I kept silent. It was respect given to his Experience by me.

And on this dais, I request every faculty member to value ideas of students because they are the pride of nation in future and you are responsible for that.

And my student friends,

If you achieve success then it's good.

But if you are the reason for someone's success, then it is more than amazing.

Literally, you can't explain that feeling.

Even though you die, let the artist inside you alive forever through his art.

To do so, awake the artist inside you this second.

If winning is achieving, then definitely loosing must be learning.

You can't win all the time but you can learn all the time, so keep trying and one day you will definitely achieve.

There is a lot of difference between working for money and working for your dreams.

Just think about it.

And I wish all of you a very good luck for your bright future.

Thank you."

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The speech was over. Still, I can hear some words clearly with my ears 

"If winning is achieving then loosing must be Learning."

I was spellbound by the speech and I rushed to home. I went to store room and took the trunk box out and opened it.

When I looked at my sketches and drawings, some unknown feeling I experienced and my eyes spoke "I will never leave you again... "

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If every Engineer's life is a big Question

After his bachelor degree,

Then how can he provide a solution to the existing problem as an engineer??