The Perfect Beginning

This article has been submitted by Shashank Bhatt for the CLATGyan Blog Post Writing Competition. If you think this article is a good read, ‘Like’ this article on Facebook (the button is at the bottom of this piece) or post a comment using the ‘comments’ section below.

This is purely from heart and not at all from mind. It’s just a perfect story at this point of time. The story doesn’t really have a perfect end, honestly speaking the story seeks to get a perfect beginning which will be known on 28^th of this month. Lets hope for the best, just like a perfect Indian who even when the team needs 7 runs off the last ball hopes to see a no ball or a wide.

The story starts from a small hill station of Uttarakhand known as Pithoragarh. Most of you would have dreamt of living in such a place because of its natural beauty. The view of Himalayas, the pleasant weather, the beautiful hills are just scintillating. It’s just perfect for girls who dreams of living in a “Twilight” world. I spent 17 years of my life in that place when I finally realized that I had to take care of my childhood dream and that is to be a fine lawyer who does good for the society (not an issue if he earns less). The thing which I forgot to mention was that I am dropout. All this happened last year. So with the above mentioned thought I came to Delhi at the end of April last year . I reached here around 3:00am in the morning (by bus) and I couldn’t sleep. I just wanted to see how Delhi actually looks like and it was this wish that didn’t allow me to sleep. I’ll also like to mention my mother’s contribution who accompanied me to Delhi as I had no idea of a big city. She’s a great lady and she will always be the biggest gift which the almighty gave me. This was my first visit to Delhi and I didn’t get to see many places other the exam centers of NLUD, SET, CLAT and amity Noida (which unluckily happens to be my college).

Most of you by now would have assumed that I was a big dumbo who could not clear any of the exams and so went to Amity Noida. The choice was not so easy. Soon after the competitive exams I went back to Pithoragarh and then came the board results which all students wait for eagerly. I was a science student and you are going to get a big shock when you read this. The shocking thing is that I scored 90.8% in boards and I could have scored more but for my score in Hindi(80). I got to admit that Hindi was really a party spoiler for me because I later realized that I had missed ILS, pune by just 2 marks. 82 marks in Hindi could have made a difference. Nonetheless I thought of Delhi University and at the same time applied for GLC Mumbai. I got Pol Sci.(hons) in Kirorimal north campus and also got GLC Mumbai. I had the choice and I chose GLC as law was my passion. Unluckily GLC had no hostel, I was in Mumbai. This was the first time I was a long way away from home and my family wasn’t there with me. I felt like a fish out of water. With no family, no friends I felt very bad though I rejoiced getting admission in the college where modern Manu, the father of our constitution Dr. B. R Ambedkar had studied. This happiness didn’t last long as my parents were very worried with my staying at an unknown place which was very from my home. Finally my dad called me back to delhi and he got me admitted in amity delhi as that was the only option left for me.

This brought me back to Delhi but couldn’t deter my spirit of getting into a good law college and instead of taking it negatively I thought of it as a chance to prepare for CLAT one more time. I prepared for CLAT and gave it again this year. The gk section was a bit below my expectations but rest all was fine and so I am pretty much hopeful of getting a good college this year which would just be a perfect beginning of the journey for me.  This brings me to the end of the outer part of my story the inner and the touching part is yet to be written.

At this point of time I’m not sure how to link this part of the story with the already written part. But coming to Delhi, Mumbai  etc. brought a lot of changes in me. There is no Mcdonalds, no Dominos, no Puma showroom and there isn’t a single mall at my place. I didn’t know the lifestyle, dressing style of people of big cities. I was so lost in Mumbai when I was sitting alone at marine drive, at the beaches, at Gateway of India and many more places. I thought someone had locked me in a jail and it was all very depressing but I wouldn’t quit. I was there to make a mark, I was there to tell them that even I existed and mind you I was no less to the delhi Bombay people. I am not lord Ram who left the entire kingdom for obeying his parents but then for my parents I left Bombay and one of the top law colleges of the country. The next episode of my life was at Amity Law School where I joined on 50% scholarship (courtesy my 12^th std percentage).

Leaving GLC Mumbai couldn’t deter my spirit. I was even more enthusiastic to make a mark. I remember the first jurisprudence class where the teacher asked what is law? I answered law is common sense and i debated for an entire class with the teacher. The same teacher later sent me to represent the university at the 27^th BCI Moot Court Competition at Nirma University Ahmedabad where according to me I was spoke exceptionally well but because of my partners heroics(who got very nervous) the team didn’t qualify by 8 marks. I won the Just A Minute (JAM as they call it in every university) and also got selected for the parliamentary debate team for the college fest. I also won a debate competition on FDI(mind u I was never a commerce student) , just for the cash prize of 3000rs. Not to forget I topped my class in the first semester.

So I was more than successful in making a name for myself and show them all that even I existed. I showed that I am not someone who could live unidentified in a crowd. Everyone knew me as a guy who had a lot of potential and I hope I’ll make this potential count someday. My dad wants to see me as an IAS officer and so it is my biggest dream to crack Civil Services after I complete my LL.B . CLAT is just the beginning I have a long way to go. I’ll feel bad if I don’t clear CLAT this year but that won’t deter my spirit because failures are stepping stones to success. Some of the CG people mentioned money as “sly mistress”, for me success is a “sly mistress” and I won’t give up before getting it. CLAT is just a door to reach my “sly mistress” and I hope to clear it. Hope I get the perfect beginning which I badly want.

I hope you enjoyed my little story which surely doesn’t have any head or tail but it is from my heart and so it will inspire me whenever I read it. Thank you and  I hope all of you become good lawyers who will serve the society with their expertise. Good luck everybody! God bless!