Carrer by Destiny

Hi All!
Well, I should certainly confide the moments how i was driven to this situation what I am today...C..H..E..F..!The most appalling aspect being that even today my beloved Mom would never whole heartedly would tell anyone what her last son is.. that is ..chef.
The adolescence while I completed my higher secondary examinations, .. I was brimming with high ambitions..thinking of being a Medical Practitioner- which my Mom always wanted me to be, then with me getting some influence with the Engineering, thinking of one my cousin Mr. Balaguru who was one of the squadron Leaders on Indian Airforce, when I saw him at the Avadi base I was amazed seeing his stature as an airforce officer.. obviously.. as he walked by the jawans saluting him with a click of the heels.. it was quite spell binding.. and above that did make me strive to perfections.Mr brother in laws' each one of them had sowed some kind of attitude that had quite considerable impacts not only in me but to the whole lots- we cousins..My elder brother in law he had infused in the respectful approach to elders, my second brother in law if not him I would have never ventured into the informative world of books' reading..one of my cousin- brother in law who trotted across to America officially...as he is an M.Tech.
Well I take the pride in naming them and consciously i would say they all have contributed to my being.. as what professionally today..!
I should not miss out the topic in what I am going now... in my Higher Secondary class, we were six of us... Zubair- my best confidant, Vishwanath..the guy who involuntarily pushed me to the abyss of C..H..E..F..ing,Bhaskar - he was tracked to me from my nursery schooling and along with him was Govardhanan, then a new bird in the flock was Balakrishnan ang Giriraj.apart from others where our class was of 31 students and of which 16 were Girls..!!!!(more fun and naughty tags later)
We having finished the exams.. my other dear friends had been getting applications for graduation course from the University and Colleges in Chennai.Well, I came home one day and was just referring to Mom about the prospects and application that I may have to buy...-Out from the blue. Bala thunders in and declares," Hey! you are applying to only the professional course - Medicine, Enginering...if you ae lucky to get your admission you will be doing that, if you fail to secure a seat, then back in the village Uncle is suffering with administration of the farm and agriculture business.. you see me & Raja have completed our graduation yet to get employed..!!!!!" This statement of Bala was like carving on the rocks in my carrer. H e also saw to that I did not get any application for any undergraduate courses.
I was so disturbed that evening when we all super six gathered at my place, Vishy tabled a green coloured prospectus and said, " Hey guys look this is for Catering College that I had spent my whole day to get to the Institute and get back and above that I had spent Rs. 25-00 for this application.. so please one of you apply for it!" I was puzzled this guy takes so much effort to get the application then why doesn't he go ahead..Then Vishy very sadly related the aftermath at his house..at his place they are "Vaishnavaites" one of the secular vegetarians. Even to utter the word EGG is forbidden - ( to be frank, I too sail in the same boat , I did not eat egg until I completed my 2nd year in the catering college)He was 9th sibling in the family of 10 and all his brothers and sisters pounced on him to throw that application into dust bin not even that was inside the house but outside at the roadside.
He was so dejected and felt at least his effort to get the application shouldn't go waste.
I should say...I had not done any research on this but just to comfort Vishy, I just said that I will go for it as others did not even raise their eyelashes towards that application.. one more fact..till now I owe that Rs.25-00 to Vishy...!
Well during my attempts to live up to Mom's aspiration that me being a Doctor... I was the 3rd candidate whilst the Interview was started statewide... My Dad accompanied me then, while I appeared for the B.E. interview, I went all alone, as I had secured 90% in chemistry, I had applied for B.Tech too.. ( Please you guys stop making fun of my situation.. on every occasion Bala's statement was ringing into my ears.. in fact I began dreaming about grazing cows, milking them, cleaning the sheds, and also a step ahead driving farm tractors... while I was waiting for the admission results.In a way preparing for the worst..!
Of all the interviews the catering result had come first and you know.. I was so sad that my name be listed in the first list itself..and the last day to pay in the fees was a day before the result of the Engineering & Medicine result.As you can imagine the dilemma. Bala was quite adamant to get me admitted in that course as the job prospects was assured and also our family did not have that sustinance IF I get admission in either Medicine or Engineering...!!!he was quite practical.. but eventually that what happened. Dad came with me to get admitted..( I have the honor that Dad was with me as he had never been with anybody else at home..).
The new environment with new classmates... it was strange.. the first encounter at the "BASIC TRAINING KITCHEN" we were grouped to various groups depending on the alphabetical sequence..the guys who were in my group.. all of us were expecting the names in the either Medicine or Engineering or B-Tech.. we were asked in groups to peel onion and garlic.. forgetting about the errands we were discussing about the " Projectile motion, Rolls' Theorem and Mclauren's theorem.. suddenly our Instructor Mr. Victor.. barges in and yells a us for not having peeled the onion and garlic.. he was pretty rough on us,,
Then too we were reluctant but yet completed it. Eventually, all others in my group one by one got their names in the either Medicine and Engineering.. I was last left and alas! my name featured in the medicines last list.. where I had to go to a remote medical college.. but by then the reality if the financial scene at home was too grim and it was not sensible for me to fore go the fees that was paid in at the catering college.....
Now even after.. 23 years since I got graduated fro the " The Institute of Hotel Management Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition" my Mom never agrees or have come to term to accept me as a "CHEF" and for some.. back at home it is just a course.. got qualified as "COOK" subsequently.. I missed on the family trail .. as I been mentioning of my beloved cousins never had an opportunity to meet up together but eventually my nephews and nieces all have become software engineers or doctors.. mostly all..here me... still owe Rs. 25-00 to Vishy still trying to do something innovative and ...!