Allahabad Blues: Down the UPSC lane A middle-class story

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Somewhere along the way, my experience of having struggled to achieve what I aspired for culminated in a book. It all started with an innocent attempt to relive my life journey, beginning with my childhood through to the years of my academic pursuits, followed by an earnest attempt to assimilate all the happy and not-so-happy memories. This was meant to be a personal memoir. However, bit by bit, it started taking the shape and form of a book.

I am aware that book writing is serious business. It entails esoteric allusions and, among other skills, an in-depth understanding of what constitutes good writing, which is why I started out as a reluctant writer. Trust me, even at the time of putting this book to bed, I am unsure about the extent to which my writing has lived up to the test of literature. If it does pass muster, it will only be a happy coincidence.

Nothing exists in isolation! It is true for every person; each one of us is born with a background and blessed with the abilities to dream of a fulfilling life in the future. Achieving all such ambitions takes a lot more than just hard work.

Factors like the environment in which one grows up, the sacrifices made by the fathers, the blessings of the mothers, the words of encouragement from siblings and friends-all count for a lot. My story is just the same-wading through the middle-class struggles, I too had dreamt of a good life for myself. I persevered through the good times as well as bad times. Many from similar backgrounds, who have already gone through or are still struggling or are planning to embark on a similar journey in the future, will be able to relate with my story, for this book documents my unwavering determination and triumphs. Those who began their pursuits around the same time as myself will especially be able to appreciate the book more and better connect with the journey. Therefore, it is dedicated to all of you.

This book is a collection of all that is etched in my memory since my childhood. It is also a collage of numerous disparate memories from my present and my past. I have neither arranged them in any particular order nor proclaim them to be mine alone. Just replace the places, the characters and the incidences with the ones from your life and this becomes your story. I am certain that people of my age group, who are from similar background, will be able to see glimpses of their own lives in my story. Hence, I dedicate this book to all those who have achieved their ambitions after toiling hard. In fact, this book is more devoted to people who, despite their efforts and hard work, could not fulfil their dreams, because their experiences will guide the future generations.

In writing this book, I was able to not only retrace my footsteps but also relive my past to my heart's content. In that sense, this is both a true story and a work of imagination. It also lists out all those people who are a part of my life and who have refined my life through their contributions. I am sure you also have many such characters in your lives.