How I Made Money In My Life

In this blog I will be sharing all the legal & illegal, offline & online, small & big ways through which I made money in my life.

Exam

This was the first money I earned in my life but it was totally illegal and I would never ever recommend it to anyone. I was studying in 9th grade and as per the roll numbers a guy named Ravi used to sit behind me in the exams. I had never seen him before as he would come to school mostly to attend the exams where he would always ask me the answers. I would manage to show him my answer sheet.

One day after the exam, he thanked me for showing the answers and handed me 10 rupees. I was surprized and amazed by that but since it was illegal so I refused. He insisted and said that for every exam he will pay me 10. That was one of the most memorable day of my life as 10 rupees were not less in those days when I would buy an ice cream named 'Jumbo Jack' in just 2 rupees. After his many requests I accepted the money but later he failed in that class so again I would not recommend this way of earning money.

Poetry

So far I have written so many poems in Hindi, English and Marathi that a notebook is filled with those. From someone I got to know that if we publish our poems on news paper, the company gives money to us. I was so happy knowing that and without wasting time I went to the well known news paper company Sakal and provided them two of my poems. I was told that my poem will be published and also I will get paid but the amount will be very less. I was totally fine with the amount as I was studying in 11th grade.

My eyes were always on the postman because in those days transferring money was not that easy so only through the postman, money would be transferred.

A few days later, I was walking with my mother on the road and a postman suddenly appear in front of me and asked if my name is Prashant. With an excitement I replied "Yes it's me". Immediately he gave me a parcel from his bag and 100 rupees. He also asked me to do a signature on his notebook.

I was so happy about the money. With the money the parcel that I got was nothing but the news paper where my poem was published.

College Students

Developing my college project by myself was a big boon for me because it taught me how to really create a software project from scratch.

I created so many projects for various students after that. Also I got a good recognition because of that skill. When I used to visit the students who's project I would do, I would get respect from their parents.

Job

Job is the only source from which I made the most money in my life. While pursuing graduation I worked as a customer care executive in a telecommunications company where my job was to resolve customer's query through telephones. In short I was working in a call center.

After that I worked at back office in another company as a data entry operator.

Then I got to work as a video game tester.

Soon after I got the software programmer job and since then I have been working as a software developer. There are so many companies I have worked so far for various job rolls such as game developer and app developer on mobile, web, PC, VR etc..

Friends

I have helped my friends completing their projects many times. One of my senior had a work where the task was to explain the code written in Java. At that time there were no AI chatbots.

I completed his task and he mailed it to the client. In a couple of days he received a mail from his client. He told me that my work gave him so much appreciation that he didn't get in his entire lifetime.

Apps

I was developing games for companies but never knew how to publish those on the play store or any other online platform. But because of the great friends I got in my professional journey I learned everything. Then I started publishing small and simple games & apps that would be interesting for anyone to play. Through this method I generated some money.

Though I had published an app on Nokia's OVI store when the Symbian phones existed but it didn't get monetized. If you want to try, you can play a game called 'Trajectory Game' which is available on play store.

Freelance

With the help online freelancing websites I have completed projects of many people. Also I had gained a good reputation as everyone would give 5 starts for my work. There are very strange experiences I had which were both good and bad.

Doing freelance not only just helped me generating money but I learned various new concepts and improved my communication skills through it.

Clients

A guy from Cambodia was one of my client in the year 2015. He was an expert in Automation & Control System and to gain some more knowledge, he had come to Mumbai. My dad was working as a faculty in teaching the automation and he was one of his student. In Mumbai, he was searching some organization where he could learn software development, but he didn't get anyone who can teach him that one to one. He came to know from my dad that I work as a software engineer so through my dad's reference he met me. After interacting with him I came to know that at first he wanted to learn Android from scratch but to learn Android at that time Java was compulsory to learn Android so I taught him Java.

Google Pay

This was one of the most interesting ways where I made little but easy money.

There was a time when Uber Eats was giving 80 percent of discount on foods and Google Pay was also newly launched. Google Pay is a convenient way of transferring or paying money.

After receiving food through Uber Eats from the delivery person, instead of paying them cash I would create their Google Pay account. Google used to pay some money to refer others.

Udemy

As I spent my most of life in developing games so I have published a courses on Udemy about the easiest way of developing games in Java. With the help of this anyone who has a little bit knowledge in Java, can understand the secrets and tricks of game development.

Other than this, I do have published a course on Blender software, which has the capability to create realistic looking graphics, animations and games. One can create their own models, art and much more. The videos in this course are super short to make sure that each and every concept is taught with ease and clarity.

I am about to launch a course on OpenCV which is one of the most important and very demanding topic for the future jobs and business.

eBooks

I have more than 15 eBooks on Google Play Books and Amazon's Kindle Direct Publish (KDP). These books are very useful for almost every category of human being. Not huge but I make a decent amount of continuous money from it.

Occult Science

I was and still I am very much keen to know about myself as well as about the world, so I learned astrology and found that every thing in this planet is affected by the solar system. Each of the planet does its role. Due to my curiosity, I learned astrology, palmistry, science of architecture, moleosophy and many others.

I often get offline customers who want to know about themselves.

YouTube

I had made so much money from YouTube so far that I bought a two wheeler from it. I never showed my face till now as I don't want like. Still I have nearly 125000 subscribers on it.

How I Spent My Graduation In Computer Science

My background

I am a simple Indian guy who completed all his schooling till 10th grade under the C.B.S.E. (Central Board of Secondary Education) system. Mostly, children of military personnel study in these schools. My dad worked as a soldier in the Indian Air Force, so I studied in a C.B.S.E. school.

I was an average student who usually scored around 60 percent marks. In 10th grade, I got exactly 60%, so I chose the science stream and joined a state board school for 11th and 12th grade.

I was somewhat good at math and very interested in computers. My typing speed was more than 20 WPM at that time as I had a video game with a keyboard. I just practiced typing on it again and again. You can read the full story about it in another article.

Selecting a College

My dad always insisted that I get an engineering degree in the software field, but it was expensive, so I never really wanted to do it. I was afraid that if I didn’t perform well or failed repeatedly, everyone would point fingers at me.

I filled out the engineering admission form and gave the exam, but fortunately, I didn’t get admission anywhere. My dad then found an alternative to engineering, which was BCS, meaning Bachelor of Computer Science. Again, it was a little expensive, and I didn’t want to do that course either. Instead, I just wanted to complete a plain B.Sc. (Bachelor of Science) degree, which cost much less money.

I wanted to get a job and free myself from the burden of studying, but because of my dad, I agreed to do BCS on one condition: I wouldn’t pursue my graduation from an expensive college. The deal was done, and we started searching for various colleges.

College enquiry

One day, my dad and I went to a college. We were just about to enter when my dad wanted to talk to someone first and find out whether the education system and teaching there were good or not.

A guy was walking around, so my dad stopped him and asked whether I should study there and if the teaching was good. The guy politely replied, “Uncle, this college is cool. Let your son study here…” while making a stylish gesture with his hair.

We took a closer look at him. The guy looked like a punk and was dressed like a thug. Dad and I looked at each other because it was a really funny moment. We thought we should give it one more try. Then we asked some decent students, and later we came to know that all kinds of students studied there. Overall, the professors and their teaching were good, though the other things were not that great.

My Graduation College

I joined the same college. It was a bit far from my home. My 12th-grade friend Sameer, who lived right in front of my house, had also joined the same college, and we used to sit on the same bench.

Later, I came to know that three other friends from 12th grade had also joined. Out of those three, Vinod, Sameer, and I formed a separate group. There, I also met two other friends, Zeeshan and Aditya, who later joined our group.

Mentality

Since my childhood, I had always heard that people go to college to enjoy life and colleges are meant only for fun. Anyway, except for programming, everything else was boring to me. We were punctual only when it came to submitting assignments. I honestly don’t remember when we ever studied seriously.

After college, around 4 p.m., we used to eat snacks like vada pav, vada sambar, and dal vada. By the way, the “dal vada” snack is still famous in 'Khadki Bazar' you should definitely try it. Those moments were really nostalgic.

Sameer, Vinod, and I used to travel to college together by changing two buses, which would take nearly one and a half to two hours. To catch the second bus, we had to wait at a bus stop located in front of a multiplex, so every day we would see posters of movies playing on different screens. On top of that, morning-show tickets were extremely cheap.

We often bunked college to watch movies. A movie usually stayed in theaters for at least a week. One day, Vinod and I were absent, and only Sameer was going to college. While waiting at the same bus stop, he saw the poster of a comedy movie and couldn’t resist watching it.

The next day, Vinod was absent, and Sameer and I were waiting at the bus stop to go to college. Suddenly, Sameer started laughing while looking at the poster. I asked him what happened, and he replied, “This movie is so funny. I watched it yesterday and really enjoyed it. Do you want to watch it now?”

I asked, “But will you come with me?”

He was ready to watch it again. I asked him how he could watch the same movie again when he already knew the entire story. He replied, “I liked it. If you want to come, let’s go.”

So both of us bunked college that day. The next day, Vinod was also with us. The same thing happened again, and all three of us watched the movie and bunked college. So, Sameer bunked college three times, I did it twice, and Vinod once.

All of us thought that graduation would somehow complete itself without much effort. Near my home, there was a playground where Sameer, I, and many other friends used to play cricket.

Soon, the exams started, and without much pressure, we finished them one by one.

Results

All of us were chill and carefree, without worrying or even thinking about the results. On the day the results were announced, we all gathered at the college, where a huge surprise was waiting for us.

Our syllabus had 12 subjects, and for BCS students, a Year Down (YD) generally happened if a student failed in more than 50% of the subjects. So, if a student failed in 5 subjects, there would be no YD.

In our group, not a single student passed. Each of us had failed in at least 7 subjects. Since everyone had failed, there was no sadness at all. We all laughed loudly and came back home.

Whenever our parents asked how this happened, we would reply, “We all got YD. Actually, almost everyone in the class failed.” Since there was no college for the time being, we spent our days playing cricket and wasting time.

A few days after the results, one evening I returned home from the playground with a happy face and saw someone sitting beside my mother on the sofa with an upset expression. She was one of my mother’s friends.

I looked at her and asked, “Hi aunty, what happened? Why are you so upset?”

She replied, “Don’t worry, my child. God will help you. He will settle everything. Just keep faith in God.”

I got confused and said, “But you are upset, right? You should be happy like me. Look at me I am always cool.”

My mother interrupted the conversation and shouted at me, “Idiot! You got a YD, and that’s why she is trying to console you.”

That was a new kind of pressure I started getting from the people around me.

Job

I decided to get a job and earn some money, but even for a simple domestic call center job, one needed basic English-speaking skills. Many of my English concepts were not clear, so I joined an English-speaking course.

I used to travel 16 kilometers by bicycle to attend the classes. The course lasted for about two months, and during that time many of my concepts became clear, such as past tense, the use of “would,” and I also learned new vocabulary.

As my English course was about to end, I came to know that interviews were going on at a domestic call center, so Sameer, Sudesh (another 12th-grade friend who used to live behind my house), and I went there together. For some reason, only I got selected.

This was the first job of my life, and it taught me many things. My first salary was 50 dollars, which felt like a huge amount of money to me. I didn’t know where to spend it. I gave treats to my friends, purchased non-fiction books, and bought clothes for all my relatives.

My parents were somewhat happy to see me working, but the year was ending, and I also had to complete my graduation. So, after a few months, I resigned from the company.

Friends split

All of us started our second year again, but both Sameer and Vinod joined another college, thinking that a better college would help them achieve something more. I already had great friends in my current college, so I decided to continue there.

As time passed, I met two new friends, Sanjay and Vivek, who were very studious. So now our group included my previous friends, Zeeshan and Aditya, along with these new ones.

This time, all of us were a bit more serious about our studies because of our previous bitter experience. Very soon, we entered the final year, and the day finally came when we had to submit the details of the project we were going to develop.

In this way we complted our graduation. You can read the complete story about my life's first project in a separate article.

My Post Graduation

Hope you have read my previous article about 'My Graduation', if not please do.

Now why did I choose to do post graduation when I used to hate studying. There is a big reason for that. Actually I was getting jobs at call centers but my passion was in developing games. I had earned good money by creating projects for engineering and computer science students. And the main reason for not working in call centers was my education which was only meant for becoming a software engineer. So I thought that I will get a software job without any problem. Struggled a lot but no one wanted a fresher, every company was looking for experienced programmers. Suddenly I got an email from Gameloft to create a 'Brick Breaker' game in Java. That was easy for me so I completed in few days and sent the code. They asked me to relocate as the company was more than 500 kilometers far from my home town. I thought I will get the job near my city, no need to go anywhere. For another six months I was just struggling and looking for job but didn't find any. The same company sent me an email for completing a new game. As there was no alternative, I again completed that and waited for their call. They called me at their office which was more than 500 kms for another round of interview. I had to go there, so I went to the company with my dad and completed the interview process. Fortunately I got selected. It was a great achievement for me so far.

Finally I joined the company. I did all the formalities. In that company almost everyone was an engineering or a post graduate student. Later I came to know that others who just got pass-out from college were getting high pay for doing the same job that I did, just because they had done either engineering or post graduation.

I came back to my city to pursue M.C.M. meaning Masters In Computer Management. The college where I did my post graduation was small but with adequate amount of space for parking and separate area for playing volleyball. Professors were great and the students were also excellent. There I learned some management skills, new programming language like Dot Net and various other things. The syllabus was easy for me as while pursuing B.C.S (Batchelor In Computer Science) most of the concepts got cleared. I only wanted a Post Graduation Degree on my resume, therefore I did this course, so that there will not be any differences in salary for doing the same job. Usually people used to approach this college for getting a degree while working.

My job and M.C.M. both were going simultaneously. On Saturdays I would attend the classes. Occasionally there used to be celebrations and fun activities in the college. The professors were like my friends, they were so helpful and cool that I never got any kind of pressure of completing any task. Even they allowed me for some delay when it came to submitting the assignments. I have got so many complements so many times because I was good at typing fast, had good communication skills and also was technically sound.

I would help my friends by solving their technical issues in college and even through phone whenever they would get difficulty. Because of this I was getting much appreciation and also I remember one day my professor took me to the seniors student class to teach them some subject as I had already worked on previously, that subject was in their syllabus. In some time I mingled up with my seniors too.

Because of my typing speed, in every practical of SQL the professor used to speak the query and I would type, so that all the students can learn. By doing this, my technical skills also improved.

As I got familiar with everyone, the fun part of mine started to emerge. I made a new trend where if someone asks any thing like who has the book I would point out to a guy whose name was 'Mukund' and I used to say 'Mukund has it'. Pointing towards 'Mukund' was a short answer that I don't have the book or I don't know the answer. Just fun. If the professor would ask 'Who can answer this question', I would say 'Mukund'. This fun kind of thing expanded and day by day Mukund got famous. In a few days everyone would do the same except Mukund. As it was just for fun so none of the professors took it seriously.

It was decided by the professors that someone will have to give a speech on the stage on Independence day. My friends submitted my name without knowing that I had stage fear. I spent a lot of time to gather information, structure it and write the script. After that I was doing a rote learning of it. The day came and it was my life's first stage speech. There was pin drop silent everywhere. My heart beat took speed and I could not understand what to do. I had heard from somewhere that in tough situations just keep a smile on your face so you look confident. I did the same and stood on the stage. Took out my script. I found the letters were changed. Then I realized that I was holding it upside down. I rotated it to 180 degree, now I could understand what was written on the script. I started reading it fast without looking at the audience and came back on my seat. Maybe no one understood anything what I read but I got my breath back as I was done.

The college provided the students not only education but enjoyment too. Our college was decorated with balloons and plastic materials as it had organized a fun day where we had to do ramp walk, sing a song, dance and do various other things. I couldn't do any of these as it was out of my interest and experience. I knew dancing only when I was in 10th grade. But because it was a mandatory thing to do whatever was told, so I sang a song.

I remember one day the college had offered lunch for all students. We all went to the restaurant. The waiter looked happy with a mannered gesture he welcomed us. He arranged the plates and glasses. It was an unlimited lunch so we all were ready like the soldiers get ready for battle. You can guess the quantity of meal consumption of a college student. The waiter seemed fresh and was enthusiastic. He started serving us one by one. We praised the college and started eating even before all the items were served. Anybody can understand that we were students so there was no objection in doing that. Now the waiter got a little fast in his serving as everyone's plate was getting empty and he has to refill it. His enthusiasm and happiness was slowly getting faded. He served, served and served without taking a break but still students were ready for more to come. The waiter now got tired and exhausted. There was no one who so far was done with the lunch. The frustration of waiter started to appear on his face. We were enjoying the meal but our pace was reduced a bit. With no emotions on face, the waiter asked us if we want anything. Finally after an hour and half we finished the lunch and the waiter also took a deep breath. Some of my friends were not able to walk because of too much of food and heavy tummy. Some of the students couldn't walk to college due to over eating. Anyway, we all enjoyed it!

Also once we went for a picnic in the morning at around 5:30 am. Buses were arranged by the college. The whole day we all enjoyed a lot by doing many different things such as visiting beaches, snacking and roaming.

After a few months I got a call from a company that was around 20 kms away from my home. I appeared for the interview and after completing multiple rounds, got the offer letter. Whenever the exams would start, I used to take a leave from my job to attend it. So the exams got finalized and I got my hall ticket.

It was a Wednesday and I got call from one of my friend asking me if am I ready get to the exam hall. I checked the hall ticket that today there was no exam, it was on next day. So I understood that he is kidding me. I laughed and told him that I am not coming. Saturday came and I had already planned to eat 'Dosa' (It's a delicious breakfast) and then to sleep for hours. In few minutes I got a call from a friend asking me if I had prepared for today's exam. I told him not to fool me as it is a holiday. Then he replied that he will be in the exam hall in some time. I thought he must be kidding so ignored. After half an hour I was about to have my breakfast and for no reason I looked my hall ticket. I just got stumbled as I came to know that there is an exam today of 'PPMOB' that is 'Principles and Practices of Management and Organizational Behaviour'. I had not studied a single page, thinking that it is on Monday and I have two days Saturday & Sunday to study. I rushed, without having breakfast, went to the exam center, thought I was late but any how reached. After the exam all of my friends and me gathered, we all laughed to this instance. Finally in my result there was a twist. I had scored highest in PPMOB. This happened because it was one of my favourite subject.

This is how I spent my post graduation, hope you liked the reading.

Blender - Create Anything

There is a software or tool that can create and do almost anything. It even works in 3D. Also, it is totally free. Can you believe it? Yes, it is Blender. People use this tool for various purposes because, in today's world, it can be useful everywhere.

After knowing its benefits, I always wanted to learn Blender, so I downloaded it from the website. I thought it should be as easy as it seems, but when I tried to move the default cube using mouse interaction, there was no response. So it was clear that Blender is not that simple. There are so many videos, blogs, and tutorials about it, but I found almost all of them much too complicated. I could not find someone who could teach me Blender easily. So I tried to learn it from all over the internet, followed many YouTube channels, went through articles, and learned things from any source I could find. After struggling a lot, things became clear one by one.

Why I learned Blender?

Although I like doing creative things and I know game development in Unity3D, learning Blender was for a different reason. I was using a tool (the name I don't remember now) for creating digital invitation cards some time ago, which was paid. Its trial period had ended, so there was nothing that could match it. With Blender, it was possible to create any kind of animation, so to continue my work without any hurdles, learning Blender was a very good deal for me.

Keeping all this in mind, I created a course where you will learn Blender right from the basics, with everything clearly explained. Each and every video is very short. The course starts with understanding how to create simple objects like cubes, spheres, cylinders, etc. Then you will learn how to position, rotate, scale, and modify these objects in other ways. There are more than a hundred topics covered in this course.

Other than this, there are many benefits to learning Blender, and each of the above features is unique with tremendous possibilities. Let us understand them.

Create Realistic Models

You can create various realistic-looking models that can be used in software such as Unity3D, Maya, AutoCAD, and many others. Model creation using Blender gives you multiple options such as enhancement, beautification, coloring, texturing, and countless others.

For example, you will learn how to create simple models like a chair just by using cubes and applying loop cuts to them. It will only take a minute or two to complete the whole model.

Do Both 2D and 3D Animations

Creating 2D animations with Blender is much easier than with many previous software programs that cost a lot and provide minimal output. Not just 2D, you can also create 3D animations to make the visuals look highly realistic.

Animations are among the things that are and will continue to be required by every business. From a child to a large organization, animations are used to bring changes to their lives.

There is no need to describe how one can monetize animation skills, as we have live examples everywhere around us.

Texturing the Objects

With the help of texturing, you will learn how to make things look alive and realistic. The course will teach you different ways of applying textures, as they can do wonders for your objects.

Video Editing

Blender also supports video editing, so you don't have to buy or use any other software specifically for your videos. The complexity of video editing is greatly reduced in Blender.

VFX

Everyone in today's world likes special effects, from a child to a mature adult. With Blender, you can add special effects to your videos without any difficulty.

Asset Creation

Assets in Blender are nothing but reusable items that can be helpful in creating your projects. Examples of assets include models, materials, animations, etc. For example, you can use or leverage these in your films, scenes, or games. You can also sell and distribute them to help and support the projects of others.

Simulation

Nowadays, simulation projects are growing very fast. I have worked on various simulation projects while working as a VR developer. Such simulations are highly in demand, especially in the healthcare and medical sectors.

Composition

Composition in Blender is the post-processing stage where you enhance and layer your rendered 3D images or video footage. The Compositor workspace uses a node-based system to add effects such as color correction, glare, and blurs, and to combine separate render layers together.

Sounds

By adding sounds to your animations, models, VFX, and every other creative work, things can go much further. Blender supports adding sounds in the way you want.

Exporting Videos

If you want to showcase what you have created through a video, there are options to do so. You can simply export your video in MP4 or another format and send it to your friends or loved ones. It's that simple and easy.

Other than the above-mentioned topics, I have tried my best to include many concepts in very simple and easy language so that anyone with literally zero knowledge of using software can understand the course easily.

With the help of this course, you will create your first small project in just a couple of hours, as this course is straight to the point and precise.

How I Learned Fast Typing

It was an afternoon and I was doing some work, the TV was ON. From another room I could see the TV so just had a glimpse. I saw a video where a guy was moving his fingers on the laptop so fast while speaking to someone. I came closer and observed it carefully. I laughed, my dad looked at me and asked 'Why are you laughing?'. I said 'Now a days how people fool others, see this guy, he pretends to type on the laptop, do you think it is possible to type so fast in this way?'. My dad replied 'Such people do exist, and they really type as fast as this guy does, they have excelled the skill'. I was so impressed that this incident made me crazy to learn typing as the guy did but I had no laptop or PC.

One day I was out with my dad in the market. While walking on the lanes, I saw a box with an image of keyboard and something game like text was written on the box. I had never seen such thing. No one would imagine only keyboard without a monitor. Since I badly wanted to learn typing, I just moved closer and read whatever was written on the box. It was a video game. Still I was confused that how could be a video game have a keyboard with it. My dad too saw it and while pointing towards he said "This is a very good video game, it helps us increase our typing speed". Then I understood about it. I already had a video game which I got after doing many requests to my dad, now there was no way to even think about a new one. Also the keyboard video game was very expensive. I looked at it and thought, this is way big dream and I will never get it.

Months passed and my old video game was almost dead. I never told it to anybody due to fear but later dad understood, as he never found me playing. Dad himself told me that we will buy the keyboard video game, maybe because he wanted me to get used to the keyboard. In some days I got my dream wish, it was only the keyboard video game. The joy and happiness that I experienced cannot be described. I finally got the thing which I always dreamed about.

Within no time, I learned how to place the fingers on the keyboard and just practiced and practiced only typing. I forgot the actual games and practiced day and night only typing. In some days I got a good grip on it. Very soon my typing speed increased to 20 words per minute. With such a continuous practice, a point came when I noticed that I don't have to look at the keyboard every time a key to be pressed. That gave me a lot of confidence so I kept doing that and finally I crossed the speed of 50 words per minute.

The reality:

Later I came to know that I am nothing when I found that in real word there are people who have more than 300 WPM. In actual most of the people who work in back office or as a data entry operator have more than 60 WPM. I was happy with me and all I learned and achieved was not to do comparison with others.

Benefits I got from fast Typing

12th Grade:

When I was in my 12th grade, there was a subject of basic computers and HTML scripting. In the practical exam of the same, I finished everything quickly and helped others.

Graduation- My overconfidence went wrong:

In my graduation practical exam, many students secretly brought pen drives with them to copy. The students were supposed to complete two questions by writing and running the code / program, also every program should be first shown to the external examiner. The external examiner's job was to check the practical line by line and approve it. He can only decide to pass or fail the student. I was confident in coding. He started distributing the question paper and as soon he gave the question paper to the last student, I was done with typing and running my first question's program. I called him and showed the code. He said "You have copied, come on show me where you have hide your pen drive, in just a short period of time no one can write it". I told him that I can do but he didn't listen, even my two friends also told the same but he was ignoring. I also asked him if I can retype everything but he said he doesn't have time and he failed me. That day taught me not to be an over smart.

Post Graduation:

Typing not only helps you completing your work but it also makes you look different. I remember when I was pursuing my post graduation, at first I was a normal and simple guy (which I am still) but when everyone came to know about the typing, the view of everyone was changed. People were considering me smart person just because of it. In my post graduation collage lab, professor of SQL used to ask me to type the code and all the students would note it.

Freelance:

I have done a lot of freelance job both in tech and non-tech. Once I was working on a project where I had to write description about a product which was from Russia. The client had given me idea about it and my job was only to expand it by writing a detailed description. Multiple articles were needed on the same product. Just because of fast typing I completed it in a very short time.

Job:

In my job, typing helped me a lot. I would complete my work in very less time. When I was working in a company as a game developer I was given a week to develop a game from scratch. I completed it in one and a half day. My friends used to look at me typing and ask how is this possible. My boss also got impressed and surprised many times.

Now a days, typing may seem not very important as technologies like 'Speech To Text' are doing great job but as far as I know mostly people prefer to type rather than to use Speech To Text. If you visit any hospital, office, hotel, mall or any organization you will find someone typing on laptop or a PC.

How I Got Crazy For Studies

This is a story of me in the year 2001 when I just moved to Delhi which is the capital of India.

Previous to this we were living in another city Pune of Maharashtra state till my 7th grade. Because my dad was in Air Force he got posted to Delhi, so we all had to move.

As there were no vacant quarters in Air Force residency therefore for some months we were living in a rented room in Palam. We were living on the second floor. The owner and his family was very polite and kind and they were at the ground floor.

I got admission in the K.V (Kendriya Vidyalay) No. 2 Delhi Cantt school in 8th grade of C.B.S.E (Central Board Of Secondary Education). It was (still it is) a very big school as there were many things that made it huge, like multiple classrooms for students till 12th grade, a very big ground to play, canteen, big area to do morning prayers & physical training and also a walking path with a lot of space around the school.

I met many students over there, most of them were like me average in studies, very few were extra talented and only one or two were rowdy or of boast nature.

After spending months, we moved from a rented house to the Air Force Quarter. Now the school bus used to come near my house around 100 meters. Many school going kids like me had to wait there for the bus where I met a guy Narender whose appearance was a bit dominating or aggressive. We both were studying in the same class but we never talked.

In few days Narender and I became good friends. Because of him I met other friends and I could play Cricket which was my favourite game. I used to spend lots of hours outside in just playing cricket.

Days passed and we all were in 9th grade now. My parents always used to shout at me for not studying and playing cricket.

At the time of exams as per roll number a guy named Ravi used to sit behind me. He was always asking me the answers in exam and some how I used to manage to show my sheet to him. Later one day he offered me 10 rupees and said, "This is for showing me the answers. I will give you 10 for each subject". I was stumbled at that point as my total pocket money for a month was 50 rupees and he is giving me 10 for each subject. I refused to take the money because it seemed an illegal act, also if someone get to know about it then my image will get tarnished. He kept insisted me and finally I agreed to him. Now before the exam I was doing a bit more study not to get good marks, but to get money. Money was a bigger reward for me than the marks as in 10 rupees I could get a lot of things to eat at the school canteen.

Unfortunately this didn't go long as Ravi failed in 9th grade, maybe because the teacher have noticed everything is copied in his exam sheet. Due to this my interest also came down and my extra study stopped.

Now we were in 10th grade where studying with only school books was not enough, one has to have other extra books and tuition with it to get better marks so I started studying from Kunjis. At that time (I don't know if it still exists) a Kunji used to be a small book that had only questions and answers which costed way less money compared to guides or reference books. My main intention of reading from Kunjis was to save parent's money because if I would buy guides or reference books and score less marks then everyone would blamed me for wasting money. I remember that day when one of my friend Manish saw the Kunjis in my hand and said to another friend "If Prashant will study from Guides, he will be in top scorers". I felt so good to hear that and I too knew that would happen but not having interest in study was also one more reason for buying the Kunjis.

I was now in the 10th grade, also known as SSC (Secondary School Certificate) which has a lot and lot of importance in India. The parents of every student get very strict to their child as the marks scored in SSC becomes an identity so people will treat likewise. My parents were not that strict but they always shouting at me to study. I would ignore it or do some study in their presence to feel them satisfied. My parents used to get calls from relatives and their friends asking how my study is going as I am in 10th grade now. Day by day my mind got saturated about the fact that SSC will either make me or break me but still I didn't take it seriously.

While pursing SSC I never stopped playing Cricket because it was my favourite game. One day I was playing Cricket near my house with all of my friends on a small play ground. Everyone of us was studying in 10th grade except 1 or 2. I was a great fielder and I would not let any ball cross me. Whenever I would catch the ball or stop it, I would get an appreciation from every one.

With an excitement I was expecting the ball to come at me so that I can catch it and make the batsman out. The batsman hit the ball, it came so fast and I grabbed it as usually I do all the time. This day something different happened. The batsman came towards the bowler and they were discussing something. When I reached there, I came to know that their conversation was related to studies. One was saying "My 75 percent study is done", another guy said "I have completed every thing, now I only have to revise". I thought, "Do we have to study now?, there are some days for the exam". I would study only where there were two days left for exam, but after listening their conversations I found myself at no where as I had not yet started it. Also suddenly I got visuals of all the relatives and neighbours asking me about my marks. Many such thoughts bombarding on my head simultaneously made a terrible moment for me. I found my self numb and automatically I dropped the ball and came home as if I am hypnotised. I didn't look back and don't even know if someone was calling me or not because all I knew is that I have to study.

After coming home I didn't hear or see anything except my books. My parents might have laughed at me because I was studying by myself. From that day onwards I literally did not care if it is a day or night, Sunday or Monday, if anyone is in the house etc. I did the daily routines like brushing teeth, bathing but my focus was only on study. Even in toilet I used to take 'Kunjis' with me. For first two days my parents were very happy but everyday seeing me so desperate for studies, they were getting uncomfortable. Now I was told to go out, hangout with friends, eat outside and play but nothing would stop my studies. I was still studying as the exams were close, but my parents thought that may be I will loose my mind because many times I was not aware about having my food. So after a few days they told me that they won't shout or say anything to me even if I fail, for just god's sake I should stop studying. I didn't stop.

Finally the exams started and day by day I finished all. When all the exams were done, I got back to my previous life automatically, I was laughing, playing, talking with everyone. After studying so hard for 15 - 20 days I got 60% of total marks in SSC.

How I Learned Multiple Programming Languages

The first programming language I learned was C which was developed by Dennis Ritchie. To understand it I had joined a private tuition in 2005 where the tutor used to teach it with the help of a white board and a computer with a small CRT monitor. To learn any programming language, the logic should be clear so most of the time the teacher would explain on the white board instead of computer. On the computer he used to run and debug the program to check the result. Learning C language was a base as it helped me in understanding how things work step by step.

Before graduation, in 12th grade I liked the HTML scripting because of the 'Marquee' tag. You might be knowing, by using this tag you can move anything in your web page. I did many experiments and I used to play with various tags in html to see the result.

Graduation: Craze of doing experiments

I was very much interested in coding and programming so I would do weird experiments such as blinking, moving, changing color of texts and lot of other things. Because of this I used to get errors and while fixing those every time my skill and knowledge would upgrade. I had faced so many errors that when I would look at others getting issues, I could fix it quickly.

Assignments & Practical:

In the college I always completed the given tasks, assignments and practical. In that too I would add something new from my own. Many times the code would crash or it would run infinitely by filling the console with data, even the system also restarted due to one of my bad experiments.

When I didn't understand the code:

While studying data structures at first, I couldn't write the code implementation of linked list though the concept was clear, so there was only one option and that was to cram or you can say rote learning. Though this method is not appropriate so I will not recommend to anyone but at that time other than this I didn't find any other way. My typing was good and because of that I would just keep typing the code from start to end.

Post Graduation:

While pursing post graduation there was a new programming language in the syllabus, it was Dot Net. I had literally zero knowledge about it but never used so far. Before just two days of exam, I studied it from scratch and cleared it. This happened because I already knew programming, only the thing that I studied before exam was the syntax and a small part of specific coding of Dot Net. Things like 'if', 'else', 'while', 'break' and most of other work in same way as in every other programming language. From that day I never worked on it so now I have totally forgot almost everything about Dot Net.

How I learned SQL:

Just because I was good at other programming languages and typing, the professor's used to help me thinking that I will grasp SQL quickly. In the computer lab, the professor used to speak and I would type the SQL query, all other students used to note it down. Withins a few weeks we got used to this in every practical so this habit and my enthusiasm helped me learning things faster and I understood the concepts of SQL in very less time.

Simple Applications:

When I completed my education, I saw how students were worried to create resume. Many times they didn't have it with them, so looking at this problem I created a resume builder software in C programming. It was an executable file, you just have to double click it and it opens. After that it will ask you to type your name, email address, phone, qualification etc. One of my friend liked it so much that he always used it for creating a new resume. It was so easy, fast and bug free. Even the executable file was in kilobytes.

Learning J2ME:

Working on J2ME (Java 2 Micro Edition) was my life's first job in software industry. I worked as a Junior Game Programmer in a company. Everything was just Java only new API was the thing to learn so it was not a hard to learn.

Learning Android:

After working as a J2ME developer I moved to a new technology which was Android. Understanding and coding on Android was easier for me because here too Java was only used. Though other things like XML and some C++ was also there but when you are good at 3 things out of 4, you automatically grasp the fourth one. The same happened with me, very soon I understood the complete Android development from scratch.

Learning Unity3D and C#:

As my interest and most of the experience was in gaming, I learned another new technology, that is Unity3D. The programming language for Unity3D are C# & Java Script where C# is widely used in most of the organisations. Some companies prefer to use Java Script. Again for me C# was a new language so instead of studying specific C#, I tried to build games in Unity3D using C#. While working on it I came to understand that C# and Java are almost same.

Learning Python:

In the Corona days, I worked a little bit on OpenCV meaning Open Source Computer Vision which is very useful and has a lot of scope in future. You can read a complete article about it on another page, there I have mentioned right from scratch what is it to what can be done with it. So to learn OpenCV I learned Python. If you search on the internet, which programming language is the easiest, you will find that Python owns this crown as it does not need much coding like other programming languages do. To print a 'Hello World' text in Python you only have to write print("Hello World"), that's it. It is said to be the shortest and simplest programming language. Also now a days the expansion of Python is increasing rapidly as machine learning, web development and in many areas it is growing very fast. It becomes way easier to learn such a simple language when you already know other programming languages like Java, C and C#.

In short if you want to learn multiple programming languages, just learn one deeply so when you learn any other language, you only have to change the syntax, most of the part remains the same.

My Job Interviews

Here are some of the interviews of my life

The best interview:

After working as a junior game programmer in a reputed company I came home for pursuing my post graduation. In a few months I got a call from a company for the position of game programmer. I told the HR that I had worked for only just 2-3 months, then the HR replied 'On the basis of that only we shortlisted your resume. You just appear for the interview, the panel will decide whether you are capable or not for this job.' I gave a try. There were so many rounds and for every round I thought now they will kick me out. Each day there would be one or two rounds for which I had to visit the company again and again. Also every time I saw a different interviewer. Some would ask to write a code, some about my college project or last company work. In one of the round they asked me about C and C++ though the job was on Java. I answered their questions correctly and also mentioned about the projects I did on C. Due to this they held me longer so that they can go deeper. After technical questions, there was a logic testing tricky question. It was, assume that a man has a lion, a goat and some grass. He has to cross the river to drop both the animals and grass, and he can cross it multiple times, but while crossing, at a time he can carry either the lion or goat or grass. If he will take the lion with him, the goat will eat the grass. If he takes grass with him, the lion will eat the goat. So there should not be any loss while crossing the river. I answered that too correctly.

Suppose you are given a 10-centimeter-long candle. Lighting the candle will reduce it by a centimeter in one minute, but you have a max time limit of 7 minutes to finish it. How will you do?
The answer to this question is simple, we only have to light the candle from both sides.

One more question, imagine that you are given two jars, one with 5 liters and the another having 3 liters. How you will get the exact 4 liters of water out? It may look a bit complicated to solve this puzzle but its not that hard. As you have given a 5 liters and a 3 liters jar, so to get 2 liters out, you will first fill the 5 liters jar and then from that jar you will fill the 3 liters jar, so now the 5 liters jar will have 2 liters of water. Similarly repeating the process one more time will give you 4 liters of water.

The worst and some what funny interview:

My most of the job was on gaming and by that time I had worked as an app developer only in a single company, so with that confidence I went for an interview of app development. I was told that the senior will come in a moment so I waited and in some time a guy came who looked very decent and calm. He introduced about him and the company and asked me to introduce myself. I did that and the questions started from basic. There I came to know that all basic questions are not actually simple because my preparation was lacking there. He then started to ask a little harder ones. I didn't have answers to those so before he could move to the next question I told him that I don't want to waste his time. He understood and continued the interview. Now every question was unknow for me, I literally had no answers for those, so I stood up and thanked him for his precious time with a gesture as if I am leaving. With a calm and polite manner he asked me to be seated. From then all my replies to every question was 'I don't know'. This interview taught me not get your confidence down by your own act.

There was one very simple but tricky question asked in one of the interview. Suppose you have a 100 meters long cloth. To get a piece of 1 meter cloth from it you have to cut it once, so how many times will you have to cut it to get all 100 meters of pieces?
You might have guessed it correctly. You have to cut it 99 times, as the last piece will automatically get separated. To make it simple, imagine you have 2 meters of cloth. Now you have to cut it only once so you get two separate pieces of it.

Besides questions I have noticed other important things that were observed by the interviewer such as how we speak, how we handle a situation, how do we look at them and so many such things.

Before working as a software engineer I had worked as a customer care executive in a call center. After resigning that job I went for another better one where two interviewers were sitting. One seemed very cool and polite and the second one was a little aggressive or sometimes opposite. My turn came, the first interviewer asked me basic questions which I answered all without any problem, then the second interviewer knowingly mimicked me with a loud voice. My attention was more on the first one as he could ask another question and I have to be prepared for it. Finally he told me that my interview is done and I got selected. After recalling this incident I understood why the second interviewer mimicked. He wanted to check if I get angry or reply him or do any weird thing. In short they wanted to know the tolerance power of the candidate. I didn't do anything which was expected to them.

In one of the interview for a software job role, the interviewer was very calm. He started asking me simple questions and started noticing my replies. When he would ask a question whose answer was known to me, I would keep describing longer than enough with full confidence. But when I would not know the answer my description was short and abstract. But I answered to more than 80 percent of questions. This interview taught me not to explain unnecessarily and keep it short and precise.

I too interviewed multiple candidates for the position of Unity3D developer. Being an interviewer it becomes very easy to know if the candidate is a skilled one or not. I got an opportunity to interview people from other countries via zoom, so when I interviewed a guy from Turkey I found him very confident and knowledgeable, he answered correctly almost every question. So in short in every interview the knowledge stands at the top but other things should not to be neglected such as communication skills, etiquettes and other such common factors.

Video Games In My Life

The story starts when I used to play with the portable black & white hand video games, those were the most popular ones in 90s with simple games like Brick Breaker, Tetris and everyone's favourite Snake game.

Joust Box Game:

After that, a new era of gaming began when children started playing games on large arcade machines called "Joust." These machines featured a joystick and several buttons to control the game. Players had to insert coins into the machine to start playing, and children were always eager to get their turn. I played these games many times myself, but something even more exciting was on the horizon.

Soon, similar games became available on a completely new type of device. Unlike arcade machines, this innovation allowed people to enjoy video games without waiting in long queues for their turn. The new gaming system could be connected directly to a home television, enabling players to experience their favorite games from the comfort of their own homes.

TV Video Game:

As soon as I came to know that these video games were available in the shops near my house, I wanted one desperately. Day and night, I could think of nothing else. I repeatedly asked my father to buy it for me, but he was worried that it would distract me from my studies, so he refused.

I became so emotionally attached to the idea of owning the game that I began acting as though it was already mine. In my imagination, I would jump, laugh, and feel excited whenever I won, completely immersing myself in my make-believe gaming world.

Finally, my prayers were answered. Seeing my eagerness and constant longing for the video game, my parents decided to buy one for me. Within two months, the TV video game that I had dreamed about so intensely became a reality.

TV Keyboard Video Game:

The keyboard video game was similar to the previous video game but in this, the keyboard related games could also be played. For example typing letters to increase the typing speed. So in short it was more education or skill oriented and helpful than other video games. I didn't have to struggle a lot to get this as it was related to study and education. This video game really helped me in learning and increasing my typing speed. It not only gave me fun but a lot of confidence because before actually using a computer I could operate the keyboard like a pro.

Laptop:

In 2005, when I was in the first year of my Bachelor of Computer Science degree, I needed a laptop to complete my programming and coding practicals. However, I did not have a computer at home. Around that time, one of my father's colleagues was selling a second- or third-hand laptop from his office, and my father bought it for me.

The laptop ran on Windows 95 and had 64 MB of RAM and a 10 GB hard drive. Although its specifications were modest, it was a valuable possession for me. On that laptop, I played one of the most popular games of that era, "Road Rash." It was a motorcycle racing game in which players competed against other riders and tried to reach the finish line first by leaving all their opponents behind.

Personal Desktop Computer:

As the laptop was very old, after a couple of years I got a desktop computer on which I played the 3D role based game 'Wolfenstein'. In this, the player being a prisoner, has to escape the prison by going through multiple hurdles. There are various similar games I played like 'Halo' and others.

Black & White Cell Phone:

In the same year I got my first cell phone which was having black and white screen. It was very small specifically used for calling and messaging as it didn't have color screens and there were no mobile internet connections. For entertainment purpose, it had simple games like Tetris and Snake.

PS3 / PS3:

I had worked in many organizations but working as a game tester was really very different. I got an opportunity to play on the Play Station 3 or PS3 device. So far it was the best and different device I had seen and it felt very exciting to play car games on it. When I played the 3D games, I was so much into the it that at some point I would feel as I am inside the game.

My Games:

In my college, when I learned simple animations the curiosity for developing games started and in some months I created my first simple 2D car game in Java. I didn't get any tutorials online. Also I wanted an easy way to develop games so that anyone can understand it from scratch. If you compare the games I develop with other online tutorials you will notice a big difference as in mine, there are very simple and short steps so that a newbie in Java can understand it. You can find the complete story on 'How I developed my first game' in a separate article. If you want to learn the same then click this link: https://www.udemy.com/course/java-game-dev/?referralCode=78A0BFD3BE08F588806A

Mobiles:

I got an opportunity to work with the world's number one mobile gaming company 'Gameloft' where I played games on various devices. Mostly there were mobile phones with all ranges of screen resolutions. I was a junior programmer there but playing those games which are not yet launched is more fun.

Switch:

After working with different game companies, I got a chance to play games on the 'Switch' device. It was a bit different and small which reminded me the hand video games that were existed in old days. The color screen and more capability was the newest thing in it.

'Trajectory Game'

I have made many games and apps in Android using its native library and also external one like OpenGlEs. In the year 2020 I developed and published a game in Unity3D. It is a simple catapult game where the player has to drop the tins by hitting those with the help of a catapult and ball. It is still on the play store. So far many people have played it but only few of them are able to complete all the 100 levels. The game starts with ease but as the levels increase the complexity increases, so it requires thinking and some intelligence to clear it.

My School Camp Experience

Camp From School

I was studying in 9th grade in Delhi. My school had organized a camp in a village called Zhinjholi. The camp was not mandatory for everyone; only those who wished to go had to inform the teacher. Before going there, we were supposed to fill out a form which had multiple options like adventure, fun, relaxation, play, enjoy, etc., and we had to tick the ones we were interested in. So, my friends and I mostly ticked adventure and fun. Whatever options we selected, eventually everyone was going to the same place, though we did not know that. My friends and I filled out the form and were very happy thinking about the camp. Some thought there would be nature, some thought there would be many sports activities, while others thought it would be a snowfall camp. In short, we were all creating our own version of a fairytale.

Going To Camp

Finally, the day came, and our parents came to drop us off at the school. They were there to make sure we had all the important things with us. It was the first time I would be away from my home and parents for 15 days. I was blessed to have great friends at school. Ajay was my best friend, and others like Jeevan and Abhay were also close ones. There were many others, but I remember only these. The most important thing was that all of them were also coming to the camp. We took our bags and got our seats on the bus. Only boys were on the bus, as the girls had a separate camp at another location. From the window, we waved our hands and said goodbye to our parents, and the bus departed. There was a big smile on our faces because each of us was expecting that something big and awesome was going to happen. While looking outside the window, we saw only rural areas, villages, and innocent village people with their cows, goats, and buffaloes. The bus ran for a few hours, and at last, we entered through a big gate.

Arrival To Camp

We were asked to get down as we had arrived at our destination. Excited, we all got down. After looking around, we found a small swimming pool, a big hall that was closed, a huge playground, and a series of connected rooms in a row. The area was so huge that it spread across many acres. The instructor told us to follow him with our luggage, and we kept walking for almost half a kilometer. We also passed the series of rooms. All the students were gathered at that place.

There, a new instructor welcomed us with a smile and made the environment friendly. Then he asked all of us if we wanted to enjoy these 15 days, and we all shouted a big YES. After that, he told us to form a queue consisting only of friends. We were about 100 students, as some students from other schools were also there.

While walking from the bus to that place, I became very suspicious after looking at the surroundings. I was quite sure that this place was not meant for fun. It felt as if we were about to enter a danger zone, as I could see a parade ground, a horse-riding area, a shooting range, and other such facilities. All of this required discipline, so it looked more like army training than a fun camp.

Thoughts In My Mind

While the queues were being formed, I quickly told my friends to get separated and make sure that each of us should be in a different queue. Without asking a single question, Ajay joined another queue, and Jeevan did the same. Others were asking why, but there was no time to explain, so Ajay told them to just do it, and they moved.

An Unexpected Announcement

Now here comes the interesting part. Assuming that every queue consisted of friends, the instructor revealed the plan. He said, "These queues are made up of friends. Now I want each of you to leave your friends' group and join another one in such a way that there will be no friends in a single queue. After this, you will have to stay as instructed for the next 15 days. Also, under no condition will these groups be changed."

It was a big shock for all the students. Many were disheartened because they wanted to stay with their friends.

Mission Accomplished

Things were different in our case, as we had already separated and now had to be in the same queue. Observing all this, my friends were smiling and appreciating me because we would all be staying together in the same group for the next 15 days.

Now my best friend Ajay and I were together. I noticed an instructor coming towards us, so I signaled Ajay not to get excited and to remain serious.

When everything was settled, my friends asked me how I had understood the instructor's strategy. I told them that all it came from the God.

Our Stay

One of the instructors then showed us another huge hall where many beds were arranged in rows, and we were supposed to stay according to our queue. It meant that all the members of a group had to stay in the same row. Ajay and I kept our luggage there and enjoyed the rest of the day.

The Hard Time

We all had a very strict schedule. A spiritual song used to be played in the hall to wake everyone up at sharp 4:00 a.m., and if an instructor found anyone sleeping, he would sprinkle water on them. After that, we had to go to the toilet. Then there were yoga and meditation sessions. While doing the 'Shavasana', where we had to lie down and relax our muscles, many students would fall asleep.

Breakfast

To bring breakfast, which was kept in buckets for nearly each group, two boys had to walk about half a kilometer, so no one would take that initiative. Then I realized that the big hall that had been closed was actually the dining hall and kitchen. Dates and sprouts were usually served for breakfast. Sometimes raw buffalo milk was also given. The instructor often had to forcefully choose two boys and send them.

For me, it was not a burden, so I decided to go and bring the breakfast. Soon, Ajay and I took on this responsibility. We would go to the kitchen, collect the buckets, and while coming back, we would eat dates and sprouts to our hearts' content.

Parade

After breakfast, we had to do parade drills for an hour or two. For some students, this strict schedule and tough parade became a punishment. Some of them genuinely fell ill, while others pretended to be ill. One or two boys even tried to cross the fencing and go home, but that was not possible.

Food

We used to have our lunch in the big dining hall. Someone would always take the initiative to serve the others. Usually, I did not do it, but after a few days, God knows why, I felt like volunteering.

A long row of students was waiting for lunch. When I went inside the kitchen, I saw 'Palak Paneer'; it is a cottage cheese with spinach which is my all-time favorite dish. I looked up and asked God why He had given me the thought of serving others when I could have been enjoying the meal first.

But no worries. As God wished, I served everyone by carrying the bucket and going to each student. At last, my friends (who were also serving with me) and I sat down for lunch. The bucket of 'Palak Paneer' was placed right next to me.

At that moment, I understood why God had wanted me to serve first; so that I could eat as much as I wanted. It would not have been possible if I had sat down earlier. There was a reason for everything.

I simply thanked God and ate so much that it became difficult to walk back to the hall.

Tuesday Fasting

I was unaware that it was mandatory for everyone to fast every Tuesday by eating only fruits for lunch. I thought each person would be served just one or two fruits, but when I saw a truck full of fruits, I got excited. Other than what I was carrying in my hands, both pockets of my pants were filled with fruits. I wished we could have fasting every day because of these fresh fruits.

Drawing Competition

In our group, there were some students from other schools too. It was declared that a drawing competition was going to take place, so other members of my group were discussing it.

I had a great interest in drawing and sketching since childhood. I was one of the favorite students of my drawing teacher because I always followed all his instructions and never bunked a single class.

In the camp, students had brought their drawing books and started showing their drawings to our team instructor. I also saw it and found many artistic & talented students there. Looking at them, I decided not to participate, as I did not even have colors and other materials.

The competition started, and Ajay and I were lying on the bed. Ajay already knew that I was good at drawing and sketching. He insisted that I participate, but I refused, saying that the other students were too talented and that I did not even have the resources. I only had a small pencil that was shorter than a little finger. He understood my situation and told me to do the sketch without any colors, using just that pencil. Still, I refused because others might laugh at me if they saw such a short pencil.

His final words were: “Prashant, you love drawing. Let’s do it, not for others but for your happiness.” His words hit me hard, and Ajay and I decided to participate.

With full interest and concentration, I made a scenery that my drawing teacher had taught me. It had a house, a tree behind it, a boat, two coconut trees, a river, and clouds in front of a rising sun. It was again god's miracle that there was a piece of eraser I saw on the floor as I didn't have one. At last, I submitted my drawing and came back.

Soon the day came when the prizes were announced. I prayed to God to at least get a third prize. Everyone was talking about the drawings. I heard one boy discussing with my team leader instructor. He knew the first prize winner and was explaining how the drawing was made. He said it was like a computer print, and so on. He looked at me and saw me listening to his conversation. He told me I would be shocked if I saw the drawing. I became very curious because of his explanation, and I wanted to see the drawing & the guy who is so skilled. I immediately asked him where I could see the drawings.

I went there with Ajay. We both were searching the drawing. Ajay pointed at the drawing that had won first prize and said, “Prashant, it is yours. You are the first prize winner!” That incident literally shook me from top to bottom.

The next day, I was called on stage for the first prize.

I am very grateful from the bottom of my heart to God, to Ajay for insisting that I participate, and to my drawing teacher who taught me drawing.

People I Met, Lessons I Learned

Body Building Inspiration

I can't forgot that day when I first watched WWF (World Wrestling Federation), now known as WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment), on television. I was fascinated by the wrestlers' impressive physiques. One thing that immediately caught my attention was that they seemed to have no body hair, unlike most people.

Importance Of Body Building For Me

After making some inquiries, I came to believe that regular and intense muscle training could reduce body hair growth. At the time, I was a teenager studying in the 10th grade, and I felt it was the perfect time to start working out. I thought that if I delayed, I would develop more body hair as I grew older. Motivated by this idea, I bought a set of dumbbells and began my fitness journey.

My Diet And Equipment

Within four to five months, I started noticing visible results. My diet mainly consisted of milk mixed with raw eggs. The taste was certainly unpleasant, but building my physique was more important to me than enjoying the flavor. In addition to using dumbbells, I also had a tummy trimmer that I used for abdominal exercises.

Curiosity Of My Friends

My friends soon noticed the transformation and were curious about how I had achieved it as everyone wanted to build muscles like me. Whenever they asked, I would show them the equipment I used and explain my workout routine. In the school too friends would ask and even come to my home to see the equipment.

My Dumbbells Were Taken Away

One day, my schoolmate Rajesh, who lived about 15 kilometers away from my home, came to visit me. He asked if he could borrow my dumbbells for a couple of weeks. Without giving it a second thought, I agreed and handed them over to him.

As a result, I was unable to continue my workout routine for many days. Two weeks passed, but Rajesh neither returned the dumbbells nor contacted me. When I called him to ask about them, he told me to come to his house and collect them. Since he had borrowed the dumbbells from my home, I felt it was his responsibility to return them. I told him so, and he agreed to bring them back.

However, there was still no response from him. Later, I learned that he had lent my dumbbells to one of his friends without my permission. This deeply upset me.

Revenge

Finally, I went to his house and took his bicycle, riding it back to my home. I told him that he could either return my dumbbells or pay me their value. Soon afterward, he came to my house looking distressed. He said that his father would not allow him into the house unless he got his bicycle back and promised that he would repay me later. Feeling sorry for him, I returned the bicycle.

A week later, I asked him about the money. He told me that he had already given it to the elder brother of my friend Narender and had asked him to pass it on to me. Believing his story, I went to Narender's house and asked his brother about the money.

Eye Opener Incidence

To my surprise, he smiled and admitted that he had already spent the money on food and soft drinks. At that point, I realized there was little chance of recovering my money. Rather than arguing, I quietly returned home.

Lesson I Learned

This experience taught me an important lesson: kindness and helpfulness should have reasonable limits. Helping others is a good quality, but if we are too trusting or always available to help without setting boundaries, some people may take advantage of us.

Decided To Join A New Gym

After losing my dumbbells, I decided not to make the same mistake of buying another set. Instead, I chose to join a gym, which seemed like the best available option. Besides, I knew my father would not be willing to spend money on buying dumbbells again.

In The Gym

It was my first time ever visiting a gym. The mirrors there were designed in such a way that everyone appeared slightly bigger and more muscular, which felt motivating. I met several new people at the gym, most of whom were five or six years older than me. Out of respect, I called them "Bhaiyya," the Hindi word for an elder brother.

They were friendly and supportive, always willing to teach me how to use the equipment correctly and safely. Through them, I learned many valuable lessons about bodybuilding, fitness, and maintaining good health.

Mingled With Friends

After our workouts, we would often gather at a nearby playground and spend some time together. One member of the group, despite being slim and cheerful, would always run several laps around the ground. At first, I wondered why he preferred running instead of focusing only on weight training.

Benefits Of Running

Later, I learned that running offers many health benefits. It improves blood circulation, helps the body eliminate waste through sweating, and contributes to healthier skin and overall fitness. After a good run and a wash, a person often feels refreshed and energized. Once I understood these benefits, I occasionally joined him and ran a few laps myself.

My time at the gym not only improved my physical fitness but also introduced me to good mentors and healthy habits that stayed with me for a long time.

Good People And Life

As time passed, our friendship grew stronger. We would spend hours sitting together at the playground, chatting about various topics, sharing snacks, and simply enjoying each other's company.

New Problems In My Life

One day, I was walking home while pushing my bicycle and talking with Narender and a few other friends of my age. Among them was a mischievous boy named Saurabh. Just for fun, he pulled off the rubber grips from my bicycle's handlebars and threw them onto the ground. He also pushed my bicycle, causing it to fall.

I had known him for about a year, but his actions genuinely irritated me. I warned him not to take things any further. Seeing my reaction, he seemed a little frightened. As he stepped back, however, he tried to save face by threatening me. He said that the day after tomorrow he will be coming with his friend Jitender and teach me a lesson.

Although I stood there confidently and told him that I didn't care, inside I was worried. I kept wondering, "Who is this Jitender?"

Feeling disturbed by the incident, I went to the gym later that day. One of the older members, whom I respected like an elder brother, noticed that I looked upset and asked me what had happened. I told him about Saurabh's threat and mentioned that someone named Jitender was supposedly coming to beat me up.

Stunned!

He looked at me and asked, "Don't you know my real name?"
I replied, "Everyone calls you Jitu. That's the only name I know."
Smiling, he said, "Jitu is just my nickname. My actual name is Jitender."
I was stunned.

The Biter Gets The Bit

He then continued, "Yesterday Saurabh asked me to accompany him somewhere to teach a guy a lesson. I had no idea he was talking about you. If I had known, I would have scolded him right then and there."

Hearing this brought me immense relief.
Curious, I asked, "But if Saurabh is your friend, why would you take my side?"

Jitu replied, "He's not really a friend. He's the kind of person who only thinks about himself. Forget about it. Tomorrow we'll teach him a lesson instead."

Live And Let Live

I immediately told him not to do that. I believed that fighting would only create more negativity and make the situation worse. I had no interest in getting involved in a conflict.

Jitu respected my decision. However, he made it clear to Saurabh that if anything happened to me, there would be consequences and nobody would be able to protect him.

Learned Again A New Lesson

The matter ended there, and I learned something valuable from the experience: sometimes the people we fear turn out to be our allies, and many conflicts can be resolved through understanding rather than violence.