The First Earning
From first love to first sex, life is marked by a trail of firsts. Some are fleeting. But some leave an indelible impression. They linger like the fragrance of fresh flowers. Or the sight of kites dancing across a clear sky. We may forget many things as the years pass, but certain firsts remain vivid forever. No one remembers the first sentence they spoke. Yet many can recall the first love letter they wrote in stumbling words. The year 1995 occupies a special place in my memory. That was the year I appeared for my first board examination—the Madhyamik or Class 10 Secondary Examination. It was a different era, long before mobile phones and the internet became part of life. Examination results were displayed on school notice boards. Students and parents had to visit the school and note them down. My mother, an emotional and deeply caring woman, was particularly anxious about the result. As the day dawned, she found it impossible to concentrate on her daily chores. The question that ...