A Boy, A Dream, A Life

Chapter 1: The Boy Who Dreamed Big

My name is Mano. Actually, no—forget the name for a second. This isn’t about me. Or maybe it is. It’s confusing, like most of my life. I’m not the protagonist in a traditional sense; I’m more like the narrator of a sitcom no one asked for.
I was born in the summer. A "gift of love," my parents called me. But was I really? That’s up for debate. If you think deeply, the meaning might change, right? Anyway, like most kids, my childhood revolved around the three universal truths: eat, sleep, and repeat. If life had subtitles back then, mine would read, “The Glorious Adventures of an Oblivious Middle-Class Boy.”
 

Chapter 2: The Middle-Class Myth

Here’s the funny thing. I always believed I was middle-class. Not poor. Middle-class. What I didn’t realize is that being "middle-class" in my neighborhood was like calling a dog a wolf just because it barked loudly. My parents were good people—dreamers, hard workers—but money was a delicate subject. Our ceiling fan squeaked, our kitchen tiles were cracked, and our fridge was one of those stubborn appliances that insisted on freezing even the vegetables. But hey, I was happy!

The thing about Indian kids is that we all think we’re unique. But we aren’t. We’re part of the same orchestra of dreams: graduate, get a job, build a house, and get married. It’s the Lokiverse, as I call it. Glorious purpose. But we know how Loki’s glorious purpose ends, don’t we?

 

Chapter 3: The Puzzle of Poverty

At 15, life began to itch in new ways. You’re too young to do something about it, but old enough to feel it. I was a middle-class poor guy dreaming of becoming rich—sounds like a self-contradiction, doesn’t it? But the idea of "making it" is like solving an unsolvable puzzle. I saw people around me working hard, hustling, struggling. I thought, “Why does life make you run like crazy only to give you leftovers?” But then, I didn’t have answers. Only questions.

 

Chapter 4: Degrees of Frustration

By 18 (or nearly crossing 17, if you want specifics), I faced the first big decision of my life: college. The world said, “Pick a degree, build your future!” My future? I barely knew how to pick the right flavor of chips.

I chose mathematics, partly because people said it was in demand, and partly because… well, I didn’t know what else to do. My college was local. The kind of place where students leave before the bell rings and professors don’t mind because they’re already halfway out the door themselves.

Four years later, I emerged with a degree in one hand and a growing sense of doom in the other. The job market was crowded. Imagine a jar full of cookies, but only one cookie, and everyone wants it. Some say, “If you’re efficient, you’ll succeed.” Sure, but if that’s true, why give degrees to people who aren’t? It’s like selling umbrellas in a desert and blaming customers when it doesn’t rain.

 

Chapter 5: The Great Job War

After graduation, the real war began: job seeking. There was no battlefield, just endless forms to fill, fees to pay, and rejections to endure. Every government job application wanted money—money I didn’t have. Private companies weren’t much better. The manipulation was blatant, but we, the job seekers, were too desperate to fight back.

One year into the search, I landed a job as a sales agent for a pharmacy. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was something. My parents smiled, proud that their son had a "real" job. I smiled too, but inside, I felt hollow. Was this what I’d worked for? To be a cog in someone else’s machine?

 

Chapter 6: The Pharmacy Chronicles

Life as a pharmacy sales agent was… interesting. I travelled a lot, met people, and learned things I never wanted to know. Like how a blister pack of tablets costs pennies to make but sells for a small fortune.

One time, I visited a rural clinic, and the doctor there asked me, “Mano, you seem educated. Why are you selling medicines?” I didn’t have an answer. What could I say? That I didn’t choose this life, it chose me? That’s the kind of line that works in movie , not real life.

 

Chapter 7: The Big Question

By 25, I found myself stuck in a loop. Work, eat, sleep, repeat. I had money, sure, but not happiness. My dreams of "making it big" felt further away than ever. One night, a childhood friend asked me, “Who’s the biggest fool in life?” I laughed and said, “Me, obviously!” But he shook his head. “The biggest fool is the one who doesn’t know he’s smart.”

His words haunted me. Maybe I wasn’t the fool I thought I was. Maybe I just needed to stop comparing myself to others and focus on what I truly wanted.

 

Chapter 8: Finding the Meaning

Slowly, I began to change. I started reading books, listening to podcasts, and exploring new ideas. I realized that success isn’t about money or status—it’s about finding purpose. For me, that meant helping others. I started volunteering at local schools, teaching math to kids who couldn’t afford tutors. It wasn’t a big gesture, but it felt right.

 

Chapter 9: The Journey Continues

Now, as I narrate this story, I’m still a work in progress. I’m not rich, not famous, and certainly not perfect. But I’ve learned that life isn’t a straight line. It’s a messy, beautiful, confusing journey.

To the millions of kids like me, dreaming of a better life: keep dreaming. But remember, your worth isn’t defined by your bank account or your job title. It’s defined by the impact you make and the love you give.

 

Epilogue

Life didn’t turn out how I expected, but that’s okay. I’m not a protagonist, a hero, or even a sidekick. I’m just Mano —a boy who believed he was middle-class, only to find out he was something much bigger: human.

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