Born and raised in a village, Ved could easily sense the chasm between his new-fangled life at the city and childhood days spent back home. At one side, he was enthralled by the city culture, its magnificent buildings and skyscrapers, the other side, he felt low while comparing himself with his school peers.

Although newness of the city life had an irresistible charm; Ved was not able to lose and find himself in the rhythm of urban novelty.

He wore tailor-made clothes; his classmates attired in branded dresses.

His food comprised of rice and lentils while his comrades ate fancy dishes-Pasta, bread butter etc.

His proficiency in Hindi was exceptional unlike his new school friends but he lacked competence in the English language.

“Do I fit in the mould?”

Ved found himself addled by the myriad of thoughts hanging in his head. His self-esteem was stricken hard. Although he knew that materialistic things did not matter and being a hardworking student, he could study diligently and master the lingua franca, yet he started feeling worthless.

His life had turned topsy turvy. Being a bright student, he fared well in all the subjects but owing to his lack of conviction, he failed to give his best to the English exam. His English teacher did know that Ved lacked self-confidence and she only had to bolster his confidence to make him start believing in his capabilities.

When the exam result came out, Ved had scored well in the papers and had scored average marks in the English section. The teacher applauded him for showing swift improvement in his english language skills and the entire class clapped and cheered for him. This ended the vicious cycle of low self esteem and Ved became a confident student.

Now, he was no more a diffident guy. He understood that with hard work and perseverance, anything can be achieved.

“Believe you can and you’re halfway there!”- By Theodore Roosevelt