All for the best

An academic disaster turned opportunity led Rajeev Hallur to understand the jigsaw puzzle of life, initially incomprehensible to most of us

- Rajeev Hallur

I vividly remember that day-June 18, 2018. It was gloomy outside with dark monsoon setting sun offered. We were eagerly waiting for IISER to announce their final admissions list, refreshing the page almost every second. It did appear finally after what seemed like an endless wait. But alas, our daughter Shivani didn't make it to the list! Her dreams of becoming an astrophysicist lay shattered. Shell-shocked, all of us were desperately trying to cope: my wife was crying and I was hoping that there was some mistake somewhere.

An academic dreamer

As long as I can remember, Shivani always wanted to be a physicist; I don't recall her mentioning any other career options. I wondered how someone could be so clear in their thinking and make a career choice so early in life. It was at an extended family function we attended that Shivani, all of eleven years, announced that she would pursue her doctorate in physics. Shivani is no ordinary girl. She is academically brilliant, has a refined taste in music with a lovely voice, and is a passionate artist fond of creating intricate patterns. A superstar in her own right, she has been crazy from early childhood about celestial objects, stars, planets, and constellations. She never missed an opportunity to stargaze. It was our job every Saturday to drive her to IUCAA** to attend seminars on astrophysics. She would beg her teacher to allow her to represent her school week after week. We would roam around the beautiful Pune University campus while our daughter attended those seminars. She was one of the youngest participants and invariably the one who asked the most questions.

A faulty coaching methodology