You can do it, keshav...

 

You know, writing and speaking are interconnected. If you can write well, with a little practice, you can eventually speak well too. Talking about myself, I wasn’t good at either of these. It doesn’t mean I am perfect now, but in Class 6, I was pathetic. Despite that, I always wanted to speak on stage in front of a large gathering—and you know what? My mother wanted it even more than me.

While I was preparing for Sainik School, she had a habit of scrolling through the websites of various Sainik Schools, sometimes even watching YouTube videos about them. I still don’t know what happiness she found in doing it, and I never asked her. One day, while browsing through one of the websites, she came across a video of a Sainik School cadet giving a speech. She watched the whole video, and after it ended, she looked at me and asked, “Can you speak like him?”

As a student of Class 5, what could I say? With full confidence, I replied, “Yes, of course, I will speak even better than him!” She smiled. From that moment, I had this thought in my mind: if I ever got a chance to speak on stage, I would grab it and give it my best.

Two months passed. We went on vacation, enjoyed our 50 days, and then, unwillingly, returned to school. Everything was going smoothly. Yes, I was a little homesick after the vacation, but my friends were there, so it wasn’t too difficult. We were given a day off to arrange our things and get ready for classes. During this, we came to know about our new Vice Principal, Lt. Col. D.S. Mahlawat. However, I wasn’t too interested in knowing more about him—I was more concerned about improving my speaking skills.

With this thought, I dressed up and went for my evening prep. But something unexpected happened. I was very tired, and after an hour of trying to study, my head involuntarily dropped, and I dozed off. To my bad luck, our new Vice Principal entered the room. He wasn’t that kind to let a student sleep in class.

He came directly to my seat, stood by my left side, and said, “You seem to be very tired, gentlemen. If you want to sleep, go to the dormitory.” I instantly woke up. Confused, I first looked to my right. Then came the voice again, “I am here!” In a hurry, I stood up and wished him. I didn’t know he was the new Vice Principal because I only knew his name.

Then came his second question: “Are your classmates fools?” It was a tough question. I replied, “No, sir.”

“Then why the hell are you sleeping while they are studying?” Another tough one. But with full confidence, I said, “Sir, they are studying because they haven’t completed their work. I have finished mine—you can check if you wish.” While praying that he wouldn’t ask for my copy (because I hadn’t even written my name on it), I stood there nervously. Thankfully, he didn’t ask for it and said, “You all must learn to complete your work prior, like him.”

After some more discussion, I realized he was our new Vice Principal. As he was leaving, he asked the class if there were any questions. My hand shot up without consulting my brain. He asked, “What is the doubt?”

In a low voice, I asked, “Sir, how can we improve our fluency in English speaking?”

He smiled and replied, “By thinking in English.” That line stayed with me for the years to come.

The future came sooner than I expected. An inter-house English debate competition was announced. I didn’t even know what a debate was, but as usual, I raised my hand. Out of 16 of my housemates, four of us volunteered. I was very excited about the event, not knowing what it involved.

Then came the content: three full pages. All my motivation disappeared. I wondered how I could ever memorize three pages without gaps—and that too in English! But there was no going back. I tried my best and managed to remember four paragraphs, mushkil se.

Two days before the competition, after dinner, we had a practice session. This was special because everyone—from Class 6 to 12—was standing there to listen to the participants. I was very nervous. The first candidate from Class 11 spoke confidently, followed by the second and third—all of them spoke exceptionally well. Then my classmate went and performed even better than some seniors.

Finally, it was my turn—the moment I dreaded. With zero confidence and a lot of nervousness, I walked to the center. Everyone was looking at me. That visual is indescribable. Somehow, I started speaking. After finishing a paragraph, I went completely blank. I couldn’t remember a single word from the three-page content.

I stared at my shoes as silence filled the place. Everyone was waiting for me to start again. Then I heard a voice: “Keshav...”

I looked up. It was our house prefect, Anshu Sir. He called me over. Expecting punishment, I walked to him. But something unbelievable happened. He told me, “You spoke very well. If you continue like this, forget the house—you’ll be the best speaker in the school.”

The entire house clapped for me as if I had delivered the best speech. As a Class 6 student, this was an unforgettable moment. From then on, I never looked back. Starting with Saturday class speeches to eventually winning first place in the English debate, it all became possible because of the motivation I received from my prefect and my housemates.

I am grateful to all of them for guiding me, motivating me, and making me realize that winning isn’t always important—what matters is giving your best.

Thank you...