Which religion and caste are you from?
I am a Hindu, and by caste, a Kayastha.
Are you married? Do you have any children?
No, I am not married, nor do I have any children.
Where are you from? For how long have you been living in Delhi?
Basically, I am from Banaras – Varanasi. It is a town in eastern UP. And I have been in Delhi for the last nine years. I live in Delhi, alone, in a rented room.
Did you get a job when came to Delhi?
Yes, but I worked for myself. I am self-employed. I am a personal [test-prep] trainer and I train those who are preparing for the civil services.
How long have you been doing this work?
Nine years.
The money you get from this job, is it sufficient or not?
More than enough.
So, have you been able to send some money to your family?
Sometimes. Whenever needed. Not always.
Had you ever done this kind of job before this one? In the beginning, when you started nine years earlier?
No, earlier I was a civil services aspirant myself. And I was not selected, only then I started it.
And what did you do before you were in this job?
My [training company] prepares people for the civil services by giving them training. What else can I say?
In which subjects?
One of them is the General Studies, the second – the Optional subjects and the third one is the essay paper. There are three tiers in it. The first one is called the ‘prelims.’ The prelims are objective. The second tier is ‘subjective,’ and the third tier is the ‘interview.’ Each one requires a different kind of preparation, which we make them do.
When you do all these things what goes on in your mind?
Honestly speaking, two things come to my mind. First of all, money must come. And secondly, I should be able to contribute something to society. This is my way of contributing. In [this neighborhood] many students come from the weaker sections of eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. They cannot spend much on their studies. I teach them at my place. If they are talented, honest and have integrity inside, when they come to the system, they can contribute at least something to society. It is my contribution for the country and society.
In your opinion, what would be a good job for you? What would you like to do? That is, if you were to leave this job?
I would like to be a writer. I wrote my first story when I was nine years old. Later on, while preparing for the civil services, it was all left behind.
Were any of your stories ever published?
When I was studying in class nine a story of mine was published in Sarita – probably that magazine is still being published. I remember even today, my story being printed in Sarita. And for that reason, and both my mother and father being science teachers, with me as the only son of these parents, I got a severe beating. My mother beat me a lot. How could their son indulge in something like story writing? So, that was the end of my story writing. But now she promotes it herself and asks me to write.
How do you like the Delhi life?
Life in Delhi is a little bit hectic, and since we are people from smaller towns, it took me 3-4 years to get adjusted to the Delhi atmosphere. But by and by, I have molded myself into the attitude of this place.
If you ever get an opportunity to go back, will you go back to Banaras?
Yes. It is my dream town. I love going there and I go there very frequently. That is my motherland. I was brought up there, and that’s where I grew up.
In your opinion, why do so many people from all over the country come to Delhi?
The foremost thing is that it is a political center. Secondly, the health facilities are the best here. Other than this, you can choose to go to Chennai in the south. In the north of India, nowhere else can you get better facilities than Delhi. The other thing is the job opportunities. All these things attract everyone towards Delhi. And, it is a beautiful city.