Bijoy was an average student, but he looked at the world with one thought—what has to happen will happen. However, this changed for him one day, and since then, Bijoy has looked at the world with curiosity and wonder.
As a PSIT graduate student, Bijoy had to work as an intern during the summer. He studied at a university away from home, and when it was time to decide where to intern, he chose to return home. The holidays were longer, and he wanted to be close to his family and loved ones.
Bijoy found an internship at a financial services firm, where he was still learning the basics of everything. His job was simple—arrive at work, fill out some forms, and learn the portions his mentor assigned him. Every day felt the same. In the afternoons, his mentor would sit with him and teach him about managing portfolios, finance, and other important concepts.
One afternoon, during one of their sessions, his mentor suddenly asked, “What are your plans for the future, Bijoy?”
Bijoy, without much thought, responded, “Wherever life leads me, sir.”
His mentor paused for a moment before saying, “That philosophy is great, but it won’t take you anywhere.”
Bijoy looked stunned. “But that’s how it has always been for me,” he said, unsure of what else to say.
His mentor smiled but remained firm. “You have to change this way of thinking. It’s good to be open towards life, but you also need a goal. Life will always lead you, but if you have a goal, life will lead you in multiple ways.”
For the first time, someone’s words made Bijoy stop and rethink all his decisions.
That evening, as he walked home, his mentor’s words echoed in his mind. He had always believed that things would just fall into place, that life had its own way of working out. But now, he wondered—what if he was the one who needed to take charge? What if waiting for life to happen wasn’t enough?
The next day at work, he paid even closer attention to everything his mentor taught him. He asked more questions, took more notes, and observed things he had ignored before. His mentor noticed the change and gave him more responsibilities, trusting that Bijoy was ready to learn beyond the basics.
As weeks passed, Bijoy started to see something he had never seen before. His mentor was not just a teacher; he was his yellow—the color in his black-and-white world. In a life where Bijoy had never truly searched for meaning, his mentor had become the light that guided him towards it.
“You were right, sir,” Bijoy said one evening as they wrapped up for the day. “Life may lead us, but if we don’t know where we want to go, we’ll always be lost.”
His mentor simply smiled, seeing the change in him.
Since that day, Bijoy carried his mentor’s words in his heart. He had never taken anyone’s advice so seriously before, but this time was different. This time, it felt like someone had finally given him a reason to think beyond just letting life happen.
A teacher he adored—someone who gave him reasoning, direction, and a new way to see the world.
And from that moment, Bijoy looked at life not just with curiosity, but with purpose.
By Christina K Sangma