This article has been submitted by Komal Khare for the CLATGyan Blog Post Writing Competition. If you think this article is a good read, ‘Like’ this article on Facebook (the button is at the bottom of this piece) or post a comment using the ‘comments’ section below.

The bomb has been dropped. The ultimate punch line delivered. I am staring defiantly forward, my breath coming in breathless gasps, as I wait for the disapproving ‘tch-tch’ to come to the fore. Only my Mom nods encouragingly toward me.

“Law? You want to pursue law?” Uncle asks.

“Yeah”, I affirm, still not meeting anyone’s eyes.

“But you can’t do that. It’s not for you.” he says, condescendingly.

My blood boils. Now, that is rich coming from someone who doesn’t know me enough to tell that I don’t give a hoot about what he says.

“I’ll manage.” I grit out a reply.

“But beta, what’s the reason for this mood swing? I thought you were perfectly happy pursuing engineering.” Aunt butts in.

No, I wasn’t. You assumed that on your own because you never cared to know what I wanted to do.

“I was….once. But now, Math and Chemistry doesn’t interest me.” I reply.

Uncle and Aunt exchange a look.

Ah, that look. God, how I hate it. You know the look people exchange when you tell them that you’re ditching engineering. That look which is loaded with over-the-top sympathy and insulting smugness at the idea that you are opting for law because you are too stupid/lazy to crack IIT-JEE.

I take a few breaths. Calm down!

“Oh well, we can discuss this later.” Aunt suggests.

“Sure”. And I bolt out of the room.

Damn the hypocrites. Just because I like English better than Math/Physics/Chemistry doesn’t mean that I am stupid. I knew if I had opted for Medicine, I would have been praised. I knew that even if I wouldn’t make it into top 1000s in JEE, I would be extolled relentlessly. Oh no, but that is much more preferable than CLAT. What is with IIT anyway? It’s not the Be-All-And-End-All. There is a world, much better, than Trigonometric functions and integration.  Why it is that everyone classifies 11^th/12^th graders into to-be-IITians and Anything Else?

I have my own dreams and aspirations. My own goals. Should I waste the precious years of my life to live your dreams? No, sir. Not at all.

And the most grating and aggravating thing is that we live in it. In the stifling conventions of the society. In the narrow-mindedness. It’s suffocating. The norms are clear- Crack JEE with any godforsaken rank. Get into IIT. If you follow this path, then you are brilliant. And anything else, it’s a time waste. A whim. Not at all worth it.

I’ve had enough. I’m done. With following every rule. With living up to everyone else’s expectations.

I’ll get into a NLU and show them it’s worth it. Anyway, it’s much better than pouring 4 years into a career I don’t get at all. Yes, much better.

Because, after all, as Bon Jovi puts it-

It’s My Life. It’s now or never.

I Ain’t Gonna Live Forever.

I Just Wanna Live While I’m Alive.

It’s My Life.

Ed: We all know that feeling. Whenever anyone asks me where I study these days, I bring out my most polished accent and begin “I’m at the National Academy of Legal Studies and Research, Hyderabad.” The long and impressive-sounding name usually keeps derision at bay.