When there’s nothing to lose and a point to prove
His parents named him Krishen Kumar, but everyone called him Kishna out of affection. A dropout, Kishna, couldn’t pursue studies beyond primary school because of the family’s financial constraints after his father died in an accident, leaving behind four school-going children.
Kishna, being the youngest in the family, was the cynosure of all eyes. But in poverty even being a cynosure doesn’t help. He had to contend with wearing used clothes, eating frugally and helping his elder brother at a puncture repair shop in the village.
When 14, he moved to the city in search of greener pastures. He came to live with his uncle in our neighbourhood. My father helped him find a job at a hardware store for a meagre salary of Rs 400 a month. His uncle took care of his basic needs so that his salary could be sent to his family in the village.
Unable to make ends meet, he decided to try his luck in a far-off city. Change of city didn’t change his fortune but Kishna didn’t lose heart. He sold vegetables in the streets, supplied milk door to door, worked at a grocery shop but nothing seemed to help until a keen-eyed person spotted his diligence and appointed him at his car garage as a helper.
From thereon, began his journey to uncharted frontiers. He lost no time in learning the nuances of men and machines and soon became the most sought-after employee at the workshop. Kishna had transformed to Krishen Kumar by then. Once, he mastered the art of public dealing, his employer was magnanimous enough to encourage him to venture out and start a business of his own.
Today, Kishna who started off as an inconsequential, semi-literate assistant to a mechanic is an entrepreneur for whom the sky is the limit. His state-ofthe-art workshop, backed by a warehouse stashed with a cache of auto components to repair and refurbish cars of every make and model, is one of the biggest in North India.
A few months ago, on my visit to his plush office, I could perceive the affluence gained by putting in umpteen years of relentless hard work. The man in-charge, Kishna, who has metamorphosed to Krishen Kumar, is now Mr KK for friends and subordinates.
With over 100 employees working for him and a multi-specialty hospital coming up under his aegis, I couldn’t help but ask him the secret of his phenomenal success. “Simple,” he was quick to respond. “Being illiterate helped me succeed.” I was taken aback. He continued, “Don’t be surprised my friend. Had I completed my education I would have been a low-rung employee in a government or a private organisation. Education teaches us to play safe. I, bereft of basic education, had nothing to lose. I had fire in my belly and a point to prove. And, I have proved it.”
Walking out of his cabin, I pondered how many of us are able to harness our limitations and overcome our drawbacks into a stream of unbridled energy to achieve notable success in life.
HE LOST NO TIME IN LEARNING THE NUANCES OF MEN AND MACHINES AND SOON BECAME THE MOST SOUGHT-AFTER EMPLOYEE AT THE WORKSHOP. KISHNA HAD TRANSFORMED TO KRISHEN KUMAR