Pijush Kanti and (right) Abhishek. Pictures by Tamaghna Banerjee

One grew up in a remote village, the other in a city. One had always dreamt of becoming a doctor, the other wanted to play with tech tools. There is one thing common between the two teens — their resolve to fight the odds. Metro meets two star performers.

Pijush Kanti Nandi

Son of a farmer from Nalbani village, in Bankura, he can hardly remember the days when he had the luxury of two square meals. But Pijush Kanti Nandi did not let poverty deter him from dreaming and working towards his goal of studying to be a doctor.

Ranked fifth in this year’s JEE medical merit list, the 17-year-old is a first-generation learner from his family and only the third to have gone beyond Madhyamik. Brother Mrinal Kanti and sister Debomita are studying for their graduation in local colleges.

“My parents could not afford any tutors, but I received help from my uncle and the school where I studied for free,” said Pijush, who was Arambagh High School’s best student with a score of 449 in Higher Secondary.

Pijush’s father, Madhusudan Nandi, owns just one-and-a-half bigha of land and earns Rs 1,500 per month. An unlettered man, he once depended on neighbours to read out newspapers or letters to him. It was then that he vowed to educate his children even at the cost of going hungry.

“I made a pledge that whatever happens, I would not let my children suffer the agony of being illiterate people,” Nandi said.

From a two-roomed mud house and a childhood spent on rationed food, Pijush now dreams of a degree from one of the best medical institutions in Bengal and a career that will help him earn enough to support his family.

“I remember my parents starving all night after feeding us with the limited food they had. I was determined to rise above poverty,” said Pijush, who wants to return to his village once he establishes himself as a doctor and improve the state of healthcare there.

Abhishek Biswas

Regular discussions at home on how to pay off debts would frustrate Abhishek, who grew up seeing his father struggle to run the family of four.

“My father still has loans to repay and I will have to get a job as soon as possible to help him out,” said Abhishek Biswas in his moment of glory on Thursday.

The boy took a step closer to his dream after securing the eighth rank in JEE (engineering).

His father, Satyabrata Biswas, could not study beyond Class XI because he had to support his family and is living his unfulfilled dream through his son.

“I had to bow to the needs of my family, but I have made sure my two sons will never have to. I will spend every penny that I can save on their education,” said Biswas, who once used to drive a taxi but now owns four of them.

He still doesn’t earn a lot but makes sure his sons are not denied whatever they need for a good education.