I have been “competing”, competing for over a decade now. Needless to say, it is tiring. The very first competitive exam that I faced was (to the best of my recollection) for the post of a Dakiya (Postman), back in 2012/13. Countless exams, almost similar number of failures and a few recommendations later I am at crossroads now – whether to hang up my boots or keep fighting. I still am eligible for a handful of exams, UPSC CSE being the most noteworthy. Civil Service, despite being a noble profession, has never been my calling. I have spent close to 12 years in civil service and despite numerous ups and downs, it has largely been constructive and provided a very steep learning curve.