I got a call for the physical test for the post of PSI a week before the prelim exam of the UPSC. I was not used to exercising; besides, I had lost weight due to the unhealthy food that I ate in Mumbai and Thane.
I could hardly do a couple of push-ups. I could not sprint for the required 800 metres. On the day of the physical test, I went to the police ground at Naygaon. I met with PSI Kamble, who hailed from the neighbouring village. Many a time, he would visit the area near Petit Library in style, riding a Bullet motorcycle and wearing Ray-Ban sunglasses, to meet his friends.
We mingled with his friends, in the hopes that he would offer us tea. He came close to me, patted my back and wished me heartily, saying, "You are lucky, Vishwas. You must emerge victorious today. Such an opportunity comes only once in a lifetime. You too must prove that you are a tiger, like me, from the banks of the Warna River. You are sure to become a police sub-inspector."
I mustered up my courage and strength. Teams of six candidates each had to complete two laps on the 400-metre-long track at full speed. I picked up speed immediately after the whistle was sounded but suffered cramps in my stomach after 200 metres. My speed reduced and I did the second lap walking.
PSI Kamble was cheering me on, but I had no strength left to run. When I stepped out of the track, a frustrated PSI Kambale shook me and rebuked me, saying, "Only a loser would give up this God-sent opportunity." I said, "Sir, if Lady Luck smiles at me, you will be saluting me around this time next year."
He said, "You are free to have unrealistic big dreams. Now go and study instead of wasting your time making empty promises. If you become a big boss, I would not be ashamed to salute a tiger coming from the banks of the Warna."
Tired, I returned to my room. My entire body was aching. Nimat gave me a tablet of Combiflam. I had to revise for the prelim examination. To successfully accomplish this, I had maintained a 500-page register for general studies preparation, with 100 pages allotted to each section.
Whatever I found important, I jotted down in the relevant section of the register. This ensured that I was not just dragging through the track, but carefully picking and plucking the flowers. I had stored these pearls of knowledge in the register, and it was time to realize their worth.
I had also highlighted important sections in the general studies study kit and Tata McGraw Hill. While studying, I started by reading the entire chapter first, though I understood little. During that preliminary reading, I underlined the difficult words, found their meanings in the dictionary, assigned them a number and jotted down the meaning on the margin of the same page.
In the second reading, I lay emphasis on comprehension, underlining the important lines. In the third reading, I wrote down the précis of every paragraph in a line or two in my micro notes. I marked these notes with blue, red or black pencils, depending on the importance of the content.
(Excerpted with permission from Head Held High by Vishwas Nangre Patil, published by Penguin Random House India)