CA R Thanammai - When there is no wind, row !

The significant theme of my life has to be that I am a Chartered Accountant, a qualification I am eternally thankful to God for. My life is pretty similar to most of you who may be from non metros.  It is only that my life has had some strange twists and turns with an ending that is reasonably comfortable now.  I was born and brought up in Suchindrum (a small village in kanyakumari District) and my father worked in the temple having a monthly Income of Rs.150/- which he used to feed our 5 member family. Our family is typically what one would describe as below poverty line and my school studies went on in a Government school

 I was the school topper with no means to study further.  I had to adopt every trick in the book from hunger strikes not to mention the copious tears to get to a college.  And graduate, I did with 80% marks in Bcom and the benefit of a Merit scholarship. My brother Joined in Indian Army and with his support I reached Chennai to pursue CA. But before completion of my CA Article ship, I was compelled to marry a groom employed in the Navy. 

I did not like the idea of being married because it spoilt my education and I fought like a cat with my husband at every possible opportunity.  He bore it all patiently and won my heart over. Soon, we had a baby daughter and Education’s loss was a personal gain for I believed I had the best husband in the world.  I was in a state of domestic bliss with a second son and a strong 7 year marriage

Fate dealt a cruel blow and my husband met with an accident unexpectedly and left me alone with 2 kids aged 2 and 4. I was depressed and my future looked bleak if not non existent. My professional life as well as my personal Life were both half way at sea.

God showed me the way and I was now determined to completed the CA course.  If not for my sake, for the sake of my childrens future.  I did not have the money to support my kids and both my parents and in laws were not able to either.  As a one group Inter CA pass, I joined in  Muthoot Fincorp Ltd in Nagercoil for a monthly salary of Rs.2000/-and worked for 5 years and saved a lakh and with that amount i came to chennai leaving my kids with my mother. God was witth me and I completed 2nd group of CA Inter as well.  The days were terrible as I stayed in a Hostel alone and had left my children behind.  A life, that I would not wish for anyone.

Life offers solace as much as it offers problems.  I was blessed with a fine mentor a certain Mr.R K Nair who was a chartered Accountant and the GM of Muthoot Fincorp Ltd. He only motivated me to continue my studies and always told me that he believed that I could conquer the whole world and not just a CA course.

In the 12 years that had passed between my articles and the exams, the course had undergone a drastic change.  I remember attending Accounts classes and would be in tears as I would not even understand a word.  I remember crying all the way for a 5 km stretch from my classroom to the hostel.  I studied all day and night and was thrilled that I cleared the final first group in the first attempt itself ( after a 12 year break ). The result restored my confidence but group two eluded me with three attempts. 

The days from 2000 to 2007 were one of hunger and self pity.  My first and my only job to date has been with leading private bank where I am a Senior Manager, and in the last 6.5 years I have managed to pick a property, a car and save some money as well.  Presently my daughter is doing CA/CPA and my son is doing B Com 1st year.

I am eternally thankful to Shri M P Vijayakumar, Shri N R Govindarajan, Shri G Sekar and Shri Sivakumar who I hope are reading this blog somewhere.   I see a lot of young kids complaining about failures and I have only one piece of advice for them.  When there is no wind , please row and there is a God guiding your boat and your oars.  Tough times do not last, tough people do ! 

For any one in need, am always there to lend a shoulder.

CA Thanammai R