Where It All Started
My journey with computers didn’t begin in school; it began at home when I was just 5 years old. It was around Late 2008, a time when computers still felt magical. My father said he was bringing home a PC for trading work, and I remember being excited without even knowing why.
When the computer arrived, it felt like a festival. A bulky Samsung CRT monitor, a black-colored CPU, and a keyboard that clicked loudly with every button press. The moment my father switched it on, the CPU made that familiar whirr–tick sound, the monitor flickered awake, and then came the legendary Windows XP startup music. It felt like the universe had opened in our bedroom.
The mouse was one of those classic early-2000s wired mice – slightly heavy, glossy, and extremely satisfying to click. The entire setup sat on a small wooden table. And here is the funny part: till today, neither my father nor I have ever purchased a proper computer chair. We used whatever chair was available – dining chair, plastic chair, stool, sometimes the bed. We sat everywhere except on an actual computer chair.
When the green-hill wallpaper appeared, I felt like I was looking at a secret world. My father used the PC every morning after his pooja, and every evening he let me take over. That simple routine became the start of everything.
Bonding With My Father
My father introduced me to my first games – Road Rash, shooting games, and especially Virtua Cop 2. That game shaped my entire childhood. Whenever his friends visited, they would watch this tiny 5-year-old kid playing with perfect aim and say, “How is he so accurate?” and “This kid is a natural!” My father never bragged; he just smiled. That silent smile meant everything. Those moments of him teaching and me learning became some of the most beautiful memories of my childhood.
Learning, Values & Curiosity
My father became my first teacher. He taught me how to shut down the system, how to load DVDs, how to play movies, and how to start my favourite film, Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama. Watching Ramayana every Sunday became a ritual that shaped my values: discipline, humility, courage, loyalty, and doing the right thing. As my curiosity grew, I clicked every icon, opened every folder, explored every feature. By the age of six, I could operate the full computer on my own.
When My Father Started Learning From Me
Then something beautiful happened. My father, who taught me everything, started asking me how to do things. “How did you open that?” or “Show me again.” That moment – when your first teacher learns from you – stays forever. By the age of six, my dream was already fixed. Whenever someone asked what I wanted to be, I confidently said: “Software Engineer or Computer Engineer.”
I was so obsessed with computers that I sometimes skipped studies. My mom reminded me to be like my Chachu, who was studying engineering. Every evening after college, my Chachu would play Cricket 07, and I would silently stand beside him, watching him, thinking he was the coolest person ever.
The Internet, Inspiration & Growing Up
My first experience with the internet came in 1st Class, when we needed the song “Ek Main Aur Ek Tu” for our annual function so I could practice at home. That year, I performed dance on stage, and I still remember my first dance partner’s name – Dhwani. My mom asked my Chachu to download the song. As he opened the browser, he told me, “The internet has everything. Whatever you need, you’ll find it here.” That single line changed the way I looked at the computer.
Even though I could spend hours on the PC, my father had one strict rule: at 9 PM sharp, I had to sleep. But even in bed, my mind stayed in that glowing XP world, waiting for the next day.
Becoming What I Once Dreamed Of
From a 5-year-old staring at a Windows XP wallpaper to a kid impressing adults with Virtua Cop 2, to someone who learned from his father and later taught him, to fixing my dream at age six – every step shaped me.
And today, I am exactly what that little kid once dreamed of becoming: a 3rd-year B.Tech CSE student at MIT Bangalore, studying the thing that captured my heart before I even knew what it meant.
I manifested this life at a very young age. Every failure, every struggle, every moment – good and bad – brought me exactly where I always imagined myself to be. My entire path leads back to the dream my 5-year-old self created.
When my time comes, I want to leave this world sitting near a computer… because that’s where my father still exists for me.
And even today, whenever I sit at my desk, it never feels like a chair beneath me… it feels like I’m sitting in my father’s lap again.