This is my story. Story of a human shaped by curiosity, mistakes, and the discipline to grow.

I wasn’t a popular kid in school. I didn’t enjoy memorizing answers or chasing grades for their own sake. What did excite me was learning, especially when it involved understanding how things worked, sketching ideas, or solving problems visually. I was curious and creative, even if I didn’t yet know where that curiosity belonged.

I didn’t have a clear career goal early on. But I did have a clear desire, I wanted a better life than the one I was born into. Stability mattered. Opportunity mattered. I was drawn to moments where I felt visible and accomplished, but I hadn’t yet learned the difference between short-term recognition and long-term progress.

By the time I finished junior college, that gap showed. I had barely passed a few subjects, and my parents were understandably anxious. Coming from a humble background, risk wasn’t a luxury we could afford. When I said I wanted to pursue design, it felt uncertain, especially to my father. Design school fees were close to my dad’s annual income, and the safer path was obvious.

It was my mother who took the leap of faith.

She used her savings to help me pursue design, believing that if I had conviction, I would eventually find my footing. At the time, I didn’t fully grasp the weight of that decision. I had grown up comfortable enough to believe things would somehow work out. That comfort dulled my urgency.

In design school, I explored freely but without enough discipline. I was more focused on standing out than on truly improving. I learned later that talent without effort doesn’t compound. I missed chances to build stronger fundamentals, and I paid for that immaturity early in my career.

That realization didn’t arrive all at once. It arrived slowly through mistakes, missed expectations, and moments where I wasn’t as accountable as I should have been.

My first full-time role was a turning point. I joined a Big 4 consulting firm, earning far less than I could have elsewhere, but gaining something more important, credibility. For my parents, this meant stability. For me, it was proof that I could earn my place in a demanding environment.

Still, I had bigger ambitions. I wanted global exposure. I wanted to test myself outside what was familiar. After a year of work, I decided to pursue a master’s degree in the U.S. another major investment by my family, and another opportunity I knew I couldn’t waste forever.

That phase of my life came with both growth and missteps. I built lifelong friendships, learned to navigate independence, and experienced cultures that reshaped how I saw myself. At the same time, I delayed responsibility longer than I should have. I was still learning how to balance freedom with focus.

Graduation was followed by one of the hardest periods of my life.

Unemployed, applying daily, living with relatives, and facing rejection after rejection, it stripped away the illusion that effort could be postponed indefinitely. Those months forced me to sit with discomfort, self-doubt, and the consequences of earlier choices.

What changed me wasn’t fear alone, it was responsibility.

I found purpose in being accountable to people beyond myself. That shift pushed me to work harder, show up consistently, and take ownership of outcomes. I secured a role in San Francisco and, for the first time, fully committed to the work in front of me.

At a wellness-focused company, I grew rapidly. I earned trust, led meaningful initiatives, and contributed to work that resulted in patented inventions. I learned how to collaborate deeply with engineers, product leaders, and stakeholders. More importantly, I learned how sustained effort compounds, quietly but powerfully.

Not everything worked out. The company eventually shut down. Relationships changed. External circumstances shifted. But this time, I didn’t drift.

I stayed focused, found my next role quickly, and kept moving forward, even while navigating visa constraints and family responsibilities across continents. Eventually, I made a deliberate decision to return to Mumbai in December 2025.

Coming home wasn’t a step back. It was a reset.

Distance gave me clarity. I finally understood that ambition without structure leads to cycles—and that long-term success is built on consistency, accountability, and respect for the opportunities you’re given.

Since then, I’ve spent time reflecting, not just on my career, but on who I am as a professional. I realized my challenges were never about capability. They were about maturity, discipline, and learning to carry responsibility without external pressure.

Today, I operate differently.

I take ownership. I follow through. I value trust as much as craft. I think long-term. I understand the impact design decisions have, not just on users, but on teams, businesses, and systems.

I’m no longer chasing moments where I stand out. I’m focused on building work that lasts.

This story isn’t about perfection. It’s about growth. It’s about learning sometimes slowly, sometimes painfully and choosing to show up better each time.

And now, I’m ready .. I do have doubts but I am confident.