Slice Of Life: ‘I will give my son the freedom to choose’

M y native is Nagercoil. I finished diploma and came to Chennai in 2011. I have a sister. My father was an alcoholic and passed away when I was a kid. After that my mother struggled to run the family. I did my schooling while staying at a hostel and later finished my diploma from a private college. After that, I started to work for a private firm in Tambaram Madras Export Processing Zone (MEPZ). As the job did not make me happy, I quit within a year. Later I started working at a burger shop in Perungalathur and have been working there for the past seven years. I like the work here and it also allowed me to save money for my sister’s marriage four years ago. I got married after which we were blessed with a baby boy. Apart from my job, I play drums. I used to use pillows and wooden sticks and pretend that I am playing drums when I was a kid. I did not lose interest in it even after I started college. I used to admire boys playing drums in church. Now, I have started a band with cousins and we have a YouTube channel, too. The happiness and excitement I get when I sit in front of the instrument are inexplicable. I go online to learn something new every day. I am also practicing to rap. My dream is to perform for thousands one day. I want to follow my passion. Similarly, I would not force my son to study something she doesn’t have interest in. I would give him the freedom to choose his life path and would also support him as much as I can.