A security guard who dreams of becoming a police officer

THE LIVES YOU DON'T KNOW

I am Ram (20) from Ballia in Bihar; I have been living in Bangalore with m y 60-year-old mother Nina Bai for the past year. I work as a security guard in an apartment society, and I have been provided with a room to stay. I work from night 10 pm to 8 am for one month and the next month, I do the daytime duty. My friend Shambu is the head guard and lives in the next room with his family, informed Ram to Vasudha Zora I NT.

As a security guard my work involves taking down details of anyone entering the society, notifying flat owners about their packages and food deliveries, helping residents park their vehicles, guard the apartments and manage the inflow of visitors. I also keep regular tab on the garbage collectors and apartment cleaners by making notes.

I am also training under Shambu for disaster management skills to help serve the apartment members better. On days that are free, I earn extra money by washing the cars of residents; I also run errands for some of them, Ram informed NT.

Due to my mother’s prolonged illness, she is not fit to work anymore. So we survive on my salary which comes to around Rs. 13,000 with the bonus included. We moved to Bangalore when covid threat was diminishing, our village Ballia has very few job opportunities and is notorious for politics.

Hence we decided to come down south to try our luck. My father died when I was seven years old and I have taken his place since then and helped out my mother by doing odd jobs, narrated Ram.

I have studied till standard VIIIth; I had to quit school due to lack of financial means, triggered by the demise of my father. I spent my childhood living in tents, some days we would run out of money which meant no food. I am glad we relocated, I am much at peace, said an emotional Ram. .

My mother is diagnosed with a heart disease which does not allow her to work as efficiently as she used to. So she cooks our meals and together with me, manages the household work. I dream of becoming a police officer someday and would like to get back to studying.

One of the residents in the apartment is a school teacher, she helps me read and write on the weekends as my workload is comparatively less on those days, said a positively charged Ram. I like to watch crime films and my favorite artist is Arijit Singh. I have watched many south Indian films and really enjoyed them, Ram concluded.

(As told to Vasudha Zora)