Wings Above the Clouds
Deep in the heart of Bangalore, where towering technology parks and busy traffic reigned supreme, there lived a 17-year-old boy named Selvakumar. The son of a security guard and a domestic worker, Selva was a reticent boy with a sky full of hopes and aspirations. His heart belonged to the stars, and he wanted to become an aerospace engineer.
After his night tuition, Selva regularly stood by the HAL airport fence drawing planes, hypnotised by the way they took to the skies above storms. But life was not without turbulence — school expenses, second-hand books, and family members always telling him to be "realistic."
One day, after failing a physics test, Selva slumped on a bench near his father’s guard post. He didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to.
His father, tired but always observant, didn’t give a lecture. Instead, he silently pulled out an old, laminated poster from his small cabin wall and handed it to Selva.
It was a quote by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam:
"All birds find shelter during a rain. But the eagle avoids the rain by flying above the clouds. Problems are common, but attitude makes the difference!"
Selva stared at it. Something shifted in him.
That night, he didn’t cry. He opened his old laptop and began searching for open-source drone software. The next morning, he visited the aerospace museum and spent hours taking notes. He joined a free coding workshop, sent emails to scientists, and turned every roadblock into a stepping stone.
Years went by. Selva created a drone which received national acclaim for its pioneering use in disaster relief. His story was featured in local newspapers, and before long, a prestigious aerospace institute offered him a scholarship.
At a press conference, when asked how he made it despite all odds, Selva held up the same Abdul Kalam quote, now worn at the edges but preserved like scripture.
“I didn't escape the storm,” he said, smiling. “I just learned to fly above it.”
Moral:
True success is not about avoiding difficulties, but about rising higher in their presence — with faith, focus, and fearless attitude.
