An ambition

Fifteen years ago, in school, I remember the teacher asking us all what we wanted to be when we grew up (in a rather unconventional way that involved paper cutouts of teddy bears and a lot of glue). I had not a second thought before designing a state-of-the-art spacesuit for my intrepid bear complete with a jetpack, a laser rifle and a stylish navy-blue finish. I remember the teacher was quite impressed. Two years later, when I had visited my relatives for a vacation, they all asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I maintained that an astronaut was the only profession good enough for me. Why? The fame and the adventure of course dummy...( what a silly question!) But even way back then, when I was still six, I recollect a few sour and condescending faces in the crowd, like they were saying "let the young boy dream, its harmless". Their reactions got onto my nerves and propelled me to read up all that I could on outer space, and by the time I was seven-and-a-half, I was the official class expert on the cosmos, frequently correcting even the teacher. Around this time, I also earned the tag of being a geek, but I was okay with that so long as it helped me in my dream. When I was nine, I returned to India, to a relatively backward place called Trichy. In the first day of school there, the teacher asked all the students (guess?) what they wanted to be. Nearly half the class said doctor, around the same number said engineer, one guy said lawyer, and I said astronaut.
I remember the teacher glaring at me and me sitting baffled, wondering what I did wrong. When I replied the same way to the same question posed by my relatives, I recieved a few more glares and a rebuke from one old aunt saying "you are too old for childish fantasies". I went home to my room and cried and cried. That day, I swore not to reveal my true ambition to anybody again. And also that day forth, I resolved never to cry. Two years later, I again shifted school, this time to a much bigger city. On the first day, the class teacher asked the very same question. This time, true to form, I replied engineer in a class where exactly half said engineer and the entire other half said doctor. I was accepted into the loop and not accused of being a wierdo, so i had accomplished my goals. I had even attended coaching classes for the IIT entrance. But the only topic that stirred my soul was still astronomy. Once I interrupted the teacher during a class on astrophysics and corrected her, only to recieve the all-too-familiar glare. I resolved never to point out mistakes again, and redirected my concentration to the IIT entrance exam. After two years of sweat and blood, six hours of frayed nerves and one month of not having nails left to chew I recieved a letter saying that I was accepted into the IIT. I remember the jubilation of my parents, friends and relatives. They all congratulated me on achieving my dream. I went to my room. I cried