He worked as a wall painter, delivery boy and waiter. How he cracked a government job

People used to mock Abin Gopi, saying he too would reach “great heights”—because his father climbed coconut trees for a living. But what others meant as a joke one day became a prophecy, but not in the way they imagined. From painting walls and waiting tables to delivering parcels and studying on his bike, Abin’s journey wasn’t paved with shortcuts. It was built on sheer grit, sleepless nights, and a dream he refused to give up on.

Abin’s father died

In 2012, Abin’s world shattered when his father passed away unexpectedly while working. At just 17, he suddenly found himself responsible for his mother and younger brother. “We weren’t well off, but I knew I had no choice—I had to go on,” Abin recalls in an interview with the Humans of Bombay.


He completed school while juggling multiple jobs. In the next few years, Abin became a wall painter, a delivery boy, a shopkeeper, and even a restaurant worker—doing whatever it took to keep the family afloat. In 2015, he tried pursuing a college degree, but the demands of work and studies collided. “I dropped out. But the thought never left me—I wanted to secure my future.”

The dream of a government job

It was in 2019 that an uncle casually suggested preparing for the Public Service Commission (PSC) exams. His mother encouraged him too, saying, “It’ll be good to have a government job, Abin.” So he made a bold decision—he quit all work and committed himself to studying full-time. His classroom? The seat of his motorbike. His notebooks? Spare sheets picked from hotel counters. People laughed and mocked. But Abin didn’t flinch. He was studying 15 hours a day, focused on nothing but the goal.

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From mockery to merit

Two years of hard work paid off. In 2021, Abin cleared all 11 PSC papers—and that too with impressive ranks. “Amma had tears in her eyes,” he says. “That day, all the pain, all the years of being underestimated—it felt worth it.” He was appointed to the revenue department under the deputy collector. When he signed in on his first day as a government employee, he says he had to pinch himself to believe it was real. There are no shortcuts to success. Though he was mocked for dreaming big, those taunts eventually became his fuel. And in the end, he did reach great heights—not the kind people joked about, but the kind built on determination and hard work.

With his very first salary, Abin took his mother and brother shopping and got them sarees and a shirt respectively. “Their smiles… I’ll never forget them”, said Abin. Now 27, Abin reflects on his story with pride and humility: there are no shortcuts to success. Though he was mocked for dreaming big, those taunts eventually became his fuel. And in the end, he did reach great heights—not the kind people joked about, but the kind built on determination and hard work.