Kolkata18 minutes agoAuthor: Tirthankar Das
Gfx by Gaurav Raj.
Shantanu Safui comes from a financially struggling family, where every step towards education and a better future required sacrifice. His father worked as a daily-wage labourer, while his mother worked in other people’s homes to support the family and ensure that her son could continue his studies.
Poverty never stopped his dreams growing
“I have experienced poverty from very close quarters,” Shantanu says. But instead of allowing his circumstances to define him, he decided at a young age that he wanted to build a different future. While studying in Class VIII, he made up his mind to join the Indian Army and began preparing himself physically.
Karate became part of his preparation
Running and karate soon became an important part of his life. He eventually earned a black belt in karate and represented his district, state, and the international level in competitions. Across these events, he won more than 30 medals, including gold, silver, and bronze.
He decided to fund himself
However, training and competitions were only one part of his struggle. When Shantanu reached Class XI, he became increasingly uncomfortable about taking money from his parents for his expenses. His parents were already doing everything they could to support his education, so he decided that he would bear his own expenses.
₹30 water sales funded studies
He began cycling from one house to another, selling 20 litre water jars for ₹30 each. At the same time, he started teaching children to earn additional money. His days became a demanding routine that began before sunrise.
Every day began before sunrise
At around 4:30 am, Shantanu would head to the field for physical training. After that came selling water, teaching children, attending college and preparing for government job examinations. Every day was a combination of physical exhaustion, financial pressure and the determination to keep moving forward.
His personal life brought another setback
Amid this struggle, Shantanu was also dealing with an emotional setback. He had been in a relationship with a girl since his school days. Initially, everything went well, but when her family came to know about their relationship, they refused to accept it. Shantanu says his parents were also insulted publicly because of the relationship.
He promised to build his future
Despite this, he continued to believe that the relationship could have a future. He had assured his partner that he would establish himself and eventually marry her. But as his responsibilities increased, he struggled to give her enough time.
The relationship ended without warning
One day, she told him that she could no longer continue the relationship. Shantanu initially believed that she might have said it out of anger and did not take it too seriously. A month later, however, he learned that she was in a relationship with someone else.
The revelation broke him emotionally. He says he spent nights crying, unsure of how he would overcome the pain. Yet even during those darkest days, the faces of his parents remained in his mind.
He turned heartbreak into determination
Instead of allowing heartbreak to end his journey, Shantanu turned his pain into determination. He continued preparing for government examinations while dealing with repeated failures and financial difficulties. Day after day, he pushed himself to keep going.
After 1,066 days came success
Then came the moment he had been waiting for. On August 22, 2023, exactly 1,066 days after his breakup, Shantanu was selected as a constable in the Border Security Force (BSF). The young man who had once cycled through neighbourhoods selling water for ₹30 a jar had finally achieved the goal he had been fighting for.
His first appointment letter was handed over to his parents. For Shantanu, that moment carried a significance far beyond getting a job. The same parents who had once faced humiliation because of their son’s relationship were now looking at him with pride.
His journey became a message
His journey has since become a message he wants to share with other young people who may be struggling with failure, heartbreak or financial problems.
“After the breakup, she made a new boyfriend and I made my life,” Shantanu says.
His message to young people remains simple
His message is simple: never give up. He believes difficult situations will come into everyone’s life, but they should not be allowed to decide one’s future. Success may take time, he says, but consistent hard work and faith in oneself can eventually change everything.
From water seller to government employee
Shantanu’s story is therefore not just about a failed relationship or a government job. It is about a young man who started with very little, sold water to pay for his education, trained relentlessly, collected medals in karate, endured heartbreak and repeated failures, and continued fighting until he finally reached his goal.
For him, the journey from selling ₹30 water jars to receiving a Central Government appointment letter is proof that circumstances can delay a dream, but they do not have to destroy it.
