It was a chaotic, sunny afternoon. Ahmedabad-based Smit Panchal stood atop a building at a construction site, his fingers clenched tightly around a rope as he lifted heavy iron beams. What brought Smit there was his father’s deteriorating health.

His father, Hasmukh Panchal, a blacksmith by profession, had long been the lifeblood of this labourious work, despite the toll it took on his body. His health had been precarious since undergoing surgery in 2011, after which he was strictly advised to avoid lifting heavy weights. Yet, the necessity of providing for his family kept him trapped in the cycle of manual labour – a sight that pained Smit more than any academic setback.

“It was extremely difficult for me to watch my pappa (father) struggle with menial tasks. He would battle burning sensations and couldn’t sleep without pills. But I never saw him complain. He would endure every pain with a smile,” Smit shares in a heartfelt conversation with The Better India.

To ease some of his father’s burdens, Smit would accompany him to the construction site, assisting with major lifting tasks. “Pappa, don’t worry, I will do it now,” he would reassure him, as they pulled and fitted massive iron structures, weighing 100-500 kilograms, onto towering buildings.

The labour was not just physically taxing but emotionally wrenching. Yet, Smit was motivated by his desire to help his father avoid kaali majduri (menial labour) due to his health condition.

With the echoes of hammers and the clanking of metal as his daily soundtrack, Smit was inspired by his cousin’s advice to prepare for the UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) Civil Services Examination. Amidst the dust and noise, he made a quiet vow: if he didn’t succeed in his UPSC pursuits, he would continue the gruelling work of construction labour himself and ensure that his father........

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