This small town boy took to selling balloons to buy guides and study for his SSC exams. This determination and spirit have helped him bring alive his big dreams, and become an international author. Roshan Bhondekar , 29, published his debut novel ‘Love — The Key to Optimism’ last year, and the book can now be purchased in over a 100 countries.Born and brought up in Tumsar (Bhandara), Bhondekar’s struggle started right from getting basic education. “My father was a librarian and would earn Rs2,000 a month. We were among the families that struggle to get two meals a day,” he recalls.Things were still manageable until a major financial crisis hit the family in 1999. “I was in Standard IX and was preparing for my board exams. Forget coaching classes, I couldn’t even afford to buy guides and reference books. Sensing that my academic future was at stake, I decided to go out on the streets and start selling balloons,” says Roshan While other kids of his neighbourhood would be busy celebrating Diwali, Pola and Ganesh Chaturthi, Roshan would make use of the school holidays and sell balloons to earn money. “I would make around Rs100-150 a day. I did this for a year or two, till I had enough money to buy my guides,” says Roshan.He went on to do a course in polytechnic followed by a Bachelor of Engineering from Government College of Engineering, Karad. “By then, I had found ways to support my education. My biggest achievement was to finally become an engineer.”After working as a software engineer for three years, Roshan enhanced his academic profile by taking up programmes like Entrepreneurship and Designing in Projects from IIT Kanpur in 2010, and project management classroom programme for IIM, Ahmedabad, in 2012. It was then that the seeds of his dream project, the book, were sowed in Roshan’s mind.Everyone faces insecurities and other challenges. Roshan did too. But he wanted to redefine it, and encourage youngsters to understand their hidden potential. “The book talks about the worth of family and friends, and striking a balance between work and life,” he says.The book has managed to get positive response from readers, including 4-5 star ratings, and has created a buzz on social media. “It’s incredible how Roshan has assimilated all the facts, figures & experiences! The manner in which the chapters run through explaining the concepts is really commendable,” commented Virendra G on an online shopping site.“This is an excellent read to help anyone learn to mix their professional and personal lives and achieve your goals. I'm going to have my son, who's getting ready to leave the nest and head out on his own, read this book,” wrote another user posting under the name GreenWillowHerbals.Having seen extreme hardship, Roshan, who is now working on a movie script, has been donating 50% of the royalty from the book for the primary school education of rural and orphaned children. “Till now, I have donated Rs25,000 and will continue doing so,” he adds.

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