The couple Nalla Perumal and Neela Pillai have one son and two daughters. This is the story of Thanammai, the youngest one, who has risen to be the Assistant Vice President of India’s leading private sector bank. Her children are well placed in MNC’s, and her daughter is, in fact, pursuing her American-CPA.

Let us allow Thanammai Ramachandran to narrate her extraordinary tale of grit, guts, and gumption; of depravity, despair, and then delight. During my school days, I spent a lot of time at the Thanumalayan temple, watching pilgrims drop in. It gave me an insight into our poverty and developed a deep sense of belief in God. I told myself that education was the only way to come out of penury. We belonged to the forward caste, and hence there was no reservation from the government.

Although I did not score high marks in school, I was the class topper and would spend more time with my teachers than with friends. My brother, Subramonia Pillai, joined the Indian Army in 1987. That year, Goa got elevated as India’s 25th state. I was then 17 years old, was studying Class 12, and harbored dreams of higher education. My mother wanted me to get married, arguing that the more I studied, the more difficult it would be to get an educated bridegroom. My father was an alcoholic and did not have much say in these matters.

My brother disagreed with my mother and said that he would fund my graduation. In the end, we won.

When I went to college, I did not disappoint my brother. It was a government college, and I completed my B.Com with 80 percent marks. It was here that I came in touch with CA Balakrishnan, my income-tax professor, who was highly respected for his professional qualification. Inspired by him, I wanted to relocate to Chennai to do my chartered accountancy. My mother flew into a rage because she could not imagine a girl wanting to leave her hometown for education. Also, there was the matter relating to money. Once again, my brother came to my support.

In the summer of 1990, we took the train, and seated in an unreserved compartment reached the capital city of Tamil Nadu. It was my first visit to the place called Madras, now Chennai. A year ago, the Berlin Wall had been brought down. I thought my moving out of my home to take up a professional qualification was the equivalent of the tearing down of a wall in my life. A neighbor arranged for my articleship at Tawker & Co, where I met CA N R Govindarajan, my future principal. He was the second CA that I had came across!

But because I did not have a city background and because I had all through school studied in the Tamil medium, life became a nightmare. I started to compare myself adversely to people in Chennai and wondered if my decision to take up higher education was right. But my hard work and sincerity helped me conquer these demons and become a favorite of my principal.

With him, I did several statutory and tax audits. Our client profile included AVM Studio, the renowned film production company, where I met M S Guhan. We audited the ISKCON temple, and given my background around religious places, this was something I loved. I quickly learned the tricks of the audit trade.