A father and son from Gosaba in South 24-Parganas cycled for more than 100km before travelling 20 km on buses to reach a JEE (Main) exam centre in Salt Lake on Wednesday.

Rabindranath Mondal and his son Diganta started their journey at 5.30am on Tuesday for the exam that was scheduled for 3pm the next day.

In the first leg of the journey, Mondal, a carpenter by profession, and his son cycled for five hours from their village in Bijoynagar in Gosaba to reach Piyali, around 60 km away, and then crossed a river on a small boat.

After a night’s rest at Piyali, they started again at 8am on Wednesday — this time only Mondal cycled with his son on the pillion — to reach Sonarpur, almost 50km away.

“He had his exam; so, I did not want him to get tired by cycling,” Mondal said.

The cycle was kept at a relative’s place in Sonarpur from where they took a bus to Science City and then another bus to Sector V in Salt Lake.

A day in advance Mondal had checked out the bus options but did not risk travelling on them because they were overcrowded.

“On other occasions we travel by bus but I was scared because so many people have been infected with Covid-19,” Mondal said.

Not appearing for the exam was not an option for the family because an engineering degree can be a ticket to a job and better life.

“I had to give up studies after Madhyamik…. I had to start doing odd jobs because of the financial need of my family. If my son gets admission to an engineering college it will be difficult for me to fund his education but I will still try because it might open up various opportunities,” Mondal said. “Not appearing for the exam would have meant going out of the competition and an end of hope.”

Earnings have dropped considerably and life has became “more difficult” because of the pandemic, he said. “I try to give my best and I hope to get admission to an engineering college,” Diganta who scored 80 per cent in the Higher Secondary exams said.

The day for Diganta did not end with the exam at 6pm. Both father and son will cycle back to Piyali, even if it is late in the night.

Many came in private cars to the exam centre wearing masks and carrying bottles of sanitisers but the father-son duo had a torch with them. The torch that will light up their path as they cycle back to Piyali and then to Gosaba.