He lost job but learnt to believe in himself

He went from wearing designer suits to grease-stained shirts in a restaurant kitchen.

Mr Ramesh Krishnan, 47, a former insurance agent, made headlines recently when he was awarded $4 million by the High Court.

The court ruled in his favour after it was found that a scathing letter of reference from a previous employer cost him the chance to join another insurer in 2012. He left his job in 2011.

Unable to find a job in the financial services sector, he said he sold his home and two of his cars to set up a vegetarian restaurant, Tulasi, with his wife.

Speaking to The New Paper at the restaurant in Little India yesterday, Mr Ramesh described how he went from earning about $2 million a year to $12,000.

He said: "I had a landed property, three cars, more than $2 million in the bank at that time. You name any brand of clothing, I had it.

"When I lost my career, I was lost.

"I sold almost everything to sustain myself and my family.

"I lost the ability to show that I was successful, and the world could see it."

He recalled how he also struggled with the loss of prestige and the faith of others in him.

"No one believed in me. They told me I was fighting a losing battle," he said, referring to the court case.

"Everyone left, everyone but my family."

He said his 45-year-old wife, their son, 15, and daughter, 17, were the only ones who stood by him through it all.

"My daughter, who was then about 11, told me, 'Dad, you are a warrior. The hardest battles are for the strongest warriors'," said Mr Ramesh.

"My wife told me that even if I lose everything, I would still have her and my children."

Now he works as a sous chef in the restaurant, which is managed by his wife.

The restaurant was set up in memory of his mother-in-law, who died in 2010.

"She always wanted to have her own restaurant, and so we set this up as a tribute to her," he said.

PASSION

But Mr Ramesh intends to return to the financial services industry soon as it is his "passion".

"When I first joined insurance, the money excited me. But the excitement for money went away after a while," he said.

Asked what he learnt from the incident, he paused and said: "I have learnt what is love, betrayal, friendship, and trust. I have learnt to believe in myself.

"I understand now that all the tough times I have had earlier was life's way of preparing me for the future, and now I'm ready to start again."