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"I said 'Jai Shri Ram' and began my paper.,believing in god
It's definitely a tough one, but it's not like I didn't work hard.
Whatever I've studied, I'll pour my entire brain into it.
There are lots of competitors in the hall — after all, it's a joint paper for both schools.
But one thing I do know — I'm good at studying.
Now all I need… is a little bit of luck."
— Riya
Today was the result day, but I couldn't go to school because Anshu was sick.
My heartbeat was getting faster and faster — I had no idea what the result would be.
Once I knew, maybe my heart would calm down too.
It was evening now… school must have ended.
But no call came, no one came to tell me my result.
Maybe I failed.
If I had passed, my friends would have come running with the good news.
But now… maybe they can't bear to tell me I didn't make it.
While lost in these thoughts, I was walking to the pharmacy to get Anshu's medicine —
when I saw Akshat coming out of the store.
Seeing him made me feel both excited and nervous — I wanted to ask him about the result.
But his face… he looked like a wreck.
His eyes were red, he was wearing a new tuxedo, and when he saw me, he started hiding something in his hands.
What is he doing here? And in this state?
Riya asks him gently,
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah… I mean, it's just…" he stammers.
"And your eyes?"
Avoiding her gaze, Akshat says,
"Yeah, I mean… allergies. It's nothing. I'll go now."
"Maybe I failed… otherwise, he'd be happy seeing me," Riya thinks.
"Can you tell me anything about the result?"
Riya asks, disappointed.
She hopes for a "yes" or "no."
Anything. Just speak… please…
Silence. Confusion. Doubt.
After a long pause, Akshat finally says,
"I don't know."
"What? You don't know? Why?"
Before she can ask more, he walks away.
"What happened to him?"
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The Next Day
"The story ended before it even began…
Was my paper really that bad?"
Thinking this, Riya walks into class.
The moment she enters, the room erupts into applause.
"What's going on? I don't get it…"
The teacher is smiling proudly.
Isha is clapping the loudest, and even Roni is cheering —
but Akshat is missing.
Meanwhile, Chhavi and Tina are staring at her with crooked glares.
"What happened?"
"Selection!" the teacher announces.
"You've secured the first position across both schools. You're the only one selected from this section."
I couldn't believe it.
"Me? Really?" I kept asking the teacher again and again.
Anyone could see how passionate I was about this opportunity.
Both principals from both parts of the school came to congratulate me.
Though, the principal from the other part didn't look too pleased —
after all, the top rank didn't come from his side.
Meanwhile, my principal got the perfect opportunity to boast —
praising our section, mocking the other school, giving a whole speech about the advantages of studying abroad, and showering praise upon me.
He was bursting with pride and passion.
---
Second Round:
The Sports Round
To enter the next round, we had to go to a different room to register.
While walking there, I saw the court filled with students.
A basketball trial was going on — for the national team.
"Hey, Akshat is playing too!"
"I knew he'd get selected — he's so good at it."
And truly, no one could match his shots on the court.
The entire gym echoed with his voice.
Just one point needed to win — and 54 seconds on the clock.
That should be a breeze for him.
Even the principal came to watch the end of the match...
And then… I don't know what happened —
He was dribbling when the ball slipped from his hand.
48 seconds left.
Someone from the other team snatched it and passed it ahead.
But their teammate fumbled it too.
12 seconds left.
The ball returned to Akshat —
He had the perfect chance to shoot.
He was just about to score and win the game when…
"THUD!"
What!?
What happened to Akshat!?
Why did he collapse?
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