The first mock test was supposed to be a confidence booster.
It wasn't.
Arjun stared at the scorecard in silence.
42 out of 100.
The numbers felt heavier than they should have been.
He had studied for weeks. Woken up before sunrise. Sacrificed distractions. Followed a strict routine.
And still — 42.
For a moment, the room felt suffocating.
Maybe school percentages didn't matter.
Maybe determination was not enough.
Maybe the whispers were right.
He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.
Failure did not shout.
It whispered.
"You are not ready."
That evening at dinner, his father spoke carefully.
"I heard the exam was difficult?"
Arjun nodded.
His mother added softly, "Don't stress too much. You can always choose something safer."
There it was.
The word he hated the most.
Safer.
Safe jobs. Safe dreams. Safe limits.
Arjun forced a small smile and returned to his room.
He opened his notebook again.
Target: IAS
First Attempt
No Second Option
The words didn't look powerful tonight.
They looked challenging.
He replayed the mock test in his head. The mistakes were clear now — lack of revision, poor time management, weak current affairs.
This wasn't destiny.
This was preparation gap.
And preparation gaps can be fixed.
He stood up, walked to the mirror, and looked at himself.
"You wanted war," he said quietly.
"This is it."
The next morning, he didn't wake up with motivation.
He woke up with discipline.
He redesigned his timetable.
More revision.
Daily answer writing.
Weekly mock analysis.
No emotional drama.
Only correction.
Because success is not built on confidence.
It is built on correction.
That 42 out of 100 was not a sign to quit.
It was a reminder.
He was not extraordinary yet.
But he was becoming.
And becoming is more powerful than being.
Arjun picked up his pen.
Round two had officially begun.