Day-1
Sakshi ek normal si 16 saal ki ladki thi. Delhi ke ek crowded area mein rehti thi, jahan subah ki shuruaat alarm se nahi, balki gali ke doodh wale aur auto ke horn se hoti thi.
Subah ke 6:30 baj rahe the.
"Uth ja Sakshi! School nahi jaana kya?" – mummy ki awaaz kitchen se aayi.
Sakshi ne aankh aadhi kholi, phone uthaya, aur screen dekhi.
5 missed alarms.
"Bas 5 minute aur…" usne dheere se bola, lekin usse khud bhi pata tha ki yeh 5 minute kabhi 5 nahi hote.
Par aaj kuch alag tha.
Usne achanak se uthkar baith gayi.
"Wait… aaj result hai…"
Dil ekdum fast dhadakne laga.
Wo bed se utri, mirror ke saamne khadi hui. Baal uljhe hue, aankhon ke neeche halka sa dark circle.
"Tu theek hai na?" usne khud se poocha.
Sach toh yeh tha ki wo last kuch dino se kaafi stressed thi. Exams theek gaye the… par "theek" kabhi enough nahi hota.
School ka Safar
Auto mein baithi hui Sakshi khidki ke bahar dekh rahi thi. Sab kuch normal lag raha tha—log apne kaam pe ja rahe the, bachche haste hue school ja rahe the.
Par uske andar sab kuch normal nahi tha.
Uski best friend Riya ka message aaya:
Riya: "Tu ready hai?? 😭"
Sakshi: "Nahi yaar… bilkul nahi"
Riya: "Agar fail hue na toh main Himalaya chali jaungi"
Sakshi: "Drama band kar 😂"
Par sach mein dono dar rahi thi.
School Gate
Gate ke bahar unusual crowd tha. Sab bachche ek dusre se marks discuss kar rahe the—jo abhi aaye bhi nahi the.
"Yaar agar maths mein 90+ nahi aaye na toh papa maar denge…" kisi ne bola.
Sakshi ne yeh suna aur uska confidence aur hil gaya.
"Tu itna kyun soch rahi hai?" Riya ne uska haath pakad ke kaha.
"Bas… pata nahi… lagta hai main utni smart nahi hoon jitna log sochte hain."
Riya ruk gayi.
"Sun. Tu overthink karti hai. Bas."
Result Moment
Classroom mein sab chup the.
Teacher aayi… aur sabka heart literally throat mein aa gaya.
"Main naam bolungi… aur tum apna report card le lena."
Pehla naam.
Dusra naam.
Teesra naam.
Sakshi ka naam abhi tak nahi aaya.
"Last mein hi kyun…?" usne socha.
"Sakshi Dabas"
Uska naam sunte hi wo dheere se uthi. Pair halka sa kaanp rahe the.
Report card haath mein aaya.
Usne turant nahi dekha.
2 seconds.
3 seconds.
"Dekhle…" Riya ne dheere se bola.
Usne aankhein band karke card khola.
Marks
Maths – 78
Science – 82
English – 91
SST – 85
Hindi – 88
Total: 84%
Wo bas khadi reh gayi.
Na zyada khushi, na zyada sadness.
Bas ek ajeeb sa silence.
Reaction
"Kitne aaye???" Riya almost chillayi.
"84…"
"ARE YOU SERIOUS?? ITNE ACCHE HAIN!"
Par Sakshi ke liye yeh "achha" nahi tha.
"Papa 90 expect kar rahe the…"
Uski awaaz dheemi ho gayi.
Ghar wapas
Ghar ka darwaza khola.
Mummy ne turant poocha, "Kitne aaye?"
"84…"
Mummy thodi der ke liye chup ho gayi.
"Achha hai… par thoda aur aa sakta tha."
Yeh line seedha dil pe lagi.
Raat ka Scene
Sakshi apne room mein thi. Light off, sirf phone ki light.
Usne apni gallery kholi—last saal ke certificates, trophies, smiling photos.
"Tab sab easy tha…"
Aaj kyun nahi?
Usne diary nikali.
Aur likha:
"Day 1:
Shayad main utni strong nahi hoon jitna main pretend karti hoon.
Par shayad… yeh bas shuruaat hai."
Usne diary band ki.
Phone side pe rakha.
Aur aankhein band kar li.
Kal ek naya din hoga.
Par kya wo alag hoga?
To be continued…