4.The Next Day

The 2nd day passed by, relatively peacefully. The previous night my roommates continued the irksome chat about the ranks and marks. Feeling gruesome, I lied on my bed earlier, trying my best not to concentrate on the discussion. 

It felt like all my college dreams turned to ash. The worst fears of redoing +2(The final year of PUC) for another 4yrs kept badgering me, inspite of me trying my best to be optimistic.

In the Morning classes started with physics lecture. Our physics faculty a middle-aged woman walked in 5 mins after 8.30. A creepy silence engrossed the class. She cheerfully introduced herself and gave a brief intro on the subjet’s syllabus for the semester.

I didn’t know why it happened! I had many a once heard of the hysterical stories of hallucinating college lectures. That day I was in one. I was the most active student at school, and physics being one of my favorites. But then, I was almost fainting, just in a matter of minutes, after the beginning of the lecture.

Sitting right at the 2nd bench, I was dozing off. I was biting my tongue hard to keep myself awake. I had heard from seniors that, notes play a vital part in preparing for exams. So, I was trying my best to copy down everything on the green board into my notebook.

I noticed my neighbor, another roommate of mine, Anu. She was writing every word of the lecturer like a voice synthesizer turning every vocal syllable into texts. Her pen moved like the magic quill I saw in Harry Potter movie.

Initially I felt bad for being unable to concentrate on the lecture, and envied Anu. After all the 14yrs of schooling, the mark obsession was hard to get rid off. Later I felt gratified that, at least I would have Anu’s notes for exams.

That evening we went to the college canteen after classes. People had started shifting towards other topics for chatting, but still not about guys ‘crap’. Nevertheless every now and then those things did pop up, whenever some info from another class came over about a state topper or about someone who left IIT and choose our college as he/she didn’t get their favorite discipline in an IIT.

I wondered for how long? May be till the results of the first semester exams come out. After that, people will start speaking about the toppers in the 1st sem exams. ‘Damn’

A momentary thought crossed my mind, 'How good it would be, if people speak of me!' I hit my head telling myself ‘I am not going to run behind marks anymore.’