The mere mention of Result Day didn’t just give Rohan butterflies in his stomach—it felt like a whole herd of goats running wild inside him. This time, it was his board exam result, so the atmosphere at home resembled a serious pre-war meeting. His mother had been visiting the temple since morning, and his father kept saying, “Whatever happens, we’ll face it,” though the slight tremor in his voice betrayed his nervousness.
The result was to be declared online at 10 a.m. By 9:55, Rohan was already seated with his laptop. As soon as the clock struck ten, the website responded with two dreadful words: “Server Busy.” From that moment, his brain felt completely scrambled. He refreshed the page five times, switched to his phone, then called his friend. The reply was the same: “Bro, it’s not opening!”
At 10:20, the website finally loaded—but after entering his roll number, another error popped up. Rohan began imagining that the universe was sending him signs that his result wouldn’t be good. In his mind, he had already prepared a story about failing—how he would dodge relatives’ questions, study again next year, and fake a smile in front of his friends.
Finally, at 10:40, the marksheet appeared on the screen. Rohan closed one eye and cautiously looked at the marks with the other. The first subject showed good marks. The second was better than expected. The third was outstanding—even higher than the class average. Slowly, the full marksheet came into view. When he saw the total percentage, he stared at the screen in disbelief. It was far beyond what he had dared to imagine—he had scored excellent marks.
Standing behind him, his mother asked anxiously, “What happened?” Rohan turned around and said softly, “All that panic for nothing.” His father adjusted his glasses, checked the marks, and burst into laughter for the first time that day.
That day, Rohan realized that the real fear wasn’t the result—it was the waiting. It’s overthinking that scrambles the brain, not the outcome itself. By the end of Result Day, the house was filled with celebration, and Rohan’s face carried a smile of pure relief and joy.
RAJEEV VERMA 