Today was result day. Since morning, Raju had been restlessly pacing around. Sometimes he checked his phone, sometimes he drank water, and sometimes he opened his notebook pretending to study. He was fairly confident that he would pass this time, yet deep down, a small seed of fear remained.
By afternoon, the school website went live. With trembling hands, Raju entered his roll number. The “View Result” button glowed on the screen. He closed his eyes, took God’s name twice, and clicked.
The moment the result appeared, all the color drained from his face. His heart began to race, and he felt as if the ground beneath his feet had disappeared. The screen read: “Failed.”
It felt as though someone had suddenly let the air out of a balloon. His friend Sonu, sitting beside him, asked softly, “What happened, buddy?”
Raju replied faintly, “The wind’s been knocked out of me.”
Sonu looked at the screen and said, “Hey, you’ve failed in just one subject. Your whole life isn’t over.”
But at that moment, Raju couldn’t hear anything. It felt as if his dreams had suddenly stopped mid-flight.
When he reached home, he sat quietly. His mother asked, “How was your result?”
Raju said softly, “Luck wasn’t on my side this time.”
His mother gently placed her hand on his head and said, “A result is just a milestone, not life itself.”
That night, Raju lay awake for a long time. He realized that failure can also be a teacher.
The next day, he decided to work harder and try again. His friends joked, “Now you won’t stop until you become a topper!”
Raju smiled and said, “The air may have been knocked out of me, but not my courage.”
With renewed determination, he opened his books and began preparing for the future once again.
RAJEEV VERMA 