They reached the center around 8:30 a.m. It was crowded. Students everywhere. Some with parents, some alone. Some pacing, others praying.
His father parked the car nearby. "You know your block, right?"
"Yeah," Artic nodded. His hands were sweaty. "Room 204."
They stood outside the gate for a minute. Just standing. His dad looked at him like he wanted to say something more—but didn't. Instead, he gently clapped a hand on his shoulder. "You've got this."
Artic nodded again.
He walked into the center alone. His legs felt like rubber. The building smelled of chalk and anxiety. He found Room 204 after a few wrong turns. The invigilator didn't smile. No one did.
The paper was hard.
Not confusing. Not impossible.
Just hard.
Some questions were familiar, but most weren't. He remembered studying them, vaguely. But not enough. His brain wasn't blank—but it wasn't confident either. He guessed more than he liked.
Three hours passed. When the final bell rang, his shoulders slumped with relief and dread.
---
His dad was waiting near the car with a cold bottle of water.
"How was it?"
Artic didn't answer right away. He opened the bottle, took a long sip, and leaned back in the seat.
"I don't know," he finally said. "It wasn't... great."
His dad just nodded. "Alright. Let's get something to eat."
They didn't go to the bakery. Instead, they stopped at a small family restaurant on the way back home. His mom and sister joined them there.
They ordered butter chicken, naan, rice, and coke floats. Artic didn't talk much, but he smiled. His mom kept asking questions. His sister teased him for forgetting his calculator at home (he hadn't). They laughed anyway.
That evening, his grandma called.
"My little boy gave his big test today!" she cheered on the phone.
"Yeah, Grandma. It's done," Artic said with a tired smile.
"I said a prayer for you in the temple," she whispered, like it was a secret charm. "Everything will be alright."
"I hope so," he said. But in his chest, it already felt like something had cracked.
---
Two Weeks Later
The results day arrived like a slow storm.
Artic didn't wake up with confidence. He woke up cold, unsure, silent. His sister had come home from her college just to check the results with him. His mom made tea and biscuits. No one said anything about the result directly—but everyone was waiting.
1:00 PM.
He typed in his roll number on the desktop. His hands shook.
Loading...
> "Sorry. Better luck next time."
Score: 201 / 750
He froze. The room suddenly felt far away.
His sister leaned over. "What?"
He didn't answer. He just turned the screen.
She stared at it. "That's... how? What the hell did you even do, Artic?"
"I don't know," he whispered. "I—I tried."
She stood up. Frustrated. "Tried? You were online every night."
"I did study," he said quickly, like it would undo something.
She scoffed. "Yeah. Right."
Their mom called from the kitchen. "Everything okay?"
His sister didn't reply. She just left the room.
He sat there. The computer screen still on. The words still there.
201 out of 750.
It didn't even feel like a score. It felt like a sentence.
---
He checked the group chat.
Liam: Yo! Passed! 450.
Blake: 720. Easy win lol.
Emily: 750 ❤️ thank God
He stared. Scrolled. Read again. And again.
201.
Blake... 720. Emily... 750.
He dropped the phone. Picked it up again. Called Liam. No response. Called again. And again. Switched off.
He didn't even bother messaging Emily.
---
Later that afternoon, his sister was still quiet. Sitting near the window, staring at her phone.
Then suddenly, it rang. Their dad.
She picked it up and walked outside immediately. No explanation. Her expression had changed completely. Something serious.
Artic didn't ask. He just sat back down on the bed and opened Emily's profile again.
He froze.
Emily 💙 Blake
New photo. Their faces close. Caption: "He's always been the one."
His chest sank.
Everything suddenly ached.
---
That Night
The phone rang again. This time, his dad. The voice was tight. Serious.
"Your mom had an accident. She's stable, but we're moving her to the city hospital. Your sister's coming with me. You'll stay home, okay? Don't worry."
The call ended quickly. No time for details.
His sister packed fast. Left that night.
Artic stayed back. Alone in the house.
---
Next Morning
His dad returned briefly. Artic showed him the entrance result quietly.
He didn't react. Didn't raise his voice. Just said, "Do a Bachelor of Arts online. It'll at least cover this year. We can't waste time."
Then he left again.
Artic sat on his bed. Looked at the ₹10,000 fee receipt.
He knew how expensive hospitals were. How many things they'd have to cut for his mom's treatment. He knew.
He sat in the dark until it turned into night.
Then he cried.
Not loudly. Just curled under the blanket, hand pressed to his mouth, letting everything fall.
It felt like the world had moved on—and left him behind.
"Why me "