My heart was racing. I walked past familiar faces to assume my assigned place. Palms were sweaty. Time slowed down. I could hear the fans whirring overhead and the entity behind me furiously sharpening a pencil, only stopping once the nib was satisfactorily sharp.
It’s time. There’s no looking back. Not now, especially not now.
I shook off the few anxious thoughts that hung about my head and prepared myself for the task at hand. It’s easy, I told myself. You’re here. You know everything you need to know. What could possibly go wrong.
Everything, came the reply. Everything is at stake. One wrong move and it’s over. Finished. Just like that.
Ignoring His unsolicited commentary, I gave a fleeting glance to the Heavens; offered one last prayer.
Taking a deep breath, I filled my lungs with the oxygen I knew I was going to need. I checked my vitals. My body was responding as it should. I turned my attention to what mattered – the target was before me. Ready to be assaulted. I felt the adrenaline surge through my body. My sense modalities heightened – reaching their zenith. I could feel the valves within my aorta reverberate as the blood rushed through them fervently.
Stop.
I paused - to survey the target. The Teacher had taught me well. There was no hurdle I couldn’t overcome. I pulled myself together for the final strike, the culmination of all those years of perseverance. This is it.
I completed the task with aplomb. The Teacher would be proud.
* * * *
They knew. The news was out. It was just a matter of time before the news reporters arrived at my front door, hounding me for every minute detail of my bleary existence.
But there was nothing to be said.
My fate had been decided the day I enrolled in IIT- JEE preparation classes.
Written by Sanjana M
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The Indian Institute of Technology Joint Entrance Examination (popularly known as IIT-JEE or just JEE) is an annual college entrance examination in India. A total of fifteen colleges use JEE as a sole criterion for admission to their undergraduate programs. The test is considered tough as the format of questions asked keeps changing in order to discourage rote learning. It is also highly selective as only 1 in 60 are selected. Around 400,000 test takers compete for 9,500 seats each year.
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