"Mujhe aaj bhi yaad hai woh raat
12 baje the, phone silent pe tha aur room mein sirf fan ki awaaz chal rahi thi.
Result aa chuka tha.
IIT… nahi hua.
Odd baat ye thi ki mujhe zyada shock nahi laga.
Shayad kyunki andar se main pehle hi jaanta tha — ye sirf exam ka result nahi tha, ye meri galtiyon ka final bill tha.
Sab log bolte hain, "System kharab hai", "Luck nahi tha".
Par sach bolun?
Mere case mein villain koi aur nahi… main khud tha.
Maine shuruat bahut strong ki thi.
11th ke pehle din khud se wada kiya tha — iss baar average nahi, best banna hai.
Books naye the, motivation full tha, aur sapna… IIT Bombay.
Par phir dheere dheere cheezein slip hone lagi.
Ek din socha — aaj thoda break le leta hoon.
Woh "thoda" poora week ban gaya.
Phir phone aaya, reels aaye, comparison aaya — aur discipline quietly room chhod ke chala gaya.
Sabse badi galti?
Main har roz khud se jhooth bolta raha.
"Kal se pakka."
"Abhi time hai."
"Baaki log bhi toh chill kar rahe hain."
Par time kisi ka wait nahi karta.
Woh bas nikalta rehta hai… bilkul silently.
Exam ke din mujhe paper tough nahi laga.
Actually, mujhe paper familiar laga.
Jaise har question mujhse keh raha ho — "Agar tu us din padh leta, toh aaj ye solve kar leta."
Result ke baad main chup tha.
Gharwale bole kuch nahi, aur woh silence aur zyada heavy tha.
Raat ko mirror ke saamne khada hua aur pehli baar khud se aankh mila ke bola:
"Tu smart tha… par tu sincere nahi tha."
Yahin pe story ka suspense aata hai.
Log sochte hain yahin pe end ho gaya.
Failure.
Regret.
Life khatam.
Par nahi.
Us raat maine ek aur decision liya —
IIT nahi mila toh kya hua, par jo sabse important cheez thi… woh mujhe mil gayi