Sometimes, it happens in our life when we are sure about a certain thing to happen but are proved wrong because of the so-called ‘game changer’ or, destiny has something else stored in for us. I have always been scared of numbers and that precisely was the reason for my poor score in Mathematics. This has been my Achilles heel, for, in spite of doing well in all subjects, my poor performance in Maths always let me down.
I, therefore, devised a strategy to overcome my weakness. I somehow had a strong conviction, that teachers gave hints of important questions to those students taking tuition from them. Since my parents did not share this conviction, I befriended Mohan, who was taking tuition in Maths from my class teacher, showering him with chocolates and gifts, I soon became one of his best friends.
With the final exams around the corner, I finally decided to put my strategy to work. I broached the subject subtly, seeking hints of important questions given to him by the teacher. He was taken aback but denied any such hints. I kept pestering him to ask the teacher, to which he finally agreed.
A day before the exams, I went over to his place and jotted down all the important questions, specified by the teacher. I spent the night memorizing the answers to the questions. By morning I felt reasonably pleased with myself, for I had, at last, found the solution to my problem.
In the examination hall, I confidently surveyed the surroundings. The sight of boys nervously flicking pages of books amused me. A little later as the bell rang the examination commenced. I stared at the question paper in disbelief – Lo and behold! It was an entirely different paper, with a different set of questions for which I was totally unprepared. My mouth turned dry and my limbs felt weak and numb. With considerable effort, I tried to gain composure, but in vain.
The invigilator noticed my discomfort and enquired if I was okay. She sent me to the dispensary, where after taking a tranquillizer I was advised to rest. Needless to mention, I got a big zero in Maths and consequently was not promoted. It was indeed a heavy price I paid. Thus, what I was certain about resulted wrong in every way.
