Our weekly tests on coaching were going on. Students were studying ferociously, with eyes directed just towards the books. I used to study with all my heart too, but there was just one subject which made me cry – Physics. And my topic wise test for Physics was coming closer.

There are some 2000 students in our coaching, all from different parts of UP. I was scared where my rankings would go. I hadn’t prepared ANYTHING for Physics, maybe just some questions here and there in class itself.

The night before the test, I closed my eyes and visualized myself walking towards the rank displaying board, and seeing a good rank for myself. Amongst top ten.

The test started from 10 in the morning. Next morning, my van came and I got myself seated in the front seat next to the driver. Others were seated behind and were already scared. On the way to coaching (which is like 30 to 40 minutes) I flipped through the pages of my Physics register. When some 15 minutes were left, I closed both my register and eyes, and began thanking God for every good thing I have in my life. I thanked my wonderful mom who cooks delicious food for me so I stay happy and study well, my Dad who gives me enough pocket money to buy my favourite chips and have fun, my brother who asks me silly questions but inspires me to actually know what I consider silly, and so on. I thanked each and every friend, my aunts and uncle, my teachers, the van driver next to me, the city in which I live, the roads for being smooth, the sky for being clear, I thought all good things. I again recalled the vision I created last night. – the glorious rank displaying board. I also visualized myself giving the paper with a smile on my face.

When I gave the test, I was composed and happy. If ever I got stuck on a question I couldn’t solve, I left it. I had no guilt about that. But I completed the whole paper with a love and respect for Physics.

When the answers were being checked, I realised that a lot of my calculated answers were wrong. I became silent. The girl who tops in our coaching, came to me and asked me about my paper, she was a little disturbed too. She told me that her paper wasn’t good either.

I came back home, again solved the paper, calculated the RIGHT answers, felt HAPPY and was AMAZED at how beautiful Physics can be! I had completely forgotten about the test which went bad. I was JOYOUS about discovering my love for Physics.

Three days after the test, the results were displayed. I came to coaching and was late. I couldn’t see the result and went straight away for the stairs to climb and to go to class. A girl who happens to be my good competitor, met me on stairs and shouted out, ‘Congrats!’ I looked at her puzzled. ‘For what?’ I asked. ‘You got the 10th rank in Physics test!’

I stood there. And just smiled.