The cell phone rang with one of Eminem's songs set as a ringtone. Sid was sleeping on his bed, feeling the caress of fluffy square-shaped pillow pressed against his cheek. Although it was his favorite song, it appeared like hundreds of crows and frogs croaking at once. That song was snatching his precious sleep away from him.

He wrapped his ears with a thick blanket, but after a while, he took it off. Getting up from the bed was tough as deserting one's beloved person in the middle of a hot and heavy situation. It was Ravi calling, "Yeah, what's up?"

"You're still sleeping?" Ravi said on the phone while surfing the Internet.

"Yup, I am. And guess what? No one gives a damn." Sid dripped with sarcasm and formed a smirk on his sleepy face while running fingers through his disheveled hair.

"I got something to tell you that will bounce your ass off the bed in a snap..." Ravi abruptly stopped, just to play with Sid's patience as well as anticipation, "Get ready for high school results."

After listening about the declaration of result day, Sid jumped off the bed. Ravi continued telling him that the website will be available after 12:30 PM, and only through the cyber cafe.

There was no cybercafe in Raj's residential area, so he was coming to their place. Ravi also said that Raj quit the job because he was unable to keep up with the expectations of the manager. This news surprised Sid a bit. Raj left his job, why!? Because he believed Raj wasn't the guy who would give up so easily.

But there were more important things to do for now; Sid aborted the call and rushed down to the hallway from his attic room. He alerted his mom about an online declaration of high school exam results. As expected from a normal mother, she became more tensed than Sid.

Within fifteen minutes, Sid came out from the bathroom and wrapped up the lower part of his body with a long towel. Without wasting a single second, he quickly wore his casual clothes. By that time, Ravi and Raj were standing outside his house, calling him to come out. Sid hastily came outside of his home.

"Let's go fast, only ten minutes left for the declaration," Raj said.

Three of them started heading towards the cybercafe; their eyes were ready to cry a river if anything undesirable happens. Sid ran his hand through his thick black hair; it was still wet because he didn't get enough time to air-dry his hair. "Guys, I want a separate computer. I don't have Wi-Fi connection from some days, or else I would have checked the result in my laptop."

In the meantime, they reached a cybercafe. Thanks to the good Lord that they were able to acquire three separate PCs. And in no time, they started surfing about the online declaration website. It was already 12:40 PM. Sid, Ravi, and Raj altogether entered their respective exams code number.

The loading wheel started spinning, and their heartbeats began to throb like a bullet bike. At first, Raj's result displayed fifty-eight percentage and passed (note: in India, there is this percentage system, not grading one). After him, Ravi's result appeared, he obtained forty-two percent and passed.

The loading wheel, however, was still rotating on Sid's computer screen. Nightmares of flunking out hovered in his mind, his palms become sweaty, and hands and legs become shaky. While the air conditioner was doing its work, still sweat beads collected on his forehead, rolling down from his temple.

On the other hand, Ravi and Raj were jumping and dancing in happiness. Sid darted his eyes on them. They say it hurts when our friend fails in the examination. But it hurts like hell if our all friends passed except us.

Sid was about to explode like a volcano; however, instead of lava, painful tears would erupt. But a friend in need is a friend indeed. His two friends laid their eyes on him. Sid punched the computer screen. Good, it didn't crack. "This bloody dumb box isn't loading."

Feeling exact anxiety that was running in Sid's head into his own, Raj suggested his anxiety-ridden friend use a different computer. Sid nodded and shifted to Raj's computer, and began to surf. Again he entered the exam code number. And there goes the loading wheel, spinning and pervading his heart with fear. Still, the same problem cropped up; this increased Sid's tension by tenfold.

He rubbed his face with his palm, going up to his forehead, running his fingers through his hair. While his limbs were shaking, grief chewed his heart because he presumed that he flunked the exams.

Just a few weeks ago, he failed in an interview, whereas his friends were selected. Now again he thought that it's the same situation he failed his exams, whereas his friend passed. But this time, the pain was devastating, almost unbearable.

Sid stood up from his seat and bit his bottom lip. He morosely looked at Ravi and Raj. They understood what that expression conveyed. Hope against hope. One more time. He turned around for one last time to glimpse at the computer screen.

And yes! After so much deplorable drama, his result finally displayed. He obtained fifty-two percent and passed. Driven away were his nightmares. His scream of joy made every customer jump off their seats in fear. Sid hugged Ravi and Raj in excitement as if life came back into his body. Both of them let out a gasp of relief and patted Sid's back and congratulated him. "It's party time. Let's have a whale of a time," Ravi exclaimed.

********

As Sid rushed into his home without wasting another second, he stealthily came into his house and caught sight of his mom sitting on the sofa, watching TV with his brother Pratham, who had just arrived home from the gym. Sid collapsed on the couch and enunciated, "I've passed the exams."

His mom's face glittered by this news. "Great!" she switched off the TV. "And percentage?" she furrowed her brow. Willing to hear what she had already presumed. That was sixty-five percent.

Sid lowered his eyes and pulled back his chin and said, the actual percentage that he had obtained. As if thunderstruck on her head, she squinted her eyes—hard—for a moment, Neha was astounded to hear this. Sid could study her expression, which displayed sheer disbelief that it mustn't be Sid's result. "Yes. That's mine," Sid mumbled before she could put that expression into words, and he prepared himself for an unstoppable scolding.

His mom heaved a sigh, trying to relax and said, "Okay, it's alright. Go and get fresh, I'll serve you lunch."

Scratching his head, Sid didn't get the drift of how he escaped the scolding part. Or maybe it's just silence before the storm? He was happy that his mom didn't burst out in anger, and relieved to know he had gotten over with the scolding part. He washed his hands and sat on a chair of the dining table; meanwhile, his big brother, Pratham, also joined in. He inquired in a sharp look, "So, which degree course you're going to apply for?" Both of them were self-serving the food.

"Well, we haven't decided yet," Sid said, munching food. Neha also joined on the dining table.

"Who we? What are we?" Pratham gulp down a morsel of rice.

Neha grabbed Sid's cheeks and made him look into her eyes. "Sid! Do not apply for that course which your friends are going to take. They're not going to make your career."

Sid waggled his chin and stamped his fist on the table in a fit of growing anger. "Alrighttt!" he pulled the word in agitation because of hearing this word being taunted to him like a thousand times, "I'm not a kid anymore."

"Just see how shameless you are!" Pratham scoffed. "Year by year, your academics performance is going down."

Glaring back, Sid countered scolding of his brother. "Oh please, you're taking me down, huh?" he raised his both eyebrows. "Like, you were top of the list in your time!"

"Dude! I'm a graduate of science. Now I'm doing MSc in statistics. I'll get a good job anyhow," Pratham refuted in pride.

His brother's words made the latter feel pity for himself. Nevertheless, he rudely snapped back, "I don't give a damn about the job. I'll do what I want to do. You don't teach me."

Sid's teenage tantrum worked as fuel to flare up his mom's rage. "How you dare to talk rudely with your brother? Have your manners also reduced like your grades?" she fired back, Sid felt hurt on this one, but he had to gulp down his welling up anger because the ball wasn't in his court.

"Just confiscate his mobile and laptop. And see the miracle," Sid furiously looked at Pratham when he said that.

He raised his index finger at him. "Don't make hay while the sunshine—"

Neha stamped her palm on the table to stop him, arguing, "Shut up, Sid! I had told you thousands of times to study, but you always ignored my advice," she burst out with anger. Sid felt infuriated by that tongue lashing; he tried to ignore it by not paying attention. "Don't take my words lightly, okay? Or else in the future, you won't get a good job. Then, don't blame me for not guiding you well."

Sid looked at both of them, trying not to make eye contact. Although it was a lie, still, he wanted to assure them, "Okay, fine. I'll study hard next time." His mother nodded in false hope.

Though agitated within, Sid acted compose. He finished his lunch and went to his bedroom. He crashed on his bed and hugged a pillow like a teddy bear. Of course, those words of his mother and brother hurt him. Why is it your people will only love or admire you for what they expect you to be, and not for who you are? Why not everybody just accepts us the way we are? Why we have to strive hard to impress others, such as friends, family, or society?

Sid didn't want to introspect on this subject matter anymore, because that'd hurt him to know how helpless he sometimes feels — so freaking weak. All his life, he believed, he has been doing all things on his own — no external or divine help.

Lack of interest in studies, what to do? But you have to do it no matter what. Nervous issues? Deal with it by yourself. Restless mind? Curb it by yourself. Endless introspection? Figure it out yourself.

Do it yourself! Do it yourself! Do it yourself! Sid was sick of it, a stream of tears rolled down from the corner of his eye.

*******

Ravi experienced a spasm of excitement blended with fear when he thought about his family's reaction to the exam results.

As soon as he sat on the sofa, his two sisters surrounded him and repeatedly asked him about the result. He enunciated, "I am done, for now, just leave me alone."

Ravi's elder sister misunderstood his statement and swiftly went to her mother to complain about it, he got irritated and snapped at them. It took a lot for him to explained that he didn't fail the exams but just obtained poor grades. His elder sister sighed relief, knowing that Ravi can continue his studies.

The telephone rang. It was Ravi's father calling from their family shop. "Hey, Dad! I've passed the final examination." Ravi burst out the moment he received the call. "I'll be doing graduation soon."

"So what? Get your ass here. You and your brother have to run my business in the future. It would make no difference at all."

Ravi nodded and aborted the phone. His family's reaction to the result battered his mind to understand that nobody cared.

He picked up his bag, and without having lunch, made a move to their shop. It was the place he hated the most in the world. He trudged out and got on his bike. He shot a glance at the sky and rushed away from the scene.

******

A/N: Hello, readers. So this a relatable situation where every one of us had been through, especially in Asian countries. Parents are not very lenient towards their kid when it comes to studies. In the next chapter, things are about to get real.