Throttling My Failure….

May 2004: 6 AM ' (Phone ringing) I was in deep sleep but still picked up the phone. That was my father calling from Srinagar (as he was posted there).

Papa: "Good Morning Beta, so aaj toh paper hai na?"
Me (moaning and eyes closed):"Hmmm"
Papa: "Taiyari poori hai na? "
Me: "Hmmm"
Papa: "Chalo fir dhyan se paper karna. Bhagwaan ka naam leke baithana sab theek hoga"
Me: "Hmmm"
Papa: "Mummy hain toh, unhe phone dena"
Me: "Hmmm" (After handing over the receiver to my mother who was standing besides my bed I slept again with all my body radars focussing towards that receiver just to hear anything I could)
Papa: (perhaps asking about my preparation)
Mummy: "Haanji, raat ko 2 baje tak computer pe toh laga hua tha. Mehnat toh kaafi kar raha hai. Baaki toh result bata hi dega"

And I was thinking ' "These new levels of Need-For-Speed are difficult man. Perhaps I need to practice more. I am not throttling the car well around the corners. I need to 'study' till 3 for better understanding of the 'subject' :)"… Well I was bitten by the Gaming bug that time. So, time passed- the exams were finally over and soon the results were out.

AUG 2004: 6 PM (Phone Ringing) Unfortunately I received the call. It was dad.

Papa: "Beta, Suna hai result aa gaya hai. Kaisa raha?"
Me: "Papa, iss baar papers itne difficult aaye they. University ka result bahot down raha hai"
Papa : "Beta, tum apna batao. First class toh aayi hai na"
Me: "Papa, topper ke bhi bas 65% aaye hain. Pramod and Gautam ki bhi back aayi hai."
Papa (getting impatient): "Acha abb yeh batao, tum kitne subjects mein fail ho?"
Me (with my heart thumping and ears getting red): "Ek down hai papa. Woh examiner hi itna kamina tha. Woh kisi ko pass nahi …."
Dad cut me short in between ' "Waise percentage kitni hai. First class toh aayi hai na? Ya fir woh bhi nahi aayi"
My heartbeats now could have broken that ECG needle or maybe overheated the entire OT.
Me ' "Papa, PASS class aayi hai"
Papa ' "What is that? Tell me the figures"
Me- "49.9% hai papa, bas ek number kamm hai second class se. Next SEM ke baad easily bann jayegi second class.Woh mein sambhaal loonga." (Felt like a king saying this sentence oh-so-proudly).

After that call, President's rule was implemented in the house. Home ministry complied with every instruction passed on by the centre. The poor-pitiable prisoner of war was given the books to conquer the mighty backlog-dictator. But this couldn't go on for long.

Same day 9PM: A kangaroo head just floated up by the window. That was my friend Pramod aka PP bhai.

"TS, I have got CARBON" ' PP was smiling, with gleaming eyes. (Very unlikely for a person who also got flunked today).
"Kya baat kar raha hai!!! ' Need For Speed ' CARBON. Really? "' I asked.
"You bet TS and guess what its Full version - With crack and multiplayer enabled. Ferrari ' FZR 116 with God Mode Enabled" ' PP seemed as if his 09 marks in practical were misprinted as 90 in his marksheet.
But still, it was a grand occasion and the celebrations were mandatory. So, the lord  sneaked out on his sister's Lady BSA-SLR to drive the mighty 3000cc mean machine and declare his supremacy to this world.:)