Pervade and Faint

Chapter 11

ONE  YEAR  LATER

Everything was coming to an end, barely before it had ever initiated. College started only a year and a handful of months ago, and it was already at the finish line. When I gave my first exam, the rest of them flew away like all the birds on a wire fly when a single one gets triggered. Walking in college became comprehensively innovative for me, ever since the results had been announced. The experience was ravishing. I found it eccentric, and definitely ludicrous that the teachers were the ones who shook hands with me first, while I should have been the one instigating the greeting. Many class fellows claimed that I began to walk with a conspicuous trace of presumption ever since my result was announced. But I sensed not a leaf changed of my habits. Despite the fact that I topped the college, I had manifested much humbleness and I didn't care what the students said. All of my relatives, with whom I was still unacquainted, came over to congratulate me on my success. Dad was pretty happy and mom just couldn't absorb her happiness. I beat Sameer, but only with the difference of the thickness of a single hair. He competed hard but I heard that he just got a bit unfortunate at some point. Life is full of fortunate's and unfortunates. One should just never give up and keep faith in God. The dependence of one's success is based upon his or her work and belief in that work. It stands to reason that the output always depends upon the input. But sometimes, we pray for some things to God and don't receive them. Moments don't occur in accordance to the way we pray for them to occur.

Moments, sometimes are out of our anticipations. Sometimes, they pass along the tangent and sometimes they divert directions from far away. But we should keep in mind that each and every moment is a test from God. He tests a man by giving him success and sometimes failure. It all depends upon the reaction, which is never equivalently elicited by all people.

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I met Sophia after a long time, in college. We hardly got any time to talk ever since our exams drew nigh. Sophia got some decent marks and seemed to be happy with them. Her dad probably still needed time to contemplate whether she was in college or school. He knew nothing about her studies. As a matter of fact, he had not a jot of information about the blessing and charm he had been rising for the past eighteen years. But that's the thing about blessings; he who doesn't have it understands its value better than he who has it. I met her in college the day our result was to be announced.

Tense grabbed the entire college. The college was on tenterhooks, anxiously waiting for the results. The principal in particular, was all tensed up. Her face was stern and anxiety was dripping from her forehead, along with beads of sweat. Sophia, I knew, was praying for my success, whereas her result was also to be announced. Her candidness and loyalty made me feel guilty all of a sudden. Her eyes gleamed and appeared so alive when she figured out that I had topped the college. It took me a while to digest the fact that I actually stood first. But I was extremely enraptured to see Sophia smiling and enjoying the moment. Her smile was the real success for me. I told her that my success appertained to her since she taught me everything. But she denied and said that I worked assiduously and reaped my own crop. I must confess that I slogged my guts out for the exams. Yet, I appertained all of my success to her.

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We were on our last days of college. There were just parties going on and the encumbrance of studying emasculated. We were finally refreshed after the mountains of syllabus and examinations. I went to college only to meet Sophia. She told me that her dad despised my presence in his house, especially with Sophia. So I had to grit my teeth and confront the distance. I found it really hysterical when she informed me that her dad called me 'sack'. We were neighbors, but far away from each other. College was the only way of meeting Sophia. And there were only a few days left for that too.