Arjun stepped into the classroom, a cool breeze trailing behind him.
As his eyes met hers, everything seemed to freeze — time, voices, motion. The entire world stood still in that one intense moment. They kept staring at each other, both speechless. Arjun was still standing at the door, lost in the moment…
SMACK!
A sudden slap shattered his trance — the Angel's intervention.
Angel: "Hey! What are you doing?! Move aside and go sit on your seat!"
Devil: "No, you ca—"
Arjun (interrupting): "Okay, okay…"
This time, he agreed with the Angel. He walked to his bench, dropped his bag, pulled out his entrance exam book, and started solving the visual reasoning section.
"Hello! How are you doing?"
Priyanka's soft voice interrupted him.
Without looking up, Arjun replied coldly,
"Sorry, I'm busy with something more important than girls."
Priyanka was shocked for a second, but she understood what he meant.
"Okay then. Do your best, focus on your work. Anyway, it's a free period."
She smiled and gently pinched his cheek before walking away.
Arjun paused for a moment.
"Maybe I should call her back…"
Angel: "No, boy. Remember your goal. Work hard and cut off every distraction."
Arjun: "But I prepare for this at tuition… I even skip homework just to study for this…"
Devil: "Exactly! Isn't that enough? You don't have to work all day and night."
Angel: "You said it yourself — this exam means more to you than anything. And now you want to throw it all away at the last moment because of a friend? That's not the Arjun who started this journey."
Arjun sighed and nodded. He bent over his book again with full focus. While others gossiped, played, or even started eating lunch early, Arjun remained in his zone — studying with sharp concentration.
The free period ended.
Now it was the SST period — and also their teacher's birthday. As she entered the classroom, the entire class stood and sang in chorus.
"Happy Birthday to you…"
She smiled brightly.
"Thank you, my dear students. I wasn't expecting anyone to remember!"
Disha, the topper, stood up.
"Ma'am, you're our favorite teacher! How could we ever forget?"
Teacher: "That's sweet. Now let's start today's lecture — only 25 minutes left."
Arjun was attentive at first, but soon, a bike's horn outside the window caught his attention. It came from his favorite window — the one he always gazed through while daydreaming.
He looked outside… and drifted away again, lost in a sea of thoughts and imaginations.
TRRR… TRRR…
The school bell rang.
Arjun snapped out of his daze.
"Huh?! Is school over?"
Teacher (smiling from behind): "Yes, dear. Time to go."
Arjun: "I'm sorry, ma'am… I didn't realize…"
Teacher (interrupting gently): "It's alright. Just don't forget — tomorrow's PTM. Bring your mom. We'll also be distributing mid-term results."
NEXT DAY
Arjun and his mother stood at the school gate. His heart pounded — not for the result, but because of something else.
What if Ma'am told Mom about Priyanka?
They had grown so close in the past month. She was his favorite teacher — surely, she wouldn't betray him like that… right?
As they walked toward the classroom, Arjun's heartbeat grew louder. He couldn't focus, every step making his chest feel heavier.
They reached the classroom door.
Devil (chuckling):
"Boy, today you're done for. Good luck… hehehe."
Arjun stopped outside the class. His mom and teacher were already inside. He had no idea what they were discussing.
After a few minutes, he was called in.
As he entered, before he could speak —
SLAP!
A stinging hit across his cheek — from his mother.
Mom: "Look at these results! 69%? I never expected this from you!"
Arjun stood still, the sting on his cheek sharper than the cold wind that once followed him into the classroom. His mother's palm had left more than a red mark — it had left a wound on his pride.
Mom: "69%, Arjun? I gave you freedom, trusted you, and this is what you give in return?"
Her voice was trembling with anger and disappointment.
The teacher awkwardly glanced at Arjun, her smile gone.
Teacher (softly): "He's a bright boy, ma'am. He just needs a little push—"
Mom (cutting in): "A little push? He's been flying in his own dream world. Maybe it's time I pull him back to reality."
Arjun wanted to say something, to explain, to defend himself… but no words came out. His lips stayed sealed. His heart pounded louder than his mother's scolding. He knew it was his fault.
As they walked back home, silence followed them. It wasn't peaceful — it was suffocating.
At Home – That Evening
Arjun sat in a corner, staring at his result sheet.
Subject-wise marks:
English: 72
Hindi: 76
SST: 63
Science: 68
Maths: 65
Computer: 70
Overall: 69%
He had imagined at least a 75%. He had hoped he'd get praised, maybe even a small reward from his mom. But this — this was worse than a nightmare.
The door creaked open.
His mom stormed in, her face still furious.
Mom: "You wasted time chatting, running after friends, staring out windows. And for what? This?!"
She held up the result again like it was a punishment order.
"I should've taken your phone. I should've kept you in check. You've become careless, Arjun."
And then — another slap.
Not too hard. But enough to break his heart.
Enough to make the tears rise up — but not fall.
Mom: "Don't test my patience. From tomorrow, no mobile, no TV, no cricket. You'll study — that's it."
She walked out, slamming the door behind her.
Arjun sat down on the bed, biting his lip. His eyes welled up. He hadn't cried in front of anyone in years.
But now… now he couldn't hold it in anymore.
He pulled the bedsheet over himself and buried his face in the pillow.
The tears came silently. One after another.
He wasn't crying because of the slap.
He wasn't crying because of the scolding.
He was crying because he knew he could do better.
Because deep down, he had let himself down.
Late Night – The Turning Point
The moonlight peeked through the curtains, falling softly on Arjun's study table. His books lay untouched. His pen rested between the pages of his entrance exam book.
He got up slowly and walked to the table.
He picked up the pen.
Stared at it.
Held it tight.
Then he took out his old rough notebook and opened a fresh page.
At the top, he wrote in bold:
"PROMISE TO MYSELF"
And below it, he wrote:
I will study every day, no matter what.
I will not waste time on useless distractions.
I will prove to everyone — and to myself — that I'm better than this.
I will turn this 69 into a 90+ next time.
I will earn back my mom's trust. Not by words — but by results.
He underlined each line.
His hand was trembling, but his heart was firm now.
Angel (soft voice in his mind):
"This is the boy I believed in. Don't stop now."
Devil (quiet for once):
"…Maybe… just this once, I'll agree."
Midnight
Arjun lay in bed again. No tears now. Just silence — but peaceful this time. The kind of silence that comes after a storm.
He stared at the ceiling.
Arjun (whispering to himself):
"I'm not weak. I'm not average. I'll bounce back."
And that night, for the first time in a while, he fell asleep not with fear, but with determination.