The sky has Limits.
But his confidence was limitless.
Class 10 pre-board results were out. Our school’s history mam has a very good nature of shouting out the marks in front of the whole class. Lesser a student would score more loudly she would shout while distributing the papers.
Mam : Sourav 86/ 100…. good but much better expected from you.
Mam ( with a wicked smile ) : Dhruv ha haaa haa…. I thought you would land up in single digit but you were extraordinary 13/ 100 . Leave you studies. Even your science subjects can’t help you pass. You are such a shame to your parents.
Dhruv : Sorry mam I will improve.
Mam : Hahaa..only two months are left. You know what you are a failure in life. Show your mom this marks and bring her signature. She would be proud to give birth a son like you.
** The abuses went on **
** Dhruv reached his breakdown point **
Dhruv ( with untrollable anger and tears in his eyes ) : Mam enough. My mother is proud of me who I am. And I challange you that I will get the highest in boards . Then I will come and throw the result on your face.
** His words brought an unbroken silence in the class. Even mam was shocked **
Our class 10 was not CBSE or ICSE. But west bengal state board, one of the toughest state boards in India.
I still remember he sat in the same classroom with me. Unlike CBSE and ICSE we had to go to a different school to give the exam.
Our paper was of 3 hours and after completion of almost 2 hours and 15 min. He shouted out loudly “ Now I will show that bitch ”.
It was so loud that the police constables and the teacher shouted at him to be seated.
I thought that the paper made him crazy. Because it was quite hard.
But during the results it was Baaamm.
A perfect 100/100 which was unbeleivable in History.
No one in school history had scored full marks in Histrory.
And while taking the results Dhruv approached mam just as he said 4 months ago.
But instead of throwing the results at her face he said something. Something so powerful that it not only changed her but gave listeners like me a life long lesson.
He said
“ You will never know what you are capable of if you won't try. ”
“ And thanks mam, for pushing me one step out of my comfort zone ”
( This picture is of a tombstone near Lamdon Model School in Zaskar, Leh. One of the most remote places in the world situated in Leh, J & Kashmir )