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Life after boards was a strange, disjointed reality for the once inseparable group from St. Joseph's. They were no longer just teenagers navigating the trivialities of school life together; they were now young adults stepping into different worlds, each consumed by the demands of their own ambitions and failures. The bonds that had once tethered them seemed to loosen further as time went on, and now, they stood at the crossroads of their futures, no longer holding hands.
Kiara: Into the World of Actuarial Science
Kiara leaned back in her chair, staring at the email that confirmed her admission to the Actuarial Institute. It felt surreal. After months of sleepless nights, grueling study hours, and the crushing weight of self-doubt, she had done it. She had made it into the program she had dreamed about for years.
Her board exams, while not perfect, had gone well enough—she had scored 89%. Respectable. But the real challenge had always been the actuarial exams. She had passed her first paper on the second attempt, learning from her initial failure.
As she packed her books and prepared to move to Mumbai for the institute, she thought briefly of her old friends. Maya and her debates, Ayush and his constant jokes, Sanya's sketches, and Tanmay's quiet determination. She missed them, but life was pulling her forward, and she couldn't look back for long.
Maya: A Step Below Her Dreams
Maya had always imagined herself walking the halls of Lady Shri Ram College, her dream destination for studying economics. When her CUET results came in, she was confident she had done well. But as the college cutoffs rolled out, reality struck like a cold slap: she hadn't made it. The competition had been fiercer than she had anticipated, and her score wasn't enough to secure her place at LSR.
Instead, Maya found herself at Ramjas College—prestigious, yes, but not where she had wanted to be. It took weeks for her to accept this new reality. Her parents, thrilled with her admission, couldn't understand her disappointment.
Still, Maya resolved to make the most of it. Ramjas was not LSR, but it was still a part of the University of Delhi, and she was determined to carve out her path, even if it wasn't exactly how she had imagined.
Ayush: From the Uniform to the Classroom
For Ayush, the months after board exams were a whirlwind of emotions. He had always dreamed of joining the NDA, picturing himself in the olive-green uniform, serving his country with pride. But reality, as it often does, had other plans.
His first attempt at the NDA had ended in disappointment. He had performed well in the written exam but was disqualified during the SSB interview process. The rejection stung, leaving him to question everything he had worked for.
His father had suggested he look at engineering as a backup, and reluctantly, Ayush had agreed. To his surprise, he cleared the JEE Mains with decent marks and secured a seat in Delhi Technological University (DTU), one of the top engineering colleges in India.
