A Bond Of Intellect

Chapter - 29

Riti felt relieved that there was nothing change in Evan's behavior. In the upcoming days, Riti diverted her whole concentration to her exam, and she didn't do anything wrong. They were back in their apartment, and Evan gave his full attention to teaching Riti, trying his best not to be too strict with her as it was a crucial time, and he didn't want her to lose her path in studies again.

A month before the exam, Evan filled out Riti's form online. Riti was already very nervous with only a month left, but she forgot that if she cleared the exam, the next journey would be even more difficult for her. In the last month, Evan let Riti focus on her own preparation.

The day of the final exam arrived, and everyone wished her the best. Evan dropped Riti off at the exam center and waited outside for her since it was going to be a three-hour-long exam. In the exam room, Riti did her best but couldn't attempt some questions. When her paper was collected, Riti's face looked sad, as if she could cry at any moment, but she didn't say anything since there were people around.

As she exited the center, she saw Evan standing in front of the gate. When Evan asked, "How was it?" she started to cry. Her sobbing worried Evan, so he took her into the car first to avoid the crowd. He turned to her, shook her shoulder slightly and softly, and asked, "What happened, Riti? Did it not go well?" Riti shook her head, indicating it didn't go well.

Evan caressed her face, wiped away her tears with his hands, and said, "Shhhh, it's okay even if it didn't go well. It's okay; we have plenty of opportunities." He made her look up and asked her to show him the question paper. Riti showed him, and Evan checked it, asking, "It's not like it was difficult for you, so how many questions did you attempt?"

Riti's tears flowed more upon hearing Evan's words. He wiped her tears again and said, "I mean, it's okay even if you couldn't do it... Shhhhh, stop crying." Then he said, "Now stop crying; I think we will discuss it at home." After that, he started the car and headed home.

When they got home, Evan sat on the sofa and asked Riti to sit beside him. Riti's face was still sullen. Evan took the question paper again and asked, "Now tell me how many questions you attempted." Riti showed him the back side of the question paper, pointing to the questions she couldn't attempt, and said, "I didn't able to attempt this... And this, this...m."

She showed the questions that she didn't get to attempt, and Evan was a little bit shocked. He said, "What! Then you have attempted all of the questions except these few?" Riti nodded her head, thinking he was going to scold her.

But instead, Evan took a little chuckle and said, "I thought you had left half of the paper, so that's why you are crying that much, silly girl!" Saying this, he held Riti in his arm and hugged her, saying, "That much is nothing; you did your best. Now just wait for results."

Riti felt assured, smiled, and thought that her hard days were gone. She finally felt relaxed. However, she wasn't aware of her journey next. One day, she was sitting in the room, and Evan was working. She asked, "Umm! Well, if I cleared the exam, then what's next?"

Evan heard it, looked up at her, and said, "The next process is to choose college according to your marks." Riti got more curious and said, "But when will I get a job?" Hearing this, Evan smirked and said, "There is a longer journey ahead. First, it will be after 4 or 5 years that you will get your MBBS degree, and then next... and if you want to become a specialist, you have to study more. It's depend on you which specialist you want to become..."

Evan explained everything to Riti, and she felt a lot of pressure, thinking she had already studied that much and now it was going to be even more study. So, she opened her phone and checked every detail of the doctor's journey. She found out the very harsh reality that clearing the entrance exam was just a stepping stone.
Finally, the result came, and Riti and Evan were at home with their family, waiting for the news. Evan checked the result and said expressionless, "She has scored '640' out of 720 and has passed it."

As everyone heard it, they all laughed and clapped for Riti, feeling overjoyed. Shivani came with sweets and said, "I knew she would be able to do it. That's why I have already prepared the sweets." Everyone was ecstatic.

Then, vinesh, Riti's father, said to Evan, "It's all thanks to you, beta. If it weren't for you, it wouldn't have been possible." Evan replied, "It's nothing like that, Dad. She have also did her best."

Evan was also happy for her, but Riti's face showed something else, like she was just forcing her smile. After all of them decided to go out for dinner, and then Riti got some time to be alone, Evan didn't bother her as he didn't want to ruin everyone's happiness and got ready to go outside for dinner.

Riti too came out, and they all went. On their whole way, Riti was unfocused. Even her mother asked her about the reason, but she declined it by saying she was just so much happy that she didn't know what to feel.

When they reached home, she went to their room, and after some time, Evan also followed her, finally getting time to talk with her. He closed the door behind him and locked it, as there were Riti's parents too there, and moved to Riti's side, who was sitting on the bed still wearing her Anarkali dress.

Evan said, "What's wrong? Is there something bothering you?" But there was no reply from Riti, as her mind was not focused. Evan got near to her and said a little loudly and shook her, "I am talking with you." This time, Riti looked at Evan and replied, "N-nothing."

Evan didn't move and said, "Since when do you start lying again?" And Riti then told him, "I-I don't want to leave from there. I don't want to live alone." She said this and started to cry. Evan's expression showed worries for her.

He bent down to match her level and took her face in his hand and said, "You are already aware that your father wants you to become a doctor. Then why now, after all that hard work?" He then said, "Now it's not time to give up."

But Riti's heart was aching with the thought that now she had to leave this family too. After she leaves her maternal home, she can't do it again. She had taken so much liking towards Evan that she couldn't live without him now. And said, "N-no, I don't know anything. I-I will n-not go anywhere..."