Road Not Taken ✔

Chapter 29

Next day I and Cherry rose up early as from tomorrow our exams are starting and we need to buckle up for the battleground. I mean we need to gear up for our mid term exams . Cherry , I and other students of my school have taken permission from Sanjay Sir to take a break from coaching to do self study for the midterm exams. So, now we can study peacefully without the need for rushing to the coaching and exhausting our energies because Sanjay sir will also take extra classes for us and other school students who will miss their classes due to school examinations .

So, after eating our breakfast Cherry and I sat to study , Cherry sat on her bed while I sat on the study table because I feel sleepy whenever I sit on the bed to study . So, study table is the best option for me when it comes to studying for long hours with full concentration . Tomorrow we have Chemistry exam and I am quite confident about the subject but I hate the inorganic chemistry which involves a lot of cramming . Learning the whole Periodic table and knowing which element belongs to which group and period respectively is quite boring but Sanjay sir's mnemonics have made this tedious task easier . But what I fret are the stupid exceptions in reasoning of s and p block chapters. Well ...sorry I am making you all bored by ranting about the inorganic chemistry . In short I want to say that these exceptions keep changing like chameleon because an exception for certain element or compound might not be an exception for the other element or compound . So, this makes everything damn confusing making a mess in the reasonable minds.

So, first I took the most reasonable and logical Physical chemistry , I didn't realise when it was already noon as I loved solving numerical one after another . We did a light lunch of Zeera rice (Cumin Rice ) and Masoor daal ( red split lentil ) because light food does not make you lazy and sleepy after the meal .

After the lunch I took Organic Chemistry . I love the nomenclature of organic compounds . Organic Chemistry is a boon for me as everything is logical with a proper explanation . As I finished revising the organic Chemistry , I looked at the clock it was dinner time .

As I sat on the dinner table my appetite was gone as exam anxiety had engulfed my mind . But I ate a few garlic bread sticks out of courtesy because I don't want to came across as a rude person on the dinner table by not eating the food .

After that we again reached out for the books . I took a deep breath and then I picked up the dreadful inorganic chemistry . I again properly revised the mnemonics given by Sanjay Sir , then I did the reasoning part which was easy to understand . Now it was already midnight . Then at last I made a long table of all those difficult to grasp exceptions of inorganic chemistry . It was 2 am when I finished writing the list and my back ached like hell.

I decided to take some sleep as my back was giving up on me now. I set an alarm for 5 in the morning so that my poor back could get some rest and my spine straightens up for the next day .

Next day Cherry woke me up by shaking my hand . I woke up panicking. I saw the clock and my heart sank it was 6:30 am . Argh...why did I not hear the alarm ? Argh.... I had planned to study the prepared list at 5 am but argh...Now my plan is ruined.

Cherry understood the panic building inside me by my face which had turned white out of fear now. Cherry came to my side quickly and I told her everything . Cherry comforted me saying " Don't worry Diya , God will help you as you have worked hard . Now don't stress and do your best ." Cherry's words relaxed me a bit . Then we both got ready for school. Cherry's mom hugged her as we were about to leave for school. Seeing this hug , I craved for my Mom's hug. I don't know how Nancy Aunty understood that I was missing my mom as Nancy Aunty came near me and she hugged me warmly . My heart was overwhelmed with warmth by this hug . This hug definitely gave me strength .

Then we drove to school . During the 30 minutes ride , I looked at the list as I was sitting behind Cherry on the scooty. I looked at 5 exceptions . Then school came so we parked the scooty ,we took all our stationaries required for the exam . Then we went to the respective class according to the seating arrangement as per our class roll numbers .

I sat in the examination classroom . I did a little prayer in my mind before the exam started . The question paper came in my hand . Then I looked at the question paper and I gave it a brief glance. I was happy as the paper was quite scoring and luckily all the exceptions which I had read from the list came in the examination. Many heart did a few back flips in contentment and happiness . I attempted the paper nicely .

After the exam got over we zoomed off to Cherry's home . After lunch  we dozed off for few hours . Then afterwards in the evening my mom called me . She was going for her consecutive fifth medical conference and  before stepping in the conference hall my mom had called me to know about me . I briefed her about my day quickly like a small kid .My mom was happy to know that my exam went well as I was  chirping to her in delight .

But then I heard dad in the background saying " Naina ! ( my mom's name) we are getting late . If you end the call with your dear daughter then the world won't end . Hurry up! Naina now we don't have time to listen to Diya's nonsense talks and rants". Then the call ended abruptly .

My father's words echoed in my head , my heart sank in my chest and I literally felt choked . I somehow managed to stop my tears spilling from my eyes until midnight . But after Cherry slept , I silently cried out in my pillow.When my tears and emotions were uncontrollable I rushed to the restroom situated in Cherry's room .After that I locked the washroom from inside .Then I opened the tap for few minutes to cry my out heart without letting Cherry know about it .

Already Cherry is doing a lot for me . So,I don't want to trouble Cherry and her family with my myseries and troubles .Then I closed the tap, I wiped my tears and I washed my face to compose myself .

After that I laid on the bed . I could hear Cherry snoring as she must have been  tired . Then my mind had a tsunami of questions. Is my Dad not missing me when he is so far from me ? Does he not care for me? Does he not love me? Why he is always rude to me? Why ? ? I am tired with Dad's rudeness . I wish that I was never born to him because he never loved me and he always thought of me as an asset or as a mere successor who would carry his name and the doctor tag , who is born just to fulfill his aspirations and maintain his name in the society .

I  wish someday my dad treats me as his daughter , loves and care for me as a father and keeps his hand on my head giving me blessings for happiness in my life.

I have craved for my father's affection since so long .Everytime when  my dad behaves indifferently  to me I feel hurt but this time heart is literally pierced by his unconcerned words and apathetic attitude towards me.

I close my eyes as they feel  heavy because of  my  excessive crying . Then I dive into dark hopeless sleep.

**********CHAPTER ENDS*********