22 minutes before the exam- A Thriller

"Exams are scary."
"Man, I did not sleep last night. I think I'll fall on my desk while writing today!"
"I hope dehydration does not stop my head from functioning!"
"No food for 16 hrs straight, I might flunk today."

People get the strangest of thoughts just seconds before the commencement of exams. I have had my share too. The top three situations where I literally panicked:

3) First Semester(2006). We had a paper on Chemistry. I was overconfident on easily passing the exam thanks to the internal marks of 45 on 50 and hence went out with family to the restaurants, shopping malls, etc., on the penultimate day of the semester exam only to land up with the chemistry book in my room at ten in the night. Feeling tired, I feel onto my book. I got up at five in the morning and BAM, triggered the panic button... On scanning the paper, my face went pale. No clue whatsoever on two 16-mark questions. Attended 55 marks, literally filled a page or two with answers completely irrelevant. I was sure of flunking for the first time ever. Fortunately, got a 'C'!

2) Second Semester(2007). I had a positive inclination towards Engineering Mechanics and Maths; these had sums and when you have three hours for a single paper, numerical problems keep the paper far from being boring. But, I was down with viral fever before the E.Mechanics exam and even thought of skipping the test on the belief that I'll take up the test after a few months. Mom said to give it a try. I could barely talk or walk! I attended 60 marks, of which 15 marks were mere attempt with the sole intention of clearing the paper! Got a 'B'! Luck do exist!

1) Final Exam(12th Standard, 2006) I remember wishing I were dead that day! I was so not ready to get into the examination hall. I wished for an earthquake! DOOMSDAY! CM's demise, ANYTHING MAN!! I was that unprepared. Well, it did not turn out well. This, I believe, is the best(and hopefully remain the best) panic attack I have ever had(I'll ever have). It was that bad!

As we grow, we learn. Or that is what is believed. Our fears fade and vanish. We had a semester exam today(23th Nov., Monday). The funniest part was that I started and completed a Hardy Boys novel the night before the exam. And again I slept with the false belief that I'll manage to wake up and read something pertaining to the subject- Cadastral Sureverying. IN VAIN. I got up at seven in the morning, all thanks to the phone call of Vignesh who, by the way, is the hero of this short, sweet thriller :)

Seven in the morning, with the sun rays energizing every cell in my body and the hot tea doing its magic, I went through the headlines. LOL. I did not believe it was yet time to hit the panic button. Shower. Breakfast. Friend on Bike. College. Vignesh was all geared up- book in one hand, cell phone in the other, smiling on our entry. Typical, caring IYER.

There we were, exchanging notes and thoughts on the chapters we learned. Co-operate to Dominate :) Everything was going well. Time-9:02 AM. We packed up the necessities and walked to the examination hall and BAM! A virtual hammer hit me real hard! All this time, while we were happily cooperating to dominate, listening to part-lessons, part-stories to be written in the answer paper, my HALL TICKET lay in my room at HOME!

Very many people in the world have the talent to screw things at the very last moment, and I too belong to that elite group! So, with 25 minutes in hand, Vignesh with no second thoughts agrees to accompany me in yet another thriller. We rush to the parking lot and race our way through the traffic! What a waste, we were stuck on the last place anyone would wish to get stuck- on the topmost portion of a bridge! Nevertheless, we raced and reached the examination room a little over time. 9:32. We were allowed to write; we would have been allowed even if we were 15 minutes late. But then, this was thrilling and strangely we did not, or rather I did not hit the PANIC BUTTON.

Thanks to Vignesh the day was saved. A treat awaits him. :)