The caged life

The saga of the IIT-JEE Advanced, 2019 is over. Now amid all the gala I tell you the tale of an aspirant looming in the narrow and anxiety-ridden lanes of Kota, Rajasthan…

The clock has been ticking. I live in delusion, each tick producing a throb in my ears, every second taking away a hue of innocence from my face, leaving overtones of jealousy and sheer contempt.

Events and occasions fly past me leaving no marks of nostalgia or memories, except the loving voice of my

aama (mother) which coos gently in my ears. I mature into a new person every day, but itching for my lost innocence. My hands crave to feel the mud as my nose longs for the smell of village sand. My brain is now immune to the myriad books I studied, but my heart sobs.

The nights never end as I walk down the aisle to cherish a hot soothing cup of cutting chai. Gobs of memories flush my cheeks as I wait. The hue of my skin erodes as I sip and witness the silence of the night.

I am stained by marks caused by the deplorable scores which have become a part of my psyche. An uncanny feeling whizzes past me as I feel that the year is going to be malevolent.

My brain is set into a frenzy as we get calibrated like the degree marks of a thermometer, the lower degrees being shunned and the upper degrees hogging the limelight.

Offbeat shades paint our hearts as we unravel the days wondering what is in store for us. The tough ones are able to spin the idea of living an exuberant life into reality, which dances around their soul, adding fuel to their inner fire.

Sultry days parch my throat amidst the never-ending battle between my sweating and my tears. You get to see numerous diamonds, which create sparkle from the torrid rays. Yet you also see stones that try to emulate the North Star.

There is a constant battle between my soul and brain as appa calls me every week. Frankly, for me my primrose path is to make a spectacle of my achievements in front of my parents.

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