"Oh my goodness! It looks great, English 98, maths 96..." I exclaimed in joy.
"Calculate it! The percentage," my brother shouted next to me.173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRAQ0AUmXzP
"Just a second... I'll figure it out."173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv2jMyiiF5i
"Sister, please hurry... please, it has to be above 95," I prayed.173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFZy0Qo2oMm
"How did it go?" I asked her, my eyes shut, and my hands trembling.173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ60Tx5ghC6R
"97," she replied.173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjpwfOHjPvT
"Wow... fantastic, my child. I knew you could do it," my brother praised, patting me on the back.173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL63DD1C4i1
"97? Is that good enough?" I asked, trying to conceal my excitement.173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs0d02JB8xw
"Good enough? Are you joking? I only got 88. Well done!" my sister exclaimed, shaking me in excitement.173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxu8OsLM7Z3
"How much did you get?" My mother rushed into my room.173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDtJROlGb0g
"97.03," my sister shouted with joy.173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQaowubtNil
"Oh, it's above 90... now I can proudly show off," my mother said, looking at me.173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDPinZiOlEu
"This must be the highest in your class, I'm sure of it," my brother commented as I was downloading the result card.173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQj04eiK0TW
"My highest score is in social studies, it's a 99," I shared.173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfzOPTElgBL
"Wow, maybe you should consider arts," my brother suggested straightforwardly.173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaQntuJGWw3
"Arts? Stick with science, good students choose science," my mother interjected.173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQgTSiNI6rh
"You could also consider commerce, like Chartered Accountancy and such. Not everyone in this family is meant for engineering," my sister added.173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCpxG15AopD
"No commerce, no arts, only science. Your father will agree with me, call him," my mother insisted, her gaze fixed on my siblings.173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGPighNyJjF
"I was actually thinking about arts, maybe for UPSC and other options. Arts offer a wider range of opportunities," I pondered aloud.173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4qHCqXdrD7
"Didn't I tell you? Take science then, medical..." 173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhlxcDNuIWO
"But mummy, let her decide!" My sister said to my mother, her voice loud173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3o2Be72Guu
"Who do you think you're shouting at? My mother directed her voice loudly at my sister."173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOFFrvGC9th
"No isn't it crazy I am also doing engineering, because you told me so, she has good scores she can keep it up and be something she wants" My sister shouted back standing up for me.173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7fNo5F2fyi
"Why...why are you guys fighting....? I said trying to get the situation at hand173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtwDBq1Msod
"I am pretty sure, mummy will win", my brother stated sitting on the bed and eating an apple 173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0tmNnDNj0b
"Shut up" I said to my brother....ohh Amisha is calling.....as I went out with the phone looking at my sister who was fighting for me inside the room, I knew she went through the same things that I did or maybe worse, we all are the rotten fruits from the same basket after all.173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9yNubYZYG5
173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf3knc25lgC
.........In the room............
173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbhg7tewfyQ
"Appu (Apoorva), you don't have a say in it, got it?" my mother asserted.
"But mummy, how can you decide her life when your decision already ruined mine?" Apoorva (Vyani's sister) shouted back at our mother.173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRCYd3D1VGP
"Shut up. You ruined your own life," my mother retorted sharply.173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHCCowY2IP7
"I wanted to study archaeology," Apoorva expressed her frustration.173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcFLEkogO41
"But now you are in a good college, what more do you need?" my mother questioned.173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzNY2gGo5Yq
"This is getting intense now," my brother commented, trying to intervene.173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmD4gVjomDh
"Go and do your work, rather than complaining," my mother dismissed him as she headed into the kitchen.173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQqeki3qS2j
"You are so mean sometimes," Apoorva shouted towards the kitchen before retreating to her room.173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEmIKZnaiNh
The tension in the air lingered, leaving a sense of unresolved conflict hanging in the room.173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZXeaGRo2VC
173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3xSDLIFvZX
............... Meanwhile outside..........
"Hello, Amisha."173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLgKtA4E37c
"Vyakhya, I scored 98 per cent, the highest in the school!" she shouted joyfully from the other end.173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvqBgFyHKrH
"What?" I responded, my dream of securing the 1st position shattering around me. "Congratulations, well done."173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxuI7pMEFJF
"I know, right? I worked too hard for this, and teachers already congratulated me. Did they call you? How much did you get?"173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo8bX3aM9Tf
"97..." I replied, a tear escaping my eye.173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡetRaQhlCYs
"97? Oh, it's also good... you just needed two per cent to surpass me. It's also good. Well done to you too. Oh, Mihika mam is calling me, let's talk later," she said, ending the call abruptly.173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKVhrdCVNwx
"Did you score so bad?"173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfj16WaMpeb
"No, it isn't bad, until my father compares it to Amisha's score," I explained to Tis, who had approached me from behind as I spoke to Amisha.173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDnDxHdbMMd
"Are you satisfied?"173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCQQwQ4P8MC
"I don't know, actually I don't care. It's just another mark for another test."173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDlPJ65Gafx
"Then, why are you crying?"173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0FZYgxo4GV
"Oh, it's jealousy. You won't understand."173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡImTExJPpEf
"Another human emotion?"173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8t5rQx1QLO
"Kind of..." I replied, heading to my sister's room.173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeclikrOp13
"Didi, what are you doing?"173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwFNAklPL7C
"Nothing, come in, topper girl," she said with a smile, wiping away the tears from her cheek.173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyes35uafRz
"Don't lie, you were crying."173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM6XBHdeozA
"No, I wasn't. Wait, were you crying too?"173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZT7LOZwFRA
"No, I wasn't."173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpqk2hvX8EU
"Hmm... Hey, don't listen to mom. Choose whatever you want, okay?173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF53vq98ymx
"Yeah, I'll decide for myself," I replied. After that, an awkward silence followed. She wanted to say a lot, and I did too. In brown families, they might teach you to talk but not really communicate. I looked into her eyes, still wet. I wanted to thank her for standing up for me, but the words just wouldn't come. She sat there, staring at her books, which I knew she wasn't really reading. Gathering courage, I said, "Didi, thank you for standing up for me."173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrFb5YUjWNU
"It's nothing... just an older sibling duty," she replied, but her eyes told a different story.173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5yrsOAUNMr
"Don't cry. I know you never wanted to do engineering-"173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJGNUDV7sSR
"It's okay. I can't fix a broken glass. I have to throw it away eventually," she said, her eyes filling with tears again.173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK7N0IAtIko
I wanted to share Amisha's score with her, but it didn't feel like the right time. She was crying because she saw a vulnerable side of herself in me. I couldn't think of anything else to say as I hugged her while she cried on my shoulder. Tis was there, staring at us in disgust. I guess he hates human emotions. But how could I hate them when I'm drowning in them?"173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ02krSulKIk
173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8fFQl8QFQw
173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhlJbV0AGZa
173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzXvQnue6k6
173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFDcvcsau6g
173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYBsGJsjNUB
173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJtsfxTkX6T
173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIgYH8fQ9xm
173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfOCpcPYAEj
173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3zTly2iQs2
173Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdhFe7qMkRS
