Exam day blues

I woke up with a startle to a shrill voice of the alarm ringing and a sweat running down my brow. Pale faced I reached for the clock to shut the damn thing off before it gave me a headache. My breathing was still heavy. I realized it was just a nightmare I had. I was sitting on a chair in front of study table next to a window. Books were lying open around me. I figured I must have dozed of trying to study. I uttered a curse under my breath. So much for a night out before the exam day. I probably hadn’t lasted long with the scary looking books before succumbing to sleep last night. That meant I knew only the first chapter of the book that consisted of probably more than 20.Unfortunately for me, the 1st chapter was just the introduction. I got up from my chair, trying hard to stifle a yawn, to move the curtain away and open the window. I was still sweating from the nightmare I just had. Daylight washed the room as I moved the curtains aside. This couldn’t be I thought, how could it be so sunny at 3Am in the morning. Now despite the sweating a cold chill was running down my spine. I reached for the clock again, it did show the time to be 3 Am. something was definitely not right. It wasn’t 3 Am that was for sure. I searched for my watch under pile of mess I had created on my table. Finally found it buried beneath some blank papers which I had intended to have filled up with notes from the chapters the previous night. The watch showed the time to be 9:30. My breathing got heavier. The exam was scheduled to be at 9. I pushed the chair back and hurled the damned clock into a dustbin. Uttering more curses, I opened my room door. An empty hostel block welcomed me. Of course it would be empty, everyone would be in the exam hall writing away answers furiously. Slamming the door closed, i started running towards the college block. I was running as if my life depended on it. My chances of getting a descent job definitely did. Not to mention what I would have to tell my parents. “Mom, Dad, I slept through my exam." I shivered at the thought.

I ran into the college entrance and past several people without stopping for a breath. I reached my classroom door panting. That’s when I realized, I wasn’t carrying neither my hall ticket nor a pen. There was one more thought that was trying to push its way through in my mind. But I figured that could wait for the moment. What else could be more important than this? I prayed that the lecturer would let me write the exam, if I begged him enough. I pushed the door open and walked in still panting. As I looked around at the faces staring back at me, I felt something wasn’t right. Why had everyone stopped writing and were looking at me with shock. In fact I could see couple of people with jaws wide open enough for a bird to build their nest. Of course I was late for an exam, but that definitely didn’t deserve this kind of reaction. Suddenly the thought that was trying to push its way through in my brain succeeded to grab my attention. I was still dressed in my previous night’s pajamas and baniyan. Not to mention my hair was a complete mess. That last part was of course a minor detail. Mr. Hari Sadu, who had the reputation of being the nastiest lecturer of the college, was the supervisor. He was still recovering from surprise. Mr. Sadu had started walking past the benches towards me yelling in his shrill voice. I stood there speechless, wide eyed, stomach churning and head swirling. All these reactions were trying to compete with each other. And it looked as if each of the reactions were winning. Mr. Sadu was already next to me and was angrily shouting at me. I couldn’t make out a thing of what he was saying. It seemed to me that his voice was getting shriller (If that was ever possible) and louder. I was already sweating profusely by now, not to mention the feeling of being embarrassed in front of whole classroom. He was about to slap me, when I woke up with a startle to the shrill voice of the alarm ringing and a sweat running down my brow...