It wouldn't be wrong if I told you I couldn't pass Mathematics if my life depended on it. Unfortunately, I had Math during my intermediate years. Though its not a proud moment from anyone else's perspective but after my first year result was out, I had only scored 37 out of 100 in math. While my mum was busy telling me how my result has been affected by my mathless brains, I was busy offering salah-te-shukarana, for only I know it was impossible for me to clear something I barely understood.
Then came my second year at college. I went to college every working day, but I never attended any classes. By the time, the term was ending, the college administration sent a notice to my residence stating that they wouldn't be able to send my registration on college's behalf to the Board authorities. I'll skip what happened at my place after that letter and continue with how I convinced my college administration that I couldn't attend college for those 3-4 months. I'll also skip the lies I told them about why I couldn't make it to college for one whole term. The Vice Principal decided to give me a shot, and arranged to special exams that were only conducted for me, luckily for me, I passed those, and was allowed to register from college for the federal board exams.
I passed the maths exam because my parents got me math tutor and I hated him, but thanks to that bloke I cleared my mocks.
Finally, I was done with intermediate and was waiting for result, praying regularly, being nice to everyone around, only so I could pass this last exam. Nothing was more important then passing board exams back then. And then one fine day, the Federal Board announced the result.
I logged in to their website, but it wasn't working and I decided to call the board office and ask for my result. As soon as the guy picked up I told him my roll number to which he replied, "Fail hein ap" If I could have died of heart failure, that was the moment, magar mai dheet, I' "Kya matlab?" He replied, "Bibi aik bhe subject nahi clear apka" and then I heard toot toot toot, because he had disconnected. Standing there thinking about what had gone wrong and how the hell I would ever face anybody again in life, tears running down my face when my mum came downstairs and started, "karalya hun zaleel saanu?"
And the phone rang, my younger sister checked the caller ID and said: "fishie its your friend natasha." I couldn't muster up courage to take the phone and my mum refused to talk to me or anyone, hence my sister picked up. I could hear natasha's excited voice through the phone and I wanted to die. I took the phone and congratulated her and told her I've failed. She couldn't believe it. And asked for my roll number, because the board website was working at her place. I told her my roll number and she started laughing. She was laughing when I felt nothing but remorse on my very existence. Thats when I screamed at her, "Mubarak ho tumhe tumharai marks" and she sobered a bit and told me that the roll number I was telling her was my first year's roll number and I needed to check my second year's roll number slip.
I ran upstairs checked my roll number and told her and found out that I hadn't actually failed but the first thing she told me was, "you've 33 in math"
Through that day I know, how it feels to fail a course, or a year altogether. I'm glad it was only temporary though. I always double check things now.
I will never forget that horrible moment when the guy said, "Ap fail hein."
I still have nightmares about it. But I'm glad I could tell my mother at the end, "Nahi karaya thuwanu zaleel" and hugged her.