Raat ka aasmaan dheere se khidki ke paar chamak raha tha aur main chhat ko tak raha tha, soch mein dooba hua. Bas chaalis din baad mujhe apni zindagi ke sabse bade challenge ka samna karna tha — ek entrance exam jiske liye maine poore saal kuch nahi kiya tha.

Main apne guzre hue waqt pe fakr nahi kar raha tha. Class 12 ke baad maine socha tha ki drop year lena meri secret strategy hogi — ek poora saal sirf padhai ke liye. Par yeh saal toh jaise haathon se rait ki tarah fisal gaya. Din hafte ban gaye, hafte mahine, aur dekhte hi dekhte main distractions ke daldal mein phas gaya. Random hobbies, bekaar ki activities — sab kuch kiya, bas jo karna chahiye tha wo nahi kiya. Mere doston ne apne futures ke liye kaam shuru kar diya. Main wahi ka wahi tha, jaise waqt khatam hone ka intezar hi nahi kar raha tha.

Ab main yahan tha — ek underdog jo namumkin ko anjaam dene ki koshish kar raha tha.

Log underdogs ko underestimate karna pasand karte hain. Unhein lagta hai hum kamzor hain, desperate hain, ya shayad bewakoof bhi. Par jo log bhool jaate hain wo yeh hai: underdogs hamesha bhookhe hote hain. Aur jab aap purpose ke bina kaafi lamba waqt bita lete ho, toh yeh bhook aur bhi zyada badi ho jaati hai. Jaise ek din ka upvaas karne ke baad bhook double ho jaati hai — jitni der tak aap bhooke rehte ho, utni hi taakat se aap khaana todte ho.

Mujhe yeh ehsaas pehle bhi hua tha. Class 12 mein bhi aisa hi hua tha — poore saal main apni kitaabein chhukar tak nahi dekhi thi. Par aakhri mahine kuch switch hua mere andar. Main jaise pagal ho gaya tha — chapters tod tod ke padhta gaya jaise meri jaan uspe tikki ho. Jab result aaya, toh maine 88.2% score kiya tha — perfect nahi, par proof ki jab desperation aur determination mil jaati hai, toh namumkin bhi mumkin ban jaata hai.

Is baar main sirf desperate nahi tha — main bhookha tha.

Maine khud se kaha, "Chaalis din kaafi hain."

Mujhe poora saal nahi chahiye tha — mujhe bas woh aag chahiye thi jo sirf ek underdog ke andar hoti hai. Woh bhook jo sabit karne ki chaah se aati hai — duniya ko galat, khud ko sahi. Mujhe pata tha kya karna hai, kaise karna hai — bas subah uthna tha aur chal padna tha. Bina bahaane, bina khud pe taras khaye — bas ek dum focused effort.

Woh chaalis din… woh subah se raat tak ka safar sirf ek obsession ban gaya. Har minute schedule mein badal gaya. Subah uthte hi maine decide kiya — theory ke saare concepts pehle clear karunga. Har concept ke baad practice set solve karunga aur raat tak revision compulsory hoga.

Mujhe yaad hai ek raat jab main poora thak chuka tha. Aankhen bojhal thi, dimaag jaise sun ho gaya tha. Par maine apne aap se kaha — "Aaj sirf aur sirf ek page aur." Ek page ko main ghanta bhar tak padta raha, aur jaise hi samajh mein aaya, woh satisfaction… jaise maine koi jang jeet li ho.

Kabhi kabhi darr lagta tha — "Kya main sach mein kar paunga?" Par phir main apne Class 12 ke result ko yaad karta aur woh ek mahina ka safar — wahin se mujhe himmat milti thi.

Waqt dheere dheere nikalta gaya. Har roz ki thakan badti gayi, par main ruka nahi. Mujhe yaad hai woh din jab maine apne study table pe note chipkaya — "Main jeetunga." Har baar jab thakaan mehsoos hoti thi, main us note ko dekhta aur apne andar phir se aag jalata.

Aakhri raat thi… Woh raat jab log so rahe the aur main apne desk pe baitha tha — saare formulae, key points aur shortcuts ko revise karte hue. Kal ka din woh din tha jismein ya toh main jeet jaunga ya phir… nahi, haar ka option tha hi nahi.

Exam ka din… Jaise hi main hall mein baitha, saari mehnat aankhon ke saamne flash hone lagi. Har wo raat jab neend sacrifice ki thi, har wo moment jab thakaan ke baad bhi maine apne aap ko uthaya tha.

Jab paper shuru hua, toh maine bas ek cheez apne dimaag mein rakhi — "Koi guess nahi, sirf jo sure hoon wahi likho." Har question ko main ya toh confidently likh raha tha ya skip kar raha tha — bekaar mein waqt waste karne ka option hi nahi rakha.

Aur phir result ka din…

Mera naam merit list mein tha.

Woh sirf ek number nahi tha… Woh proof tha ki underdog sirf jeetne ke liye nahi bana hota — kabhi kabhi wo un sabko peeche chhod deta hai jo sochte hain ki wo jeet nahi sakta.

Chaalis din… Bas itna hi waqt tha mere paas.

Par is baar, itna hi kaafi tha ek underdog ko impossible dream ko pane keliye.