A notification popped up on Arjun's phone.
It was just one line. One vibration. But it felt like an earthquake beneath his feet.
His fingers trembled.
His heartbeat raced like a warning siren.
"What happened?" his cousin asked, noticing the panic in his eyes.
Arjun didn't reply. His phone was still in his hand, but his mind had left the room.
His elder brother Rajat stormed in, sensed the tension, and without asking, snatched the phone.
SMACK! BAM!
A sharp slap landed across Arjun's cheek. Not out of anger, but out of frustration—of love buried under pressure.
But Arjun… didn't say a word.
Like a donkey who's been beaten a hundred times but never fights back.
That's what they jokingly called him sometimes—"The Monk"—always calm, always quiet, even when he shouldn't be.
"Result! Result!..." he mumbled under his breath.
Their mother walked in. Her face carried warmth like sunshine after a storm.
"Hey! Check what's the result?" she said, smiling, not knowing the storm inside Arjun's chest.
He folded his fingers into a cross, as if hoping to lock in some good luck.
The moment felt like a scene in slow motion.
Arjun looked around and saw two faces—his mother's and his brother's.
Hope in their eyes. Faith in their hearts.
They believed in him.
He wanted to believe too.
Rajat opened the website.
Typed in the name.
Entered the roll number.
Filled in the date of birth.
Arjun shut his eyes tight. His lips moved silently in prayer. He brought his fingers together in Uttarabodhi Mudra, channeling his inner strength.
Then…
CLICK.
Silence.
A beat passed.
Another.
"No Result Found."
Three words.
Just three words… and his world crumbled.
His eyes widened.
His breath stopped.
His legs felt weak.
He stared at the screen, hoping it was a mistake.
But the screen was cruel. Cold. Real.
All the nights he stayed up.
All the times he ignored calls.
All the skipped meals.
All the ignored texts from Priyanka.
All for this one moment.
Gone.
Wasted.
The Next Day at School
The classroom buzzed with chatter. Everyone was talking about the results—who passed, who topped, who failed.
Arjun sat in the corner by the window, head down, staring blankly at his notebook.
"Hey Arjun! You okay?" a classmate asked.
He didn't even look up.
The teacher came in, asked a question. Arjun didn't answer.
She called his name again.
No response.
His friends looked at him, confused. This wasn't like him.
Even the teacher, paused for a second. Even the teacher, paused for a second. Then continued her lesson, giving him space.
At recess, he didn't eat. Just sat on the last bench, scribbling nonsense in his diary.
And then… she walked in.
Priyanka.
Her steps were soft but purposeful.
She looked at him for a second—he looked thinner, paler, quieter.
She sat beside him without a word.
A minute passed.
Still no words.
Finally, she spoke, her voice gentle, like the wind before a storm.
"Why are you doing this to yourself?"
Arjun didn't reply.
"I messaged you… I called… Do you even know how worried I was?"
Still nothing.
She looked down, then looked back at him.
"Is this because of the result?"
That hit him.
He looked away, ashamed.
She softened. Her tone turned tender.
"Arjun… talk to me. Please?"
He swallowed hard, then finally spoke.
"I failed, Priyanka… I failed everything."
"Arjun—"
"No. Let me say it. I need to say it…"
She stayed silent, listening, her eyes locked on his.
"I thought if I worked harder than anyone, if I gave up everything—friends, sleep, even you—that I'd get it. I thought I could make my family proud… just once. Everytime I only made my family sad not only on single day or some curcumstances but always.."
His voice cracked.
"I didn't go out. I didn't smile. I didn't even come to your birthday…"
She gave a sad smile.
"I noticed."
"And then I opened the site. And it just said: 'No result found.'"
His voice broke completely.
"It felt like my name didn't even exist. Like… I didn't exist."
Priyanka gently placed her hand on his.
"You do exist. And you matter more than some stupid website."
He looked at her, eyes glistening.
"I let everyone down."
"No, you didn't." she said firmly.
"Marks don't define who you are, Arjun. You're kind. You're focused. You're someone who actually tries—and that means more than numbers on a screen."
She scooted closer, put a hand over his head, her voice softening again.
"And you didn't lose me, if that's what you're thinking."
He blinked, surprised.
"Even after I ignored you?"
"Yes. Because I knew why you were doing it. I was hurt, yes, but I knew you were just… scared."
He looked down.
She held his hand tighter.
"But you don't have to go through this alone, Arjun. Not anymore."
He smiled, weakly.
"You always say the right thing."
"No," she grinned. "I just say what you forget to believe about yourself."
He chuckled. It was soft, but real.
She nudged his shoulder.
"Now promise me something."
"What?"
"That you'll stop measuring your worth by a percentage."
He hesitated, then nodded.
"And?"
"And… I'll come to your birthday next time," he added with a smile.
"Good," she said.
"Because I saved you a slice of cake this year. It's still in my fridge."
They both laughed—a sound that felt like sunlight breaking through a stormy sky.
Days Later
Arjun began talking more.
He started showing up to class with a pen in his hand instead of a burden on his shoulders.
He helped a classmate with homework.
He smiled at the canteen aunty.
And during lunch, he sat with Priyanka again.
Their conversations weren't always deep—sometimes silly, sometimes serious—but they were always real.
Sometimes, you don't need someone to fix your world.
You just need someone to sit with you while it falls apart… and remind you it can be rebuilt.
And that's what Priyanka did.
Sometimes, the result doesn't define you.
How you rise after it does.
Two people sat quietly.
Arjun and Priyanka.
She had brought two tiffin boxes.
One was hers.
The other… well, it had his name on it, written in fading marker from last year.
She handed it to him without saying a word.
Arjun looked at it, surprised.
"You… packed lunch for me?"
"I do it when I know someone's going to forget to eat out of sadness," she replied, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.
He opened the box slowly. His favorite—aloo paratha and mango pickle.
"How do you always know?"
"I pay attention," she said, taking a small bite of her sandwich.
He smiled. It was small, but genuine.
For a while, they ate in silence. Not awkward silence, but comfortable. The kind that speaks louder than words.
After a few bites, Arjun looked up.
"Do you think they'll hate me?"
"Who?"
"My mom. My brother."
Priyanka placed her sandwich down.
"Arjun… They won't hate you. Disappointment is a passing cloud. Love doesn't vanish with marks. And even if they are upset right now—it's because they care."
He nodded, slowly chewing his food.
Then he looked sideways at her.
"You really saved a piece of cake for me?"
She grinned.
"Nope. I ate it the next morning."
His mouth fell open.
"Wow. I trusted you."
"Trust me again next year. I'll save two pieces."
They both laughed.
A group of classmates passed by, one of them called out:
"Hey lovebirds, want some privacy?"
Arjun flushed red. But Priyanka just waved them off.
"Ignore them," she whispered.
Arjun glanced at her, then smiled.
"You're not embarrassed?"
She shrugged.
"Why should I be? I'm sitting with my friend. Who just needs someone today."
He felt something shift inside him—something warm. Safe.
Then she reached into her bag and pulled out a folded piece of paper.
"What's this?"
"Open it."
He unfolded it carefully.
Inside was a simple drawing—stick figures of two people under a tree, eating lunch. One figure had messy hair and a backpack. The other had long braids and a heart drawn above her head.
Arjun laughed.
"Are we this ugly?"
"Absolutely," she smiled.
Then she pointed at the words scribbled below.
"Even if the world gives you zeros, I'll still choose you."
—P
He looked up. His throat tightened.
"Priyanka… I don't know what to say."
She leaned back, hands behind her head, gazing up at the tree branches above them.
"You don't have to say anything. Just promise me something."
"What?"
"That next time you feel like the world's ending… you come to me before believing it."
He watched her for a second. Then nodded, slowly.
"Okay. I promise."
A bird flew down and picked a crumb from the grass near them. Priyanka giggled.
"See? Even the birds like your paratha crumbs. You must be doing something right."
He rolled his eyes, laughing now. The kind of laugh that doesn't hurt.
The bell rang again, signaling the end of lunch.
Students began to gather their bags and head back in.
But Arjun felt lighter. The weight on his chest wasn't gone—but it had shifted, softened.
As they got up to leave, Priyanka looked at him one last time.
"Hey, Arjun."
"Yeah?"
She paused, then smiled shyly.
"You're not your result, okay? You're... mine."
He blinked. She turned and walked off before he could say a word.
His heart, which had felt broken in the morning, now beat differently.
Hopeful.