During my primary school days in Cluny I always used to be second in either the sport activities like running or gunny-bag races or if I get an award like for “ Excellence in Studies” it will be ever 2nd..Never ever have I got the first rank in any of my classes though I have innumerable 2nd ranks to my credit.
The most striking part that vindicated my “99”ness came during my higher secondary days , that too in my Mathematic tuition tests. In almost all tests I will get 99/100 , 49/50 , 59/60...... howsoever carefully I do the tests I would have bungled with one step here or there for which my Mathematics madam as strict as she is would deduct 1 mark. So I end up almost always 1 short of that “century”. I used to say to her that I would end up in the same manner in the 12th exams too & you know what in my 12th exams my score in Mathematics was 199/200 & in Chemistry 199/200...! So much so for the Nostradamus in me .
I thought there would be a change on the brighter side since I was the only one from my batch who got into Govt. Medical college . But if you would have guessed it right give a pat on your back. In my first exams in Anatomy paper my score was 299 missing the distinction by 1 mark..! AGAIN..! By the time I finished my UG I got couple of 3rd place finishes in my academic performances (happy that atleast here I wasn’t 2nd ) .
After my UG instead of what most of my friends did in pursuing for the PG I took a detour towards civil services examinations . Here too I cleared preliminary exams with ease each time I wrote twice unable to cross the Main exam. 99 striking again.
Not only in academics , in every sphere of life I felt often stranded in 99 . I had two crushes so far neither of whom rejected me at the point 0 (zero) or 1. In both the instances I built hopes (albeit false ) upto the level of “99” when I was told that all along I have erected a castle built upon delusions .
Now coming back to the academics , after my futile attempt at UPSC & realising that “the grapes are sour ” I started my preparations for PG entrance exams which lasted for some 7-8 months. At the end of it I got rank in almost all the exams I wrote but misfortune was shadowing me. I missed the seat in JIPMER only because I didn’t browse through their notification of extended counselling. In the NIMHANS too I missed the seat (the exact mark by which I missed I don’t know but I bet you it won’t be too high.... ). In All India PG counselling my first choice was MD (Psychiatry) & when the counselling started on my day only 1 seat was left which stayed as it was till lunch but just as I was about to be called someone took it & the “Luck” played its part once again.
Why was I left stranded @ 99 time & again..? May be I was not able to put in that extra bit of effort that separated 99 from 100 or was it that lacuna is bridged by that thing known as “Luck” which is a distant relative for me....?
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This how this piece would have ended if I have written it couple of months back. But there were many turn of events in the last couple of months after which I had to experience the satisfaction & joy of reaching that “100” for the first time in life when I got admission in NIMHANS by virtue of increase in one seat & guys who were ranked above me refusing the seat..................................................How’s that for a happy ending.
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