Like every hard-working brat, I too was struggling hard to get a thorough revision of my subject (Muslim Sufis).
I was strolling in the balcony of my hostel with my notes’ copy in my hand. Satisfied with my preparations, I kept my notebook down and plugged in my earpieces to listen to music. It was chilling winters, 5th December, and my favourite subject’s exam. I was excited to another level, for I knew that today, I was going to nail it.
Looking at me curiously, one of my pals asked, “Zakia, are you done with the preparation?” “Yes, almost done,” I replied. And she smiled and went to her room. Only a few hours were left for us to get ready for the exam. It was around 1:00 pm when I left hurriedly with my admit card for the examination hall.
My excitement and anxiety knew no bounds. I sat there looking around at the happy and perplexed faces of my fellow classmates. We were given the papers, and I, without beating around the bush, started penning down all the answers confidently. To my surprise, I knew all the answers, except for two questions from the compulsory part.
I was enjoying writing, nevertheless. But then my eyes stopped at my admit card. I was utterly shocked to see that my subject was missing from the form. My mind went numb for a while, and all I could witness was a dark encounter ahead. I bolstered my courage and showed the card to the exam invigilator.
She started throwing a tantrum without knowing the whole matter. And within seconds, the room went silent. I was crying inside and pretending to be stronger on the outside. I knew that nobody could help me in this situation. So, I pleaded with the teachers and asked them to allow me to write the exams because I’ve never had any attendance issues or failed in any of my papers.
But my pleas fell on deaf ears. After a few minutes, the in-charge ushered me into a room and asked me for my answer sheet, saying that I’m not eligible for this exam as the controller had strictly ordered for the cancellation of my papers. I couldn’t speak, couldn’t cry and handed my paper helplessly.
The moment I left the room, I started crying heavily and asked for Allah’s help and mercy on me. But fate is something questionable. We don’t know about Allah’s plan behind our trials. That day, I learnt one thing: sometimes things don’t work according to our whims, but Allah is there to decide the future. After much patience and pain, I convinced myself that the travails are for my betterment. But the reality is that it still haunts me due to the uncertainty and Allah’s hand in that juncture. I wish that hurdle would bring about something new in me.