Chapter 34
Kabir's Perspective
Around one month later
It was finally over.
I walked out of the JEE Mains exam center with a slow smile spreading across my face. For the first time in months, I felt the tension in my shoulders start to ease. The sun shone bright overhead, and there was a cool breeze that felt like a gentle reminder that I could finally breathe again. No more practice papers, no more sleepless nights worrying about formulas I might forget. The exam hadn't been as tough as I'd feared, and while there were a few questions that had tripped me up, I felt confident about most of it.
I looked around at the other students spilling out of the center. Some were already deep in conversation, animatedly discussing the questions, while others walked silently, probably replaying the exam in their minds. I, for once, didn't feel like overanalyzing everything. "Jo hogaya so hogaya," I thought to myself. There was no point in dwelling on those few tricky questions now.
Reaching for my phone, I realized that Raghav's exam center was far away, somewhere across the city. He had messaged me earlier, saying his exam went well but had some tricky parts too. With a grin, I dialed his number as I walked away from the crowd.
"Arre bhai, kaisa gaya exam?" I asked, hearing the familiar ringing tone.
"Yaar, it was fine overall," Raghav replied, sounding a little tired. "But there were these 2-3 questions I got really confused about... ek baat bata na, what did you do for the calculus one?"
I could hear the frustration in his voice, but I had no desire to revisit those questions right now. "Raghav, chill yaar, jo hogaya so hogaya. Ab tension mat le."
He laughed at that, sounding more relaxed already. "Pehli baar kisi topper se aaram karne ki advice mili hai. Chal sahi hai. Mera center to dur hai thoda, ghoom-fir ke aata hoon. Kal milte hain, theek hai?"
"Kal milte hain," I agreed, shaking my head with a grin as I hung up.
The streets were buzzing with activity, the late afternoon rush already setting in. I hailed a rickshaw and headed home, feeling lighter than I had in months. I had a whole month now to wait for results and another month of preparation for the JEE Advanced, but this moment—this small window of freedom—was something I was going to savor.
As soon as I stepped inside the house, my mom appeared in front of me like she had been waiting for me all day. Without saying a word, she wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug, her anxiety melting into relief now that the exam was done.
"Kabir, ab tension nahi leni," she said, her voice a little shaky with emotion. "Jo hogaya, so hogaya."
I chuckled, hugging her back. "Arre, ma, main koi yudh ladke nahi aaya hun. Relax, mujhe itni tension nahi thi jitni aapko thi!"
As I pulled back, I saw my chachi bustling out from the kitchen, holding a small thali with a diya and some flowers. She was ready to do aarti, while my little cousin Arjun stood behind her with a mischievous smile, ringing the small temple bell in his hand like he was conducting some grand ceremony.
"Yeh kya ho raha hai?" I asked, laughing as I stepped aside, but chachi had other plans.
"Nahi beta, pehle aarti le lo, phir baithna," she insisted, smiling proudly. Arjun kept ringing the bell, thoroughly enjoying himself.
I shook my head, laughing at the whole scene. "Itna tension aap sabko tha? Arre, maine exam diya hai, koi dangal nahi lada!"
Chachi ignored my protests and continued with her little aarti, muttering a quick prayer under her breath as she waved the thali in front of me. Arjun gave the bell one last enthusiastic ring before running off into the living room, probably to play with his action figures.
"Ab aaram karo beta," my mom said, smiling at me, her hand brushing over my hair like I was still ten years old.
"I'm fine, mom. Thand rakho yaar, koi tension nahi thi exam mein," I reassured her, patting her on the shoulder.
We all sat down for lunch together, a casual family affair that was comforting in its simplicity. The food smelled delicious—piping hot dal, soft rotis, and my favorite paneer dish that my mom must have made especially for me. It was a little overwhelming, how much effort they'd gone through just because my exam was over.
As we ate, the conversation was light, focusing on everything but the exam. My mom asked about the other students, how they seemed after the exam, and chachi, as usual, gave Arjun a lecture on why he should focus on school more—though he wasn't paying attention, too busy making his action figure fight an imaginary villain at the table.
The warmth of family filled me with a sense of peace, but as I sat there, my mind wandered back to the tiffin box that Aditi had brought over on the day her CLAT results were announced. She had scored an All-India Rank of 18, and I could still remember the look of pure joy on her face when she'd told me the news. That day had been special—she had made paneer tikka masala and brownies all by herself, and when she had come over to share the moment with me, it had felt like everything was just... right.
As soon as lunch was over, I headed to my room, feeling a surge of energy as I thought about organizing my notes. I wanted everything to be in place before I allowed myself to fully relax. After spending about an hour straightening up my study desk, arranging my textbooks and notes neatly, my gaze fell on the tiffin box that still sat on my bookshelf. It had been a few weeks now, but I hadn't touched it since she had handed it to me.
Smiling to myself, I thought about how much effort she had put into cooking that day, wanting to celebrate with me. A sudden thought sparked in my mind. Tonight, I'd surprise her back. If she could make me food to celebrate her big moment, I could do the same for her. Kheer—her favorite dessert.
I didn't waste any time, heading straight to the kitchen. I gathered the ingredients quickly, recalling the recipe my mom had taught me when I was younger. I wasn't the best cook, but kheer was something I knew I could handle. Soon, the aroma of milk, rice, and sugar filled the kitchen, and as I stirred the pot, adding cardamom and nuts, I couldn't help but imagine the look on Aditi's face when I'd surprise her.
As the kheer simmered, I grabbed two tiffin containers—one for the kheer and the other with Arjun's chocolates.
Once the kheer was done and had cooled, I carefully poured it into the tiffin and put it in the fridge to chill. I'd deliver it to her later tonight when she least expected it.
Midnight rolled around, and the house was quiet. Everyone had gone to bed, and I waited until I was sure no one would hear me before I slipped out. The tiffin box in hand, I made my way to Aditi's place. The street was silent, with only the faint hum of the occasional car in the distance. I knew she would be awake. She was a night owl, especially now that her own exams were over, and she'd probably be studying or reading something, even though she had nothing more to prepare for.
I climbed up the familiar tree outside her window, feeling the old thrill of sneaking into her room like we used to do in school. Her window was open just a crack, letting in the cool night air. I pushed it open slowly, careful not to make too much noise, and slipped inside.
Sure enough, Aditi was sitting at her desk, her head buried in a book. She hadn't noticed me yet, so I cleared my throat.
"Ab exam clear ho gaya, ab kya padh rahi hai?" I teased, my voice breaking the quiet of the room.
Aditi jumped, her hand flying to her chest as she whipped around to face me. "Kabir!" she scolded, her voice somewhere between annoyance and relief. "Don't you have any concept of the right time to sneak in? You scared me half to death!"
I grinned, holding up my hands in surrender. "Sorry, sorry, frosty! I didn't mean to scare you."
She narrowed her eyes at me, but I could see the smile tugging at her lips. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to bring you something," I said, walking over to her desk and placing the tiffin box in front of her.
Her curiosity piqued, she raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what exactly did you bring?"
I sat down on her bed, leaning back on my hands casually. "I made you kheer."
Her eyes widened with amusement. "Kheer? You made kheer? Kabir, are you telling me you actually cook?"
I rolled my eyes dramatically. "Please, I'm a man of many talents. You should know this by now."
Laughing, she opened the tiffin eagerly, only to find it completely empty. Her laughter quickly turned into confusion as she stared into the empty container. "Uh... Kabir?"
"What?" I asked, my grin slipping away as I leaned forward to look inside the tiffin myself. It was empty. Completely and utterly empty.
There, at the bottom of the container, was a small crumpled piece of paper with messy handwriting scrawled across it in the most childish script imaginable: "Tasty Kheer Bhaiya."
I groaned, recognizing Arjun's handiwork immediately. That little rascal must have snuck into the kitchen and eaten the entire batch before I could even leave the house.
Aditi burst into laughter, clutching her stomach as she rocked back and forth on her chair. "Kabir! You can't be serious! You came all the way here to give me an empty tiffin?"
"Yaar, I swear I made the kheer! Arjun must have eaten it!" I protested, though I couldn't help but smile at the ridiculousness of the situation.
Through her giggles, Aditi managed to say, "This is priceless! You're lucky I'm not mad. But oh my god, this is the funniest thing you've ever done."
I shook my head, still laughing at the absurdity of it all. "I'll make it again. I promise, next time you'll actually get to eat it."
She waved me off, wiping a tear from her eye. "Don't worry about it, Kabir. It's the thought that counts. And besides, you made my night with this."
Her smile softened as she popped open the second tiffin filled with chocolates. "Well, at least you didn't forget the chocolate," she said, placing one in her mouth and grinning as she leaned back in her chair.
I shrugged, "I aim to please."
We spent the next few hours talking, reminiscing about old times, laughing over shared memories. It felt good to be with her, to unwind after months of exam stress, to feel like a normal teenager again. There was something so easy about being with Aditi—she always knew how to bring out the best in me, how to make me forget about the pressures of school, of exams, of life.
Eventually, as the night grew quieter and the hours ticked by, I realized it was time for me to head back home. I stood up, stretching my arms as I glanced at the clock on her wall.
"I should go," I said softly, not really wanting to leave but knowing I had to. "It's getting late."
She nodded, her eyes soft as she walked over to the window with me. "Take care, Kabir," she whispered, leaning slightly against the windowsill as I climbed out.
I smiled back at her, feeling a warmth in my chest that had nothing to do with the night air. "Goodnight, Frosty," I whispered back.
As I climbed down the tree and made my way back home, the streetlights casting long shadows on the pavement, I couldn't help but feel content. Today had been a good day, and even though the kheer fiasco hadn't gone as planned, the night had turned out better than I could have expected.
I knew this was just the beginning of many more moments like this. Moments where life felt simple and full of possibility, where the weight of exams and expectations didn't seem so heavy anymore. Moments where I could just be... Kabir.