Finally, board examination got started. I attended the examination. Perhaps, Pa still had trust towards me. Hence, he went upto examination center to motivate me. As far as I remember, the examination center was the Kathmandu city School of the Bagbazzar. Pa had walked up to there along with me during the morning just to help me and support me during the first day of examination.
He stayed somewhere else outside the center till my examination was over. After I came out of the examination center, he took me to a sweet house and made me eat as much as I wanted. But, he didn't even drink a drop of water. As, he was fasting for a year wishing that grandpa would reach heaven.
It was the third day of examination. It was the exam of mathematics. I had boarded a bus from Suryabinayak to go to the exam center. But, suddenly, as the bus reached Gatthaghar the bus stopped and refused to move forward. I came to know that the transport committee declared a strike with several demands from government. I had to attend my examination by hook or crook. So, I couldn't return back. I started to walk as fast as I could from there.
As I had to walk, I reached the examination center a bit late. Perhaps, a hour was already elapsed hence I was not directly sent to the examination hall. Instead, I was sent to the room of incharge of examination center.
I had smoked a cigarette few minutes before I entered the center. Hence, it was certain to generate foul smell by my mouth when I opened it. I had chewed happydent but also the foul smell from my mouth wasn't disappeared. The incharge must have felt it. He started to ask me questions.
He said,"Have you come here just after smoking? And why are you late?" "Yes sir, I have smoked few minutes before entering the center. I am late because all of a sudden, strike was declared by pubic transportation commitee. I came up to here on my foot from Gatthaghar." I said.
He stared me for a while and said,"I don't find you trustworthy. I think you are telling a lie. Give me contact number of your Parents. I will talk to them." I gave him the contact number of my Pa and said,"If you don't think I worth to be trusted here is the contact number of my father. But, I request you please don't speak about cigarette with him." "Why not to say about cigarette? Definitely, I will talk to him about it." He looked at my eyes and said a bit louder.
I was a bit worried. But, as I had already given him the contact number, I could do nothing except waiting for the conversation between him and Pa.
He took out his cell phone and dialed the number. The loudspeaker was on hence I listened the caller tune. Within few seconds, Pa answered the call. "Hello." He said. "Hello sir, good afternoon. Am I talking to Ratis's father? I am talking from his examination center." The incharge looked at my admit card and said from this side.
" Yes sir, I am his father. Did he committed any mistake? I don't think he did any mischief. He is a good boy." Pa said from other side.
"Oh sir, please don't panic. There is not such issue. I just called you because he is a bit late and he is saying that he has reached here on foot. He said that there was a strike and all the public vehicles refused to carry passengers. So, I called you just to confirm if there was really a strike or not." The incharge said from this side.
"I am happy knowing that you are a responsible incharge. Yes sir, today all of a sudden, the strike was declared. Ratis had already informed me. Also, the news channels are broadcasting the news too. I kindly request you to allow him to give his examination. " Pa said from the other side.
"Okay, thank you sir. I will allow him to give examination. You don't have to worry." The incharge said and disconnected the call. He then faced towards me and gave a pleasant smile.
He said,"Okay boy, you are trustworthy. Have you prepared well enough? I will allow you to give your examination separately in this room. But remember one thing, I can't provide you additional time. We too have to be responsible. Two hours is left. Give your best and don't panic." "Okay, thank you very much sir for your kindness." I said.
The question paper and answersheet was brought. I was provided a chair and a table. I started to go through the quuestion paper. All the questions were from the text book which I had already studied. But, I couldn't remember anything. That time, my mind was recalling only those moments which I had spent with Suravi. About my encounter with her, those moments when we were roaming together and those days I had spent without her.
Hence, I wrote whatever I remembered that moment. But, what I wrote, I don't remember. But, I know that whatever I had written everything was wrong and I was going to be failed in the examination. After the time was over, I submitted my paper. Perhaps, being calm I was writing on the paper continually, hence the incharge had no complain.
He said," How was your paper?" "It was good sir." I said to him. The old man continued the conversation. He said,"Okay, You seem to be a good student. Although, you were late you submitted your paper on time. And could you complete all?" "No sir, I couldn't complete all but I managed to finish answering seventy percent of the questions." I said. "Okay fine, and from next time be on time."He said. "Okay sir, I will be on time from next time. I will leave for now sir. Have a good time. Bye." "Okay bye. And best of luck boy." We both smiled and I left from there.
Although the public transport was on strike but private vehicles were not prohibited. There was a good friend of my Pa. His name was Dayaram Paneru. He was there at my examination center to take me home on his old hero honda. The motorbike kept the glory of its name. As the one which helps in need is a hero and the hero honda proved that it was a hero.
I reached up to suryabinayak on that hero. Pa was waiting me nearby the road. Paneru sir stooped his honda near to him. I got off from the bike. Pa said to Paneru sir,"I am so sorry sir, because of me you have to suffer. What to do I don't know how to ride bicycle. I never tried to learn. " Paneru sir said,"Please Lamsal sir, don't feel sorry. Instead, I am happy that I could help you in need. Hope I could get chance to help you again. You can remember me whenever you are in need." Pa said,"Okay sir, I will surely remember you. Thank you very much. Bye sir." Paneru sir moved on his bike from there towards his destination. I along with my Pa started to move our legs towards home.
On the way, Pa started to ask me. He said," How was your exam? Did you attempted all the question?" I said,"It was not so bad. I completely answered everything I remembered but I could not finish all the questions." Then we silently started to move forward. Suddenly, Pa said,"I think I should learn to ride motorcycle." Listen to him I laughed gently. After watching me laughing, he said," Why are you laughing fool? I am not joking. I am saying seriously. What do you think?"
"Okay, you can learn. But I cannot take you hospital if your legs get fractured. But, if you are trying to purchase motorcycle for me then shall I give the trial for license?" I said as I knew it would be hard for him to learn to ride a bike.
"Do not try to be oversmart. I still have stamina to create a small brother for you. I haven't become that much old. I am not going to buy motorbike for you. You moron might be thinking if I buy bike for you, you will also go on date alike those couple." He said pointing towards a couple on FZ bike. "Oh my goodness! you proved that you are my father. You told me exactly what I was thinking of. And this is the age to roam like those couple on bike. At your age I might not get such beautiful girl" I said to him and laughed.
"Okay, don't try to act funny. I am seriously saying. How will it be to learn to ride motorcycle?" Pa said after laughing gently for a while. "It is not a worst idea to learn but at your age it is much more harder to learn. And giving trial and getting a license is also a difficult and tedious job." I said.
Listening to me Pa remained silent for a while. Then he said,"It is okay. You might be feeling hungry. Go and have a lunch." I ate cake and drank a cup of tea. But Pa didn't take anything as one year wasn't elapsed after the death of grandpa. After a while, I reached home.