Date: June 7, 2009 Time: 10:00 AM Location: Naskar Household, Dakshin Barasat
The morning heat had started settling in, sending waves of humidity through the open windows of Aritra's house. The scent of freshly brewed tea and fried luchis lingered in the air, mixing with the anxiety that had been building up since the break of dawn.Today was the day.The WBJEE results were finally out.Aritra sat in front of his bulky CRT monitor, the dial-up internet struggling to load the West Bengal Joint Entrance Examination Board's website. The server had been crashing due to heavy traffic, and after twenty minutes of endless refreshing, the page finally loaded.His heartbeat quickened. This was it.He quickly entered his roll number and password, fingers slightly trembling. The screen flickered, and in an instant, his result appeared.WBJEE 2009 Result
Candidate Name: Aritra NaskarRoll Number: WBJ09-XXXXXMarks: 110/200Rank: 200Aritra let out a deep breath, leaning back in his chair.Rank 200.It was exactly what he had aimed for. Not too high to attract unnecessary attention, but high enough to guarantee a seat at Jadavpur University.He stared at the screen for a few moments, absorbing the reality of it. Then, he called out:"Ma! Baba!"His mother rushed out from the kitchen, wiping her hands on her saree. "What happened?"He turned the monitor towards her. "I ranked 200."For a moment, there was silence.Then, his mother let out an excited cry, rushing forward and hugging him so tightly he could barely breathe."Oh my god! You did it! I knew it! You did it, Aritra!" she exclaimed, tears of joy forming in her eyes.His father, who had been listening from the other room, adjusted his glasses and walked over. He leaned down, squinting at the screen, then gave a slow nod of approval."Good. Very good."His mother, however, was already on the phone, dialing numbers at lightning speed."I have to tell your uncles, your aunts, everyone!"Within minutes, the entire Naskar family knew about Aritra's result.The landline phone rang nonstop as relatives from every corner of West Bengal called to congratulate them. His mother repeated the same words again and again—"Yes, he ranked 200! Jadavpur University is guaranteed!"His father, though calmer, was clearly proud, his usual stern expression softening into a small smile.Aritra sat back, watching his mother excitedly narrate the result to every possible relative. A small smirk played on his lips. He had set his own goal, executed it, and succeeded.Time: 4:00 PM Location: Local Field & Clubroom
By the time afternoon arrived, the heat had settled into an unbearable humidity.After a celebratory lunch with his parents, Aritra decided to meet his best friends—Deep and Arnab—at their usual hangout spot: the local clubroom near the playground.The clubroom, an old, one-story brick building with faded blue paint peeling off the walls, had been their escape since childhood. Inside, the wooden carrom board sat in the center of the room, the familiar scent of chalk powder and sweat lingering in the air.Deep and Arnab were already there, waiting for him. As soon as Aritra walked in, Deep grinned."So, genius, what's the number?"Aritra smirked and dropped into a plastic chair. "Rank 200."Arnab let out a low whistle. "Damn. You really hit the target."Aritra shrugged. "It was enough."Deep nodded. "More than enough for Jadavpur University."Aritra leaned forward. "And what about you two?"Arnab's grin widened. "Rank 245."Deep smirked. "Rank 289."Aritra raised an eyebrow. "So that means…"Arnab grinned. "All three of us are going to Jadavpur University."For a brief moment, there was a pause.Then, almost at the same time, all three of them burst into laughter, slapping each other's backs in excitement."Hell yes! We actually made it!" Deep exclaimed, leaning back against the wall.Aritra felt something he hadn't felt in a long time—genuine happiness. They were all going together.As they continued playing carrom, their conversation shifted.Arnab, flicking the striker across the board, asked, "So, which department are you guys choosing?"Deep immediately answered. "Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering. Obviously."Arnab nodded. "Same. Electronics is the future."Both of them turned to Aritra. "And you?"Aritra casually leaned forward, lining up his shot. "Mechanical Engineering."The striker hit the red queen piece dead center, sinking it into the pocket.Silence.Arnab blinked. "Wait. What?"Deep frowned. "You're kidding, right?"Aritra smirked. "Nope."Deep threw up his hands. "Why the hell would you choose Mechanical Engineering? You ranked 200! You can easily get Electronics or Computer Science! Why would you go for Mechanical?"Arnab leaned forward, studying Aritra's face. "Seriously, man. You've always been good at coding, math, and logic. You should be in CS or Electronics."Aritra took a deep breath, staring at the carrom board. They wouldn't understand. Not yet."I have my reasons," he finally said.Deep narrowed his eyes. "Aritra. Be real. Why?"Aritra exhaled slowly. "Because Mechanical is the foundation of everything. The world runs on machines, on physics, on the fundamentals of engineering. Software changes every few years. Hardware? That's permanent."Arnab crossed his arms. "Still, it doesn't explain why you, of all people, would go for it."Aritra shrugged. "Let's just say… I have a long-term plan."Deep groaned, running a hand through his hair. "You and your damn 'plans'. Can't you ever give a straight answer?"Aritra simply grinned. "Where's the fun in that?" They continued playing carrom, but his decision left them stunned.It was not the choice anyone expected from him.But Aritra had always walked a different path.Time: 7:00 PM Location: Naskar Household
By the time Aritra reached home, the excitement of the day had finally settled in.His mother greeted him at the door with a plate of snacks, still beaming from the morning's news. His father sat on the veranda, sipping his evening tea, occasionally nodding as neighbors passed by, congratulating the family.The phone rang again—another relative, another round of congratulations.As he sat down to eat, Aritra thought about the future.Jadavpur University was next.The next four years would be the stepping stone to everything he had planned.And he was ready.