Opening Scene: The Weight of a Third Attempt

The novel begins on a monsoon morning, thick clouds swallowing the sky. Inside his hostel room, Debasish sits at his desk, his NEET syllabus open but untouched. His phone, however, is in his hands, glowing in the dim light.

A knock on the door. His roommate leaves for dinner, but Debasish stays behind. His stomach is empty, but his mind is heavier.

His mother, Meera Mittal, calls. She’s a school teacher, juggling her job, housework, and her own health.

> “Did you eat?”

“Yeah.” (A lie.)

“How was today’s test?”

“Good.” (Another lie.)

She doesn’t press him for details. Just says, “Take care, beta.” But her voice is filled with exhaustion—one that he has caused.

As the call ends, his eyes drift to his phone again. He brought it back from home two months before only for answer keys and doubts—a logical decision. But logic has left him.

Setting Up the Conflict:

It’s April 2025, and NEET is exactly two months away—July 4, 2025.

This is his third attempt, and his final chance.

In his first attempt, he joined Quantum Apex Institute (offline coaching) but left midway, believing online would be better.

In his second attempt, he joined Zenith Cure Academy (a small coaching without a mobile), but still failed.

Now, in his final attempt, he’s in NeuroSpark Elite, the best coaching in India. He spent nine months without a phone, but now, with just two months left, he has it back—and it’s pulling him under.

The Answer Key Trap (Self-Deception Begins)

8:00 PM

Debasish looks at his physics notebook. He should be revising. His last test was a disaster—his physics score is dragging him down. He needs to check the answer key to see where he went wrong.

He picks up his phone.

"Just five minutes. I’ll check my score and get back to revision."

He opens the PDF, skims through it. First mistake. Second mistake. Third. His heart sinks. His score is even worse than he expected.

"I need a break."

He clicks on YouTube—just to watch a solution video. The first recommendation is actually useful: "Most Common NEET Physics Mistakes." He taps on it.

10 minutes later…

A notification pops up. A meme from a friend. He chuckles, then checks his messages.

30 minutes later…

Instagram. Reels. A motivational video—some guy saying “You have to suffer now to shine later.” He scrolls past it. Another funny video. Then another.

1 hour later…

His book is still open. His highlighter untouched. The clock reads 9:10 PM. His heartbeat quickens.

"How did an hour pass?"

Guilt crashes over him. He should’ve been revising. He should’ve at least solved a few questions.

He throws his phone on the bed and buries his face in his hands. The same cycle. Again.

Regret. Anxiety. Self-hatred.

He promises himself—"Tomorrow will be different."

But deep down, he knows. It won’t.

Mother’s Silent Struggle:

His mother teaches all day, then comes home to an empty house, where she cooks and cleans alone.

She sacrificed everything—sold jewelry, took extra shifts, skipped her own medications—all so he could study in the best institute.

She trusts him, believes in him. But she doesn’t know how much time he’s wasting. She doesn’t know he’s drowning.

Ending the Chapter:

That night, he lies in bed. His phone is still within arm’s reach. He should sleep. He should get up early and fix everything.

Instead, he reaches for his phone again.

One more video. One more scroll. One more escape from reality.

And just like that, another day is gone.

6:00 AM – A New Beginning?

The alarm rings. Debasish jolts awake.

Regret from last night still clings to him like a weight. He wasted another evening. He should have solved physics questions. Revised organic chemistry. Done anything but scroll mindlessly.

"Not today." He gets up. Washes his face. Opens his book. Today will be different.

He writes a study plan for the day—10 hours of study, no distractions. He’ll prove to himself that he can control his urges. He’ll prove to his mother that he’s not a failure.

At 6:30 AM, he starts physics. He’s focused. He’s in control.

9:00 AM – The First Crack

He’s solving a tough rotational motion problem when his phone vibrates. A message from a friend:

"Bro, answer key is out. How much did you get?"

His stomach tightens. Yesterday’s test.

"Just five minutes," he tells himself.

He checks the answer key. Mistake. Mistake. Mistake. His score? Worse than expected.

A thought creeps in—"I need a break."

He opens YouTube. The first video is actually useful: "NEET Physics Trick – Must Watch!" He taps on it.

9:45 AM – Lost Again

Somewhere between the second trick video and a motivational reel, he drifts.

His feed is full of toppers giving "study tips." A guy saying, "If you want a seat, you need to suffer!" A girl boasting, "I studied 14 hours a day. No excuses."

His stomach churns. He’s already behind them.

He closes YouTube. But his fingers, almost by instinct, tap Instagram.

"Just five minutes."

11:00 AM – The Fall

When he looks at the clock again, it’s 11:00 AM.

"No… this can’t be happening again."

His books are still open. His study plan untouched. Four hours gone.

Panic sets in. How does time slip away so fast?

He forces himself back to studying. But the anxiety is louder than his focus now. His mind keeps screaming:

"You’re a failure."

"You wasted another morning."

"You’ll never catch up."

3:00 PM – The Mock Test Nightmare

NeuroSpark Elite is known for its brutal mock tests. Today’s test is on Physics and Chemistry.

He enters the exam hall, but his mind is a battlefield. He tries to focus, but…

The questions feel harder than usual.

The clock moves faster than his brain.

The other students look calm, solving with ease.

"Why am I so slow?"

By the time the paper ends, he knows it’s a disaster. His hands are cold. His breath is shallow.

Results come out an hour later. His score? Worst one yet.

His vision blurs. His chest tightens. He can already hear his mother’s voice: "How was the test, beta?"

He can already picture her disappointment.

6:00 PM – The Escape

His books sit open. But he can’t look at them. Looking means facing failure.

He picks up his phone.

"I need to escape."

He opens Instagram. The first reel plays. Then the second. The third.

Each scroll numbs the pain a little more.

He ignores the sinking feeling in his chest. The voice in his head screaming at him to stop.

Because stopping means facing reality.

And reality hurts too much.

---

4:30 AM – The First Battle of the Day

Meera Mittal wakes up before the sun. Her body protests—years of neglect, stress, and skipped meals have taken their toll. Her joints ache as she moves, but she doesn’t have time to rest.

By 5:00 AM, she’s in the kitchen, making tea. She glances at the clock. Another long day ahead.

Somewhere, miles away, her son Debasish is asleep in his hostel room. She wonders if he’s studying hard. If he’s eating well. If he’s… okay.

She doesn’t know about last night. She doesn’t know he wasted hours on his phone, spiraling deeper into regret.

She only knows one thing—she’s fighting for his future, even if it means sacrificing her own health.

7:30 AM – The Classroom and the Worry

Meera enters the government school where she teaches. The students greet her, but her mind is elsewhere.

Every time she sees a student struggling, she thinks of Debasish. Is he struggling too?

During her free period, she picks up her phone and types a message:

"Beta, how are you? Did you eat?"

She waits. No reply.

She knows he’s busy. She tells herself that. But deep down, she worries.

1:00 PM – The Call That Cuts Deeper

During lunch, she finally calls him.

> Meera: "Beta, how was your mock test?"

Debasish: (Pauses) "It was okay."

Meera: "That’s good! Just keep pushing. I know you’ll do great."

Her voice is full of hope.

Debasish wants to tell her the truth—that he failed again, that he’s drowning, that he’s scared. But he can’t.

> Debasish: "Haan Maa, I’ll do better next time."

He forces himself to sound normal. Meera smiles on the other end, relieved.

She doesn’t know that her faith in him is only making his guilt worse.

5:00 PM – The Price of Sacrifice

After school, Meera goes to a private tuition job to earn extra money. His coaching fees weren’t cheap.

She gets home at 7:00 PM, exhausted. But there’s still dinner to cook. The house is empty. Silent.

She sits down for a moment, rubbing her temples. A slight dizziness creeps in. She hasn’t eaten properly today.

"Just a little longer," she tells herself.

Debasish’s dream is her dream. She will do anything for him.

Even if it breaks her.

10:00 PM – A Mother’s Prayer

Before sleeping, she checks her phone. Still no reply from Debasish.

She types again:

"Beta, don’t stress too much. Just do your best. I’m always proud of you."

She hesitates before pressing send.

She doesn’t know that, miles away, Debasish reads the message with tears in his eyes.

He doesn’t deserve her love. Not when he’s failing her like this.

He places the phone down, stares at the ceiling, and whispers to himself:

"Tomorrow will be different."

But deep down, he doesn’t believe it anymore.

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