Exam Days in Gujarat. Part One

Now that I am done with my first semester exams, I feel relieved. I feel at ease and I feel excited about the fact that this much awaited exam is gone for good. I hopefully think its done for good! I am also equally excited, because after these stressful days I'll be heeding home to meet all my loved ones.  

But let me share my exam experience here in Gujarat. 

Without an inch of hesitation, I admit that this has been the most distressful exam experience I have ever had in my life. Since our colleges did not have the autonomy of conducting exams in our college, we were made to sit for exams in different exam centers. The centers were declared 2 days before our exams. With the issuance of exam entry card, (they call it receipt here) it also meant that we would have to go and find our own exam centers as well. 

Thanks to my friend and her scooter, I was able to find my center in hours time. But the tricky part of exam time (here) is that, its not only about memorizing points in my text, but it was also about memorizing the traffics and roads to reach to my center. 

So, on 1st of December, I went to write my first paper. We were suppose to begin our exam at 2:30 pm, but due to some lapses in between, we were given question papers as late as by almost 30 minutes. Nearly half hour gone, I was worried as to whether I would be able to complete it in time. But a very healthy and giant lady leaps in our room and still manages to say "Chinta Math Garo". Later, I realized that she was our exam controller.

I could hardly make out, what I was actually writing. In super haste, the points and the paragraphs on my answer sheet looked haphazard. There was hardly any time for me to critically think and analyse the answers. I blurted out everything that struck my mind.

Then in between, a man came and asked me to produce my Student ID card. Hell!  I felt my rage at its brim. I hated him for the distraction he was bringing forth. They already took good amount of my time and still wanted to waste few of my precious minutes, That was truly annoying, insulting and bitter. I immediately grabbed my bag, took out the card and threw it on his dirty face. But he said "cool down". Inside, many thoughts gushed in my mind. I felt embarrassed about the way they conducted our exam (that day).  

Not only that, one thing or the other kept on distracting me all through. At regular interval, amplified prayers from a  nearby mosque took away my attention just like a honk of a speeding automobile on the highway.