The Announcement

It was a typical morning at the Oberoi household, but today, there was a palpable tension in the air. Everyone knew that Avni had been anxiously waiting for the results of her college exams, and the moment had finally arrived. The envelope with the official results was sitting on the breakfast table, almost mocking her with its stillness.

Avni could feel her palms sweating as she stared at the envelope, her heart racing. She had always been the kind of person who flew by the seat of her pants—never fully prepared, always depending on her natural abilities to get by. But this time, she wasn’t sure if that would be enough.

"Avni, you’re staring at that envelope like it holds the secret to the universe," Aryan teased, leaning over the table to poke fun at her nervousness. But even he could sense the weight of the moment.

"Shut up, Aryan," Avni muttered, her voice laced with irritation. "You have no idea how stressful this is."

The rest of the family watched, understanding that today would be a pivotal moment for Avni. Arnav, who had been quiet up until now, glanced at her, his expression unreadable.

"Avni, it’s just a piece of paper," he said, trying to reassure her. "It doesn’t define who you are."

But Avni wasn’t convinced. "It feels like it does," she replied under her breath.

The Result

Finally, unable to take it anymore, Avni ripped open the envelope. The paper inside crinkled as she unfolded it. She stared at the marks for a long moment, unable to process the numbers.

60%.

Her heart sank. It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t great either. In fact, it was far from the expectations she had set for herself.

Avni let out a deep sigh, her chest tightening. She tried to mask her disappointment, but it was written all over her face. She knew her siblings could see it.

Anirudh, who had been watching from across the room, walked over and sat next to her. "So, how did you do?" he asked, his voice calm, though his eyes were sharp, as if reading her every move.

Avni didn’t look up. "I didn’t do well. Not as well as I thought I would."

Anirudh’s gaze softened for a moment. "You know, Avni, 60% isn’t bad. It’s still passing, and it’s something you can improve on next time."

But Avni wasn’t hearing it. Her frustration began to build. "It’s not enough, Anirudh. You always say that, but it's just mediocre. I feel like I could’ve done better, but I didn’t even try hard enough!"

Anirudh’s eyebrows furrowed. "That’s the problem, Avni. You think everything should come easily. You’ve got to put in the work if you want to see better results."

The Confrontation

Avni shot him a glare. "You’re not exactly the fun guy to talk to about this, Anirudh. You’re always so serious and never let anyone breathe. You don’t know what it’s like to be like me, to feel like everything is too much to handle."

Anirudh stood there silently for a moment, his expression hardening. "I understand more than you think, Avni. We all have our struggles. But the difference is that I don’t give up on myself just because things are difficult. You have the potential to be great, but only if you’re willing to put in the effort."

Avni felt a sharp pang of frustration, but as she looked into Anirudh’s eyes, she saw something else—concern. Deep down, she knew he wasn’t trying to tear her down, but it still stung.

"I’m trying," she muttered under her breath, feeling the weight of her own failure pressing down on her. "I just don’t know if I can keep up with all of this. You guys always seem to have everything together, and then there’s me, who messes up everything."

Anirudh placed a hand on her shoulder, his tone softer now. "No one has everything together, Avni. Not even me. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. The difference is how we respond to them."

A Moment of Clarity

Avni blinked, trying to process his words. For the first time, she realized that perhaps she had been too hard on herself. Perfection wasn’t the goal—growth was. And failure didn’t mean the end; it meant she had room to improve.

"I know it’s hard to accept," Anirudh continued, his voice gentle, "but sometimes failure teaches you more than success ever will. You just have to learn from it and move forward."

Avni nodded, still unsure of herself but grateful for his words. "Thanks, Anirudh."

He gave her a small, almost imperceptible smile. "Don’t thank me just yet. Let’s work together to get those grades up next time. I’ll help you study."

Arnav, who had been watching the exchange from a distance, stood up and walked over to them. He placed a hand on Avni’s head in a rare, affectionate gesture. "You’re not alone in this, Avni. We’re all here to help you. You have our support, but you’ve got to want to change."

Avni smiled weakly, appreciating their concern. "I’ll try harder, I promise."

The Path Forward

For the first time in a long while, Avni felt a spark of hope. She knew that the road ahead wouldn’t be easy. College wasn’t the only challenge she was facing. But with her family’s support, she realized she didn’t have to face it alone.

The marks were a setback, but they were also a wake-up call. Avni knew she needed to stop relying on her natural ability and start putting in the hard work if she wanted to reach her full potential.

As the days went by, Avni began to embrace her studies more seriously. Anirudh’s guidance helped her realize that discipline and effort were just as important as intelligence. And with that realization, she took the first step toward truly transforming her approach to life.