“Disha, my results came out and… they’re not great. I didn’t fail, but they’re way lower than what everyone expected. My parents haven’t said much yet, which is somehow even scarier. What do I even do now?”

Hello Mr. panic button , I know… I know It’s a crazy critical time right now. Everybody has always made such a big deal about 10th ke boards and 12th ke boards that the results feel like an even bigger deal than it honestly is. But don’t you worry I am here now.

I understand that getting lower marks than expected can hurt. Especially when you worked hard and imagined a completely different result. It’s okay to feel disappointed. You don’t have to immediately become some enlightened baba going, “One sheet of paper does not decide my future.” But for now, give yourself a couple days to accept the result. You can mope, eat junk food, cry to MITSKI or Arijit depending on your music taste. But after that, we move. 

Once you have dealt with and accepted your own feelings, it is time for the next step. Talking to your parents. Yes thoda scary hai but sometimes thanks to our overactive imagination, we overthink things into something that is not even real. Maybe your parents do not think it is that big of a deal but their silence has made you think of a whole other storytime where they are on the phone with every single relative doing a full rona-dhona session about where it all went wrong.

So the second step is to stop assuming. You live in the same house as them, get up, get out of the room and go talk to your parents. And go in there with zero expectations. They might be happy, they might be sad or they might start with ‘We are not angry, just disappointed,’ which honestly is a whole other horror movie. Deal with it once you know how they actually feel. Sitting in your room manifesting a different marksheet is not going to work, trust me, we all tried.

And if they do get upset, let them. Do not argue, do not explain yourself for forty five minutes, just listen. You can have a conversation once everyone has had chai and calmed down.

Now back to you. First things first, please check your options before panicking. Or better yet, just check your options and completely cancel the panic. Cut-offs shift every year, waiting lists move, and honestly there is a whole other universe of good colleges and courses that you might not have reached yet. So do your research. You will surprise yourself.

Also if something on your marksheet genuinely does not add up, you can apply for re-checking or re-evaluation. Half of the stress is not even the marks. It is the fear that someone will go, ‘AcHaAaA you think the teacher made a mistake?’ but do not let this one slip just because you’re afraid of the chaar log kya kahenge.

And if you are thinking about entrance exams, gap years, switching streams, moving to the mountains and becoming a photographer or literally any other path or even if you are confused about what to do next, talk to someone who has actually been through it. A senior, a counsellor, a cousin, just someone real. There are way more options than the three everyone keeps talking about. We all know what three I am talking about.

One last thing and I promise I will stop. Put your phone down. Your mental health does not need to hear ‘Guys I barely studied’ from someone who solved 14 sample papers for fun.

You are going to be fine. Now go drink some water, have that conversation with your parents, and take the next small step. One thing at a time.