Examination Paper

It was the first day of the exam. Niya got up early and got ready for school after freshening up.

She bowed her head at the shrine of Goddess Durga in her house.

She started praying to Devi Maa- "Mata, may my exam go well. You know everything. There is so much tension in the house. Ever since grandmother passed away, there is a lot of fight between father and uncle and mother and Choti Maa also have differences with each other.

In this tense environment, I have prepared with so much difficulty. If I get less marks in the board exams or I fail, then my parents will not let me study further. They just say that she has to get married. What is the point of spending money on more studies. Then they have to spend on the marriage too. Mata Rani, please save my honor."

Just then, Niya's mother's voice came- "Nia, hurry up, the auto driver has come."

Niya got up and quickly put the books and stationary in the bag and sat in the auto. Due to studying till late night, her head was already heavy and eyes were waving down. She had not even had breakfast.

Niya fell asleep due to fatigue. The auto driver was taking other children as well and was stopping the auto again and again. Suddenly an old woman came. She was wearing a white colored sari and her complexion was dark. That old woman held Niya's hand and started taking her along.

Niya did not know why she could not resist. There was something in the touch of that hand and she went with that old woman.

That old woman took Niya to a house nearby. The door of that house was already open. There was a room attached to the door in which an iron box was kept. Which was covered with dust.

The old woman pointed towards the box and said- "Niya open it."

Niya - "Yes, I will open it."

The box did not have a lock but due to not being opened for a long time, it was covered with dust and the lid was also heavy. Nia tried a little harder to open the lid and it opened.

A paper was kept in it.

Old woman-"Pick it up" (pointing towards the paper)

Niya picked up the paper and looked at it.

Some questions and answers were written on the paper. Niya read them. It was an English paper in which questions from her school syllabus were written along with answers.

Old woman-"Have you read it."

Niya-"Yes! I have read it."

Niya looked at the old woman in confusion.

Old woman-"Then let's go now."

On hearing this, Niya turned towards the door. A loud sound came in from outside of the door along with a strong wind that Niya felt as if her eardrums would burst from the echo. She closed her ears with her hands. But the speed of that wind was so intense that she started falling backwards. Just then Niya tried to hold the old woman's hand to save herself from falling.

But what is this, there was no one there.

Just then Niya felt a jolt and her eyes opened. The auto had reached the school and the driver had applied the brakes.

Niya-"Ohhh...that was a dream."

(Thinking) "Let's not get late."

She started moving towards the exam hall as fast as she could. The scheduled time for the exam approached and in a short while the paper started. The invigilator handed the question paper came in Niya's hand.

She was stunned after reading it. These were the same questions which she had read along with the answers in the paper kept in that box.

Niya understood that it was her Devi Mata who had come in the guise of that old woman.

Thus, Niya's prayers were answered.