Sudipta Mishra, Puri, 2 March 2026
Exams come every year
With their fierce arrival
A child’s heart fills with fear
Deep within her soul;
A mother senses the same silent rush.
Holding a mug of chocolate milk
She stands at the threshold of the hall
Peeping into the study room
Pretending not to reveal the anxiety she carries,
so tense, so restless.
Her fragile yet courageous smile
Knows the art
of not looking so meek
Striding ahead to hide
the storm within.
Outside the exam hall,
She waits with a restless gaze,
Like a confined bird inside a cage.
Amid the crowd
She stands,
lifting the same familiar hope,
Browsing through books with her casual look,
Whispering silent prayers,
Chanting a few lines from scriptures,
Emotions only a mother can feel.
As the exam nears its end,
She holds another deep breath.
The worried face of her child,
Makes her tremble.
Yet, bravely she gathers herself for the next paper.
Next day, with a heart
so brave,
She again faces the challenges.
She knows the truth:
Exams test patience.
Marks may be a destination for many,
But for a child and a parent,
Exam is a silent war
between hardwork,
untold sacrifices,
And sleepless nights lived in persistence…
