The thing

11th MAy 10:00 AM There was an eerie sense of calm. The thing was about to get out. It was about to be released from captivity. All onlookers, pregnant with anticipation waited in bated breath. They had been treacherously drawn into submission a week before when the captors signalled an early release. It was only later that the onlookers realized that it was a red herring. They were decieved by the sleight of the captors hand. But this time, everything was in place for the final thing to come out. I was among the impatient onlookers. No one at home knew that the results of the CIvil Services Examination 2010 would be released that day. But I knew. With a pregnant sister blessed with horrendously sensitive nerves and a spiritual mother gifted with the keeness of a lioness but the calmness of a hare, I was mighty apprehensive of revealing the truth at home. But i knew.

11th May 1:30PM. My hands shiver and my legs fritter. My laptop was in its designated position, the dusty sliding rack that hid under the sunmica shelf of the Balsam fir cupboard in the corner of my room. It was neatly covered by a piece of half white turkish cloth emblazoned with floral designs. I had no patience or perseverance to appreciate my mother's attention to detail. I logged on to the online forum where most aspirants to the civil service discussed, rabbled, fought, flirted and flaunted. There was news. Yes, the beast was released. The result was out. Bare in the sunlight withthe names of the 900 odd fortunately and awesomely lucky guys. Was my name in it? I was still to check. But my ability to withstand that pressure was running thin. My sister and mother in all sheer handsome ignorance were ranting quite eloquently about the amount of salt that should go into the preparation of dum aloo. They were of the view that I should take them out that day. They were seriously discussing the possibility of eating dum aloo that evening. And i was being asked my views. What do i say? Do I shout, "shut up, my lovely female family, shut up, The result for which i got my posteriors screwn in all wholesomeness for the last two years has been put up. So, if you can shut up, i can think of searching for my name in the form!"