**2. Not Today Satan**
***Emara Stone***
Today, I will pray.
I join both the hands and close my eyes as I pray, "Dear Lord, lovely dear Lord. Hear me out, for God’s sake. Please let me clear this exam and I will sincerely study for the next one."
*Amen.*
Today, nothing can go wrong. I made a deal with God. I will pass.
But, the truth is -
I was twelve minutes late for the exam.
My mind again gives me a lecture on being punctual, but I focus on the questions on my paper. I’ll mind you later mind.
Though I missed a few minutes, I will cover it up soon. God is with me. I will pass.
I take a deep breath and read the first question, but somehow it feels foreign to me. Maybe it's from the chapter that I left.
I am wearing Nikes, I can do it.
I don't let negativity affect my mood, so I continue reading the next question. And next, and next…
Wait a minute! This question is out of the book. Hell, it's out of syllabus.
I’m pretty sure AND gate and OR gate circuits were not in the syllabus of Java.
I feel my blood pressure increasing as I read the whole question paper to see if I can get an easy one to begin with. I look around and see other students writing dedicatedly and even asking for an extra supplementary. *What the hell!*
I get into an alarm state as I re-read the question paper. Not even a single program has been asked, which is hella weird! Were the professors drunk while making this paper?
Then my focus gets on top of the paper.
My eye sockets widen enough for my eyeballs to fall out. My freshly lip-glossed mouth hung open wide in extreme shock and spine-tingling horror. I had to pick it up off the cement floor of the exam hall as I see the subject’s name.
Subject: Digital Circuits.
Fuck!
FUCK!
**F U C K!**
*Not today, Satan.*
After the surprise exam, I am not so sure that I will pass, but one thing I am definitely sure of is, I will fail. The first thing I do after reaching home is to throw my bag on the couch and check the exam timetable.
Tomorrow is the Java exam.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! *Why god why?*
I can't read that evil labyrinth again for another night. I lie down on the floor spreading my hands as I feel tired, like I built Rome in one day.
I need a Plan B. This graduation thing isn't happening anytime soon. I don't even have a splendid figure to join a strip club. How can I make money to be independent?
I wonder what talents I have…
*I am flawless with tongue twisters.*
*I can twist my jaw to get more food in my mouth.*
*I can make my eyebrows dance.*
*I can spin pens extremely fast.*
*I am fluent in profanities.*
Errrh... I am a useless sack of potatoes. I have no boyfriend or a millionaire sugar daddy. Ethan is probably enjoying his Europe vacation and here I am stuck in the same room, just like the last year.
My brother scored A1 grade in his finals and has so many academic certificates that Google and Microsoft might knock on his door anytime to work for them.
And suddenly the wall seems interesting.
After staring at the wall for five minutes, I take out my phone and search for job vacancies for freshers in multinational companies.
A sly smirk appears on my face as I plan for my freedom and income. If God is not with me, I am glad Satan is.
He-He Ha-Ha Hey-Hey.