Failure

It's the day of the interview. The whole week I was running to friends, to libraries; and, consulting the experienced to guide me through the interview process and FAQs. I wake up quite early today as I have scheduled one full hour for a heart to heart talk with the Almighty to present my case with such justification as should make Him see my point if He had willed otherwise. All my friends wish me luck and set out to their offices putting me on oath that I shall throw a party in the evening.

I am ironing out the last wrinkle on the shirt when the phone rings. It's my beloved. "A good omen!" I tell myself. Even mother has pledged that my first salary will be given partly in charity, partly in feeding the poor and the rest in paying the first installment of the education loan. My aged father is looking forward to exult over my achievement, the pleasure I denied him all through my academic career. Now, my girlfriend earnestly wishes I get this job so that I stand a good stead before she speaks her heart to her parents. She is already counting down her time as marriage proposals have started annoying her. My success will put an end to the hassles she is put through. It's time to redress the past mistakes!

People have been advising me to overlook the package and be willing to go ahead with even peanuts on offer. I had acted out the unreasonableness of such advice, although I knew in the hearts of hearts, being short listed for the interview was, in itself, a saving grace!

With a bad and long academic record, my chances of selection are already bleak. But, I hope against it and count my blessings. On my way, I mentally bow down before every temple bolstering my prayers with poignant appeals. I come to nurture an unreasonable doggedness in wishing myself success. The mind moves through a pleasant sequel to an unpleasant one and back.

The long wait for the interview sucks life out of me. I see my expectations get leveler and leveler. Past failures, disappointments, vague hopes and the dark futurity make my stomach churn. But, hope has many windows. An agitated mind faces the interviewer begging pardon almost after every question. As I answer I gain a little confidence and manage to convey the impression of a boy sound with his concepts. At this stage, my academic record comes handy and with all my preparedness I cannot justify the failed academic standing and the awful scores. I realise I have been knocked down. The indifference of the interviewer is writ large on his face and I take with me that woeful answer - 'we will get back to you'.

All dreams that I had built a little ago come crashing down, unsettling even the distant dreams of the past. Something dies in me and there is nothing that can relieve me from this burning of the senses. As if fate is scalding my skin to remove the last hair of self-worth. What would I tell my people? Gloom would descend over the entire family. Mother may have a comforting word but she would be discomforted herself. Father will reiterate his drooping hopes of seeing me successful while alive. Those sweet moments I shared with my beloved laugh at my incapacity to have them for a lifetime. One sorrow, and it brings along a hundred others in its wake. Such is the sting of failure!
(592 words)

Comments

Unknown said…
One of the situation that many of us have experienced. Some of us become successful and some of us do not. However, this series of interviews goes on. The HOPE and URGE keeps us running to every place where there is an opportunity. And one final day we get what we have longed for so long. One Offer letter.
This is the story that we have experienced or read or heard from somebody. This will go on and on and on.
However, its HOPE and URGE that matters here. Every failure gives an opportunity to learn something. Something that we didn't know. Something that we lacked. Something that we have to improve on. The more we learn from these, more we come closure to success. And finally we get what we called SUCCESS.
Nik said…
It has always been a heart felt truth that the sweetness of success will never be understood unless you taste the bitterness of failure. The truth of life is that you cannot appreciate success unless you are aware of the pain of losing. I believe that every cloud has a silver lining & so every person has the capacity to prove himself as an outstanding person. It is just the correct time that you need to wait for.
Remember the call that you made to your father after you received the offer letter for your first job, remember the over joyed voice of your mother, the voice of your brother sounded like he is standing next to you patting your back. That was the time when you felt that the whole world is small compared to the happiness in your heart.
My friend, the failure has always to be won over by success, if it does not then it's a hint for you that the success is right ahead on the corner, just go & grab it.
As it was said in a recent movie I watched, it said that our lives are like the movies, if there is no happy ending to the movie, then understand that the movie has not reached it's end.
God bless all.
mudit said…
Since childhood, we were taught "Failures are Pillars of Success".
Here, I am not commenting on this quote. I believe this quote is very true.
However, unconsciously we take failures happily. We satisfy ourselves by reminding this: "failures are pillars of success". We overlook the effort one has to make in order to succeed. We take it this way.. if we fail once then next time we will succeed.
Sometimes, we don't have luck with us,there is only one attempt. if we fail , thats it. period. Though, I agree each failure teaches us something but sometimes, we simply don't have another chance to improve.
I don't agree with the nik's comment [dialog from OSO]. Dear friend, the difference between movie and real life is that there isn't any retake in real life.
Nik said…
"Failures are Pillars of Success" how true is this, well not very true. But the real question is what does it mean in a complete sense. Failure if taken as a failure will never inspire you to fight against all odds until you succeed. And what does success bring along, joy & happiness. When ever you do something wrong you were always told that this is the incorrect way of doing things & you were always guided to the correct way of doing it. Now when we tried to do a task but we failed the end result was unhappiness but when we succeeded the same result was joy. So even when we failed it was our family our parents, friends who inspired us to buck up again & win over the failure by achieving success.
Success in a true sense can be said that you have to undergo failure & realize the mistakes to overcome them when you try doing the same task the second time.
So keep trying until you succeed because if you stop trying you will FAIL.
Anonymous said…
gr8 writing man.life is a box full of success n failure and every man gets his own share .but the difference in the successfull man and unsuccessfull one lies not in the finding reasoning of failure but finding the remedy of it .i .e there is no point concentrating upon the problem rather the approach should b result oriented.so the thing i want to get noticed is that every failure brings an oppotunity for betterment n perhaps this is the guiding force behind every gr8 things( be it a person ,a discovery ,an invention or wat ever its ).so success is always a welcome thing, but dont show ur back to failures even.

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