Day Before XAT

Last Sunday, was an important day for me. It was the Xavier's Aptitude Test ( XAT ) for admission to MBA programme at XLRI and other instis. This was the most important test after CAT for me ..and calls from other important insitis where I had applied depended on it ...

The begining was quite good .. so to say I was quite relaxed a day before the exam. After linking the last few mocks, gave a VA sectional, got 78 of 80 correct! Couldn’t believe it ... anyway I was happy and I decided to go to sleep and get up with a fresh mind next day! But then it was not to be like that...

I unwrapped my bedding and cuddled myself in the blankets. I closed my eyes and tried to sleep ... after about 10 minutes or so I realized that the bathroom tap was leaking...and the dip-dip of water was making a very irritating noise. I went up to the loo, screwed the tap firmly and shut the bathroom door tight...the noises stopped. Alas! I was going to sleep peacefully.

But then other noises kept on haunting me....sometimes from inside the room..and other times from outside. I thought that they will subside eventually... but it didn't happen and I remained in the same state of insomnia for another 2 hrs or so ...

At about 2 am my roommate came back .. I felt like, "What the hell? is this a time to come?" I controlled my anger and acted as if I was sleeping ... another half hour or so passed with the light being switched on and off .. and all sorts of khatar-patar happening ... I checked the time on my cell .. Holy Cow ! it was 2:40 am .. I had an important test tomorrow and I was awake, wide awake as an owl at this hour ... I needed to sleep immediately.. I tightly shut my eyes and tried concentrating on sleep ... Another 10 minutes passed and It felt as if going to sleep... finally.

When suddenly ... BANG!! I heard a gunshot and then 'BANG' another. I thought, what the hell? Have the LeT terrorists attacked my building? How could they choose this night! I have my exams tomorrow ....please let me sleep peacefully, come back some other time.

And then I heard a guy talking. The voice was coming room the adjacent room.. Enough of this.. I uncovered my head from the blanket & peeped outside, the door to my roommate’s room was ajar with bright light glaring at me!

I unwrapped the blanket and went up to his room..And guess what do I see ?? This guy is watching "Tomorrow Never Dies - The bond movie" at this hour of the night .. I felt charging like a mad bull at him.. How could someone be so insensitive, but then I won't act the same way ...I cooled myself (remembered some of Gandhiji's Ahmisa tenets) and calmed down my anger ..I asked him politely to put down the volume and close his door .. I also told him about my exam for which I had to get up early next day .. He tried to say something but before that I was gone .. with a blunt 'thank you'

I thought my suffering was over only till I discovered that sleep still eluded me, I tried all postures ( sleep poses of course ) and tried thinking about arbit things .. I even switched on the light and tried reading a book thinking that maybe this could help me feel tired and then maybe I would sleep .. but nothing helped and I remained so ..in that semi-somnolent state for the rest of the night ... It was only at about 6:30 am when I thought I was feeling sleepy and I maybe I slept too ..but then I had to wake up by 7:30 am ... I finally woke up at 8:00 am and after the morning ablutions, made myself a cup of strong tea .. After drinking tea, I was up on my feet and felt awake like a spring leaf !

Collected my admit card and newspaper in a bag and left for the center ...

More about the exam center and experience in the next post ....

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