It wasn't about motivation anymore.
It was about time.
It was 9:58 in the morning when Chinmay opened the door to his room and shut the world behind him.
The spark from class yesterday still flickered inside his chest — not bright, but steady. Enough.
He had no grand plan. No timetables. Just one ugly truth:
> He was over a year behind. And he had less than three months left.
He sat cross-legged on the floor, back against the wall.
Blank notebook in his lap.
YouTube open on his phone.
"Optics One-Shot Lecture – 6 hours 12 minutes"
By a bodybuilder with crazy energy.
Video speed: 2x
He took a breath and hit play.
> 2:30 in the afternoon
Chinmay begins watching. First 10 minutes, he's just staring.
The sir is yelling, "LIGHT IS A RAY! A PARTICLE! A WAVE! IT'S ALL OF THEM!"
Chinmay rewinds twice. Draws two diagrams. Then again.
He pauses. Draws again. Crosses out. Draws again.
He's in.
The fan hums. The window is closed. His phone is heating up.
So is he.
> 5:00 in the evening
1 hour of the lecture completed.
Chinmay's handwriting is a mess, but improving.
He's already started understanding things he once left blanks for in mock tests.
His water bottle is empty. He hasn't noticed.
Somewhere outside, kids are playing cricket. A whistle blows.
He rewinds again. Watches the explanation for refraction at a curved surface.
Pauses. Mouths the formula to himself.
> "(n2/n1) = (v2/v1)... okay… now lens maker's…"
---
> 8:00 in the evening
2.5 hours of lecture complete.
Chinmay's legs are numb. His fingers are ink-stained.
He forgot about tea. Forgot about food.
He's so focused that when the sir in the video says, "Pause and try this one yourself," Chinmay actually pauses and does it.
His stomach growls.
A voice calls from the door.
> "Chinmay! The food is getting cold!"
He blinks. Reality returns for a second.
> "Coming!"
He gets up like he's emerging from a tunnel.
His body aches.
His mind? Locked in.
He eats in silence. Not scrolling. Not thinking. Just chewing and remembering Snell's Law.
After food, he goes back in.
No delay. No drama.
---
> Late in the night
4.5 hours of lecture done.
Chinmay leans back. His spine cracks. His eyes burn.
But he's too deep in now. The lecture is opening doors he didn't know were there.
The teacher just made a joke — Chinmay didn't even hear it.
He pauses the video. Lays flat on the floor. No pillow. Just breath.
> "One more hour…"
But his body calls it.
Sleep hits like a freight train.
---
> Early next morning
Chinmay wakes. No alarm. Just instinct.
He wipes his face, drinks water, stands.
Cracks his back, does five pushups — arms shaking.
The flame is there. Still alive.
He doesn't touch his phone.
Just presses play.
---
> By 10:00 in the morning
Lecture: Completed.
Time spent: around 15 hours over two days.
Chinmay closes the notebook. 18 pages of notes.
Some messy, some perfect. Arrows everywhere. Highlights. Rewrites.
He stares at the closed book like it's a weapon now.
And he's ready to wield it.
---
To be continued in Chapter 14: Ray Strikes the Surface