Arjun stared at the mock test result.
58 out of 100.
It was better than last time.
But not enough.
The room felt silent.
Only the ticking of the wall clock could be heard.
He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.
Failure again.
Not a complete failure, but still a reminder that the journey was long.
He remembered the first mock test — 42 out of 100.
This time it was 58.
Progress existed.
Small progress.
But progress nonetheless.
Yet doubt whispered.
"Is this really possible?"
"Are you good enough?"
"Will you ever clear it?"
These thoughts came uninvited.
Like guests who refused to leave.
He opened his notebook.
Target: IAS
First Attempt
No Second Option
The words were still there.
But their meaning had changed.
At first, they were a declaration.
A bold promise.
Now they felt like a responsibility.
A path.
Not an easy path.
A difficult one.
Family pressure also remained.
His mother often worried.
"You should choose something safer."
His father stayed silent but sometimes looked tired.
Money was limited.
Dreams felt heavy.
But Arjun reminded himself:
Great journeys are never comfortable.
Success is built on discipline.
Not instant results.
Mock tests were lessons.
Not judgments.
58 out of 100 meant mistakes existed.
Mistakes could be fixed.
Time was still there.
Preparation was still possible.
He took out the test paper and began analyzing.
Question by question.
Where did he go wrong?
Lack of revision.
Weak time management.
Incomplete understanding of some topics.
These were not permanent problems.
They were solvable.
He wrote notes.
Areas to improve.
Topics to revise.
Plans to execute.
This was not emotional work.
It was practical work.
UPSC preparation is not about motivation.
It is about consistency.
Some days will be good.
Some days will be bad.
But discipline remains.
He remembered something important.
Success is not defined by a single test.
A mock test is practice.
Not the final exam.
Real results come later.
With effort.
With learning.
With time.
He closed the notebook and took a deep breath.
The setback was real.
But surrender was not an option.
No second option.
No retreat.
Only improvement.
The next morning, he woke up at 4:30 AM.
The city was still asleep.
Cold air touched his face.
He opened his book.
Revision.
Answer writing.
Practice.
Not perfection.
Progress.
Slow progress.
But progress.
Friends continued with their lives.
Movies.
Cafes.
Weekend plans.
Arjun chose a different path.
A harder path.
But a meaningful one.
Because dreams worth achieving require sacrifice.
He was not extraordinary yet.
But he was becoming.
And becoming is more powerful than being.
Mock tests would come again.
Results would vary.
Some would be good.
Some would be disappointing.
But the journey mattered more.
He wrote in his notebook:
Failure is feedback.
Feedback is improvement.
Improvement is success.
This time the words felt stronger.
Not aggressive.
Not emotional.
Strong.
Clear.
Real.
The turning point was not a moment.
It was a process.
A decision to continue.
A decision to learn.
A decision to grow.
Arjun picked up his pen.
Round two was not over.
It had just begun.