The Unsuccessful Lovers

Episode 3: SLC Examination, Result and Civil War

The then School Leaving Certificate (SLC) examination used to be held at Chaitra (March). It is the final or board exam of class 10. Sabita had already left her exam after she failed the pre-SLC examination. In 2005, Bikki, Chhabi, Suk, and Ram were appearing in the SLC examination. Bikki was the first boy in the class. However, the rest of them were also average students. They started their preparation by going to the nearest market where there was their SLC center. The exam center was about 35 kilometers far from their village. As all of them were teenagers, they did not focus much on their study, rather they spent most of their invaluable time cycling and watching the movies. However, they had taken the tuition classes in the morning and evening. They did not study in the daytime. Rather, they enjoyed a lot as much as they could. Interestingly enough, two of their friends including Ram got married before 15 days of their SLC examination. Ram was very happy and excited that he had got married to Sohi, his lover.

During that time, the days of Nepal were worse. Due to the Civil War led by Nepal Communist Party (Maoist), not only the students but also all Nepali people were fed up, scared, and frustrated. We cannot even imagine the psychology of those school students, what they thought when the Maoists exploded the bomb just before two days of SLC examination near the exam center.  The government had declared a security crisis throughout the country, the rebellion was speeding its attacks at the mouth of the SLC exam. Not only the SLC appearing students, but their parents, teachers, relatives, educators, psychologists, and all the stakeholders were also terrified due to the possible attacks of rebellion during the exam.

Finally, they appeared in the exam. Their exam was not so satisfactory as nobody emphasized them much in the study and their environment was also really terrifying. Their parents were far from there to guide and suggest them for the study. The age was also carefree. However, they had always the blessings of their parents. Though there was the same sort of behavior from the invigilators somehow on other days in the exam hall, the students who had gone from the remote part of the village felt insulted and humiliated during the day of the English practical exam. Their teachers rarely finished the course even in a whole year. They didn't have a math teacher for more than six months. But the teacher who took their interview as speaking test humiliated them thinking that they belong to the remote village.

"Which is your school?" asked the examiner.

            "My school is Krishna Secondary School sir," replied Suk.

            Examiner asked, "Where is it located?"

            "It is located at Kamaltar 2, Gajarkot, the remote part of the Tanahun district," replied Suk.

"Oh! You are the savage then. I don't think you have known anything. You can go from here," remarked the examiner.

          "Thank you, sir. Goodbye sir," said Suk.  

The questions were so much insulting. However, they encountered the situation patiently. The village may not know the way of city life, but it can never forget discipline, integrity, and honesty. Once again they realized that being born in a remote village was like a crime. At the same time, they thought that the lotus also blooms in the mud. After the completion of their exam, they planned to return home the next day. They could get a bus for 8 kilometers from their examination center and they had their beds, bags, books, clothes, and other materials. Unfortunately, there heard the news of Nepal Banda (Closed down of Nepal/ Strike) by rebellion Maoists. So, they had to walk six hours continuously with a heavy load to reach their homes. However, they set their journey for the home. On the way too, there was danger of being attacked either by Maoists or by the Nepal Army. No sooner than they had begun their journey about 30 minutes, they found that Nepal Army was inspecting and searching the travelers strictly. The army also asked them to open all the bags, sacks, and other things rudely and harshly. Ram was being a bit late to open his bags.

            Nepal army asked, "Why are you doing lately? Are you a terrorist?"

            "I am opening my bags, sir," replied Ram.

            "Are you speaking rudely to me?", asked the Nepal army.

            "No sir," replied Ram.

            Nepal army remarked, "Get lost!"

 Then, he hits on Ram's back with his boots badly. All of them felt scared seeing that unexpected behaviour from the defender of our country. However, they escaped from there with suffocation. When they reached the dense forest after one hour's walk, they again encountered the army but with a different dress. They were terrified from the earlier behaviour of the army and again now their heart started beating faster. Although they were more than thirty in the group, they felt panic in the forest with the army with arms. However, they seemed more loyal in comparison to the army they faced earlier. They came to know that they were the Civil army (Janamukti Army) of the Nepali Communist Party (Maoist). They apologized for the suffering the students had faced because of the strike and one of the armies said that we are fighting against the oppression, suppression, domination, injustice, and all forms of inequalities for the democratic republic federal Nepal. He further appealed to us to join their army for the golden future of the young generation. We nodded our heads and resumed our journey with their consent. We gave off a great sense of relief from the death. But the most amazing thing was that they found rebellions more humble, kind, and loyal rather than the governmental body.

They reached their village by hook and crook. Then, their village life begins. Their relations start to be recharged. Till yet, all of them had good relations with their pairs. The only thing they were longing for was their result of the SLC examination. It used to take three months to publish the result and it used to take more than a week to reach the Gorkhapatra newspaper into the village. After a wait of three months, Radio Nepal broadcast the news of the publication of the SLC result. However, there was no telephone facility in the village. Having an internet connection was totally out of my imagination. All the students were very much excited. There were 10 students from the village. Altogether there were 37 students in their batch from their school. The school's result used to be poor in earlier years too. So, students were really scared of the result. On the 8th day of result publication, one senior brother Ramesh who used to study at the district headquarter brought Gorkhapatra newspaper and they got a chance to check their result.

"What is your symbol no. of SLC? Asked Ramesh.

Bikki replied,"Mine is 042359867 Y respected brother."

"What's your expected division?" asked Ramesh.

Bikki said, "Second."

"Hearty Congratulations! You have passed in the second division," informed Ramesh with an exclaim of joy.  

From the whole village, only Bikky passed in the second division and only two students including Bikki succeeded from the whole school or out of 48 students that year. Bikki as he was the first boy of the class had been successful and another fourth boy had been successful. It was an immense pleasure for Bikki's family about the good news of Bikki's result. His friends demanded him party and chocolates. But, Bikki had only one rupee during the same time. So, he felt ashamed to inform about the amount he had with. His father used to spend money only on necessities. So, he didn't have money. Laxu was also feeling delighted after Bikki's success. Bikki's family had already decided to send him to Pokhara, the regional headquarter of Western Region after his success for his further study. Bikki and Laxu were worried about their separation physically and geographically, but they could never imagine their real separation from their life.