The Promising star

Mark or match

    The other most important incidents that happened in the life of Kani was the famous ‘Cup Match’. The Cup Match was fought between the two brothers Sankar and Mani. They both belonged to the area where Kani lived. 

    The match was held on a fine Sunday morning. The very next day was exam day for Kani. But Kani gave importance to the match. At first, Mani's team batted and they scored 19 runs in 10 overs. Sankar's team needed 20 runs to win the match. Kani was playing for Sankar's team. But Sankar's team didn't start the innings well. They lost their crucial wickets at the early stage of the innings. Then, there came Kani to bat at number 5. He was a small boy at that time. The opponent captain Mani was bowling with great speed at that moment. Kani had his legs shivering but he didn't show off his fear to anybody. The very first ball was bowled a little short and Kani placed it in Point direction for a superb four. The shoot gave confidence to Kani. The very moment, everyone got astonished by his talent. Also, he battled until the end to ensure the team's victory. After the match, everyone came towards Kani for a celebration. They lifted Kani on their shoulders and they even burst out crackers to express their happiness of the day's win. Kani was feeling high at that moment. They even gave Kani a title called 'Nambikkai Natchathiram', which means 'trustworthy star’ by one of the senior players of the team named Kandhavel. 

    But when Kani entered his home after the celebrations were over, a great surprise was waiting for him. Kani's friend Prakash was repeatedly telephoned Kani to ask him import questions for the exam. But Kani who was there at the match couldn't answer that. His mother came to know about the exams only when Prakash called him. Kani got numerous scolding from his mother that day and as a punishment, he was not allowed to go out to play the very next week. The same cup match was played once again that week and this time, Mani's team won the match with a huge margin and they had even louder celebrations than the one Sankar's team did the previous week. Kani was only able to see the match but he couldn't play. Kani was very unhappy that day.

     Kani used to sleep in classes whenever he felt that the class was boring. One day, when Kani was sleeping in the class, the botany teacher, Mrs. Navamani asked him to stand up and read the lines in the book that they were discussing in the class. Kani's friend Vijaya Ragavan somehow manage Kani to help him out and Kani read the Passage correctly and escaped from the punishment of getting 1000 times imposition to be written as homework. She was the person who influenced Kani that not to copy in exams thereafter. 

    One day, Kani didn't prepare and come for the exam and a class test was conducted to students by the botany teacher. She asked the students to sit one on a bench and others to come out. The one who sits on the bench can copy easily by keeping the book under the table's desk. The same strategy was followed by Kani and this was also noticed by the teacher. She just gave a warning in her face and she said nothing outside. This made Kani feel guilty for his cheap deed. Kani realized the truths of life after this incident. 

    There are so many easier ways to cheat on exams? But what we are going to get out of it? Marks might come and go. Doesn't make any sense? Nope! But we can't simply blame the students alone for involving in exam malpractices. It is also the parent's mistake who wants their sons and daughter to be the most educated person in society, which they measure by marks. 

    Marks create discrimination. Marks are important but at the same time Knowledge is most important. The student's fear of exams is also increasing day-by-day in their minds. What is the reason behind this? Pressure! For teachers and schools, they need to get centum results with 100 percent pass percentage and also to keep the school in number one position within their scope of reach. By this, they also get more admissions in the subsequent years and it earns them money as well. For parents, they need their kids to get more mark within their friend's circle. And they also worry about how their relatives question their child if their children are not getting good marks in exams. For students, they need to fulfill their parent's expectations and dreams. Some students even run behind coaching centers and other web-based applications while chasing marks. But are they getting knowledge in that? May be! Only a very few! 

    One should use one’s own brain to get his/ her marks. After all, they are just marks? Just a number digit, on the board! The number or position doesn't speak of you. Your integrity in reaching the real position of your life matter's the most important thing in life for me. So, the mark is not everything in life. And we should not run behind success all the time. If we are deserved and we take adequate steps to get that, one day or the other, for all the sincere efforts we made, the real fruits of success will be reaped and what's more even the victory visits our place of residence. Yes, we need money, we need a good job, for which mark is a basis! But it should not be the only means of selection criteria in any field that we chose. Apart from marks, Humanity is the most important wealth to acquiesce in life. 

    Kani didn't do copying in any exam, in his future part of the life, after this incident.