Post by Anjana Ramanathan

Today...18.06.2026 A day when LinkedIn suddenly turns pink. A day when close friends proudly share that they have qualified. And truthfully, we are genuinely happy for them. They earned it. We know the battles they fought, the sacrifices they made, and the sleepless nights they endured. Their success deserves every bit of celebration. Yet, at the same time, there is a quiet ache within us. A day when some celebrate, while others quietly grieve and try to gather the strength to move forward. Looking ahead to another opportunity... a word I have grown to dislike... but nevertheless, another attempt to someday see the word "Successful" beside my name. On one hand, teachers and institutes are actively marketing their next crash courses and new batches. On another side, there are students staring at their screens with teary eyes, watching their SRO turn into MRN. And somewhere in between, there are people like us... Sitting silently. Clueless. On the verge of tears... or perhaps after crying so much that no tears remain. Too exhausted to feel hopeful. Too tired to believe in anything at the moment. Thinking about the countless hours we toiled. The days and nights we grinded. The celebrations we missed. The happiness we postponed. The moments we silently broke down when nobody was watching. Thinking about how much of ourselves we poured into a dream that feels just out of reach today. Maybe this is life. Maybe this is how dreams test us. Maybe there will come a day when we finally see that one word — "Successful". And on that day, we won't scream. We won't boast. We'll simply smile gently and realize... "Yes. We made it." ❤️ Until then, we celebrate those who crossed the finish line today, and we quietly gather the courage to continue our own journey. ~ A CA Aspirant