Essay-Writing Competition

The golden shining trophy with an educational tour in Parliament to the essay-writing winner. How good it will be if I am that winner. Although, the same things are available for 2nd, 3rd and two consolation winners.

My pens flow on the paper, my brain filtered the information and my eyes searched the topic on the internet many times. I am against plagiarism, so I revise the topic many times. The essay competition is scheduled for 3 days after.

I pack my colourful pens in the kit and revised my content and best key points. I cannot skip any of the tiniest things because the prize of the competition matters the most for me. The participation fee is rupees 20.

So, I stand in a queue of registering myself for the essay. Butterflies are fluttering in my stomach. We are asked to sit on the benches. The benches felt cold to me but my excitement levitates their temperature.

I write my essay with full dedication and submit the paper to the teacher. I am very excited about the result and two months later, the result was out. The result declared me the first consolation winner. I got super-excited. I spread this news everywhere—on WhatsApp status, to my friends and family.

But a tragedy happens when I go to the NSS office to collect my certificates. I come to know the reality when I get a participation certificate but winner certificates have a labelled name stick on them which feel strange.

When I demand my winner certificate, the distributor’s facial expression changes. He starts excusing that the list has changed. I argue that there is no circulation of the new list. Then he takes the support of his power to quieten me.

I take the certificate with crumble hands.

A few days after, I come to know that the winner certificates and the chance to go to Parliament are given to their favourites i.e. their friends.

This is not what NSS meant. The NSS is for supporting others and here, they did this.

I left NSS a few days after, tear the certificate and the news of the postponement of the tour to parliament arrive.

I laugh for a while. They cheated on the honest volunteers and God has given them punishment. The government’s postponement never came into existence.

The real winning certificate I achieve when I was a part of the central ministry sits on the cold bench of Parliament.