Cameras flashed as reporters huddled outside the hospital room to speak with Nusrat. According to a viral post by her classmate, she had a life-altering experience. Meanwhile, her parents and a witness gave their statements to the reporters. 

"All the comparisons with our neighbours' kids and hours of coaching classes, all gone in vain," said the father with a frown. "What will I tell my second cousin that I haven't seen in 10 years when he calls to ask about my daughter's grades?"

"Nusrat was almost always the top scorer in the class, and when she wasn't, she always made sure everybody knew that it was only because she didn't study at all. This time it was different," said the witness, who is Nusrat's classmate. 

Suddenly, the door opened and a nurse stepped out.

"The patient is in stable condition now and can have visitors," the nurse said calmly as he let the parents and a handful of reporters into the room to interview Nusrat. 

"How did this happen? Tell us everything," pried one reporter. 

"Well, it was a regular day," said Nusrat. "I reminded my teacher about the homework she had forgotten to assign and laughed extra hard at all her jokes. Then, the unthinkable happened." 

"Go on," a reporter encouraged her as everybody stared at her wide-eyed.

"We got our exam papers back and, and, I had failed," Nusrat said, tearing up as her parents held her hand. "I've gone above and beyond for my academics. I've told people that I didn't study even when I did. I've even turned on the mic during online classes to make sure the teacher knew I was laughing at her jokes, and this is what I get in return?" she continued. 

"How did you go from being the top scorer to this?" said another reporter curiously.

"First of all, I didn't study at all. Make sure you mention 'at all' in your report, please. Second of all, slacking off during online classes just got too easy. Sure, my camera was on so I couldn't fall asleep, but I started taking Fuzzbeed quizzes during classes and zoned out." 

"How did you end up in the hospital?" a reporter asked. 

"The exam scores were posted during class. After looking at my poor performance, I felt such a pain in my chest that I thought I was having a heart attack. I fell on the ground as all my classmates watched through their screens and was soon rushed to the hospital," she paused before continuing. "According to the doctor, it was just acidity," she admitted with an embarrassed look. 

"So, what did you learn from this experience?" the reporters inquired. 

"I learnt that I was conditioned to believe that my grades defined my self-worth, but that's simply untrue. One bad exam, surprisingly, isn't the end of the world." 

The interview wrapped up soon after and Nusrat was left alone once again. She then grabbed her phone and Googled "How to politely tell people to worry about their own kids when they ask about your grades" as she rested her head on the pillow.

Nuzhat enjoys baking but simply cannot find the required ingredients. Tell her about your favourite baked goods at nuzhatchowdhury07@gmail.com