Whenever depression settles in,
or stress coils tight around my chest,
or some nagging worry gnaws at the edges—
that same dream creeps in.
Sleep fights me hard.
Tossing, turning,
until exhaustion wins,
and there it is again.
An exam hall,
me gripping the question paper,
answers erased from my mind.
Blank sheet stares back.
I scramble for words,
but nothing comes.
No matter how I strain,
every question mocks me empty.
I’ve always been the topper—
first rank, gold medal draped around my neck.
In real life, no exam ever left me stumped.
Yet here, the void terrifies.
A failure that’s never happened.
Frustrating. Embarrassing. Soul-crushing.
I bolt awake, soaked in sweat,
realizing that it was only a dream.
