CELEBRATION was at its peak at the homes of those who passed with flying colours in the recent SSC. But in a few homes, the triumph of tender minds over difficult times added a special touch to the celebrations.

For some it was the absence of their pillars of strength—their parents during their exams, while for others it was problems at home. Ultimately it was their inner strength and the support rendered by their near ones that helped them sail through the obstacles.

Jay Thakur, a resident of Bhosale Nagar and a student of Vidya Valley, scored 92 percent in his ISCE. But the brilliant marks do not, for a single moment reveal the personal trauma that Thakur went through during his exams. His father fell seriously ill during his board exams—he was detected with cancer— but this lad with a strong heart, went through the pain silently and even lent support and courage to his mother. He recalls, “Even though my father used to drop me daily to the examination center, I realised that he was suffering from acute pain but I was always positive that he would recover and will come back to normal.” Touched by her teenaged son’s matured gesture and support rendered at the hour of need, Thakur’s mother Neha, had a special gathering of close friends for him after the results were declared.

As for Tejas Patil, a resident of Kasba Peth, it was the untimely demise of his father that struck him like a bolt. “He passed away when I was in std IX and I couldn’t come to terms with his death. All this when I was just recovering from the death of my close cousin brother,” says Patil. However, it was Patil’s participation in activities such as theatre, singing and dance competitions in school that washed away his depression. His mother, Devika, who is thrilled with her son’s performance, says, “I have never seen him shedding a tear during this entire year but, instead he used to comfort me and my daughter by stating that he is there to take care of us.”

While Patil had to come to terms with the loss of his father, for Manbir Wahan, a student of Loyola High School, it was the loss of his mother during the Diwali holidays that shattered the protective world she had built around him. Wahan who got a creditable first class says, “My mother was my confidence booster and I really missed her initially. However, But I got into my normal schedule of studies very soon as I realised, nothing can be done about it.”

Sonam Tamang, student of Sardar Dastur Hoshang Boys High School, lost his parents as a kid. He was nurtured and taken care of by his paternal uncle and aunty. Says Tamang, “I realised their absence and started to miss them only in the last two years. That’s also when my performance dropped.” But the lad who secured a second class attributes all his courage, to his principal, teachers and his close friends.

At an age where most would give up, the brave face these adolescents put up, speaks oodles about their courage. Like Tamang who says, “There was a point of time when I didn’t perform well in my exams and everyone thought I would have to drop out of school. But I proved them wrong after being given one more chance from the school authorities. My principal made arrangements for personal attention in the subjects that I found difficult.”

These youngsters just prove the fact that if there is a will, there certainly is a way. And it goes all the way to the top.