“The Year I Didn’t Give CAT — And Still Didn’t Give Up.”

 Last year, I didn’t sit for CAT.

Not because I wasn’t serious.

Not because I lacked dreams.

But because life decided to test me in ways I didn’t sign up for.

It started with chickenpox.

Yes — something that sounds small when people talk about it later.

But in that moment?

Fever. Weakness. Isolation.

Days where even getting up felt like climbing a mountain.

While others were preparing, revising, pushing forward —

I was counting rashes and waiting to heal.

And when my body finally recovered,

my mind didn’t.

Because somewhere between medicines and missed plans,

I lost confidence.

I started doubting myself.

“Maybe I’m not meant for this.”

“Maybe I’m already too late.”

And then came the second blow —

friends who I trusted,

who knew my goals,

who smiled with me —

but behind my back?

Dhokla. Betrayal.

The kind that doesn’t just hurt,

it makes you question your worth.

I won’t lie.

I broke.

I stopped believing in my potential.

I stopped believing in timing.

I stopped believing in people.

But here’s what I learned:

Sometimes life doesn’t delay you —

it prepares you quietly.

That year taught me patience.

It taught me that health is non-negotiable.

That not everyone who walks with you is meant to stay.

And that self-doubt is not the opposite of confidence —

it’s a phase before growth.

Today, I’m still here.

Still dreaming of IIM.

Still writing.

Still building myself again — stronger, wiser, softer in heart but tougher in spine.

I didn’t give CAT last year.

But I gave myself time to heal.

And that might be the best decision I never planned.

Because this time,

when I walk into that exam hall —

I won’t just carry preparation.

I’ll carry a story of survival.

And trust me —

comebacks are always louder than setbacks. 🌙✨