Flying colours

Her determination and focus towards a goal has brought her super success. Resolute Sonia Malhotra of Faridabad finds herself on cloud nine after scoring 97.6 per cent marks in the CBSE Class X Board examination.
"The Almighty has been kind to me this time. I sincerely thank God, my parents, teachers and friends for supporting and encouraging me throughout my life and having made this possible," says the CBSE topper with a triumphant smile.
She scored 100 in maths, 99 each in science and Sanskrit, 97 in social studies and 92 in English. What was the reaction of her family when the result was announced? "It was the day the class X results were announced. Sonia and I were coming back to Delhi from Dehradun. We were scheduled to reach the city by 10:15 a m. But the train was an hour late and the results were already out on the internet at 8 am. You could imagine the kind of anxiety we were going through," recalled her mother Seema Malhotra.
"Before the train stopped, I peeped out and saw my husband Vikram carrying so many flowers and sweets. He had tears in his eyes. My immediate reflex was to think that my daughter must have done wonders in her exam," she said. "The three of us kept hugging and kissing each other for about 15 minutes, on the railway platform," she added. Her parents were proud of Sonia’s achievement, who was their only child.
She had secured the top rank without taking any tuition. And, Sonia, a student of DAV School, Faridabad, didn’t even let her friends seek any private coaching. "There is no need for tuitions, if one is attentive at school and has respect for teachers," said Sonia and added that a congenial study environment at home along with the support of parents was extremely important.
Sonia felt indebted to her parents, particularly her mother - a primary school teacher, in her own school, for their contribution towards her success. "They sacrificed their social life and TV-watching for the sake of my studies," remarked Sonia. Notably, Sonia is the same girl who topped the All India DAV VIII Board exam with 95 per cent marks. In fact, she had been the school topper since class I. She had not just excelled in academics, but had been equally good in debates and other extra curricular activities, her mother said.
Are you a kind of bookworm? "No, I am not," said the topper. How many hours did you devote daily for studies? "I never looked at the watch while studying. My formula is to finish what one decides for the day and then get off the study table. On an average, I studied for about five hours to six hours per day throughout the year and 12 hours to 18 hours during examination," she added.
Sonia is nurturing a dream, that of becoming a doctor and specialising in paediatrics, as she loves kids. "It is solely my decision, but now it has become a dream of my parents that I have to fulfil," she said.