Sweet Revenge

When I was in 11th grade, there was a guy in my tuition class who constantly mocked me because I struggled with physics and mathematics—subjects that were not my strong suit. He frequently called me an idiot and useless, which eventually led me to quit the tuition class. I didn’t want to endure criticism from teachers and others any longer.

A year later, I participated in a quiz competition and was selected to represent my school. Since the quiz was organized by an engineering college, I expected the questions to be related to science. To my surprise, the topics were current affairs, history, politics, and other subjects in which I excelled. I noticed the same guy who had mocked me was also participating, representing his school. Although we didn’t speak, I could sense his presence.

In the competition, my team performed exceptionally well, reaching the finals, while his school was disqualified in the first round. My school ended up as the runner-up, and I was elated. Not only was this outcome unexpected, but I also had the satisfaction of receiving the prize in front of the person who had once ridiculed me. He couldn’t even muster the courage to look me in the eyes. This was a moment of sweet revenge.

When we have issues with someone, we often think of fighting back or causing them trouble to seek revenge. But revenge like this—achieving success in an unexpected way—is extraordinary. If you consider my perspective, you can truly appreciate the sense of bliss that comes with it.