Title: "The 74.8% Attendance"

You need 75% attendance to sit for finals. I had 74.8%.

I was in the HOD's cabin, begging. "Sir, please. One assignment, extra class, anything. My whole year will get wasted."

He didn't look up from his papers. "Rules are rules. You should have thought about this before bunking classes."

"Sir, it's just 0.2%," I snapped. "One day. What difference does one day make?"

He stopped writing. Slowly, he opened his drawer and pulled out a photocopy. He slid it across the table to me.

It was my father's death certificate. From two years ago.

He finally looked at me. "The day your father died, you weren't in college. Your attendance for that week is marked present. I marked it."

The cabin went silent. I couldn't breathe.

"You think 'one day' doesn't matter?" he said, his voice low. "That one day was the worst day of your life. I gave it to you. So you wouldn't have to choose between grieving your father and saving your career."

He pushed the paper back into the drawer. "I've given you all the 'one days' I can. The rest 74.8% were your choice. Now, please leave."

I walked out. Failed the year.

But I learned something college never had in its syllabus: Some people carry your burden when you're too broken to even know it.

And we repay them by arguing over 0.2%.