I was studying in India for my MA Final in English. With a voluminous syllabus to study, we barely had time to spare, especially during the month preceding the examination. It was a race against time to come up to scratch. As a foreigner, I rented a room in a lodging consisting of four rooms. I was in room 4 while my friend in room 3 was an Indian from South India.

The locals there, as we foreigners used to call them, never studied the whole academic year. They frittered away most of the time in other occupations and would buckle down to their studies one or two months before the exams.

Then they would work out some past exam papers and sort out a few questions that might surface in the examination. They would try to telescope a syllabus designed for nine months into one or two months. In view of the amount of work, they had to toil feverishly to be ready for the examination. Very often they burned the midnight oil trying to stuff themselves with a maximum of knowledge.

My friend in room 3 was preparing his LLB finals. I often popped into his room for a little relaxation. Once he told me he was at a loss and still had a lot of leeway to make up before the exam. I decided to come to his rescue. If a few comforting words could help, why not?

I told him to try some inspirations as they could help put him back on the rails. I told him how they had greatly helped me whenever I deviated. Casting a glance at the inspirations pinned on my wall had helped me get down to my studies.

I told him some, but stressed on one, which had always worked wonders with me, ?Where there?s a will, there?s a way.? And I added jokingly. ?But where there?s no will, there?s a hill.? He told me he desperately needed motivation and would try the inspirations I suggested, in particular the one that had always helped me.

A few days later, I dropped in to find out if the inspirations had had any effect. To my astonishment and, I must say, uproarious exhilaration, he told me: ?Raj, I just see hills around!? What could I say? The inspiration had not worked this time!