It was a day of smiles at the Tagore Hall in Ahmedabad on Thursday as those who made it to the just announced HSC merit list met the media with their parents,close relatives and siblings in tow. This time,the toppers of the Science and General streams HSC results belonged to Ahmedabad city. Tied at the first place in the General stream,Ugam Shah from Ahmedabad's Sheth C N Vidyalaya and Vruddhi Doshi of Shri Damubhai Shukla Higher Secondary schools were the first to land in the loop of photographers,cameramen and reporters,all jostling for an interview. I felt like a star! Vruddhi said over the phone afterwards. Her father works in a transportation firm. Both Ugam and Vruddhi want to study accountancy and stay in Gujarat for their higher education. But Vruddhi wants to study management as well. Ugam wants to follow his grandfathers footsteps. He said: I want to be a chartered accountant. Incidentally,Ugam has been playing the tabla for 10 years now and has even appeared in the Saptak festival as well as on television. For three hours,the media was busy speaking to the meritorious students who kept on arriving at the venue. One had already cleared the IIT-JEE entrance,while another came with her mother who had also made it to the merit list as a student. But the topper of the Science stream was still missing from the scene. Hardik Patel from Shri Nagindas Maganlal High School in Ahmedabad was at his school,celebrating his victory with his teachers and classmates with Holi colours. For him,it was a victory he expected all along. I did expect to be the topper, the MBBS aspirant said,whose father is a teacher in a government village school. He arrived well past lunchtime to a waiting swarm of mediapersons. By night,the two young boys were expecting to eat out with family and friends to celebrate the outcome of months of toil and hard work. Vruddhi,though,has different plans. I am tired of all the interviews. Ill sleep off now no celebrations today, she said.
