From Aliya to Hafiz

Twenty-four.

Aliya.

The following day, we wrote the last part of the mock exams. I cross-checked my answers for the second time, making sure I was okay with seventy percent of my answers before setting my pen aside. I looked around, nobody seemed to be done, and the clock showed 5:30, meaning we had more than thirty minutes remaining.

A knock fell on my desk and I looked sideways to see one of the invigilators staring at me, the look in his pale brown eyes made me a little nervous.

"Yes?" I whispered, not wanting to cause any disturbance.

"Take it out," he commanded, a tight frown on his face.

"I'm sorry?"

"Take out the thing you were copying," his voice rose, and I felt a stir around the classroom.

I quickly raised my hands, showing that I was hiding nothing. "I think there's been a misunderstanding somewhere, I don't have—"

"It'll do you good to just fess up, where is the material!?" He slammed his fist on the table, startling me.

My eyes widened, and I felt the familiar tremor raking through my body. It was an after-effect of the car accident that took my dad years back, my body always trembled at sudden sharp loud noises.

"I-I didn't—" I couldn't form a coherent sentence, my heart was thrown in disarray and I trembled even more violently.

"You didn't what!? Bring it out! Why are you so flustered!?" He yanked me up, and my chair and table scraped roughly against the floor. The loud screeching noise pierced my ears, worsening my tremors.

With my throat constricting, I could only shake my head, trying to prove my innocence as my heart pounded wildly.

"Still won't admit it!? It's like you want to be jailed! People like you are a disgrace to the medical profession! Allowing you to continue will only endanger innocent lives!" He roared, dragging me towards the door.

I could only struggle as I stumbled along.

"Follow along quietly," he looked back and sneered, motioning to the police officer by the door. "Come along, who knows what else she has hiding underneath her hijab?"

I closed my eyes, gritting through the burn in my eyes. I wasn't even wearing a hijab. I had on formal dress pants and a shirt and rolled my veil.

I wanted to yell and scream at them, but my throat wouldn't cooperate. My body only shook more when the cop came closer, hand on the hilt on his waist. "Behave."

The man dragged me down the hall to an office at the end of the building. He knocked and pushed the door open to reveal an old man with a head of white hair. I recognized him as one of the lecturers who taught us throughout the last three weeks, Mr. Mills.

He looked up, a surprised expression crossing his face. "What's the matter, Arnold? Shouldn't you be invigilating?"

He flung my arm, propelling my body forward. "I was, and I caught a cheat."

"What are you talking about?" A severe frown marred Mr. Mills' brows.

"A student reported seeing her copying answers, and I saw her myself but she refused to own up to it," he sneered.

I looked at him in disbelief. I was staring at the clock with my booklet overturned, and pens on the desk when he came by.

"Is this true, young lady?" Mr. Mills scowled at me, hostility leaking into his eyes.

I squeezed my palms, willing myself to speak. "It's...not...I swear it's a lie."

"Are you accusing me of lying!? You!?" Arnold glowered down at me, gazing maliciously.