His sukoon : His junoon

1

The exam hall was silent as all the students focused on their exams. Glances were exchanged, and whispered answers to the questions were sent to friends, hoping not to get caught.

A boy sat impatiently, waiting for his friend to arrive. If she didn't show up soon, there would be consequences. He hadn't even started his exam, waiting instead for his introverted and clumsy friend. He tapped his pencil against the desk in frustration, casting glances at the clock every few seconds.

Somewhere in the hall, the sound of anklets announced the arrival of a girl in an oversized hoodie and soft pajamas. It was an odd combination—anklets with an oversized hoodie and pajamas—but she liked it. She was in love with anklets but also cherished her comfort clothes. She ran with all her might to reach her destination, the exam hall.

"What's the use of being tall?" she sighed in relief upon seeing the nameplate: EXAM HALL.

Ishaan was convinced they would fail until the hall door slammed open. "There she is," he thought, relieved that they wouldn't fail now. Smiling brightly at her, he forgot everything else and shouted, "Here she is!!!!!!!!!!!!"

The entire exam hall turned to look at him as he sat, embarrassed by his outburst. Isha frowned at her friend; now all attention was on her, and she disliked it. She shuffled to her seat, trying to ignore the stares, and began to look down at her papers, focusing all her energy on the exam.

The examiner gave Ishaan a hard glare and then looked at Isha, handing her a sheet and murmuring "Continue." Isha found a seat and never lifted her gaze until time was up, her focus unshaken by the commotion.

Ishaan sulked. He couldn't persuade her to let him copy again. "I am so sick of this fake friend," he thought, feeling a mix of irritation and disappointment.

Exiting the hall, they both headed to the cafeteria together to eat something. Despite their personality differences, what made them best friends was their shared love for food, books, rain, and the color blue.

"You could have let me copy. Shouldn't you help your friend a little?" Ishaan sulked, still not over it. His eyes wandered to the food counter, longing for distraction.

"If I helped you, you'd score higher than me. Why should I help you?" Isha murmured, drained from running and then writing her exam, her only desire now to stuff her mouth with food.

Ishaan huffed and whispered again, "Let's put an end to this friendship."

Isha shook her head with a smile, and they both approached the counter filled with a variety of food. It was free, a gift from seniors for the juniors' farewell party before the exams.

Anyone looking at them would think they had been hungry their whole lives as they filled both hands with plates. Ishaan even grabbed a fourth plate of noodles and sat at a table. They wasted no time digging in and eating from each other's plates.

Isha was an introvert, often lost in her phone or studies. She wasn't a bookworm but had a few things that made her life feel complete: studying for six hours a day, dragging her best friend along; spending hours reading books until 1 or 2 a.m.; and wandering outside with Ishaan on cold or rainy days, as he disliked staying indoors for long. and rest of the time during day she was asleep somewhere.

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"The dean called me, and I was late again. Why can't I just stop reading those books? I always get lost in them and forget about time."