ALMOST THERE

CHAPTER 13: I'll let the world burn for him..

Main Rahoon Ya Na Rahoon - Armaan and Amaal Malik
🥀⛓️🖤🌧️

The reactions danced in front of my eyes. I watched as the C of carbon plopped off to land on top of the COOH, sticking out one hand to grab the one COOH already has extended.

A whoosh of wind blows by and the sheet of paper is suddenly a blur of dust and rain. I could barely make out the hustling of the symbols as they struggled to stay rooted in their positions.

After a while, the dust began to clear, the rain subsided as the sun came out, casting its light from I have no idea where. But all my eyes could see was the additional H2 that stood with its hands entwined with the other symbols in the formula. Its right hand grasping the C of carbon. Its left hand holding on to COOH for dear life.

The gears of my brain turned with creaking noises as it began to recognize the formation.

Just one more hydrogen and I'll be there.

I'll get the compound I want.

Acetic acid.

I could feel the others amidst their distinct murmurs, packing their stuff and silently walking out of the class having handed in the exam papers they'd probably aced. I didn't have to look up and see for myself. Not that I even had the time to. With the minutes ticking by, I was well aware of the shortage of time I was left with.

Soon, it was just me and the dark cloud of despair surrounding me in the exam hall. Just one more H and I'll be there...

My breath hitched as my eyes caught on one symbol approaching my unfinished compound, spinning at a strange speed. My adrenaline kicked in as I made out two vertical lines joined together by a shorter horizontal one, spinning towards me.

An H.

A Hydrogen.

Yes, yes, yes.

I could do it. I will finally do it!

But that rush of adrenaline quickly turned sour in my mouth as I watched the H tumble off of the H2 it was supposed to land on.

The bells around me rang, and my heart dropped to my stomach as the paper suddenly slipped out of my hands. I looked up to see it in the invigilator's hands as he piled it with the rest of the papers.

I stared at the answer that was visible from the last page.

Acetic acid.

CH2COOH.

Shit.

The exam hall felt like a cage as I gathered my things, the weight of that missed H sitting heavy in my chest. I barely noticed the other students leaving, the scrape of chairs, the shuffling of feet, until I was the last one standing. The invigilator glanced at me, but I couldn't meet his eyes. All I could think about was the stupid mistake and how it could cost me dearly. My future, my plans, everything.

I pushed the door open, stepping into the corridor, the air outside the exam hall strangely crisp, almost cutting through the fog in my head. The reality of what just happened gnawed at me, but I forced myself to keep moving, hoping to leave the disappointment behind.

But then, before I could fully collect myself, I bumped into Hamza.

The first thought that popped up in my head was, why was he here?
It was August 25th, the day the inter school basketball match was supposed to be held. I'd watched Shahaan practice his very fine ass off in the field and also hyperventilate when no one was watching. 

But I was.

It doesn't matter if he thinks he's strong enough to handle it all by himself, or if he decides to isolate himself when he clearly needs someone to share his baggage.

He doesn't even need to spell it out for me. He needs someone to be there for him, and I'm willing to be just that. 

Because he deserves the best. 

Even if he believes he doesn't, I know he deserves all the love in the universe and I'll happily watch the world reduce to mere ashes if it meant I could see that smile on his face at all times.

I'll let the world burn. For him.

"Shouldn't you be away playing basketball in some school?" The words come out in a hurried array of sounds, a distant worry laced in them.

"Hurt my knee the day before. I backed out in time," he said, steadying me. His voice, usually calm, carried a hint of urgency that made my pulse quicken. "I was just coming to find you."

I blinked up at him, trying to shake off the remnants of the exam, but his expression stopped me cold. His brows were furrowed, eyes wide with worry.

"What happened?" My voice came out more breathless than I intended, my mind reeling with the acidic feeling in my gut. My gut has proven to be right multiple times in the past and you'd say it's a boon. But right now, it felt like a curse. For I definitely didn't relish the sour taste of an upcoming mess.

"It's Shahaan. He...he got hurt during the game. His right arm...it's fractured. From the shoulder."

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. My very correct gut, indeed.

The breath I'd been holding escaped in a rush, leaving me dizzy. "What?" My voice was barely a whisper, the disbelief making it hard to comprehend what Hamza was saying.

"He's being treated there. It happened just a little while ago."

My thoughts spiraled into chaos, a torrent of fear and panic.
Shahaan -injured, in pain- flashes of him grimacing, his arm hanging limp, rushed through my mind.

I had to talk to him, hear his voice, know he was okay.

Without thinking, I turned on my heel and sprinted out of the school, my legs moving faster than my brain could keep up with. I needed to get home, needed to reach him, needed to do something. Anything.

I burst through the front door, my hands trembling as I fumbled for my phone. I tapped out a message, the letters blurring together as I typed:

Are you okay? Please tell me you're okay.

I hit send, my heart thudding in my ears. But as I stared at the screen, all that greeted me was a single grey tick. My anxiety surged, icy and sharp, twisting in my chest. I tried calling him, my breath hitching with each ring. The line buzzed, then clicked, and I was met with a mechanical voice. Number person you're trying to call is not answering. Please try again later.

"Shahaan," I whispered into the dark, my voice laced with frustration and worry. "Just...please be okay."

I ended the call, my thumb hovering over the screen, desperate for a response that wasn't coming. My mind raced, conjuring up all sorts of worst-case scenarios, each more terrifying than the last. The image of Shahaan in pain, alone, kept flashing before me, fueling the panic that gnawed at the edges of my sanity.

My breath came in shallow gasps as I stared at the phone, willing it to buzz, to show me those two blue ticks that would tell me he was okay. But the screen remained stubbornly still, as if mocking my helplessness.

I felt trapped, as if the walls around me were closing in, my own thoughts suffocating me. My chest tightened, and the room started spinning, the gravity of the situation crashing down on me.

Shahaan needed me, and Heavens know I needed him too.

 Even when he's the one in pain, I need him. 

I need him every hour, every minute, every second. 

I need him to make sure he's alright. 

I need him to make sure I'm alright.

But there was very less I could do. Nothing but wait in this agonizing silence, my heart pounding against my ribs, praying that the next moment wouldn't bring the news I dreaded most.