The Unbreakable Bond

Chapter Thirty-three

"You weren't studying, were you?" Murtasim questioned dangerously.

...

"I was!" Mirza panicked, "But I still need to...umm...study a few more topics."

Murtasim raised an eyebrow as he could detect the lie in that sentence, but he kept that to himself for now.

"Mirza?" Murtasim smiled, though it held no humour. "Hadn't I specifically told you to study after coming home?"

"But-"

"No buts, Mirza! You had your chance, yet you chose to watch the television instead of studying. Now pick up the pen and start answering the questions!" Murtasim ordered, placing an assessment on the table.

Mirza looked up with a crying face and a pleading expression, hoping to change Murtasim's mind. "Baba, please?!"

"No excuses. You've had all day to prepare for this. If I don't see any progress in that test paper, Mirza, you won't be happy with the consequences. This will just add to your punishment for not following rules that you've broken today!" Murtasim cautioned, fixing him with a stern gaze.

Mirza gulped, fumbling with the pen in his hand. He peered up from under his lashes when Murtasim stated, "Forty minutes and then I'll be back to check on you!"

Mirza picked up the pen as Murtasim left the room, and started to flick through the paper. He focused on the first question, though it had been taught to him two days ago, he hadn't bothered to revise the topic, leading to a relapse of memory.

He sighed in frustration, cursing his blank brain for forgetting something so basic. The fact that he had an exam tommorow and didn't remember anything was starting to sink in now.

His gaze fell on the textbook that was still resting on the desk. He quickly shook his head, "If Baba found out he'd surely kill me!"

He completed some of the questions, although he was unsure if the answers were exactly correct, but at least he'd done something, right?

Mirza huffed, dropping his head on his arm. Which Hitler created these exams? He would love to have a meeting with them. Teach them a good lesson. Like, seriously, there are better things to do then writing an exam.

Once again, his eyes drifted off to the textbook and he hesitantly flicked through the pages before he glanced behind him to ensure no one was in the room. 'I'll just look through the method and apply it to the question. That way it won't be considered cheating'

He jotted down the formula and started to work on the question. He continued flickering through the textbook unaware of the presence looming over him.

Murtasim slammed the textbook shut and Mirza jumped. "What do you think you're doing?!!" Murtasim seethed.

Oh no!

"Baba" Mirza stammered, closing his eyes tightly.

Murtasim yanked him up by the elbow, his eyes dark as he stared into his soul. "I asked, what were you doing?!!"

"N-Nothing baba"

"Nothing?!" Murtasim fumed, "You call cheating nothing?!"

"I wasn't cheating baba" Mirza murmured, his eyes downcast.

Murtasim fixed him with a withering glare, "Mirza, your behaviour is unacceptable. Despite being grounded, I caught you watching TV instead of revising for tomorrow's exam. When I confronted you and gave you a test, you resorted to cheating. Even worse, you are continuing to lie to me."

"I wasn't-"

"And you didn't study for the thirty minutes I gave you as a heads-up, did you?" Murtasim rhetorically asked, though he already had his answer.