Instead of rushing back into our books, the chatter at the canteen table quickly drifted far away from textbooks, exam warnings, and grading rubrics. Desperate for any excuse to push the suffocating pressure of finals out of our minds, we talked about some ridiculous and pointless topics .
Before we knew it, we were bantering back and forth about silly past memories, embarrassing things we'd done during our first weeks on campus, and completely absurd hypotheticals. Laughter bubbled up naturally, a bright, welcome contrast to the heavy, tense atmosphere that had choked the hallways for days.
Realizing that this might be one of our last quiet moments together of this semester before everyone scattered for the semester break, someone pulled out their phone.
"Hey, let's take a picture," one of them suggested, grinning.
We huddled together, flashing goofy grins and awkward poses for the camera. Looking down at the screen afterward, seeing us all laughing with tired eyes and messy hair, I couldn't help but smile. It was a warm, unexpected snapshot of normalcy, a comforting anchor amid the chaotic storm of exams.
Time slipped away faster than any of us realized. When I finally checked my watch, I gasped.
"Oh, it's already getting late," I muttered, my eyes widening.
My friends exchanged knowing glances and nodded toward the exit. "Yeah, you probably should head out with us before it gets dark. No point staying cooped up studying all afternoon."
"You're right", I told them. "I needed to grab those final reference books from the library anyway if I wanted to study at home". So I stood up and continued. "Wait for me just a second? I need to quickly run to the library and check out a few books before they close."
"Take your time, we'll wait," they promised.
I hurried off toward the library, my footsteps echoing down the quiet corridors. Skimming the shelves, I quickly scooped up the texts I needed, rushed to the front desk to get them scanned, and sprinted back to join my friends who were waiting near the entrance, having just returned from a quick stop at the washroom.
Together, we walked out of the campus gates and headed toward the train station. As we boarded the evening train, the compartment was comfortably spaced out. Our homes happened to lie along the exact same railway route, making it a familiar journey we had shared many times before.
One by one, as the train rattled down the tracks, my friends reached their respective stops. With cheerful waves and parting reminders to "see you at the exams!" they stepped off the train into the evening air.
Gradually, the compartment emptied out until I was the only one left. My stop was the final one down the line, meaning a longer, quieter ride ahead. But unlike the heavy loneliness that used to swallow me whole in the past, this solitude felt different, little calming, almost shielding.
Slipping my bag off my shoulder, I pulled out my earphones and plugged them into my phone, letting soft music wash over the rhythmic clatter of the tracks. I stared out the window at the darkening evening lights blurring past, letting the music quiet the remaining static in my mind.
When the train finally ground to a halt at my station, I stepped out into the cool evening air and walked the remaining distance home. By the time I unlocked my front door and stepped into my room, a bone-deep exhaustion hit me all at once, the combined weight of the viva disaster, the relentless studying, and the emotional whammy of the day.
I'm too tired to keep going right now, I thought, dropping my bag by the desk.
Without even changing out of my clothes, I collapsed onto my bed, pulling the blanket over my shoulders, and let myself drift off into a much-needed, heavy nap.
When I finally woke up hours later, it was because of a dull, nagging hunger gnawing at my stomach. I blinked away the grogginess, sat up, and glanced out the window. The sky had already bled into deep indigo, the sun completely set as darkness settled over the streets.
After changing into more comfortable clothes, I stepped out to wash my face and grab something to eat. The quick meal and the restorative nap worked wonders; the heavy fog in my brain cleared away, leaving me feeling slightly more grounded and refreshed. Knowing I couldn't afford to waste time, I walked straight back to my study desk, turned on my desk lamp, and dove right back into my books. I stayed up late into the night, working through practice problems until my eyes burned. After some time, my father called me to eat my dinner. So I paused for a moment and went to the next room .
Over the next few days, life shrank down to a repetitive, almost monotone rhythm.
Every morning blurred into the next: I would wake up, eat a quick breakfast, sit at my desk, and study all day long. There were no distractions, no sudden interruptions, and no exciting outings, just the relentless ticking of the clock.
Two days into this routine, an official notification pinged in the college group chat: the final semester exam schedules and admit cards had officially been uploaded to the university portal. Following the instructions, I downloaded and printed my admit card, sliding the crisp paper neatly into my file.
Seeing the official dates staring back at me made the reality sink in. There was only few days left before the exams began.
Panic rippled through our group chat as classmates realized how close the deadline was, but for once, a quiet wave of relief washed over me. Because of my relentless, almost obsessive preparation over the past fortnight, I had managed to cover almost the entire syllabus. I still had loose ends to tie up, but I knew I was going to make it.
Still, the routine didn't change. The days began to rush past in a blur, each one vanishing in the blink of an eye. Wake up, study, eat, study, sleep. It was a boring, exhausting, and intensely solitary cycle, but I kept my head down, pouring every last ounce of energy into preparing for the storm ahead.