With the semester coming to an end, the university atmosphere had shifted. The usual chatter and chaos had dimmed as students buried themselves in books, notes, and coffee-fueled study sessions. Exams were approaching, and stress was at an all-time high.
Shumaila sat in the library, surrounded by neatly arranged books and color-coded notes. She had mapped out a detailed study schedule and was determined to stick to it.
"Shumaila, breathe," Komal groaned from the seat next to her. "You're studying like your life depends on it."
"It does," Shumaila deadpanned. "If I ace these finals, I can finally relax."
Akansha leaned over. "You mean you can finally stop glaring at everyone who makes noise in the library?"
Shumaila shot her a look before returning to her notes, muttering formulas under her breath.
Hamza sat with his books open but hadn't turned a page in the last thirty minutes.
Rudra, sitting beside him, raised an eyebrow. "Dude, you've been staring at that page forever. You're not even reading."
Hamza sighed, leaning back in his chair. "I'm injured. I feel like that gives me a pass to not study."
"No, it doesn't," Sneha interjected, slamming a textbook in front of him. "You're using that excuse for everything lately. Now read."
Hamza groaned but picked up his pen reluctantly, making half-hearted notes as Rudra smirked beside him.
Komal and Siddarth were locked in a silent yet intense battle in the study hall. They had challenged each other to see who could memorize the most definitions in an hour.
"You're going down, Komal," Siddarth smirked.
"Keep dreaming," Komal shot back, flipping another page aggressively.
Akansha shook her head from across the table. "You two need help."
Unlike the others, Aarav and Akansha preferred late-night study sessions. They sat outside under the dim campus lights, flipping through flashcards.
"If I fail, I'm blaming you," Akansha muttered, yawning.
Aarav chuckled. "You say that, but you haven't missed a single session. Admit it, you'd be lost without me."
Akansha rolled her eyes but didn't deny it.
While everyone else was focused, Sneha and Rudra's study sessions somehow always turned into laughing fits.
"Rudra, we need to focus," Sneha said between giggles.
"I am focused," Rudra grinned. "Focused on how I'm going to fail."
Sneha smacked his arm with a notebook. "Not funny. Now get back studies."
He sighed dramatically but complied, much to Sneha's amusement.
As the days passed, tensions grew. Sleep schedules became nonexistent, coffee became a necessity, and the group found themselves in the final stretch.
"A month," Shumaila muttered, rubbing her temples. "A month and we're free."
"Assuming we survive," Siddarth added.
"Big assumption," Hamza mumbled.
With exams around the corner, the group was exhausted, but they knew one thing—they had each other's backs.