By the time Aanya and Aditi left their room, they were already running late.
Not terribly late.
Just enough that Aditi had started walking faster.
"Aanya."
"What?"
"Walk."
"I am walking."
"You're strolling."
"I'm not strolling."
"You are absolutely strolling."
Aanya looked down at herself.
Then back at Aditi.
"I'm walking at a perfectly reasonable speed."
"For someone who has no intention of reaching class on time."
Aanya laughed.
"I'll make it."
"You always say that."
"And I'm always right."
Aditi opened her mouth to argue again.
Then stopped.
Aanya followed her gaze.
Ahead of them, near the entrance to the lecture hall, someone was standing with his bag slung over one shoulder.
Sagnik.
Waiting.
He spotted them almost immediately.
Aanya's face brightened.
"See?"
Aditi looked at her.
"See what?"
"He waited."
"Obviously he waited."
Aanya smiled.
They hurried the remaining distance.
Sagnik watched them approach.
"You two are late."
Aanya immediately pointed at Aditi.
"Her fault."
Aditi stared at her.
"My fault?"
"You were the one who took forever."
"I was ready before you."
"You were looking for your earrings."
"Because someone moved them."
"I didn't."
"You did."
Sagnik looked between them.
Then laughed.
"Good morning to you too."
Aanya grinned.
"Good morning."
Aditi shook her head.
"You encourage her."
"I don't think I have a choice."
"You absolutely don't."
Aanya laughed.
The three of them walked into the lecture hall together.
The morning passed quickly.
Aanya talked through half of the break.
Not because she had anything particularly important to say.
She simply had things to say.
About something she'd seen on the way to class.
About a professor's handwriting.
About an absurd conversation she'd overheard.
About why she thought one of their classmates had the world's worst sense of timing.
Aditi argued with nearly everything.
"No, that's not what happened."
"It was."
"You weren't even there."
"I didn't have to be."
"Then how do you know?"
"Because I know him."
"That doesn't make sense."
"It makes perfect sense."
Sagnik sat between them at lunch, eating quietly and trying very hard not to laugh.
Eventually, Aditi looked at him.
"Tell her."
Sagnik looked up.
"Tell her what?"
"That I'm right."
Aanya immediately protested.
"No. Don't listen to her."
Sagnik looked from one to the other.
Then calmly said,
"I think both of you are wrong."
There was silence.
Aanya stared at him.
Aditi stared at him.
Then both spoke at once.
"What?"
Sagnik started laughing.
"You two are impossible."
Aanya pointed at him.
"You're supposed to support me."
"I was."
"You weren't."
"I tried."
Aditi shook her head.
"See? This is why she shouldn't be allowed to argue with people."
Aanya gasped.
"Excuse me?"
And somehow, another argument began.
Sagnik simply leaned back and laughed.
The rest of the day passed almost effortlessly.
Classes.
Lunch.
A few complaints about assignments.
A stupid joke that made Aanya laugh far louder than necessary.
Aditi threatening to leave both of them behind.
Sagnik pretending to consider it.
Aanya stealing his pen.
Him taking it back.
Nothing extraordinary.
Nothing that would make anyone looking from outside think anything had changed.
And yet—
everything felt easy.
By the time the final lecture ended, the three of them walked out together.
The evening was warm.
The campus was beginning to empty.
Aanya was still talking.
She had moved on to another completely unrelated subject.
Sagnik was listening.
Aditi was disagreeing.
It was almost peaceful.
They reached the point where they would eventually separate.
Aanya pulled out her phone to check the time.
A notification appeared.
She glanced at it casually.
Then stopped.
University Examination Cell.
Tentative Schedule for Final Year-II Examinations.
She opened it.
Aditi leaned closer.
"What?"
Aanya didn't answer immediately.
She scrolled.
The dates were there.
First paper.
Then the next.
Then the next.
Her eyes moved quickly down the list.
Thirty-five days.
She read it again.
Thirty-five.
Something in her expression changed.
Not fear.
Not panic.
Nothing that dramatic.
It was simply—
focus.
The softness she'd carried through the entire day disappeared almost imperceptibly.
Her shoulders straightened.
Her eyes sharpened.
Aditi noticed first.
"Oh no."
Aanya looked at her.
"What?"
"You're doing that thing."
"What thing?"
"The machine thing."
Sagnik looked between them.
Aanya ignored him.
She opened her notes app.
Started typing.
"Thirty-five days."
Aditi sighed.
"Aanya."
"Thirty-five days means I need to finish the remaining units by—"
"Aanya."
"—then two full revisions, minimum. Maybe three for the volatile subjects."
Sagnik watched her.
She was already calculating.
Topics.
Days.
Hours.
Weak areas.
Revision cycles.
The entire day seemed to have disappeared from her mind.
The girl who had been laughing five minutes ago was suddenly gone.
In her place was the version of Aanya who treated an examination timetable like a military operation.
Aditi looked at Sagnik.
"See?"
He smiled faintly.
"I see."
Aanya looked up.
"What?"
"Nothing."
She narrowed her eyes.
"Don't."
He laughed.
She looked back at her phone.
"I need to reorganize my schedule."
"Tonight?"
"Obviously."
Aditi groaned.
"It's one notification."
"It's thirty-five days."
"That's still more than a month."
"Exactly."
Sagnik finally spoke.
"You'll be fine."
Aanya looked at him.
For a second, the machine hesitated.
Something softer appeared in her eyes.
Then it disappeared again.
"I know."
She slipped her phone into her pocket.
"Come on."
"Where?"
"Library."
Aditi stared at her.
"Now?"
Aanya had already started walking.
"Yes."
Sagnik and Aditi exchanged a look.
Then followed.
Because this was Aanya.
The notification hadn't frightened her.
It had simply switched something on.
Thirty-five days.
And she intended to use every single one.