Aanya had decided that thirty-five days was plenty.
By the next morning, she had apparently decided that thirty-five days was also not nearly enough.
Aditi discovered this when something poked her shoulder.
She ignored it.
Another poke.
She pulled the blanket over her head.
A third.
"Aditi."
Silence.
"Aditi."
Nothing.
Aanya leaned closer.
"Aditi."
A muffled voice emerged from underneath the blanket.
"What?"
"Wake up."
"No."
"We have to study."
"We have thirty-five days."
"Exactly."
"That is plenty."
"It isn't."
Aditi opened one eye.
Aanya was already dressed.
Already holding her notes.
Already looking offensively awake.
Aditi stared at her.
"You are terrifying."
"Get up."
"No."
"Aditi."
"No."
Aanya poked her again.
Harder.
Aditi finally emerged from the blanket.
"Stop attacking me."
"You said you'd wake up on time."
"I said I'd try."
"You said you'd wake up at six."
Aditi glanced toward the clock.
Then groaned.
"It's barely six."
"Exactly."
"You've been awake since when?"
Aanya shrugged.
"Early."
"How early?"
"Doesn't matter."
"It absolutely matters."
Aanya turned toward the table.
"I already finished one topic."
Aditi sat up.
"You are insane."
"Probably."
By breakfast, Aanya had already created a problem.
Not an actual problem.
A Sagnik problem.
She had called him.
He hadn't answered.
So she called again.
Nothing.
Again.
Nothing.
Again.
Still nothing.
Aditi watched from across the table.
"He's sleeping."
"I know."
"Then stop calling him."
"He needs to wake up."
"Why?"
"Because he said he'd study with us."
"That doesn't mean you have to personally resurrect him."
Aanya called again.
And again.
And again.
Aditi slowly lowered her spoon.
"How many times have you called him?"
Aanya looked at her phone.
"Twenty-three."
"Twenty-three?"
"Twenty-four."
"Stop."
"He'll wake up."
"He'll kill you."
Aanya called again.
Eventually, the phone connected.
Aanya immediately answered.
"Hello?"
There was silence.
Then a very tired voice.
"What the hell?"
Aanya smiled.
"Good morning."
"It's six in the morning."
"I know."
"You've called me..."
He paused.
Aanya waited.
"...I don't even know how many times."
"Thirty-eight."
"Thirty-eight?"
"You didn't answer."
"Because I was asleep."
"Exactly."
"That's not waking up."
Aditi covered her face.
Sagnik sighed through the phone.
"Aanya."
"What?"
"It's six in the morning."
"Yes."
"Why are you calling me thirty-eight times at six in the morning?"
"Because you said you were going to wake up early."
"I was."
"You weren't."
"I was sleeping."
Aanya laughed.
"That's not waking up."
"You're impossible."
"You'll thank me later."
"I highly doubt that."
"You'll see."
Another pause.
Then his voice softened slightly.
"Did you sleep?"
Aanya hesitated.
"A little."
"Aanya."
"I'm fine."
"How much?"
She didn't answer.
"How much?"
"...five and a half hours."
"Aanya."
"That's enough."
"No, it isn't."
She rolled her eyes even though he couldn't see her.
"You sound like my mother."
"Then listen to me."
Aditi looked at her.
Aanya immediately lowered her voice.
"Fine."
"Go eat breakfast."
"I am."
"Properly."
"Yes."
"And don't study until you collapse."
"I won't."
"I mean it."
"I know."
A small silence followed.
Then Sagnik said,
"I'll be there."
Aanya smiled.
"Okay."
The call ended.
Aditi stared at her.
"What?"
"You look happy."
"I am."
"Because he agreed to study?"
Aanya picked up her spoon.
"Maybe."
The next few days began to develop their own rhythm.
Aanya became unbearable.
She woke Aditi.
Aditi woke Aanya when Aanya inevitably stayed up too late.
Aanya reminded Aditi to revise.
Aditi reminded Aanya to eat.
Sagnik reminded both of them that humans required sleep.
Aanya disagreed with this philosophy.
She studied everywhere.
At the library.
In their room.
Between lectures.
During lunch.
On the walk back.
Sometimes she would suddenly stop halfway through a conversation.
"Wait."
"What?" Aditi would ask.
"I forgot something."
And out would come her notebook.
Sagnik eventually stopped being surprised.
He simply waited.
She started marking topics off one by one.
Every completed chapter received a small tick.
Every revision received another.
Every question paper got a score.
The numbers began climbing.
And so did her confidence.
She wasn't merely studying.
She was preparing.
Methodically.
Relentlessly.
Almost obsessively.
One evening, Sagnik found her surrounded by books.
He stood at the door.
"How long have you been sitting there?"
Aanya looked up.
"Not long."
Aditi answered from across the room.
"Four hours."
Aanya glared at her.
"Traitor."
"Someone has to tell the truth."
Sagnik walked over.
He looked at the books.
Then at Aanya.
"Break."
"No."
"Break."
"I'm almost done."
"You've been almost done for forty minutes."
Aanya looked at him.
Then sighed.
"Five minutes."
"Ten."
"Seven."
"Ten."
She frowned.
"Fine."
He smiled.
"Good."
She leaned back.
For the first time in hours, she stopped.
And somehow—
she looked happy.
Tired.
Annoyingly energetic.
But happy.
Everything was going exactly the way she wanted.
The syllabus was shrinking.
The days were passing.
The marks in her practice papers were good.
Very good.
Aanya was doing what Aanya always did.
She was making herself impossible to defeat.
And that was precisely what made what came later so difficult to understand.
Because when the day finally came—
no one would be able to say she hadn't tried.
Not Aditi.
Not Sagnik.
Not even Aanya herself.