The walk to the examination hall was quieter than usual.
Not silent.
There were too many students around for that.
People were talking in small groups, flipping through notes as they walked, asking each other questions they had probably already asked three times that morning.
Someone was loudly trying to remember a definition.
Someone else was reciting an entire topic under their breath.
Aanya wasn't doing either.
She was walking beside Sagnik with her notes pressed against her chest.
Every now and then, she opened them.
Read a line.
Closed them.
Opened them again.
Sagnik noticed.
"You aren't actually reading anything."
"I am."
"You've been looking at the same paragraph since we left."
Aanya glanced down.
She had.
She sighed.
"Fine."
She closed the notebook.
For a few steps, neither spoke.
The college building slowly disappeared behind them as they moved toward the examination venue.
The closer they got, the more students seemed to gather around them.
The atmosphere changed gradually.
Not dramatically.
Just enough.
The laughter became quieter.
The conversations became more focused.
Everyone seemed to remember at the same time why they were there.
Aanya's fingers tightened around her notebook.
Sagnik looked at her.
"You're okay."
She nodded.
"Yeah."
A pause.
"Mostly."
"That's better than nothing."
She smiled faintly.
They continued walking.
The examination venue was already crowded.
Students were standing outside the gates in little groups.
Some were revising.
Some were trying to calm their friends down.
Some had given up entirely and were staring at the building as if it had personally offended them.
Aanya and Sagnik found a relatively quiet place near the side of the entrance.
Aditi joined them a few minutes later.
"I hate this."
Aanya looked at her.
"You haven't even entered."
"Exactly."
Sagnik laughed.
Aditi pointed at him.
"Don't laugh."
"I'm not."
"You are."
Aanya smiled.
For a few minutes, the three of them revised together.
Aditi asked questions.
Aanya answered.
Sagnik corrected one of them.
Aanya corrected him right back.
Then Aditi asked another.
The rhythm became familiar.
Question.
Answer.
Correction.
Another question.
Aanya knew most of them.
That helped.
Slowly.
The tightness in her chest eased.
They remained together for a little while longer.
The three of them stood near the entrance, notes still open, occasionally throwing questions at one another.
Then Aanya stopped answering.
Her eyes moved toward the building.
Then toward the crowd.
Then back to Sagnik.
Something about the moment had changed.
"Sagnik."
He turned.
"Yeah?"
She didn't answer.
She simply reached for his hand.
His fingers closed around hers automatically.
Aanya looked down.
Their hands were joined.
Her eyes suddenly stung.
"I don't want to go."
His expression changed slightly.
Not alarm.
Just attention.
"You have to."
"I know."
She squeezed his hand.
"I know."
Her voice was barely above a whisper.
"I'm scared."
Sagnik looked at her for a moment.
Then squeezed her hand back.
"You've prepared."
"I know."
"You'll be fine."
"I know."
She looked at him.
"But I don't want to leave."
That caught him off guard.
For a moment, he didn't say anything.
Then Aanya stepped closer.
She wrapped her arms around his torso.
Sagnik froze.
For half a second.
His heart gave one hard, unmistakable thud.
He felt it immediately.
But his expression barely changed.
He slowly brought one hand to her back.
The other rested gently against her shoulder.
He didn't tease her.
Didn't make a joke.
Didn't ask her to stop.
He simply let her stay.
Aanya closed her eyes.
She took one slow breath.
Then another.
His shirt was warm beneath her cheek.
For a few seconds, the examination hall didn't exist.
Neither did the notes.
Neither did the thirty-five days of preparation.
There was only this.
Something steady.
Something familiar.
Sagnik lowered his voice.
"Hey."
She didn't move.
"You're going to walk in there."
Aanya nodded against him.
"You're going to sit down."
Another nod.
"You're going to read the paper."
She finally pulled back slightly.
"And then?"
He smiled.
"You're going to do what you always do."
She looked at him.
"What if I don't?"
"Then you do what you can."
Her eyes remained on his.
"And that's enough?"
"For today."
Aanya swallowed.
Then gave him the smallest smile.
"Okay."
She reluctantly released him.
For a moment, neither moved.
Then a supervisor stepped outside.
"Girls to the left. Boys to the right. Please form separate lines for checking."
The crowd began shifting.
Aanya looked toward the girls' line.
Then back at him.
She still didn't want to go.
Sagnik gave her hand one final squeeze before letting go.
"Go."
She nodded.
She took two steps.
Stopped.
Looked back.
He was still standing there.
Waiting.
She smiled.
Then finally turned toward her line.
Sagnik watched her disappear into the crowd.
Only after she was gone did he let out the breath he'd been holding.
Then he looked down at his own notes.
His exam was waiting too.
And somehow—
The moment she had left felt longer than it should have.