Milte Rahen Ba-dastoor

An uninvited guest, and the funny tricks of time.

Rayyan had his chin rested on his hand, bored and disinterested. He shuffled through his papers again, going through the questions and making sure he'll get passing marks and more. The examination hall had the tense matric mids energy, clicking sounds of pens and the sound of the invigilator's footsteps as she walked around the hall. Most people were done now, except the toppers, which included the one and only, Maliha Javaid.

Rayyan was supposed to accompany her home today, since her father always made sure someone did, and their family had to go somewhere.

"Will she stop writing?" Rayyan thought to himself.

But Maliha was hunched over her work, exasperated over an equation, brows furrowed in stress.

Rayyan sat behind her, and kept getting agitated with each second. When the invigilator turned her back, he leaned forward and had a look at her paper, as Maliha went stiff. Each time he did that, she wouldn't even breathe out of fear of getting caught.

"Help chahiye?" He whispered.

"Main cheating nahin karti." Maliha hissed dismissively.

He ran a hand across his face in irritation, watching her bite her lip anxiously, eyes about to start welling up with tears. God. Toppers really annoyed him.

Not being able to stop himself he whispered again.

"Equation hi ghalat likh bethi ho, dekho uper 5 tha, tumne third step main 4 likha hua use."

He went silent as the invigilator turned again, but Maliha sighed with relief at the realization, rummaging through her pencil bag for a correcter.

Having done waiting, he got up and handed his papers and got out of the class, joining his friends but glancing at his watch after every few minutes, moments later he went to he exam hall again and leaned against the wall, as the few people left there got out and finally she was out, he started walking with her right away, steps in sync.

"Dekhlo Maliha, if it wasn't for me, tumhare teen marks cut hojate, tumhara kya hota?" he teased.

"I would have figured that out anyways in a minute." Maliha rolled her eyes.

As they got out of the school building Maliha had her eyes glued to her question paper, calculating in her mind all over again, as she stepped on a stone and stumbled. Out of instinct Rayyan's hand flew to grip her but she regained her composure.

"Dekh kay." he awkwardly dropped his hand, but Maliha didn't pay him much heed, she focused back on her question paper, hands smeared with ink.

Rayyan adjusted the straps of his backpack, a little smile playing on his lips.