"Can people who hate you, ever love you?"
"People who hate you might specifically be the ones who love you."
Sequel of the book 'Under That Niqab' with a complete different story, but there will be few references.
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The echoes are hidden,
Am I in a...
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๑ 🥀 ๑
As the exam season approached, a palpable air of tension and worry envelops the entire school. The campus buzzes with the hurried footsteps of distressed students, clutching books, papers, and pens in their hands.
Conversations are dominated by discussions revolving around crucial topics, for in those final moments, the emphasis naturally shifts to what was deemed the most important.
Amidst a sea of students grappling with constipated thoughts, Yusra strolled into the corridor, her gait alert, a snicker bar grasped in one hand, and a magenta-coloured bag casually hung from her shoulder.
She spots Zumar engrossed in her last-minute revision, her head remains immersed in the rapidly turning pages of her book, with a sly smile, she can't resist a comment, "What additional enlightenment do you expect in these final moments?"
Zumar's focus is hindered making her irritated, she retorts, "That's called revision. You wouldn't understand." She persists, however, urging her to abandon the nocturnal study session.
"Yusra!" Zumar looks up, annoyed. "Go bother your Shazal or someone, I need to revise," she insists.
Shazal was not too far away, overheard his name and looked in their direction. Yusra silently prays that he hadn't caught Zumar's comment. Attempting to diffuse the tension, she brings up the chocolate bar in her hand "Snickers?"
His response was a grimace.
"Do you have diabetes, perhaps? I'm not aware," she quips and shifts towards him, successfully with diverted attention. Zumar breathes a sigh of relief, her tactic to send Yusra away had proved effective.
"Diabetes? Nah, I'm sweet enough without it." He replies.
"God, the self-obsession," Yusra retorts, making a face.
"It's self-validation," he corrects her casually, perusing the papers in his hand.
And then, as swiftly as it had begun, the exam season was over. The collective exhalation echoed the conclusion of an intense period of preparation.
The campus, once filled with the weight of impending exams, gradually eased into a different rhythm, signalling the end of a chapter and the start of a new one. By that, Zumar was moving from the city, while Shazal and Yusra embraced the same college albeit pursuing distinct majors. Amaan, compelled by Shazal, found himself coerced into sitting for the entrance exam of the very college, an endeavour that surprisingly led to his successful selection.
Amidst this bittersweet farewell happening in their classroom which buzzed with activity—students meticulously collecting details of their classmates and earnestly penning messages in slam books. Laughter and occasional tears, promises of future reunions were exchanged, weaving a tapestry of nostalgia and anticipation for the times yet to unfold.
