By Aisha Hasnain

“I am not prepared for anything for tomorrow’s paper. I need to hurry home,” said an uneasy Arsalan as he and his below-average friend, Haris, walked back home from school.

“You know I solely count on you, Arsalan. Otherwise, I’ll fail.”

There was a pause before Haris added, “But we can make a deal. I’ll learn one of the four chapters and you learn the remaining…”

“Thanks a million, but I reject an offer that is nearly fatal.”

“Okay, fine.” Haris quietly took his deal back.

Arsalan vividly remembers the first time Haris offered this kind of help to him.

Two years ago, in 7th standard, they were supposed to prepare a daunting volume of six chapters from their social studies subject for the mid-term exam. Haris came up with a plan: he would cover the first two chapters, Arsalan the last four, and then they would help each other copy in the exams.

For every term exam, five students from each class were intermixed and seated together to reduce the chance of cheating. Unit exams, however, were given without shuffling.

Haris felt lucky for this exam because their seating arrangements happened to be in the same classroom. Arsalan was hesitant and asked Haris if he could really learn the two chapters. “I already know a part,” said Haris.

Every time there was a class test—first chapter, first two chapters, first three and so on—Haris would begin from the first chapter and never reach the end. He told his class topper best friend, Arsalan, that he would study till 11 PM and ask Abba for his phone so he could set an alarm to rise early the next morning to revise.

The exam day arrived. When they met in the morning, Arsalan failed to notice the horror in Haris’ eyes, as it was always the same for Haris on exam........

© Kashmir Observer