Breathe In, Breathe Out

exams

   As you down the last of your coffee, the hopelessness starts to sink in. You look around the room, and see the same haunted expression on everyone’s face. With end-sems advancing, tension is running high. Turning back to the textbook in your lap, you read the same paragraph once again, hoping it will somehow make sense to your over-saturated brain. Sitting back, you rub your tired eyes.

Breathe in, breathe out.

   You glance at the clock, it’s 5 AM. The exhaustion of a sleepless night weighs down on you as you feel the last of your resolve slipping away. All of a sudden, your friend closes the book in his lap and stands up. “I need a break”, sounding adamant, followed by “right now”, came the words. So after a short debate, you reach a unanimous decision – End Point.

 The next thing you know, you’re out of your room and speeding down the stairs. As you make your way past the sleeping homes, down the quiet road, you can feel the tension leave your body. Someone starts to play that one song that’s been on repeat for a week, and you find yourself humming along. The sky is turning brighter with each passing moment. As you pass the entrance, you pick up your pace. You’ll have to hurry if you want to catch the sunrise.

Breathe in, breathe out.

sunrise - end point

    Brisk walking soon turns to running, as you speed up to reach the top in time. With every breath you take, you forget the sleepless night, the empty cup of coffee on your desk, and the abandoned book on your table. The sound of the wind whistling past your ears creates a kind of symphony, and you feel the excitement build. Almost there, you look behind to see your friends with giant, goofy grins on their face. You can see top now, just as the sun peeks its head over the horizon.

With one last pump of your legs, you skid to a halt at ‘the top of the world’. As the sun rises, it spills its orange glow into the sky, turning it into a watercolor canvas. You watch as the sunlight blinds your eyes, and the warmth sinks into your body. You all stand in silence, in one unbroken line of friendship. After hours of turmoil, you’re allowing your mind to finally relax. You close your eyes and breathe in the promise of a brand new day. 

Breathe in, breathe out.

– Nidhi Rao, for MTTN

– Photographs by Anmol Rathi

 

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