I remember in the beginning of the term, I was sitting with my four friends in the first row. We always helped one another and motivated each other in quizzes, studies, sports and various competitions. But there was one friend I didn’t feel comfortable with. Her name was Rehab. The truth was that she was not into studies at all, and helping her seemed futile.

One day, she asked me, “Why do you seem to avoid me?”

I confessed, “Rehab, you don’t study, and your interests and ours don’t match!”

“Alright, then whatever suits you!” she said in a slightly angry tone and left.

My friends and I used to have study sessions after class and we enjoyed them. Time went on, and our first year of college came to an end. As the second year began, we had tests scheduled for the next month. My friends and I were excited and kept up with group and solo studies, also sharing our progress.

But Rehab always said, “Studies are so boring!”

So when the tests started, she opted for cheating by copying from our friend Lariab’s answer sheet. The physics teacher caught her in the act and snatched away her paper. She just sat there silently for a moment, embarrassed.

She was not allowed to go out until the paper was over, so she kept looking at everyone. Just then, my pencil pouch fell, my stationery in every direction. I got up to pick them up. As I gathered everything, I heard Rehab telling the teacher something while pointing towards me.

Soon, the teacher came to me, accusing me of cheating by deliberately dropping the pencil pouch. I became numb on hearing that. I decided to say nothing and simply handed my paper to her.

In the next period, our numerical test was conducted. I was nervous and thought the teacher now viewed me poorly. It felt like she had forgotten about my good performance throughout the year. I lowered my head and focused on the exam.

But the story doesn’t end here. The physics teacher divided the class into two sections and gave each group three numerical problems. Since they were fairly easy, I solved them within seconds and scored 10 out of 10.

The teacher made the class clap for me and praised me for scoring the highest marks. Moments later, I noticed Rehab struggling with those same questions.

At that moment, I thanked God Almighty for being so gracious and merciful.

He kept my respect intact, and my efforts from the very first day had not gone in vain.

As for Rehab, she avoided looking at me for the rest of the day. Later, I heard that she had failed the test and was given a warning by the teacher.

After that incident, she became quieter in class. We were never close again, but I learnt an important lesson from it: shortcuts may work for a moment, but honesty and consistent effort always speak for themselves in the end.

Published in Dawn, Young World, January 3rd, 2026