The room in front of everyone was apparently a mortuary. Though it doesn't look like it. It was relatively clean and well lit than outside. Zara stepped back after opening the door. Ali and other two seniors also had entered by then. They were taking a look of the surrounding as well.

"Well, it's been years we have come here. Every setting has been changed, I see." Ali voiced his thoughts.

"How come, Ali? For how many years you're studying here, dude?" A shorter guy remarked.

Ali seethed at him. "Just shut up, Jagdish. It's none of you business."

Jagdish continued sniggering. Ali decided to ignore this comment and looked at Rayna and Waafi. They were absentmindedly looking at the drawers in front of them.
Zara arrived there with two pads of papers.

"So Miss nerd and Mr Coward. Start with your assignment. Find the drawers that are your assigned numbers. A short history is pasted on the drawer. Fill them up and then we'll open the drawers." Zara said impatiently.

Rayna and Waafi were in trance until now. The stinking smell, the cold environment and the reality of their position - everything was overwhelming. They still took the piece of papers and started to go to the drawers. They were so lost that they didn't even notice that roll number One guy was filming them with the camera given to him. This was his task.

Rayna was given the drawer no. 8 as her roll number was. She eyed the paper pasted on it and her heart constricted in pain. It was of a little girl who drowned in a pond nearby. Maybe she was on of the street children, so nobody came to collect her body. Rayna's eyes watered involuntarily.
Beside her, Waafi's condition was no less tragic. He was already terrified of dead bodies and yet he had to go through this twice in a day, that too, on the first day itself. He thanked (not) his father in his mind. His drawer was of a old man with no definite cause of death. He was wondering what he was supposed to do now. They didn't even know how to take history or even write one. He looked over at Rayna and found her staring blankly at the paper in front. As she was bending forward, he didn't notice her emotional state.

"Rayna! Umm, what do I write here? Can you please help?" Waafi whispered to her and she regained her composure back.
After blinking her eyes repeatedly, she met his gaze.
"I don't really know Waafi. This task seems so pathetic to me. How can we mock the dead? It's so inhumane!"
The last part came out a little loud and Zara and other seniors noticed that.

"What did you say, girl? Please repeat. Now." Ali said authoritatively.

Rayna couldn't hold back anymore. She turned towards him and uttered the words that were in her mind till now.
"I'm really sorry senior but this activity is really not okay for us to do. We're gonna be saving anchors for someone one day. How can we make fun of this?"

Ali couldn't believe his ears. A mere first year was giving him lecture on medical life. He was furious beyond limit. Taking a deep breath, he said,"Really girl? You think we don't know about that and you know about this life better than us? In a day?"

Other seniors snorted in this. They all gathered together and threw dirty glances at her. Waafi noticed them and came to stand beside her quickly. He felt helpless. He didn't understand what to do to escape all of this altogether. Nonetheless, he was really impressed.

But Rayna's courage didn't falter a bit.
"I'm not saying this senior. You know about this life a lot better than me. But right now what we're doing is absolutely wrong. We all have to die someday and as a Muslim, we all believe that we have to return to Allah, right?"

Hearing Rayna's unfaltering voice, the seniors were stunned. Before they could say anything, Rayna continued her preaching.
"I'm just saying this is extremely disrespectful to people who have already returned to him. We have no right to do this."

By this time, the juniors who were trembling outside came forward to peek inside hearing the banters. Some were even nodding their heads even to her sayings. Waafi also kept looking at her with admiration. She was actually spectacular, he thought.

Zara now came forward and flared her nostrils angrily.
"Miss nerd, you're really too much nerdy for my taste. I just can't tolerate so much in a day. I'd really need to puke now."

Rayna didn't say anything and stole a glance at Waafi. He was giving angry glares to Zara now. Rayna felt amused by that. She didn't know Waafi could glare at someone.

"Whatever, Zara. She needs a lesson to learn now. We wanted to go easy on them this time but she singlehandedly ruined this. Now let's stick to the original plan, will you now?" Suleiman came and barked at them.

Every juniors started whining this time. No one wanted be ragged harshly. No matter what kind of basic human rights they violated. Everyone wanted an easy escape. That's the harsh reality of this society.
One girl even came forward and stood by Suleiman and batted her eyelashes at him dramatically.
"Please, senior. Don't punish us for her stupidity. We will do whatever you tell us okay?"

Rayna and Waafi cringed at her overly sugar coated voice.
Suleiman seemed to be agreed as he stood silent now with a flirty smile on his face. Ali rolled his eyes at him and hollered, "Silence everyone!"
The whining stopped at once.
"Well, you all didn't disagree. So special treatment will be given only to this Miss Nerdy,"

Though Rayna was scared a bit but she didn't let it show. She was actually proud that she stood her ground. But Waafi was extremely anxious now. This guys were ruthless. He understood this by then. He hoped they didn't do anything over the top now. A silent prayer escaped his lips.

"But not today. It's already Asr time now. Hostel supers will start throwing their tantrums now. You all live in hostel, right?" Ali finished and everybody breathed in relief.

The same girl replied,"Not everyone, senior. But most of us do. You don't worry, I'll guide them to where you need them and whenever."

"Well it's settled then. We'll talk about this tomorrow. And whoever lives in hostel, who knows, maybe we can meet today itself." Suleiman smirked evilly at them.

"Now, now, off you go. Let us breath now, uff." Hania said and shooed them away.

Waafi and Rayna also made their way to the exit as all juniors outside were literally running. Though they didn't say anything, but most of them were extremely thankful to Rayna.