Pencil Rolling on Concrete Aisle Before Exam

Warm string lights hang overhead, casting soft, amber reflections across the polished grey concrete floor of a lecture hall. One wooden pencil lies near the edge of a dark desk, its graphite tip pointing toward the receding aisle. Rows of empty chairs stretch into the distance, their metal legs catching the ambient glow. Outside the high windows, the faint orange and white points of Chennai city lights begin to pulse against the cool evening sky. The concrete surface remains smooth and unblemished, mirroring the overhead fixtures with a subtle sheen. Shadows lengthen gently across the floor, defining the space between the desk and the empty rows ahead.