The Flying Dreams

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Shifa took me to one of the small roadside dhabhas and ordered for both of us. I sat quietly on the plastic chair and kept my elbow on the round table. My eyes stayed on the bag full of my books and conveniently ignoring the food stains on the table we sat. I had no idea why despite having enough money, Shifa always opted for the lower grade food. First, the tea stall and now this place. My mother would have scolded her for even entertaining the idea that it was nice for girls to sit in a public setting and eat but then again if my mother ever saw Shifa, she would have her mouth full of words. Wahab belonged to one of the richest families in the city of Lucknow and what I had been told about his family tree, Shifa's elder brother, Jihan made the most money out of all the cousins and paid for Shifa's daily expenses including the rent of her flat. I had heard her talk to her brother once, while we were in the gadget's shop to buy my laptop and the way she talked to him with such excitement and childlike enthusiasm made me believe he knew of her lifestyle and even supported his sister's bohemian way of living. Also, this was the first time I had seen her genuinely happy when the subject was about her family. I had seen him at the wedding of Wahab's cousin, though it was long ago, and I hadn't belonged to him back then, but the talk was still in the air, Jihan bhai had been wearing the traditional pathani kurta and had hair short and nicely slicked back, just like how his sister did her hairstyle sometimes. The one which always made me feel in awe at her sharp features and narrow chin. He didn't even try to mingle with people other than his cousins. No wonder, Shifa lived so carefully; her brother backed her up. And of course, Wahab couldn't express his distaste openly, Jihan bhai had too much influence inside the whole family. Him being the highest-earning man had led many younger cousins in the family, including Wahab to live life easily.

The heavy bag containing my books and notebooks sat on the spare chair beside me. There was something in my heart that I couldn't explain in words but somehow the world seemed like a beautiful place at that time. Even Shifa, who hadn't talked to me the whole time we spent inside the shop, I found her very agreeable. She had offered to carry my bags and let me browse through the huge catalogue of books in the last shop. She said she had to buy something too and as I roamed around the place, sometimes stopping to look at the titles, I saw her going directly to the shopkeeper and then she turned to lean against the desk. One hand holding the bag of my stationary and one placed behind her on the wooden desk. Sometimes seeing Shifa really made me wonder how Allah just grants every blessing to one person. As she stood there, doing absolutely nothing, and staring at the ceiling in plain brown trousers and a black turtleneck underneath a striped white shirt, her short hair falling around her face, she looked... I couldn't say beautiful, not because she wasn't but because the word which came to my mind was handsome.  I didn't even realize I was staring at her until she raised her brows at me and tilted her head to one side, a small smile on her face. I couldn't tell why but my whole face warmed up at her expressions and I quickly retreated my eyes and to hide my embarrassment made my way toward the last shelf. My heart beating rapidly against my chest and in hopes of calming myself down, I stepped into the narrow space between two bookshelves. I was in the process of getting the embarrassing moment out of my mind when, for the first time, I heard Shifa say a word to me other than 'this good?' or 'let's go?'

"Adia? Come out, I got the book. Let's go eat something."

And that was how we ended up in the small dhaba, and she came with two plates full of greasy food. Placing the plates on the plastic chair, she went back to the counter and in a few minutes came with a kulhad chai. I was immediately reminded of Wahab, who had once left his meal untouched in favour of having tea from roadside vendors. As she saw me staring at the kulhad, her lips stretched into an embarrassing smile.

"He makes the best chai."

"I thought Harish bhaiya made the best chai."

She laughed and said nothing. I grabbed the bhatura and my face must have shown hesitation because Shifa scoffed.

"Just eat it."

I nodded and felt her eyes on me, and I dared to look up to confirm the fact, she took a sip from the khullad and raised a brow. She had been indeed staring at me. I dropped my gaze and tried to focus on my food. All shopping done and college to be started; I could not contain the excitement. I needed to share it with someone and knew Wahab might not be the one to actually listen, so, after a deep breath and gathering some courage, I started to talk. Saying the first thing that came to my mind.

"Will I make friends, too?"

Shifa's gaze shifted from her phone to my face, "If you want to."

"And you would accompany me on my first day?"

Her phone rang, indicating an incoming call. She took a look at the caller and pushed the silent button before returning her undivided attention to me.

"If you wish."

I didn't let the lack of words in her replies dim my ecstasy but waited to ask more, she took a spoonful of pickled curry and her phone started vibrating. An annoyed expression grazed her face and within a minute, she stood up and without an excuse went out of the dining room. Talking lightly on her phone and I heard the one word which sent strange emotions in my spine. Riya. All the questions I had in my mind died away and new ones arose. Who was this Riya? Certainly not a friend. I knew how friends talked and this was not it. But my thoughts were interrupted by another vibrating phone. This time, mine. Taking out my phone from the small handbag, I was glad to see the caller ID.

"Zoya! I have so much to tell you! Get ready, okay?"

My favourite cousin laughed and said, "Okay, I am ready. Tell me all about it."