The Flying Dreams

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Shifa, true to her words, was up and ready to accompany me, she even held my bag in the metro and stood close. She didn't say it, but I knew her nearness wasn't out of lack of space inside the train but seeing her concern made something in my heart warm. I started thinking of Wahab and if he would be equally protective then a hand on my back threw me right on the ground, of course not, he wouldn't be. His past comments on girls who got eve teased had made sure of it. I, like a coward as I was, didn't cross his judgement. Surely, those girls provoke boys with the way they dress, why haven't you got cat called? Because even if I did, I would never tell anyone, Wahab. Especially you. I couldn't get rid of the hot sensation on my back where Shifa still had her hand, and I couldn't actually turn and tell her to remove it. That would truly make me seem ungrateful.

The first day of college, I talked to no one, and no one tried to talk to me until one boy named, Rohan smiled and waved me over to a fairly empty row of seats on the front line of the lecture hall when I stood by the door and watched my new surroundings. It took me a good amount of time to come to terms with it; this was my classroom. And would be for the next four years. My heartbeat thumped with excitement and then I saw his hand, long in the air and couldn't think of a way to refuse. Why did it have to be a boy? My body circulated nervousness all around; must be a way of reminding me of my mother's words but at that moment, I was thankful that someone made the first move to befriend me because Allah knows, I could have spent those four years inside the campus halls without uttering a word to anyone. I took the seat beside him, and he immediately helped me with my bag, placing it on the right seat where his black one with grey patterns and Skybags printed in bright yellow on the top already sat.

"My name's Rohan."

Why did he have to extend his hand?

I didn't take much time to clasp mine around his and a smile stretched on his face. Though my mother's face and then Wahab's flashed before my eyes, my mother's face even shook her head at me accompanied with those squinted eyes which screamed disappointment. I just blinked.

"Adia. Thank you for letting me sit here."

Rohan laughed and bobbled his head in a funny manner before facing me again, "Thank you for taking up the offer, I didn't want to go home and have no tales of making friends to tell my sisters."

And then, I realized he wanted us to be friends. Do boys do that? He already thought of us as friends. Because I sat with him? The boys in my school would never dare to do so. And soon I would find out why he had no problem of announcing us friends before he even knew my surname.

"So, where are you from?"

"Lucknow, you?"

"Here actually, Delhi. You found good roommate in the hostel? Is she here?"

A few more students came through the door and seemed equally as lost as I did a few minutes ago. I watched them take their seats and turned toward Rohan only after the last student, a girl with curly hair, sat on the very front row.

"I am staying with a cousin of my fiancé. She lives in GTB Nagar."

A look of surprise fell over his face and quickly vanished, this time his smile was even wider, "You are engaged! Wow, girl, you know how to do it."

I understood nothing of his comment but instead of asking him to explain, I gave him a small smile and nodded. He laughed and then sharply faced the door and again raised his hand on the air and waved ardently. Another boy with too much hair on his head and a girl with round silver spectacles came over and spent a second looking at me before smiling at Rohan. Of course, they knew each other. The pair sat on my right, the girl and then the boy. Rohan scooted further; he almost touched the wall.

"Adia? These are my friends from the NEET Institute. Divya and Vivek."

Both of them struck out their hands and I took Vivek's first then Divya's. I had never shaken hands with anyone before and this was giving me a sense of belonging. Shaking hands with people and making friends all on my own without my cousins hovering around.

Rohan took the responsibility to inform the new duo about my matters, "She is engaged, guys! Living in GTB with her fiancé's cousin."

Thus, by the end of the day, I knew I could come to campus and go looking for them. They were friends and Rohan had included me in the small group, too. We went to the cafeteria together, though I had packed my lunch and before I could offer, Vivek had already taken a bite from it. They didn't care I wore a hijab. I didn't see any girl wearing one. And when it was time to leave after we gave measurement for our white robes, Divya asked me my number and soon I had all three saved on my phone. I tried to keep my face neutral, but the smile forced itself on my face. Friends of my own. That was a first. They even waited with me outside the college's gates for Shifa. She had called me on my lunch break to inform me that she would be there to pick me up as I might forget the route. But as the sun set lower on the horizon, I fidgeted with the hem of my cream hijab. It was getting late, and she still hadn't arrived.

"Call her, Adia. She might be stuck in the traffic.", Divya suggested.

"Yeah, the traffic gets monstrous around this time. Call her."

I, taking out my phone from my backpack, found her name and was ready to press the call button when I heard her. I looked up and saw her. Her hoop earrings bounced with each step she took toward me, and her hair was slicked back. Without my permission, my eyes travelled below and a sudden thump in my heart scared me. She wore plain blue jeans and a white loose white hoodie with some cartoon sleeping in a nightcap. She was panting and finally, she stood directly before me, the mild fragrance of her perfume wafted around with the wind, and I couldn't tell why my ears warmed and eyes averted from her face.

"Hey, sorry. You didn't wait for long?"

I shook my head and she nodded, her lips parted, and the breath came out through her mouth. Her eyes went behind me and then back to me.

"Shifa? Hi, I am Divya. Adia's friend."

Shifa smiled and didn't show the same surprise when she shook hands with all three. I had to remind myself that she must have already gone through the ordeal and was probably used to shaking hands and all. After all the deal of meeting each other finished, Shifa bid goodbye to my friends in my stead and walked ahead, I followed. The metro station was only a few minutes' walk away and I hadn't expected Shifa to talk to me as she never did but much to my surprise, she did. She asked me a question.

"You enjoyed your first day?"

"Extremely."

She didn't reply and I couldn't let the conversation die there, "Will you come to pick me up every day?"

"No. Wahab called me today to do so. You need to remember the route."

I didn't try to force out a reply and walked silently behind her but then Shifa's pace slowed as we almost reached the station. Now, instead of walking ahead of me, she walked beside me.

"I have called some of my friends over to my flat tonight. You are very welcome to join us, too."

She wasn't looking at me, but I sensed the tension radiating off her.

"No. Thank you for asking."

Her quick answer, alright, told me I did exactly what she wanted. She didn't really want me to mingle with her friends and I had no interest either to do so.