Qubool Hai - An Entangled Bond

Tangled Relationships: Chapter 2

As I entered the classroom on the first day of the semester, I couldn't help but notice that most of the seats were already occupied. Among the sea of students, my eyes landed on an empty seat next to a girl who appeared younger than our age. She had curly hair, half-tied with a claw clip, and was wearing glasses that gave her a somewhat nerdy look, though there was an undeniable cuteness about her.

Without wasting any time, I made my way towards the vacant desk and greeted her, "Hello." My words were soft, and I wasn't sure if she had heard me. However, my attention quickly shifted to the chaotic entrance of a pair of students, a girl and a guy I had seen earlier. The girl rushed towards the seat beside the nerdy-looking girl, effectively claiming it before I or the guy with the jacket had a chance. He, on the other hand, seemed unfazed and casually scanned the entire classroom before lazily making his way towards us, his expression a scowl.

The girl who had taken the seat introduced herself, "Hi, this is Haya," and tilted back to include me in her introduction. I shook her hand, returning the greeting. Before I could introduce myself, our professor entered the class. As it was the very first day, the professor was interacting with the students seated in the front rows, leaving me to observe with a smile as Haya and the guy beside me engaged in a playful banter.

"Haider, main Tera muh Tod dungi!" Haya whispered playfully as the guy pulled her hair teasingly. Within a few minutes, both of them settled down.

Curious to get to know the quiet girl who had occupied the seat I originally aimed for, Haya turned her attention to her. "What's your name?" she inquired.

"Imama," the quiet girl replied, her head down.

The guy beside me tried to flirt, saying, "I can be your Imam then," but his attempt appeared to fall flat. Haya laughed, and I had to bite my lower lip to keep from bursting into laughter. Imama gave him a distasteful look, clearly unimpressed.

"Not my type, not gonna work," she said with a straight face, shutting down his advances. The guy's face fell momentarily, but within seconds, he was attempting to flirt with other girls in the class.

Imama then made an unexpected observation, "He's your twin, right?" This statement left Haya in surprise, "How do you know that?"

"People always think of us as a couple, but you are the first one to declare it without knowing us," Haya said with excitement.

Haya, beaming, declared, "You are going to be my best friend," without giving Imama a chance to respond. It seemed that the classroom was about to become a hub of new friendships and intriguing connections on this eventful first day.

"The next class is free, let's go to the cafeteria," Haya declared. Imama initially frowned, but her expression brightened when Haya began enthusiastically listing all the different food options available. I couldn't help but feel left out, but I also didn't make an effort to initiate a conversation. If they wanted to include me, they could do so just as they did with Imama. Ignoring my thoughts, I started scrolling through Instagram.

As the next class was free, most students left the classroom. I decided to explore the campus, walking down the stairs behind the trio, now known as the chaotic dua, making their way to the cafeteria. I wasn't particularly hungry, so I ventured further to explore. As I distanced myself from them, I suddenly felt a tug on my handbag. I turned around to see Haider.

"Madam, kaha?" he asked dramatically, placing his hand on his waist.

"To look around," I replied with an obvious tone. "Didn't you hear they're going to the cafeteria together?" he asked, rolling his eyes. My subconscious couldn't help but label him a drama queen.