SMARTIES: Grp made from troubles...

15. NOORA

Asifa... Asifaa... Her friend, no.. her bestie as Noora would like to call. Hers. It was like that , till they came. Jelyn, Achsah, Hasna. Yeah, they where friends too but Asifa.. she was hers.
As days passed Noora could feel Asifa getting more and more attached with them and pushing her away. But she put all her resentments and sadness safely tucked away deep in her heart. She never showed it to anyone, only accepted them. They too where her friends. She told herself.
It was like that till they reached their sixth standard. From the outside view they where considered together, though Noora always felt there where some invisible boundaries between them.
Then Asifa and Jelyn became best friends and she could feel that sadness tugging at her. But she again suppressed them all..
But as the time passes, every repressed emotions, however tucked and safely kept, will always manifest itself in one form or the another.
In her case it came out in a fine Sunday morning. (Yeah they had classes on Sunday. It was Friday and Saturday they had their weekend.)
As her parents owned the school canteen, she is one of the first students to come to the class.
'Anniversary... yeah that's the correct spelling.. or is it..??' Noora was in confusion. Today morning her mother asked the spelling of 'Anniversary' to write in a cake. She told them but what she did not tell was she is not sure of the spelling.
'I will ask someone and make sure.' Noora thought. Students started to slowly file into the class. Some of the people from 'that' gang was there and they where busy shouting and laughing and went out. 'Probably to play in that window sill.' Noora thought reflexively.
It was then she saw Asifa entering the class.
'Hullaa Nooraa... What a noise they are making in that stairs..!!! And you know what they are not even aware of the glances from the people passing by. Seriously...!!' Asifa shook her head and smiled at her.
Asifa.. her Asifa.. her would have been best friend..
Noora smiled back.' Yeah, they don't care . But Anashwara is yet to come right. She is one of the loudest in that group.'
'Yeah.. I will go and write the quote.' Asifa went to the blackboard. She being a passionate reader was the one to write inspirational quotes on the board each day.
'Asi ( as she was being called by their close friends) ??'
'Yeah Noora, what happened??' Today's quote is ' The only ship that is unsinkable is friendship.' Asifa was adding the final touch ups to the word friendship.
'What is the spelling of anniversary?'
'Why do you need that now?' She asked but wrote the word on the black board.
'Thank Gods, the spelling is correct.' Noora thought and was about to say thank you when she did something that Noora never expected .
'Happy wedding Anniversary Nooraa'
Noora blinked and again blinked.
Asifa was laughing and was saying that in a singsong tone. That minute that was the time she lost control , the leash she had put on her heart came loose.
No excuses for what she did next. But one thing , she never liked any commits like marriage or love. She really hated them. The reason behind that even she did not know.. But about one thing she was sure, she never liked rather hated marriage.
It was in that time Asifa made fun of her with that same word, unknowingly. That was one of the reasons of her losing control.
Another, she had a feeling that Asifa, Jelyn, Achsah and Hasna where together now and they are pushing her away.
Avoiding her....
Tears brimmed her eyes, threatening to fall...
'Nooraaa... your marriage is over. Why don't you call us??' Jelyn said with a puppy face though her eyes sparkled with amusement.
'Happy anniversary Noora..' Someone else shouted though she didn't cared to see who. Those traitor tears had already betrayed her. They where in a high flow now.
'Nooraa.. why are you crying?? It was just for fun.. Nothing serious.' Asifa was telling but she didn't hear. Her ears had already closed.
'Nooraaaa .... Noorrraaa.... ' Someone was calling as she ran, ran without seeing the confused eyes of the people in the stairs, ran without even caring who all she pushed in that rush. She ran to the only place she could think of.
'What happened ?? Why are you crying??' Her mother was there in the canteen, in the ground floor.
'Aunty, a pen'
'Aunty, a sticker pack.' Order after order came. People where saying, then demanding which was slowly to shouting. Their school assembly time was nearing and they where in a rush to reach the class before the assembly starts.
Her mother went to attend them and after five minutes came to her.
'What's the matter?? Go to your class. It's almost time for the assembly.'
It was then, in between her sobs she told her mother everything that happened.
Her mother seeing her distress caught her hand and went to her class to see the cause of her daughter's sadness.
Later Noora wished if she could reverse the next few things that happened. Wished if only her mother had just consoled her and made her to go back to class. Wished she just took that teasing in a funny way. Wished she never let that noose to get loose.....
Wished many things..