SMARTIES: Grp made from troubles...

16.ASIFA

Asifa blinked.
'Oh no... not again.' Asifa thought desperately as she asked Noora for the reason of her tears. Asifa looked from her crying friend to the blackboard, to those letters that seemed to be laughing at her now.
'Why are you crying?? It was just for fun. Nothing serious.' Asifa got down from the chair she was standing and started to touch Noora's shoulder to cool her down. But she ran.. ran out of the class.
It was like that sometimes. She will do something sarcastic and funny without imagining in her wildest dreams that the other person will take it seriously. Obviously, it only led to troubles and pains.
'Noora must have ran to her mother'. Asifa thought and a chill ran down her spine.
"Noora ...".
Since their kindergartens, they where together and she was always fond of her. Higher and higher the classes they went, their friendship also hiked. Asifa liked Noora's character except her possessiveness which irked her. Asifa was never felt possessiveness towards her friends . She hated that feeling and never felt like that towards anyone. What her biggest mistake was, she too expected the same from others . Yeah, big mistake.
She always want her friends to be with her but her genuine curiosity towards new people made others think she is avoiding them. But she loved her friends and always wanted to be with them, no matter what.
She was lost in her train of thought when someone came like a tornado into the class and planted herself before her. Asifa's eyes followed the black clothed (abhaya) legs up to the face, Noora's mom. A look into the aunt's face and Asifa knew she was in trouble.
'Noora must have justified her part as right and now, I only have myself to prove my innocence.' She braced herself for the wrath and the fear that was clawing its way up inside her.
'Why are you making fun of my daughter.??' Noora's mother's voice boomed in that silent yet packed class. 
'Because she is my friend. I was not serious about anything I said. It was just for fun.' Asifa countered, ignoring the fear that now wrapped her heart.
'Friends..??!! You have been doing this for a long time. This pastime of you, you making fun of my daughter. I cannot tolerate it anymore.' Aunty shouted at her face.
Asifa looked at Noora. Noora just wept, not even bothering stop her mother.
Suddenly she felt angry, 'Why cannot she just take that as a fun??'. But she was afraid. Afraid of Noora's mother. Afraid of what will happen next. But she dare not show that to the audience they already had.
'What is the big deal in this? I thought she was my friend.' Asifa said and her heart felt suddenly heavy.
'If you are again going to make fun of my daughter, I am going to complain to your headmistress.'
'Then go and complain.' Asifa shouted, frightened to the core yet anger still reigned.
'How dare you answer back at me??' Noora's mother came closer to Asifa, whose hands and legs started to tremble with fear. But she is not ready to lose, especially when she did not do anything wrong.
They stared. Both unwilling to let it go.
Bell rings..
'I am going now. But if you again give trouble to my daughter...' With that unfinished note, Noora's mom turned to leave.
'No, I will not. I am done with YOUR daughter.' Asifa could feel the tears that earlier just lined her eyes, now caressing her cheeks.
Her friends surrounded her when aunty left. Jelyn, Achsah, Hasna.. Even some of the people from their rival gang was also there. Arya, Anashwara, Sree Lakshmi. Confusion, sadness, pity, angry... emotions after emotions fought in their faces, unable to hold onto one.
'Nothing wrong in that. This all, what all happened, was unexpected.'
Asifa thought sadly and risked a last look at Noora.
She just stood there, dazed, as if she was in a trance and now she did not know where she is.
'I will never talk with you Noora, NEVER...' Asifa swore silently and let her friends to do, what to be done to calm her down. She realized she was crying all this time...

But fate had other plans for her...