Noorur-rahman

The Heart That Yearns

Noor stares at reflection one more time into the mirror and smiles. She surely looks great in a full length hijab, Auntie Rabi'a had given it to her three months ago. Remembering the event that leads to having that hijab was funny, especially what her aunt said about her and Isma'il. "My nephew is too attentive on you, Noor!" Her aunt had said.

Brushing off the thought of Isma'il that her mind always land on lately, she concentrate on the last touch of her look, by applying a nude lipstick to her lips to match up with her mocha colored hijab. She sighed in satisfaction and grabbed her shoulder bag from the bed and exist the dorm room.

It'd been three months since her aunt left and two and half months since she was accepted at the Nigerian Heritage University. The new environment have been amazing to Noor until recently that a certain someone showed in her life again,  like curse. And now she can't help but wonder if their destiny is somehow entwined. Just when she thought she's over him and all.

Nevertheless, she refused to focus on him and have been avoiding him since their first encounter, one Tuesday afternoon during a chemistry practical. Surely, her heart had skipped multiple beats that day.

"Going home again!" A voice stopped her as soon as she stepped out of the two white storey building that housed her dorm room. Noor turned to the familiar voice of her British Nigerian roommate, Nadia.

"Yes, its friday!" Noor smiled cheerfully, she and Nadia are still in the process of becoming friends. Nadia has just moved to Nigeria to be with her dad, and she's trying twice harder to get acquainted to the new environment. Making new friends has been easy especially with Noorur-rahman as a guide. They might have lived together most of the semester. Though to Noor, they're practically strangers. Yet, Nadia is too nice to be avoid, she's the kind of person that loves to share how her day went by.

"Okay then, extend my greetings to your handsome brother." Nadia said excitedly.

"Cousin!" Noor corrected.

"Same difference, dear! Tell him I say hi."

"Whatever!" Noor scoffs making her way to the parking area of the building.

"Have a good one!" She hears the same voice again. Nadia is the most ebullient person in her life, she's just like Asad.

A smile spread across as her thought wandered back to Asad, who have been filling up her phone gallery with the pictures of places he's visited in the foreign land as if his main purpose there was sightseeing.

While Asad is relishing his stay in Spain, Sadiya is living her dream in an Arab university at Madina, Hidaya though has taken a different leap, more than getting accepted in a university, she's not leaving any stone unturned to have herself married to the love of her life before the end of the year. Apparently, the guy she made early last year during Eid break has promised her the moon and the stars.  Lucky for her, he look promising enough to make her parents got her engaged to him two weeks ago.

Noor's smile was bigger as she exit the magnificent architectures of the university. The building at the Nigerian Heritage university are a sight to behold, amongst many other things, that's one of its most wonderful features. Studying in a beautiful environment have it own feeling. Just like her friends, Noor too is leaving her dream of her having her own car. Finally, after so many drama, her abbah allowed her to drive herself around.

When Noor reached home that afternoon, her abbah and Isma'il just returned from the congregational Juma'ah prayer in their white and sky blue kaftan respectively. Seeing Isma'il smiling from ear to ear remind her of her roommate's request, the girl had only seem him twice, but she couldn't stop talking about him.