I MET HIM IN TEXAS

* THE FIRST DAY FOR THE REST*

This was one great day. We had so much fun than expected. We lost to the M. Arch girls, but yeah, our batch boys won. Hashra didn’t talk to me the whole time. I need to talk to Azlan about it. I didn’t want to create any nonsense in their family. After the match, I asked Zayaan to wait, just to ask his opinion.

“Everything fine?”, Zayaan shrugged, as only we stayed back. There were few other students who were talking and playing in the ground. “Yeah! Listen…”, and I told him everything, from Harsha’s arrival till the afternoon scenes. “Woah…Woah…! That sounds so much fun”, he laughed. I rolled my eyes. My best friend’s sense of humour was irritating atimes.

” Listen, I didn’t allow him to pay for my purchase last night, and he was pissed off. Ad when you got me dinner last night, he was much upset…I kind of feel bad…What should I do now?”, I bit my lower lip. “Don’t do anything. Let it be… You are going to Banglore next week, you will have more time with him there”, he elbowed me. Oh, freak. “Dude, mom and dad are coming to meet me there! Do you think I should still hide it from them? Like…they have seen Azlan’s pic. I am sure they ain’t over him, yet”, I pouted.

Zayaan was serious now. He knew how much Azlan’s presence would change my family situation. “You like him, don’t you? Like…Zoya, forget the past. It was a mistake. I don’t blame you both. But, keeping that aside, you really are in love with each other. You mom and Dad need time to take it all in. But…What about you? Your decisions are a priority here”, Zayaan needed an answer from me.

He was right. I liked Azlan. The honest gentleman. But I didn’t want to get side-tracked. I nodded, and he shrugged. It was getting cold, and we walked to the cafeteria. We couldn’t find Azlan and Hashra with our other friends. “Hey!”, Azeen waved at us. “Hey…Where is Azlan?”, I asked, searching if he was elsewhere in the café. “Eh…Hashra wanted to get something. So, he has gone along”, Suzan smiled. Zayaan gave a funny look.

After I had my French fries, I had to leave to the auditorium, And Azlan wasn’t here yet. “Guys, please ask Azlan to come to the auditorium as soon as he arrives. I got to go”, I faked a smile. I walked alone to my department block. It was cool, but I wasn’t concentrating much. Linson was polite, and was taking his job serious. He explained every detail of the competition and would clear our doubts.

At the end of the session, he asked me about Azlan, and I lied. I told him that he was not keeping up well. Linson was a bit irritated. He wanted the team to win, and Azan was not present for the second class. Linson handed over a booklet to everyone, and asked me to pass one to Azlan. After collecting it, we walked out.

I was walking towards the hostel block, and I could see somebody walking towards me. It didn’t take much time for me to figure out who it was. I didn’t stop walking. Once he was right in front, I looked up. “I am so sorry, but Hashra…”, and I just gave the booklet in his hand. I wasn’t looking at his face now. “Go through this. Linson was upset about your absence. If you have priorities, please let him know”, I started walking.

“Zoya, stop!”, he was right in front, “Why are you being so rude? I wasn’t hanging out...She...”, and I didn’t want to hear anything about her, “She what? When it was your team at ICAF, were you so careless Azlan??”, I was so irritated now.

“Stop yelling, Zoya. I know how hard it is to take part in ICAF. I wasn’t hanging out with her”, he yelled back now. Wow! Now he was on her side. “Oh, yeah! I can see that you were not hanging out with her”, I smirked. He was angry now. I took his watch off my bag and pushed it into his hands. He was not concentrating, and the watch slipped down. SHIT! He picked up the watching quickly., and there was a little scratch in the glass. “Azlan...I…”, one hard stare, and I was shocked. “If it wasn’t you, I would have ….”, he clenched his teeth, and walked away.