Why, We Fall (Book One)

01: First Look

Entering the class of clinical psychology the first thing Aleya did was to say salam to the professor.

Now there wasn't really much thought given behind her action.

Growing up in a Muslim country she always learned to respect the elders.   Specially if they were her teacher and the most appropriate way of showing respect is to say Salam every time you see them. Which is a bit ironic since the ruling regarding Salam is that you are encourage to say it to anybody and everybody younger and older than you.

Another reason she might have done it was that the professor's name mentioned in the curriculum is Hasan Nadir, a Muslim name.
Not that having a Muslim name would mean the person was a practicing Muslim or even believed in that notion. She was sceptical how any kind of religious act on her behalf toward the professor would be received by him.
Hence the aftermath of that Salam raised much more thoughts inside her than it did before she had done the act.
Not to mention starting a completely new course in her senior year added just the extra bit of anxiety she certainly could do without at that moment.

"Walaikum Salaam wa rahmatullahi wabarakatuh. "

A warm and extended version of the answer to her contemplating Salam reached her ear and dissipated all the doubts that reared up its head in her mind. A soft smile decayed from the corner of her lips before it even fully emerged. Without looking behind she reached her seat as casually as one could pretending she wasn't hyperventilating on a meager greeting to her new professor just a few seconds ago.

***

On the other hand professor Nadir wasn't really feeling as casual, per se. It took him quite off guard so to speak as it had been so long since he had shared that simple gesture with another human being who were not his family. Even the Muslims in the West nowadays go with the much simple 'hello' than wishing peace on each other like they were supposed to.

Tilting his head a bit he didn't know what he was expecting while looking for his well wisher. By the accent he was sure it wasn't some non Muslim trying to get extra points with their professor, he wouldn't answer with the full Salam if that was the case.

So, when he looked up and saw the back of a midnight black haired girl wearing long white kurti (tunic tops) and jeans and he could make out a long scarf dangling by the collar at the front, a bit unusual for a summer wardrobe, he didn't know what to think.

Then she turned around and took her seat.
It took him a second longer than he would have liked to admit to take his eyes off of her.

She was simply beautiful.

There were a mashup of ethnicity in the class yet she stood out on her own. He could say she was SouthEast Asian, that much the tan olive skin tone told him but even his ethnic knowledge wasn't enough to determine which country.
He couldn't really contemplate on the thought much longer though as the time to start the class was here.

***

For the rest of the month Aleya had about 12 classes with professor Nadir and in each class the female population of students increased. Something to do with the handsome Persian professor, the youngest in the history of the department. Recently got tenured. And the fact that it was an open course also helped.

Yet, Aleya felt like she was the one who had an extra bond with the professor as before and after each and every class they would share their religious greetings to each other without fail.
Which unbeknownst to them, brought them a bit closer than the other relationships of students and teachers.

But that's just about it.

They never talked with each other outside the class. The professor always invited students to his chamber after classes if they had any kind of questions regarding the lectures and many students, mostly female ones, one might add, never failed to take him up on his offer at least once. But Aleya always felt like the professor was too good of a lecturer not to cover everything in his lectures and he always gives at least 15 minutes of QA time to the students after every lecture.
She just never found any reason to bug him after the classes were over because of that.

Hence, the occasional glances the professor would throw at her direction during his lectures like he would give at every other students and the answers to some of her questions he would give during QA time summed up the amount of interactions they would have all together.
Which Aleya didn't mind at all.

If someone asked her she would just say he was her professor and anything more was unnecessary. But in truth she was actually a bit intimidated by him. As caring and close he was with his students inside the class that much distant he was felt outside of it.

Many would testify that he didn't even say hello to the students if they ran into him or address him outside the classroom. He just didn't like to mingle with them if he can help it, that's the rumour.

On Thursday that week during lunch time, Aleya was contemplating if she should go to the campus Cafeteria for lunch or skip lunch and go to the library instead, in the midst of her making the pros and cons list of having lunch, she saw her professor was approaching from the other side of the campus with a pros and cons list of his own.

At least he looked like he was having an inner debate with that contradicting expression on his face.

Spotting him, Aleya forgot all about lunch and began to hyperventilate about the fact that if she should address the professor with a Salam or run to the opposite direction like every other students do across the world when they see their teachers outside the classroom.

For a second then, the ringtone of her phone distracted her. While she was fumbling with the zipper of her bag to retreat the electronical wonder of 20th century, the said professor had already reached her.

Before she could react, a warm deep voice touched her ear.

"Assalamualaikum."

"Walaikumsalam, professor. " She answered exasperatedly.

She could just cry at that moment. There she was, in the middle of the street fumbling with her bag like a little kid, when her phone was screaming, 'who let the dogs out' (it was a dare) and she just found another con of going to lunch which sadly evened out the both sides, then there was the professor who everyone said ignored all students outside his class, decided just in that moment to approach his one student, who might just have an anxiety disorder.

Then he stood there.

Even after the greetings were passed and her phone refused to shut up and the zipper of her bag refused to work and she just found another reason to add in her list of going to lunch, she just couldn't figure out if it went to the pros column or the cons. All of that was enough to overwhelm a girl.

"Going to lunch?"

"Yes. " Yeah, she just figured out the cause goes to the pros column, hence the winner is lunch.

"You like cafeteria food?"

He is still talking!!
Were the rumors not true??
Is the professor actually a nice person even outside the classroom??

"You're still here?" He asked at her confused face when she didn't reply.

"So are you!!!" She could've just slapped her face right then and there. Instead she bit her tongue and tried to remedy herself.

"I mean, you're going to lunch too professor Nadir?"

"Um, I wasn't sure but I think I just might. "

So he WAS having a debate in his mind like her after all. A month of clinical psychology and she was already reading expressions! She was rather proud of herself.
Too Busy giving herself a pat on the back, she forgot the professor was still there.
When she realised she had gone too long without saying anything again she blurted out the first thing that came into her mind.

"Will you join me for lunch professor Nadir?" She did almost slap her mouth this time for being a reinless horse.
But instead her mouth hung lose by the next sentence the professor uttered.

"Sure, it's been a while since I've had cafeteria food. Should be good."

Too stunned to react Aleya just stood there with a half open mouth while the professor already continued his journey to the cafeteria.

"Are you coming?"

By the deep sound of his voice Aleya broke from her trance and followed the professor two Steps Behind.

She was trying to have a minimum of two feet distance between them but Professor Nadir wouldn't have it. He stopped walking, waited for her to catch up and when she did, reluctantly so, they began their silent journey to the cafeteria.