A Midsummer Weekend (The Extended Version)

4. Two Years After that Weekend

As I walked into college that morning and saw Ameerah frantically waving at me, I put all of that out of my mind. I had more important things to deal with. 

"So, did you talk to your parents yet?, my friend asked excitedly. 

"No, not yet. Abu is in Lahore right now. But he comes back home tonight. What about you? Did you try?"

"Yaar, you and your excuses", she rolled her eyes at me, "Yes, I did tell them and they want to talk to your parents before they let me go"

"My parents may not agree, you know. I've never travelled to a different continent on my own"

The two of us looked at each other apprehensively. Our initial excitement of finding out that we had been invited to Berlin, Germany, for the European Medical Student Conference, the largest student organized conference in the world, had been considerably dampened over the last 3 days as we realized that neither of our parents were the type to let their young daughters go abroad on their own. 

"Farah, we can't let this opportunity go by", Ameerah placed her hands on my shoulders, "Just think about how big this is! We are the first students from our university to ever have their work accepted to this conference. Think of what going there will look like on our residency applications"

She and I had recently published our work on the use of electroconvulsive therapy (basically electric shock treatment) in psychiatry patients, and had gotten some really high accolades on it. Which is why our mentor had encouraged us to submit the work to this conference. 

"It's all the way in Germany, and we don't even know German", I tried to reason with her.  

"Germans know how to speak English. Besides there is always Google Translate"

"Where will we stay?"

"Their brochure says there is housing for students right next to the Berlin University", she pulled it up on her phone. 

"How will we get there?"

"In a plane...like the rest of the world does"

"I meant to the University from the airport", I shook my head. 

"Uber", Ameerah pointed to the app on her phone. 

"And from the housing area to the University?"

"On our own two feet. It's only a 5 min walk, and we'll only be there for 3 days"

I was running out of questions and Ameerah was already rattling off the other things she had found out about Berlin University and the lineup of speakers at the conference. All of which sounded so exciting that even I couldn't help imagining what it would be like to travel to a foreign country with my best friend for the sole purpose of engaging in an exchange of ideas and knowledge in a field I was extremely passionate about. 

"Oh oh...", Ameerah grabbed my arm, "Wasn't one of your instagram contacts in Europe just last month? She went to Germany, ask her if she was in Berlin"

Komal was the instagram contact that Ameerah was referring. One day, after many months, and during a very boring lecture I had logged into Instagram and found some beautiful pictures of Komal posing in front of the Eiffel tower and on Champs-Élysées in Paris. Ameerah had peered over my shoulder and commented on how stylish the woman was. That post was also labeled #EuropeTrip, #LovingWork and #HereIComeGermany. 

"I can't ask her. She has a real job, where she is probably very busy right now", I hesitated. 

"Yes, you can. Humare future ka sawaal hai", Ameerah grabbed my phone, "Komal was her name, wasn't it?" (Our future is at stake)

"Give my phone back! And fine I'll call her", I gave in to my friend. 

And that's what I did, standing in the middle of my college's courtyard, I dialled the number of the sister of a man I hadn't met in two years, but who somehow still occupied my mind in moments I least expected it. 

Komal picked up immediately and her chirpy voice made me smile. Turns out she had indeed been to Berlin, and was more than happy to answer questions. 

"My company had set us up in the downtown area, but the University is not too far from it. And it's a really safe area, with lots of Turkish restaurants so plenty of halal food to eat"

Ameerah jumped in, "Would you be willing to tell that to our parents. We really, really want to go"

"Sure thing"

We chatted a bit more about logistics in Berlin and were about hang up when Komal added, "Farah, I am going to tell Kamran about your paper getting accepted to this conference. I know he'll be so proud of you"

Ameerah raised her eyebrows, and I looked away from her trying to hide my cheeks that I had barely been able to cool down this morning. The thought of Kamran being proud of me warmed my insides, and I couldn't help reminiscing about the first moment I had seen him. Standing in the doorway, his tall well-built frame blocking the glow of the scintillating crystal chandelier that adorned his home's foyer, his words of encouragement in front of my disapproving mother had instantly drawn me to him. 

Even if we didn't end up together, I was sure, I would never forget how grateful I was to him in that moment. 

I started to walk away from my friend who I could tell was still staring at my back, "Ok, I'll see if my parents want to talk to Komal, and then maybe they'll let me go"

"Hold on a second young lady", I felt my arm being tugged on, "Who is Kamran?"

I mumbled some answer to her then. But it was during the fiasco that our trip to Berlin turned out to be, that she would find out the entire truth. And I would find out just how much I appreciated a man who wouldn't leave his computer, or even sleep properly, for the entire 3 days that I was supposed to be at an international medical conference. 

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So Nano has an inkling of KamRah (Thanks @sumsukor for coining that!!), and so does Ameerah! It is kind of hard to keep those feelings hidden all the time.  

Also adding in Mariam's POV, because she really isn't trying to hold her daughter back, or is a bad mother. She is just worried about her daughter. 

The trip to Berlin will be in the next chapter. And I hope that it makes you smile even if you cringe a bit at what these two friends go through. 

Thanks and please do vote!