Strings Attached

~PROLOGUE~

"Go take your seat. And next time, I don't want to see you coming after I've entered the class, you understand?" I nod with my head bowed in shame. I've never been late to any class here. The record now stands broken, I guess.

"What were you doing? I thought you will never come," Caroline whispers in my ear with that heavily accented, breathy voice of hers. "Yeah, I was stuck somewhere. Will tell you all after the class." 

The lecture is extremely boring today. I don't feel like taking notes, so I guiltily take out my phone and quickly shoot a text to Samira, my bestie. She must be either sleeping or eating right now, for that's all she loves to do. When she doesn't reply, I keep it back inside my bag and just pass my time doodling in my notebook. Uff! This is so not me! But boring lectures do that to you.

After the class ends, I feel relaxed. I hate Psychology. We (me and Lina) make our way towards our lockers and dump our notebooks in there. Phew! I'm glad to get rid of them for the time being, since we've got fifteen minutes of break time. I grab Caroline's hand and make a run for the Cafeteria.

"Wait. I'm not done yet." "Hurry up Lina or our space will be taken," I tell her, impatiently tapping my feet on the floor. "My insides are dying for some food, you know."

Finally, we get to our space, which is thankfully empty. But, what I see, makes my stomach churn and my lips turn inside out in disappointment behind my naqab. The big popular group, of which that idiot is the leader, is sitting just a few paces ahead of our spot. 

Before I can hide myself somewhere, his friend Seth, sees me and nudges his friend to take notice that I too am here. Oblivious to all this, Lina goes ahead and sits down at our spot, and beckons me to sit down too. No, I won't go away, just because he happens to be here. That's the spirit, Hidayah!

I put my tray decidedly, and with a bit more force than necessary, on the ground and begin to eat. It's a bit difficult to eat this way since I have to eat from under my veil, because of male presence. This place used to be empty before, so I had no problem in eating my food in peace, after removing my shutter. These boys are a nuisance, I swear!

Before I can take another bite, Daniyal Hasan pounces on us, making me upset my tray. He quickly grabs it before the contents can spill onto the floor. "I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to do that," he says with a smirk. He doesn't look sorry. I quickly take it from his hands without saying a thing, and my hands brush his in the process, making me shiver and quickly draw them back. He wants me to talk? Well then I wouldn't say a word to him.

The otherwise quiet Caroline jumps at the chance of talking to him and they make small talk for the rest of the break time. Wait! Am I imagining things or is he actually inching closer to me by the minute? We are so close now that our shoulders are almost touching. I need to do something and that too, very soon. 

He is looking for another opportunity of touching my hand. I remove my hands from the ground and bring them to reside in my lap. Also, I scoot further away from him towards the end of the bench. What does he take me for!? Well, I've decided. Two can play at this game, doofus!

Lina is still animatedly talking to him. She likes him, somehow. Crazy girl! His face is turned towards me oftener than I find appropriate, and I can feel his eyes rove over my face again and again. On my veil, to be exact. I hate disrespectful people like him. I take a look at my watch, and am glad to know that the break time is almost over.

I grab my tray and calling out to my friend, I get away from that place, just in time to hear a low chuckle escape his lips. I just wanna slap that guy, hard. But I know better than that. The kind of an idiot he is, he'll be glad at the contact. God! I feel so relieved to get away! The rest of the day passes in a rush, and I long to stretch my legs a little.