TWO DISTANT HEARTS

CHAPTER 2

I managed to reach the bus in time, for a few seconds of delay I would have missed it.  Today it was crowded, there wasn't even a place to stand, my university was about 20 minutes away, and I didn't have the slightest desire to walk the whole way standing up with so many people around, the only free place was in at the bottom of the bus, but there was a small group of guys who didn't seem very nice so I decided to stay in my seat also because the bus was so crowded that I couldn't even walk to reach the last seats.  I don't understand, if I have a driving license then why do I have to bear the shock of this mess every morning, I'm a girl who gets upset when she sees too many people I immediately panic.  Today I had no other choice, I had to put up with all the rumours, I took a look at the time and I guess I'll miss the first lesson today, I don't think the bus will be able to arrive on time, the roads, the traffic, the bus stops bus was full yet we were on a normal Thursday, I can understand if it was Monday, the start of a new week but all this mess on a normal day like Thursday doesn't seem normal to me.  In any case, I managed to arrive on time, the first lesson wasn't that great, and we wouldn't have the second one due to the professor's absence so Izma and I went to the university library to study, studying was just an excuse because we were sure we were going to talk the whole time. "Why you were late this morning?" Izma said, because my mother, your favorite had problems with the color of my nikab, so there is every morning we discussed and this morning's topic was the color of the nikab, "Ohhh, at least come on it wasn't on the phone cover" she said laughing, Izma stop it!  Does it seem normal to you that mom treats me like this, I'm fed up!, "So, let's say you're right too, I'm not against her because she's my favorite anyway, but it's true that sometimes she's too exaggerated", sometimes?  this morning I didn't know where to hit my head because the color I was wearing was light blue and she said it herself!, "Ezal, what do you care, a thousand things happen every day, forget how you do with all the others ", no Izma you don't understand, I'm really tired of everything, you don't understand, I don't blame mom but I want a little more freedom!, "If I don't understand then explain well Ezal, we've been friends for years now I know what you mean but you don't say it because you think it's wrong, and you think that saying this to me maybe isn't right. By now I also know what you carry inside so there's no need for you to be ashamed to tell me certain things", Izma I need a break from all this I want to isolate myself from everyone for a few days, even for a few hours it's fine for me, but I want to give myself time, I want to spend an afternoon as I want.  "Listen to me now, get up because here we can't talk much and now we're going to have breakfast in a bar, we still have time for the second lesson", no Izam, I can't.., "Shut up, don't tell me the usual things okay! I know your mother perfectly, I grew up there too but now at this age you need to free yourself a little, so without excuses let's go to breakfast and just don't say another word", Izma listen to me I don't have...I don't bring my wallet and then I can't who knows if there's someone who looks at us there and then goes and tells it to my house!  "Stop making a fuss, I'll pay you for breakfast, you know how much you owe me, by now I've lost count of how many snacks I paid for you in high school", hey hey, in those times I remember well that we share money to get sandwiches and snacks don't say nonsense, maybe I was the one who paid for your lunch.  We laughed at the end of our discussion, in the memories of beautiful times spent together, "Now let's go, no one is at the bar to see you or me, no one knows us and then you're not committing a crime, you're not going to kill anyone, we'll have a quiet breakfast and let's come back here", how do you want to eat in peace if we both have the nikab, "The bar also has a restaurant inside, just not think too much and let's go". I honestly don't want to, we can stay here and get something to eat, let's have breakfast another time, I don't want Izma, "Okay, I'm listening to you again this time, but you have to change your way of thinking because otherwise soon you end up in a crazy hospital", are you kidding me?,"No my friend I'm just warning you, because if you go crazy remember that I don't come to visit you in a psychiatry", you always have such a sweet way to make see how much you love me, so much sweetness i can't bear it in one go, there's too much dose my friend!  "I swear if you're stupid, come on now let's go to get something to eat I haven't had breakfast".We buy two coffees and some brioche from the vending machines and we went to a safe place to eat, no one here in the university had ever seen Izma and I without a nikab, and we didn't have many friends, but not even close ones see us without nikab, since we were at the university we have not completely removed the nikab but only raised it to be able to eat in peace and not with the concern that someone could see us, more than for privacy it was for religion than for girls like us who live far from their country of origin it is very important to respect.  Izma did you ever think that here we wear nikab but down in Pakistan most girls go without, nikab don't even have dupatta, "What can I tell you, we were born here and I can swear that since I was eight years old my mother slowly put the concep tinto my head of covering the head , and then I personally made this choice of nikba, if they don't wear it in Pakistan I can't say anything", not all girls but have you seen the videos on social media, many girls who, for example, go to school or even university without covering their heads or even with not exactly appropriate clothes, of course we don't judge anyone though..." But we have to gossip, HAHAHA, jokes aside, they in Pakistan should do more than us because in any case they are in their country of origin where there is Islam everywhere, we are very few here, almost none, it is only our parents who teach us the basics, however I can say without a doubt that the generations who live abroad are more respectful of Islam than those in their real country of origin I at least speak for the girls", well there are people there too but okay leave this, you know when here many of our classmates tell us how did you make this choice?, it makes me laugh, because I don't understand what choice and I don't understand what courage it takes to wear the nikab, because in any case we too only cover our faces and then wear normal clothes like everyone else, "Eh eh what can I say ", in fact what can we say anyway we never talk about anyone so..."O my goodness if we two are crazy together" and we burst out laughing.  After breakfast we had parted and we are attended our lessons, now I was almost done, there was only half an hour left of the last lesson and after that I would go to work which was not far from here.  I was still finishing taking my notes when the bell rang and everyone left the class, and Izma joined me as she too had finished her chemistry lesson.  "I'm going home now, I've come to say bye", don't you have work today?, "Noo, I'm going tomo--, you've made me wonder, wait, I'll check the calendar", take it easy, meanwhile I'll finish writing these two important things.  "You can drop your studies when class ends", she said lateing out her diary with work schedule, oii na i take things slo--, "Allah Allah! What would I do without you Ezal, I have to go to work today I was sure today was Wednesday and not Thursday i have to be there in 15 minutes I'm running and see you tomorrow morning, tonight I'll call you and then I'll talk" , tomorrow is Friday we're at home, I said but she she was already gone.  This girl was completely crazy and careless!  A little later I  leave too to reach the office.  The work that Izma and I do is different, I am a social worker in the bank in the communication office while Izma works as a lawyer's secretary, in short, she works in the court.  These jobs have been recommended to us both by the professors of the university, we also earn well, enough to be able to pay a part of the sum for the university so as not to depend too much on the parents.  It's always nice to do some work even if ours is a real job because managing both university and work often becomes difficult, to pay for one's needs so as not to ask parents for money at this age.  I work many times in the morning when I'm free from university and many times in the afternoon when I just finish class it was the same thing for Izma.  Now I have a lot of work to do so I'll see you directly at home, but first I'd like to call mum so as to tell her that today I'll be a little late even if I've already told her but I want to remind her beacuse  I don't want her to get angry, I want to spend a quiet evening.