Of Fallacies And Fate

n i n e t e e n

#8th in Spiritual. Alhamdulillah!

"I'm mad about the waste that happens when people who love each other can't even bring themselves to talk" -Alice Walker.

n i n e t e e n

An unusual tranquility spread that noon at their canteen, vacancy expressing itself loudly with meagre amount of people occupying its tables. The black and white checkered floor that would've been unnoticeable due to the rush was now unveiled. Other days, the crowd screamed its presence through cacophony, tables flooding with students who sat there for long, eating to their heart's content as talks floated around. Mostly, an atmosphere of merry would prevail.

But not this day. It was a Saturday and most people preferred to not attend college and hence the canteen lacked its usual commotion. The ambience felt glum despite the modishly arranged tables complimented with dainty lamps that hung over each one, for the purpose of artistry rather than luminescence. There was no turbulence, no chaos, no tumult. Except in the heart of two vivacious souls who stood in front on the baked items counter, arguing with the attendant over the last slice of German Forest Cake.

Samairah shooted daggers at Rayhaan, who didn't resist her nor did he break the glance. He stared back with equal intensity. As if, those looks would decide the champion of that innocent piece of slice that lay in its place, tempting people with its mere presence.

"That's mine", Samairah haughtily announced.

"Never ever. I was the first one to ask!", Rayhaan narrowed his eyes at her.

"But I was the one who looked at it first. I declare it mine", Samairah argued.

The attendant glanced confusedly between the two of them who kept bickering since ten minutes as to who would claim the cake. What was it about one slice of cake? he thought annoyed at their childishness. Little did he know, that the argument wasn't even about the slice of cake, the argument would be a blow on the ego to the one who would lose it.

"Oh wow!", Rayhaan raised his hands in exasperation as he looked at the attendant with a is-she-sane look.

"Ma'am", the attendant tried to settle the brawl but didn't succeed beyond a word as he was stunned to silence by Samairah's deathly glare. That woman is intimidating, he thought. He gave a i-am-helpless expression to Rayhaan silently urging him to be the bigger man and drop the conversation.

Rayhaan could sense it from his look that the attendant wanted him to drop the argument and let Samairah win it over. But he wasn't going down that easy. Why was she taking out so much anger at him? Even two days ago, she had screamed her heart out at him when he erroneously spilled coffee over her dress. That he would agree was his mistake. But today, she was being unreasonable. He had clearly been the first person to express his wish to order that slice. It wasn't even her favourite, for heaven's sake. She was arguing with him just for the hell of it. And he wouldn't let her have her way with him this time.

"Stop being childish Samairah", he tried to reason, "its just a slice".

"Exactly!", she shrugged, "its just a slice. Why don't you forgo it? I'll take it happily".

"Why should I, when I was the first person to order it?"

"But clearly I was going to order it! You saw me looking at it in a longing way and you evil person! you didn't want me to have it, that's why you ordered it".

"What?", he frowned at her. Is that what she thought of him now? He was clearly annoyed with her as time passed by.

"Don't act innocent, Rayhaan"