The Two of Us

Chapter 1 - The Proposal

Chapter One - The Proposal.

A cool afternoon found Sabrina Khan lying on her bed, her phone - on speaker - settled beside her. She was engaged in a conversation with her dear best friend, Leila Patel, who was busy complaining about life and University. Sabrina, momentarily transfixed by the way her curtains fluttered softly by the cool breeze that was coming in from her open window, sighed as she tackled one of the many assignments that Leila was currently complaining about.

"It's been a month and I have four tests in three days and six major assignments due by next Friday!" She whined.

"If you're this fed up right now then how are you gonna handle the next three years?" Sabrina asked, shaking her head, even though there was no one there to witness it.

"Well, excuse me for sounding naive but people say University has a slightly fun side too! So far, the only fun I've seen is waking up whenever you want to and being able to skip class without the teacher caring."

"C'mon, we all know the partying part is what they were talking about and we're not allowed to participate in those parties." Sabrina pointed out. "The ones with alcohol and drugs and gyrating teenagers.."

"Okay, so then University is no fun at all, then." Leila sighed, giving up.

"Well," Sabrina began, chuckling. "This life isn't supposed to be all about fun. What's the point in striving for Jannah if this world was perfect."

"Eh, true." Leila mumbled and the chirped: "But look who's talking! Your experiences with University and well, life in general, must be pretty dang close."

"Oh no, Lee. Do not start with-" Sabrina began but was too late.

"Ever since Khalid apologized and fell in love with you!" Leila went on, her voice gleeful. "Speaking about Khalid, have you, you know, bumped into him again, recently."

Sabrina rolled her eyes and could almost picture Leila waggling her eyebrows, with a devilish grin on her face. Leila had been referring to the first week of school, when Sabrina had all but plowed into Khalid - on accident - and had unintentionally ended up lying in an awkward position on the floor, on top of the blue-eyed boy. It had been the most humiliating experience she had ever been in. For Khalid, it was more amusing than anything, judging by the way his eyes twinkled in mischief and his mouth smirked down at her as she hastily retrieved her fallen belongings.

"I just don't understand how he was at the end of the room in one second and the being run over by me the next. I'm pretty sure I saw him twenty metres away before we...uh bumped into each other." Sabrina explained.

"Hey, maybe he was hoping you'd run into him and land in his lap." Leila offered, making Sabrina blush and choke at the same time.

"Shut up. You dirty little person. Just no." Sabrina spluttered, highly embarrassed and trying to wipe the mental image of what Leila had so shamelessly suggested from her mind. "And I seriously doubt that. At least he helped pick up my stuff! That's more than I can say for Emaan and you!" Sabrina added.

"But it was totally hilarious seeing you turn as red as a tomato!" Leila laughed in her defence.

"I did not-" Sabrina started to object but realized that it was a possibility that she had in fact, turned as bright as a cherry. She tended to blush a lot when she fell on people.

"Emaan and I could have used a pair of binoculars and popcorn right about then." Leila added, with a chuckle, making Sabrina pout.

Sabrina shook her head and said her salaams to Leila, ready to get down and actually complete her work without her annoying best friend distracting her with thoughts of Khalid. She was in the middle of typing up an important essay when the doorbell rang. She paused for a few seconds but soon forgot about it when her phone beeped. It was Emaan, asking her what she was up to and so for the next ten minutes Sabrina and Emaan had a conversation via texting. She was just about to say that she had to leave and get up to head out to scavenge the house for food, when her mother walked in.