Naira hurriedly pulled up extra apparel from her wardrobe which was an Abaya and again examined her bag which still seemed rough. Her bag didn't resemble like a bag of a person who is leaving her house.
What is missing? she thought.
Snubbing her empty looking bag even after packing all her essential items she closed the bag and proceeded to pray Fajr.
She was extremely nervous and tensed thinking about her journey and prayed to her lord, nothing bad to happen. But Naira was equally delighted and thrilled for her journey. Due to this anxiety of her, she completely forgot to call her parents for prayer.
Naira was the one who calls her parents for Fajr prayer instead of an alarm. She was the eldest daughter of Mr & Mrs Hafeez.
"Abbu... Ummi... get up for Fajr. The sun is going to arise soon and it's getting late for me to leave." She banged on the doors and nudged her parents up.
Soon after banging on their doors, she went to her sibling's room to wake them up. Her youngest sibling who was sixteen-years-old woke up first and they both started making noise to awaken the middle daughter of the house who was a little bit lazy. Banging on everyone's doors at Fajr was the favourite part of Naira's day.
"Abbu have you finished praying? It's already 6 o'clock." Naira reminded her father.
"What time is the train?" her father enquired for the tenth time.
"Six fifteen!" she straggled and answered.
"Everyone is coming right?" he again asked the question which was beforehand asked multiple times.
"Yes, Abbu everyone from my class is coming. Now let's go or else I will be missing my train." Naira said and marched towards her room to pick her small luggage.
She went to her mother to say goodbye and hugged her.
"Don't stay up at night and sleep early. And also don't forget to call us when you get there." Naira's mother reminded her.
Since she was a good girl the first condition by her mother was not a big deal for a girl like her cause she was sure about sleeping on time without staying up.
After giving Naira's farewell to her siblings, she left with her father in their car. She reached on time at Banglore City Railway Station and proceeded with her father to take a ticket.
"Where to?" the lady in the counter asked.
She thought for a while before replying because she was not sure,
"Chikmagalur?"
"You are asking me? There is no railway station in that place" her father said back being shocked.
"I know that but I forgot the exact name of the place," she replied being shocked of herself. She was not the type of girl who forgets things easily.
She called her classmates to ask but they didn't answer her call.
"Birur, I think" she replied remembering but was not sure.
"One Birur Railway station?" the lady enquired to which Naira nodded.
The father and daughter entered inside the Railway Station and searched for the platform where the train will arrive. Naira saw some familiar faces so she strolled towards them.
"Naira? Woah you came?" Farah asked being shocked to see the person in front of her.
"Yeah" Naira awkwardly replied.
Only five girls and four boys from her class were present there along with one Female faculty, their teacher. There was also a boys gang standing near to them and they were almost nine to ten in numbers and were Juniors according to her. Cause she saw some familiar face and some new faces. According to her, almost thirty-five students from her class were coming. That's what she heard and assumed. Naira wanted to ask where are the others but was struggling herself to initiate a conversation to her classmates so she remained silent.
"Where are the others are they not coming?" Farah asked.
"They will be entering the train from the next station, which is near to our college. Also, our train is delayed."Nowfan informed while sipping on his tea.
"I am going to buy the tickets. Who else needs? I guess it is 70 or 80 rupees" Nowfan informed to which everyone except Naira replied as she already took her ticket. She didn't know boys from her class had this generous side of helping.
Naira's father left after leaving his daughter along with her classmates. Yes, classmates not friends. She never got time to even make one friend.
Soon after a few minutes, their train arrived. Everyone jumped inside the train extremely happy.
The boy's gang were the first to enter and then the rest. Since Naira was the last one to get on the train, all the seats were occupied by now. Boys from her class were all standing with two juniors, while the rest all were seated. There were a few seats on the top but since its morning no one sat on the top.
The girls and her Mam tried to adjust space for her to sit but they were also seated in a jammed manner so she told them,
"It's okay. I'll stand here. Maybe I'll get a seat at next station when someone gets up" she assured them.
The seat they got was near to the door of the train so she thought to stand there and get some air but then got scared.
She looked at the boys who were seated in a jammed and improper position along with her classmates.
(Imagine this as their seats)
On the left side, all the junior boys were seated and on the right-side seat, One boy was trapped between five of her classmate with their teacher. Naira felt funny and sad looking at that boy.
"Naira, there is a seat. Go! it's the best seat" The teacher informed her indicating to the side seat opposite to their seat.
In a swift, she sat on the seat and had a victory smile on her face for getting the side seat, which is best cause it's a single seat and she doesn't need to adjust and sit with anyone.
The train stopped at the station where all the students from the college were coming. They all took the other cabin of the train as they were so many students and that cabin had seats. The boys who were standing also went to that cabin. Now their cabin is with few girls, Naira's classmates and a bunch of boys, their juniors.
Three more hours of journey to their destination and Naira was already getting bored of sitting alone.
"So many of you look new. Introduce yourselves." Farah told to juniors.
Everyone told their names quickly and even the girls also introduced themselves. Naira also awkwardly introduced herself and tried to smile. Since she had a good memory with names, she quickly grasped everyone's names.
"Let's play something? Maybe Antakshari?" Arshak, a junior suggested.
"Yeah. It will be fun" Farah clapped her hands and said.
"So Juniors VS Seniors? or Boys VS Girls?" Abdulla asked with a wink.
"Huh, it's not fair! Both are same. Don't try to fool us. Let's divide as equal" Shana declared.
Somewhat involuntarily some boys were mixed with the girl's team and the game began.
Everyone forgot that they were on a train and were singing out so loud. Many people started giving them glares but none of them bothered.
Unexpectedly Naira was also enjoying her new company. She was very surprised to know that her classmates were so cheerful and so full of energy.
Both the teams were having same points by now.
"Saari umar hum
Mar mar ke jee liye
Ek pal to ab humein jeene do
Jeene do
Na na na....Na na na....Na na na....Na na nana na...."
The last part everyone sang so loudly with so much happiness.
Team A finished singing. Now it was time for Team B, girls to sing a song starting with 'Na'.
The game was coming to an end so almost all songs were finished. Everyone was thinking very hard otherwise they would lose to their junior and it will be a shame.
"Come on everyone! Think harder! We can't lose" Farah said.
By now the count down started, "Tik tik one...tik tik two... tik tik three..."
"Oww... Our poor seniors are going to lose." Arshak grinned. All boys were full of energy and very competitive. None of them was silent. Everyone equally mocked the girls and laughed at them.
"Naino wale ne O.
Nainowale ne chheda mann ka pyaala
Chhalkai madhushala
Mera chain rain nain apne saath le gaya
Nainowale ne aha
Nainowale ne."
Everyone looked at the direction where the song was coming. It was Naira singing so beautifully. All were shocked to hear her melodious voice which they never knew.
"The end is 'Ne' so, the letter is 'Na' again" Naira challenged them. She was also surprised by herself and thought when did she become this brave.
"Hahahaa... It's again 'Na'. Naira you genius." Farah said and hugged her.
The boys lost and agreed to treat everyone Tea and coffee at the next station. Boys got down and bought their treat along with some snacks. Naira was having a moment like this for the first time in her life laughing, playing with new strangers, getting to know more about people who she calls as her classmate and now sharing and eating snacks with them.
Only a few more minutes were left to their destination. Everything was going smooth and fine until that Ticket attendant came.
"Ticket ticket, everyone take out your tickets," he asked in a very startling voice to the boys.
All of them looked at each other. All of their tickets were with Nowfan since he was the one who took it.
"Sir, we took tickets in groups so it's with someone else who is in the next cabin" Arshak informed.
The ticket attended glared at him and said, "Call them here and show me"
"They are in the next cabin. We all have taken the ticket and also our stop is after two stations." other boy tried to convince the attendant.
He again glared and then moved to ask the person sitting on the side seat who was Naira.
"Show me your ticket" he ordered.
Since she took the ticket alone from the station she grabbed her bag, took out the ticket and gave to the tall angry man.
"This ticket is to Birur station. This is your stop. Are you not with them?" he asked.
"Yes," Naira confusedly replied.
"If you are getting down on their same station then, you took the wrong ticket." He informed and took a book from his side bag and scribbled something on a paper.
"Here, Rs 750 fine" he had an evil smirk.
"F-fine? I-I have t-to pay t-this?" Naira asked stuttered, she became tensed and was at the verge of breaking down and crying in front of all.
Everyone was shocked by hearing this. No one dared to say anything for a moment. Then the boys and teacher started convincing the attendant but he was not listening to them and angrily started asking for the fine amount. The girls called Nowfan and he came when the train stopped at a station. But this ticket attendant was very stubborn. Everyone told it was not fair to charge this much fine since the station they have to get down is just withing ten minutes.
Feeling helpless Naira decided to give the money. Everyone was shaking their head indicating her to not give the money. But that man was standing in front of her and glaring so she gave it instantly.
"2000? Don't you have change?" he asked. She shook her head.
"Even if you have don't give. Let him not get the change and give back your money" Farah whispered. She also hoped to let that happen.
That man asked everyone for change but none of them replied anything and all stood like a statue.
"If I don't get the change I'll take the full amount," he declared.
This greedy man for money. Naira internally glared at him.
Even now no one was willing to give him money cause he was simply giving a fine amount for his pleasure.
Naira again looked at her bag and saw there were some fifty and hundred rupees notes. But she was not sure whether this was enough. She was about to take it and give it to that annoying greedy man but then stopped when she heard someone saying,
"Here you go."
The attended gave back that 2000 rupees note to Naira and went towards the boy who had decided to give the money.
The person was sitting on the left side of the seat, wearing a dark blue shirt.
It was her Junior, Nayel. Nayel Ibrahim.
ASSALAMU ALAIKUM
How was the first chapter of "My Junior boy"?
Where and why are they going? Everything will be explained in next chapter.
It's not that interesting I know. But it may get better 🙊
Also so sorry for the delay in updates. Thank you to those who motivated me yesterday to write. ILYSM ❤
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