Chapter 3

Chapter 3

 

It was Thursday afternoon.  Imraan took his calculus book out of his locker, shoved it into his backpack, and rushed out the green double doors at the front of the school.  He had promised Anne that he would reach her house at 4 PM to help her with algebra.  Anne was a very studious eighth grader whom Imraan had been tutoring in math and science for the past year.  She was Maryam's classmate and they were taking most of the same classes.  Usually Imraan tutored both of them together, but Maryam had basketball tryouts, so she would be staying at school until later in the evening.

 

When Imraan started his car, it was ten minutes to four, which meant he would probably be a couple minutes late.  He had been talking to Sabah after their physics class and completely lost track of time.  That is what seemed to happen every time he spent time with Sabah.  He would forget everything else and lose himself in her beautiful eyes.  This was the first time Imraan felt like this about any girl.  He didn't think he would ever be able to tell her, but he was pretty sure she already knew.  Imraan had never been good at hiding his feelings about anything. 

 

By the time he left Anne's house, Imraan was confident that she would ace the algebra test the next day.  As he got out of his car after reaching home, he saw Amaan walking towards his house.  Amaan was a freshman at Kennedy High, but he had missed the first week of school due to an eye infection.  For the past four days, he was back in school, but Imraan barely saw him, because he spent lunchtime in classrooms catching up on work.  He did ride in Imraan's car to school everyday with Samira, Sabah and Rehan, but even then, Imraan didn't get a chance to talk to him much.  Amaan was very quiet and mostly kept to himself.

 

Imraan noticed that Amaan looked stressed and decided to ask him what was wrong.

 

Imraan: Hi Amaan.

 

Amaan: Hi.

 

Imraan: Kya baat hai.  Tum pareshaan lag rahe ho.  What's wrong?  You look a little worried.

 

Amaan seemed to hesitate for a second, but ultimately decided to disclose his problem.

 

Amaan: Kal mera geometry ka exam hai.  Maine kayi class miss kar diye, so I feel a little behind.  Abhi mein library mein ek dost ke saath study kar raha tha, lekin abhi bhi bahut kaam karna hai.  Tomorrow I have a test in geometry.  I have missed some classes, so I feel a little behind.  I was just studying in the library with a friend, but I still have a lot to do.

 

Imraan: Main tumhaari madad kar sakta hoon.  Middle school mein geometry mera favorite subject tha.  I can help you.  Geometry was my favorite subject in middle school.

 

Amaan: Thanks.  Abhi to mujhe book mein do chapters padhne hain, lekin uske baad main aapko phone karoonga.  Thanks.  I still have to read two chapters in the book, but after that I will call you.

 

Imraan: Theek hai.  Good luck Amaan.  Sounds good.  Good luck Amaan.

 

As he entered his house, Imraan was greeted by Shamyl, who was reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factoryin the living room.  He had finished Harry Potter two days earlier, and wasted no time in starting on his next book. 

 

Imraan went to the kitchen where his mom was cooking dinner.  He began to set the table.

 

Najma: Arre, Imraan , tum aa gaye?  Anne ke ghar ho aaye.  Oh, Imraan, you're back?  Did you go to Anne's place?

 

Imraan: Ji, mummy.  Aaj phir Papa der se aayenge?  Yes mummy.  Is Papa going to be late again?

 

Najma: Haan, beta.  Unko aaj phir operation karna hai.  Yes, beta.  He has another surgery to perform today.

 

Imraan: Mummy, aap ko pata hai na ke papa ne dus din se humaare saath dinner nahin khaaya hai.  Mummy, you know that Papa has not eaten dinner with us for ten days now.

 

Najma (with some resentment): Jaanti hoon.  Lekin hum kar bhi kya sakte hain?  Unko apne patients ki jaanein bachaani hain to family ke liye time kaise nikaal paayenge?  I know.  But what can we do?  When he has to save his patient's lives, how will he have time for family?

 

Imraan didn't want to upset his mother so he stayed quiet.  He couldn't help wondering how different things would be if his father were not a neurosurgeon.  But he knew it wasn't his father's fault.  And whenever he had time, he did spend it at home.

 

After dinner, Imraan went to his room to start his homework.  Fortunately, he only had calculus that night, which took him about half an hour to complete.  Math was definitely his strong point.  If it hadn't been for his unfortunate car accident the night before his Algebra II final exam in freshman year, he would have been done with calculus last year.  But everything happens for a reason, and Imraan was glad that he had been able to make his sophomore year was a little less stressful by repeating the class.

 

Amaan called later that evening and Imraan helped him with a couple problems.  When he returned to his desk, he noticed that Sabah had sent him an instant message.

 

zindagi2011: hi imraan. hows it going?

imraan89: hi sabah.  i'm good…what r u up to?

zindagi2011: not much. just wanted to ask if u would like to study together this weekend for the history test

imraan89: sure, when and where?

zindagi2011: i can come over to your place on saturday morning…it shouldn't take us more than a few hours

imraan89: ya, probably not. when we're done, u want to go to the cheesecake factory for lunch?

 

As soon as he sent the message, Imraan's heart began to race and he wished he hadn't hit enter.  Was Sabah going to think that he was asking her out?  Would she get mad at him?  Or was it possible that she might say yes?

 

zindagi2011: sounds good, haven't tried that place yet.

 

Imraan was relieved, but still wondered what Sabah was thinking.  It sounded like she was expecting a casual lunch with a friend, which is what Imraan wanted it to be.  Or was it?  In all honesty, Imraan wanted to know what Sabah really thought of him, but he couldn't figure out how to find that out without revealing his own feelings.  He decided to cross that bridge when he came to it.  After talking to her for a few more minutes, he signed off and got ready for bed.

 

Before sleeping, Imraan went to his sisters' rooms to check up on them.  Both of them had exams the next morning.  Samira had finished studying and was getting ready for bed, but Maryam was planning to be up for another few hours.  Imraan tried to talk her out of it.

 

Imraan: Maryam, tum bahut padhayi kar chuki ho.  Ab so jao.  Maryam, you have been studying for a long time.  Now just go to sleep.

 

Maryam: Nahin bhaiya, mujhe is test mein perfect score chaahiye.  Aur is ke liye mujhe bahut padna hai kyoon ke main itni smart nahin hoon jitne aap aur Samira apa hain.  No bhaiya, I have to get a perfect score.  And for that I will need to study a lot, because I'm not as smart as you and Samira apa.

 

Imraan could not understand why Maryam always said this.  She seemed to have an inferiority complex that she just couldn't let go of, no matter how much Imraan told her that it wasn't true.  Samira and Imraan had always been great at memorization and problem solving, so math and science were a breeze for them.  Those subjects didn't come as easily for Maryam, but she was a brilliant writer.  Imraan believed that she would make an amazing journalist, but somehow, she had decided that she had to excel at the same things as her siblings were good at.

 

Imraan: Maryam, yeh sach nahin hai, aur tum yeh jaanti ho.  Tum kisi baat mein hum se kam nahin ho.  Maryam, that's not true and you know it.  You are not less than anyone in anything.

 

He walked over to Maryam's desk and kissed her on the forehead.

 

Imraan: Don't worry.  You'll do great.

 

Maryam smiled a little. 

 

Maryam: Thanks bhaiya.

 

Imraan: Zyaada der tak nahin jaagna.  Don't stay up too late.

 

Maryam: Okay, good night.

 

Imraan: Good night Maryam.

 

Imraan returned to his room and got into bed.  His excitement about spending time with Sabah that weekend was slightly marred by concern for Maryam and the fact that his father had still not returned from the hospital.  He knew that there were some issues that his family needed to talk about and resolve, but he still felt fortunate that they all cared about each other so much.  Confident that it would all work out in the end, Imraan cleared his mind and went to sleep.