Chapter 8

The sheets of rain falling down, obscuring her view and making driving hell…were making her insanely happy. She drove towards the university, but then changed her mind. It had been almost a month since she had started studying and not a single bunk, she thought ruefully, I must be growing up. She called up Farah and told her to take the rest of the day off from her office, and went to pick her up. Laughing like crazy, they ran in the rain to the outdoor veranda of CTC-the best caf in Lahore, ordered coffee and sat down to watch the rain.

Her clothes were a bit wet, clinging to her tiny waist, water drops were drying on her sharp cheek bones and beautifully curved lashes; she had a goofy smile on her face and was with a stunning brunette, far more beautiful than she was, then why am I still looking at her? Smoke lazily rose up from the cigarette he had in his hand, its tip's glow lessening as ash gathered around its edge, but still he could not tear his eyes off her. She looked innocent and young and unspoiled by life. Is this what attracts me to her? She looked up to see the raging sky and then they both laughed like crazy when she said something with a sexy smile. She should wear some colors, he thought as he looked at her bland clothes. I have always seen her in neutral colors, never red or sapphire which would suit her immensely. Oh boy, you are in trouble when you are mentally dressing a girl instead of undressing her; he chuckled and continued to watch her.

When Sara turned to look towards the door a minute later, to curse the waiter who hadn't bring their order yet, he was gone.

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She was sitting alone in the caf, reading a book with strong tea and waiting for class to start when she felt someone sit on the seat beside her. She looked up and was rendered speechless to see Adal sitting with her. He had avoided her like plague for the best part of a month never coming close except when Sidra was with her, and even then it was mostly to ask her about some assignment and then he had gone away. She had seen him several times near the gate of the university, smoking and standing with a couple of his friends. He always looked at her, but never approached. And now here he was, sitting right next to her.

"Hey, how are you?" he asked awkwardly. Sara had to fight the urge to laugh.

"I am good, what about you?" she asked just as politely, and then burst out laughing.

He looked at her for a second and then laughed as well.

"Well that was awkward" she said with a genuine smile this time.

"Tell me about it, so what's up?" he said sitting more comfortably on the hard chairs.

"Nothing much, trying to finish this novel, I just don't get time with studies and job as well," she said ruefully.

They talked for the next two hours, Sara's class forgotten between their laughter and the sweet mist that surrounded the first passage of love.

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He had later told her that it had taken Sidra's dire warnings of Sara falling for another man that had made him take action. Adal told her that it had been hell trying to talk to her because he hated rejection or insult in any form and Sara had not given him any positive signals. Sara had laughed and told him of all the times she had spent staring at him without his knowing, of probing Sidra to tell her about him and then pledging her not to tell Adal about Sara's curiosity. They had laughed together at their bullheadedness.

The next four months had passed in a flurry of late night conversations and chat. They had been inseparable, eager to know each other. They disagreed on so many things that after sometime they agreed to disagree. He made her laugh with his dry sense of humor and she introduced some color in his life, forcing him to talk and express his feelings instead of bottling them all up and taking them out all at once at an unsuspecting audience. Adal had been conservative by nature, he had a lot of good friends but no best friends. Sara was the first one to breach his walls and get to know him most intimately. She instinctively knew when to let him brood and when to force him to talk, even taking the brunt of his frustrations. They came closer to each other, but none had the courage to say the big L word. Although it was clear to everyone who saw them that they loved each other.

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It was the final paper of the first semester in the university and her school as well, after which they had a week's break from university. Well none for me, Sara thought with a sigh as she roamed around the class, waiting for the students to finish their paper as well. She hated the invigilation duty. It made her sleepy and lazy, and the feeling continued all day long.

"Ma'am you should go get a tea." She looked around to see Ali smiling at her innocently. She smiled and shook her head, too sleepy to even answer him. He looked at her a moment longer and then bent down to do his paper. She was almost sleeping by the time the paper was over.

She was organizing the paper by roll numbers when there was a knock on the door. She looked up to see Usman standing there with a cup of tea in his hands, she waved him inside. He put the cup on the table in front of her.

"It seemed like you could use a cup of tea." He said shyly and went out.

Sara was too dumbfounded to speak. She was moved by the sweetness of the timid boy. The students care about me? That's hard to swallow with the amount of work I make them do. She was happy with Usman's progress. Now, he sometimes talked voluntarily in class and did not turned beet red when she asked him a question. I wish I could say the same for a couple of other children, she thought as she drank the tea. One student in particular disturbed her. He was extremely hyper, misbehaved regularly with teachers and openly abused other students right in from of the principal even. She had been asking to meet with his parents for the past four months but no one had come yet. If you cannot raise a child then there is no use giving birth to him, she thought sadly. The student; Majid, was physically abused at home and he told all the gory details at school; how his father had hit him with a vase when he had refused to turn off the TV, how he had been beaten by a stick when his dismal grades were sent home, but Sara was unable to do anything. There were no laws pertaining the physical abuse of children in Pakistan. She had been trying to call his parents but to no avail. She was deep in thought and didn't realize someone was with her in the room.

"Miss Sara??" a loud voice was calling her. Startled, she looked towards the voice to see a custodian standing near her.

"Yeah?"

"Mrs. Waseem is calling you." He said and then left.

Why is the principal calling me? She thought with a frown and then left to see what was it all about.