HKKMJNM: Part 24a, Pg 145 - Page 4

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Nimra.

"This is unhealthy. I have to stop thinking about Mr. Akdu."

She said to herself. As she walked on , engrossed in her own thoughts,she collided right into someone.

"This is not good. I have to stop thinking about her... but last night's dream... me kissing her... Geez! How could I even think like that! Okay she is so hot and pretty. She looks cute when she is angry and keeps pushing her hair out of her face. Nooo stop right there! She is irritating and immature. I just can't stand her."

He was walking through the corridor completely engrossed in his thoughts, talking to himself when he collided into someone. She lost her balance due to the impact and started to fell backwards. He instinctively put his arm around her waist to keep her from falling.

Zoya stumbled when she collided with somebody.

"Hey can't you look where you are going?"

Zoya asked him annoyed.

"I am sorry. I was actually busy on my cell. Gotta go. Getting late for lecture."

She was about to reply when she saw him a few metres away. It was undoubtedly Asad and he had a girl in his arms.

"Ergh this is Shalini, but she was with her friends some time ago."

The guy she had collided with walked away when she didn't say anything. Zoya had not seen Shalini running past her as she was too preoccupied. Seeing her with the subject of her thoughts made her feel a little uncomfortable. She didn't know why but she wanted to take Shalini away from him there and then.

He tried to make her shift her weight to her feet but the girl was in no mood to stand by herself. He looked at her face. She was the girl he had danced with at the Gala night. She was constantly staring him. He got uncomfortable and gave her a slight push upwards. She finally snapped out of her reverie and stood up.

S: "Hi."

A: "Hey."

S: "You were good the other night. I just wanted to tell you..."

A: "Err Thank you. Look I need to..."

S: "Listen if you are not busy, can you come to the cafe with me. I was just rushing there myself. Coffee?"

A: "Actually my lecture..."

S: "I know you don't have any lectures right now. My sister is in your class."

A: "As I was saying lectures are over but need to rush to the forsenic lab. I have to... err"

S: "Cm'on! Just a coffee. Look it is a bet. I lose lots of money if you don't come."

Right at that moment Zoya walked up to them.

"Hey Shalini! I just saw the biochem professor going towards the lecture theatre. Cm'on rush or you'll be late."

She didn't even spare a glance at him and walked away. He couldn't thank her enough for ridding him off that clingy girl.

"But why didn't she talk to me. A hello wouldn't have hurt. Is she angry with me. Cm'on man! She was getting late for her class. It doesn't matter whether she wishes me or not. She doesn't matter at all."

He started talking to himself again but stopped as soon as he realized what he was doing.

Five minutes had passed since Shalini and Zoya had entered the lecture hall. There was still no sign of the professor.

Shalini came to Zoya and said

"He is still not here."

Z: "But I saw him. Maybe he got busy with something."

S: "You blew my chance of a date with Asad."

Z: "Date? You were just asking him for coffee. Besides he is so full of himself, he woundn't have come."

S: "At least you should have let me try. And he is polite. Why do you always find excuses to badmouth him?"

Z: "Sorry. Better luck next time."

Zoya moved away when she saw Najma entering the hall, leaving a sulking Shalini behind.

Instead of their Biochemistry professor a middle aged lady entered the lecture hall and announced.

"Hello! I am Dr. Sapna. Students your lecture has been cancelled as Dr. Ashfaq is busy. Dr. Ashutosh has asked me to make an announcement. As you know your first professional exams are at hand you need to become serious about your studies. Those students whose attendence is less than 75% would not be allowed to take the exam this year. Another important thing, you people know that every year a medical camp is organized by our teaching hospital. Some students also accompany the doctors. It is a good learning experience. Only those students who secure the first position from every class would be selected. Best of luck to all of you. Thank you."

An excited murmer ensued as soon as Dr. Sapna left. Zoya heard Shalini talking to her friend.

"Wow. I am sure Asad would get selected. If I top our year then it will be my chance to be with him for one whole week! I am so excited."

She walked out of the hall with Najma without saying anything.

Zoya and Najma entered the cafe and took a seat after placing their order. Najma said to Zoya

"So you are going to that camp! Excited?"

Z: "Anybody can. Whoever scores best will. It may even be you."

N: "Nah! I am not topper type of student. Never been."

Z: "What is topper type of student? You can easily top if you work hard. Its even easier if it is something that you are interested in."

N: "I am not."

Z: "What?"

N: "Interested. Medical has never been my thing."

Z: "Then why did you come here? Did your dictator brother force you?"

N: "My mother was a doctor. So obviously bhai wanted to be one. I wanted to be wherever he was. I never wanted to be a doctor. It is a noble profession but the working hours are too long. Besides it gets really tiring so I decided to go for becoming a dentist instead. At least life would be easier after we complete our studies. Shorter working hours, better paid and less tiring."

Z: "Hmmm... Smart but I don't think you should have come here when you didn't want this. You should have done whatever you liked. Your brother wasn't going anywhere."

N: "Arts college. Private hence really expensive."

Z: "Why did expenses bother you. Besides this college is way expesive as well. Isn't your father filthy rich?"

Zoya couldn't decipher Najma's expressions when she asked her about her father.

"You are lucky your father is not like mine." Asad had said this to her once when she had commented about his father in front of him.

"Something is really amiss here. Besides they never go to meet him." Zoya thought to herself.

Right then the waiter arrived with their order.

"My father is filthy rich. We are not."

Najma said when he left, her tone bitter.

"What do you mean?" Zoya asked her.

"He had married another woman while he was still married to mum. He had a son and a daughter with her as well. When mum came to know she decided to leave him but then she got to know that she was pregnant again. She still would have left him and brought us up with dignity but God had other plans. She was diagnosed with a tumor in her leg in her forth month. She decided to go ahead with the pregnancy as it was benign. Mum and Dad used to fight a lot at that time. I don't know why but she never had it removed. It turned bad. The tumor became malignant and metastasized. It killed her. Dad brought his other wife and kids to our home three days after Mum's death. I was too young to understand, just five. I didn't know where my mother had gone. Bhai and me, both of us believed she would come back one day and throw that woman Dad called our new Mum out of our house. But it never happened. The only good thing for us at that time was that we had new friends in the form of Ayaan and Nikhat. Nikhat is just my age. As we grew up I realized that they were not our friends at all. They never could be. Their mother was the one who had taken away both of our parents away from us. Shireen Aunty, my Dad's second wife and Dad always gave them preference over us. I started resenting and then hating both of them as well. Bhai said it was not their fault. They were just like us. Not our family but just like us. They had done nothing wrong. Their parents had. Dad never came to any of our school functions but in Nikhat's case, he even knew her friends. He never knew who mine were. He never cared. I used to cry a lot at that time. Bhai used to tell me we are each other's only family and we don't need anyone at all. When he turned eighteen and got the property Mum had left in our name, we left our Dad's house. We left Dehli as well and came to where our Mum had grown up. The apartment we live in now was our mother's. He started working when we came here, refused any kind of monetary help from Dad. He did odd jobs to make ends meet. There was never a question of following my dreams. He has never forced me to do anything but I knew Arts school could not happen. Besides it was useless. At least what I am studying now would help me be financially independent. My mother was a graduate of this college as well so getting a scholarship was easy for both of us. I don't know how he has done it but yes now we are quite well placed. He has worked really hard to get where both of us are now. He still works after college with a friend of Mum's. Its difficult but he manages. He never let me work throughout all this ordeal. He says I shouldn't worry about anything. It's his headache and he will take care of everything. Thats all. I have never told this to anyone else and I do feel lighter after this catharsis."

By now Zoya had tears in her eyes. Both of them had faced so much in life. She felt bad for bad-mouthing Mr Six-Pack-Abbs the whole year in front of Najma .

Z: "I am sorry for whatever I have said about your brother and thank you for trusting me enough tamatar."

N: "Don't feel bad. I enjoy when you talk about him like that. You rile him up so much. Friends are to be trusted and you are my only friend."

Z: "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

N: "Lets say I do have trust issues and I never want anyone to take pity on me. You are my only one true friend and I wish it stays like this forever."

Z: "It will."

Zoya was trying to study and music was blaring from Hammad's room at full volume. She had already complained to her mother thrice. Sarah had scolded him but even this didn't bother him. When she went to her the forth time Sarah got annoyed and said

"Zoe do whatever you can to stop him. He doesn't listen to me. Only your father can take care of him and he wouldn't be back before two days."

Agitated Zoya marched to his room and banged on his door.

He opened after some time.

H: "O hey Miss Nerd! Sorry but we couldn't do anything else to dissuade you from burning away your brain cells. I have heard no new cells replace them. Once dead they are gone forever."

"O really? I didn't know that." Zoya replied sarcasm dripping in her tone.

H: "See! Stay in my company and you will learn."

Z: "Oh my God! What have you done to Hamza?"

Hamza stood on Hammad's bed wearing her cloths which reached his feet. He had tied a dubatta around his head as well.

Z: "Why is he wearing my cloths? And OMG is that make-up? Hammad you are so dead!"

Hammad ignored her and walked back to the music system.

He turned to Hamza and said

"Dance my Basanti dance."

Music again started blaring and Hamza started to make really funny moves.

Zoya walked across the room and snached the Ipod from Hammad's hand. She switched it off and said to Hamza

"He is turning you into a eunuch!"

Hm: "Api what is a eu... eu... whatever you said."

Z: "It is neither a boy nor a girl."

Hm: "Then what is it?"

Z: "In between."

Hm: "I AM NOT THAT."

Z: "But you will become one if you keep doing what he tells you to do."

Hm: "I hate you Hammad bhai."

Hamza started crying and ran out of the room.

Hammad spoke from behind her.

H: "Look what you have done. Now he won't stop till he has the energy to keep making that noise. At least the music was better."

Z: "No it wasn't and how is this fun?"

H: "Oh my God Zoe! You are becoming like your Mr. Khan. Boring."

Z: "He is not my Mr. Khan and at least he is better than you."

H: "Better than me? You are saying this? He was the only one who was even worse than me. I am at the bottom of your list again? Tell me how he got promoted. Correct me if I am wrong. Somebody seems to be falling in laooove!"

Z: "Urrgh! Go to hell."

She stomped her foot and left his room taking his Ipod along.

Zoya was getting her things ready the night before her first paper when her cell rang. She let it ring too lazy to get up and pick it up. When she got up to go downstairs for dinner she picked up her cell to see who had called. It was an unknown number. There was a message as well from the same number.

"Best of luck! Stay calm and you will nail it. Asad"

"Thanks." She replied and then rushed downstairs when her mother called her for the forth time.

"What the hell! Why did I message her? I don't care. It was just that Tamatar told me that she was nervous so I did this for tamatar. After all she is her friend."