Part 9:
Recap: AsYa meet again
Asad finds out who Zoya is working for and is best friends with Zaara now
Asad sat across Imaan, who was blabbering away, but he himself was thinking about Zoya. It's been such a long time, he was hoping they could still share the same friendship they had years ago
... Rewind time
Freshman year of college was all supposed to be about the dorms, the styled clothes and boring class, but college was a huge change for me, I met my best friend there. Zoya. True we hated each other at first, well I did at first, but the end of the term we were the closest of close friends.
I still remember how she entered class, dressed in a white and black top, black cut skinny jeans, and gazillion bracelets on her wrists.
She slumped down besides me, throwing her bag on the floor, did she even care what impression she was giving? She chewed her gum and slightly turned her head as she saw me staring at her.
"Do I have anything on my face?" She said politely
Confused I shook my head
"Then quit staring" She said in a not so nice tone.
I arched my brow. Bitch
Not wanting to start any problems I turned my head to the front of the class where a man in his 60's stood, he was staring at the girl besides me, he wasn't just staring he was glaring.
A couple of seconds' later, he cleared his voice
"Excuse me boys and girls, could you settle down a bit"
Since this was a well known university for top students, immediately everyone shut up.
"Thank you, I would start by introducing my self, I am Professor Siddique and I will be your instructor for
the rest of the term. I'm sure you're all thrilled to be at this college and we are thrilled as well to hav-"
"Excuse me!" The girl besides me yelled
Everyone turned there head but it felt weird to have 50 pairs of eyes stare back at you, professor Siddique includes.
"What if someone isn't thrilled to be here, but had to be here because her dad is a hard head" She said in one fast sentence
Professor Siddique didn't look happy, I'm not gonna blame him if I were him, I would've kicked her out already, but he answered straight away as if he had the answered ready in his hear
"Then that's their problem, now if you'll be quiet, I may want to continue my class."
The girl besides me made a face
As class ended Professor Siddique told the rude girl besides me to stay behind. Me being the good student stood up and walked out, taking one glance at the girl who stared at the professor, pissed.
That was the first day; oh don't even let me get started on the second day. I came late to class the next morning because I wasn't familiar with the routes from the dorm, but I was just late by 2 minutes, luckily the professor hadn't arrived yet. I sad where I had sat yesterday and couldn't even recognize the person besides me, she looked different, not like how she did yesterday. She didn't have on the gazillion bracelets, which made noise every time she mover her arms, she wasn't wearing cut jeans and her hair wasn't up in a messy pony tai, but today she was dressed more like...a female and she looked nice
She turned to me with a smile. Oh no, I'm not falling for that here comes the rude comment...
"Hi, I'm Zoya, you are?"
Not exactly what I had in mine, but something else did hit me...she's bipolar, if not then she has some serious personality issues. Maybe she's the type of person they show life stories about on TV, people that had terrible lives and end up hurting everyone around them, going home putting their cat in the oven crying and the next day is better and nicer to everyone else...
"Ummm... Excuse me?" She said this time confused as if she doesn't remember what she said yesterday
"Yeah, sorry, I'm Asad..." She smiled and turned to look down at a glamour magazine she had on the desk
"Do you have a twin?" I said after a long silence
She looked at me and shook her head. I smiled and tuned..what am I saying of course she had personality issues she doesn't even look like she has a clue of how un pleasing she was the previous day.
"Settle down everyone..." I heard the professor say as he entered the room, holding a huge text book with one hand and a clipboard with the other
"I have a quick announcement to make, those of you haven't joined a club yet, should as soon as possible, the clubs will be recruiting members this afternoon." He looked at Zoya
"Zoya, I expect you to be in a club by the end of the day"
Zoya smiled and nodded, "Sure sir.."
I passed glances between both and something seemed odd, but I didn't know what.
...
I ended up joining the shop class club at the end and exited the building.
It was chilly here in California, so I zipped up my jacket, walking out the main building; I stopped as I saw Zoya sitting on a bench and texting
I turn not wanting to be seen by her, but end up getting her attention because of my bright green jacket
"Yo Asad!" Zoya called out
I turn and see her walking to me and I put on a smile
"Hey there, didn't see you, how's it been"
"Stop messing around, I saw you try to leave, that's what made me call you, or else I'm not interested in screaming someone's name across one end to another"
That's it, this girl had some serious issues, and she's like two different people in one body
She looked at the pamphlets and booklets in my hand
"What's this shit about?" She said pointing
"Oh, uhh, I joined the shop class-"
"The club where you build shit?" She asked throwing a piece of gum into her mouth
I smiled, and said sarcastically "Yes the club where you build shit"
She smiled knowing I didn't take her seriously
"How bout you, you joined anything?"
"The only crap that was closest to design was art, like thats any fun..." She said
"Wow, you really like that woods crap and shit don't you?" I said jokingly
"I love em!" She said equally joking
We started walking as I was getting into the conversation
"So what was all that about this morning, cause I'm sure you hadn't forgot how we started out yesterday.."
"Obviously, I was acting.."
Acting, why was she even acting?
"Why?"
"Cause of Siddique, my old man never lets me do anything!" She said huffing out her breath which was visible due to the cold air
"Old man... You mean, professor Siddique is your-"
"Dad? No shit, I'm here only cause of him too..."
Wow now everything makes a little more sense. Zoya is here because her dad forced her to, who is a professor here and is highly respected
" You know, I never wanted to be here, I applied for the fashion designing course in NY, I even got accepted but my dad made me come here, and said if I want to go do fashion, I have to complete one term here, with no failing grades. "
I took a deep breath... "Wow that's some deep...shit"
"OMG right...wait you said shit..."
We both shared a look and started smiling as if were some inside joke of ours
"Hey you're pretty cool..." Zoya says out of the blue as we were crossing campus to the dorms.
"Thanks... umm are you living in a dorm"
"I'm living with dad in a house a little off campus...at the moment"
"So you're gonna head out...the gates..."
"Nooo, obviously yeah, I live off campus so I'm gonna have to leave through the gates, unless you know a secret way out."
I chucked a bit...me chucking, yeah hard to imagine
"Kay, so Imma' see you around, catch ya later" She put her hand forward and smiled
"It was nice meeting someone like you, Asad"
I didn't know if I should take it as an insult like as if I'm an alien or a compliment likes as if I'm special. I decided to stick with compliment and smiled back shook her hand.
And we could all smile and say, that was how our friendship started
The next day we exchanged numbers as she said that I was the only friend she had so far, and hearing friend from her moth made me happy, to be honest I wasn't very chum chum with anyone else yet and Zoya is a chill person. But she barely called and I even exchanged numbers with few other kids I became friends with, but my caller log never had Zoya on it.
Though one night, when I was on my laptop, writing some essay, my roommate on the other end snoring, my phone beeped an it was the first text I've ever gotten from Zoya and guess what the screwed up question was..
"Do you drink?"
I imagined Zoya at a pub somewhere, drunk texting me this
"Y?"
I texted back almost immediately
"I dn't know I was just asking, and dnt worry im not asking u to cme have a drink with me...or am i? :3
I smiled reading it
"You are totally pagal"
I waited for a text back, but the phone hadn't beeped again for a moment, I thought she was bored already and placed it down, but before I turned back to my laptop the phone beeped again
"Guess what though? I found this totally cook restaurant and it had this romantic name something like "Love Bird" or whatever...and -__- it's only for couples... douche bags wont let me enter without a date, him and his fake Italian accent!"
I laughed to myself a bit and wrote back
"I'm guessing u txted me cause u want me 2 go with u as a date...am I right?"
In seconds she txed back
"Did I evr tell u that ur a mind reader, seriously the best..."
"lol, no but im flattered"
"So how does tomorrow sound? Imma show that fake shit that i'm not single and lonely"
"U do sound desperate a bit..."
"Haha No -.-"
"BTW u did the essay?"
"I finished it the day we wre assigned it"
"And here I though I was smarter than u *Sigh''
"Ha only cause I act like a jackass, doesn't mean I'm a retard"
I already had this huge grin on my face
"Anyways I need my beauty sleep so imma knock out"
"Lmao, beauty nd u is this a joke?"
"Look whose talking Monkey Ahmed Khan
"Lol goodnigh"
"G-night B-)"
...
I next evening, we're in front of "Love Bird" and it's not even "Love Bird" it's called "Lovers land"
Zoya looks at the fake Italian man at the door who smiles, when he sees her with a date.
He bows down greeting us, and I could only imaging Zoya's doing a little victory dance in her head.
We sat down at the table which, was obviously in the shape o a heart
"We totally got his ass!" Zoya said gleefully and I smile
We make our order Zoya sits up
"Asad I've gotta tell you something, you being my best bud that is"
I look at her confused
"So you know about the fashion university right?"
I nod my head, this can't be good
She lets out a deep breath; "The term is over after a couple months and I'm gonna go to NY by the next term." She said all this in a fast pace, that it took me a minute to take in
"...um we'll that's just what you wanted...right?"
"Well I did, but I'm not sure anymore" She looked confused
I smiled; I am not ruing my evening
"Dude, it's okay, and the term doesn't end till May, we still have spring break"
"Hmm, I guess and I promise we'll spend spring break together kay?" She smiled as well
"I'm planning on going to the fam in India during spring break...if you're willing you could come-"
"I will obviously" She sighed
"Aasd, what do you not understand about friendship? Best friends stick together.."
"Hehe, sorry." I replied
That same night, I couldn't go to sleep, I was thinking about Zoya leaving and I felt really bad, like I'm loosing something close to my heart. Zoya is my best friend, and I know being a designer is hr dream, so is her happiness mine? After all we are best, friends...
...
The trip to India was hectic, Zoya acts like a little kid, and she wants to play games on the machine and talks to strangers
"Zoya...this is India, cut it out already"
"Com'on don't be a spoil sport, it's my first time here"
Before I could continue speaking I heard a familiar voice call out for me
"Bhai!!!"
I look up to see my brother Ayaan, and we run into a hug, Zoya, being Zoya yells "SUP!" across the airport and a couple of heads turn.
Ayaan looked at me
"Yeh apke saath hai?" He asked and I nodded
"Wow, bhai bringing ladki home, chakar chalraha hai kya?" He said moving his eyebrows up and down
I rolled my eyes and gestured Zoya to come over.
She slowly walked over with a grin on her face
"Hello?" Zoya put out her hand and shook Ayaan's hand
"I'm Zoya, aap?" She asked
"Hey, I'm Ayaan"
He pointed at me "His younger brother"
Zoya and Ayaan clicked because they were the same as each other, just opposite genders.
Ammi, and Najma were happy as well to see Zoya, see was very mysterious t them and that was another great thing ammi loved about her
We visited places all around Bhopal and Zoya felt just like family.
And finally, spring break ended...
I was surprised to see ammi crying when she had said her last farewell to Zoya, she cried more than she cried when I first left for college.
That could me in a month...when Zoya leave.
And it was... The day Zoya was leaving for NY, I drove her to the airport.
We were silent the whole ride and none of us said any thing.
Even when we reached the airport, Zoya didn't say anything to me, she was quiet. I agree it was har and even I felt like crying.
My heartbeat stopped when her flight was announced and she stood to go.
We looked at each other...
"Well I guess..this is good-"
Zoya jumped into my arms
"Till we see each other again, jackass"
She didn't let me say goodbye, and I could tell she was crying
I put my arms around her and I knew I was tearing a bit as well
She kissed my cheek, but it didn't feel any awkward because Zoya was my Best Friend
"Asad call me everyday okay, and don't ever forget me..."
She started walking until I yelled out
"Shit Zoya! You ass! Bye!!!"
There I spoke to Zoya in her style, I even waved both my hands in the air and she turned waling backwards and smiled
"Bye!" She yelled back
...
After Zoya left, we skyped a couple of months, talked on the phone, texted each other, but when university started again, it all faded, we both became so busy with college.
When Zoya left she left a spot open for a new transfer student, who turned out to be my childhood friend Imaan and we talk about the old day...
Third year of College... Ayaan died of a heard disease
And I become a changed man, yet Zoya never reached any news...
...
I know it's been long, and the part might be full of shockers, I apologize for being really really late even though it's getting kind of annoying, but to make up for it I tried to write this long part, hoping you guys will like it
I didn't proofread so please excuse my mistake..hehe :P
PS: I added a siggy for this SS! Yayy! Please have a look on PG 1
Thanks
Far <3
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