Overslept again, ran out of the house without breakfast. Picked up her half off frappuccino and spilled it all over her in the crowded bus. The frazzled morning defined the life of Ms. Zoya Farooqui.
By the time she reached Campus, she had managed to miss her first lecture.
"Come on Zoya! You Missed lecture again!" frowned Najma walking outside the lecture hall.
"Please Tamatar don't start, I had a rough morning!"
"Off course, Say that on your finals" said Najma nodding her head after looking at her disheveled state.
Both walked towards the caf and Zoya as usual started her day with a bag of chips.
"Zoya so what have you thought?"
"About what?"
"Come on, Zoya be serious this is our last semester before graduation. Have you thought about what you want to do next?"
"You already know the answer to that. I will go where he takes me" Said Zoya with a shy smile.
"Zoya you can't be serious he doesn't even know your name, he doesn't even know you exist" Najma tried like always to shake some sense into her crazy friend.
"Uff you are such a dream crusher." Said Zoya stomping her feet and walking out of the caf leaving poor Najma to nod in dismay.
Zoya lurked around the corridor outside the boy's locker room. Hoping to catch a glimpse of him. As much as she denied it she knew his schedule better than her own. She was indeed somewhat of a proud stalker. There was never a detail about him that went unnoticed. When he was upset, happy (which happened rarely), excited (almost never), or sick she could always tell with one look. She knew how to read his eyes. Always cheering the loudest during his soccer matches, screaming the loudest during his concerts. Staring at him during lectures and hen being called out for it by the professor.
After an hour worth of standing around and wasting time with Candy Crush on her iPad. She smelt his cologne. "Ralph Lauren Polo Blue."
She turned around there he was, Asad Ahmed Khan. Business major, Philosophy minor, Captain of Soccer team. Three times state level swimming champion, lead vocalist for the college's theatre group and if all that was not enough he was the son of business tycoon Rashid Ahmed Khan. The most decorated student in the entire college.
He walked out the door turning heads with his swag. A towel hanging around his neck soaked in sweat. His black shirt clung to his ripped torso, and his biceps threatened to rip his sweats.
Zoya who was at this point covered in her own drool was pulled out of her musing as the coach called out to Asad.
"Yes Coach!" he said turning around
"You know I am counting on you to bring home the trophy in your last game. You have made us proud in the last three years son."
"I will try my best Coach" he responded to the pat on his back.
Zoya stood glued to the ground till her disappeared along with the coach.
Zoya felt so insignificant every time she was around him. Every time he walked right past her without a second look. She had in love with him since primary school. For the last fifteen years.
She often wondered did he really not even know her name.
But she was determined to make herself stand out from the crowed for him to see, to love and to hold.
Precap:
Econ class was particularly boring because Zoya had always failed to find a seat close to Asad. She was busy with her doodling as the professor made closing announcements.
"Guys remember to check who your project partner for the final report is on the bulletin board"
After lecture Najma dragged Zoya along with her to make sure they were partners like every year.
"Tamatar the professor knows we ALWAYS work together." said Zoya carelessly sipping on her soda.
"Zoya My partner is Priya"
"WHAT?" said Zoya spitting out the content of her mouth. "Then who is my partner"
She quickly ran her finger across the row of her ID number and she froze reading the name '
"Asad Ahmed Khan."
Cricket
Arjun
Jhanak
Tum Se Tum Tak
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