Samira
3 months later. In the Bardoli area of Kashmir.
A jolt of fresh air at last. Monday morning and the warm air blowing the willow trees felt all right. It was going to be a long day, anyway. I smiled, breathing the same air again and the familiar twitching it had been causing to my nose.
Shameless air, but more in a funny way.
I glanced around once again to memorize this splendid beauty. Though, it wasn't hard to get it before, but the shutdown in the valley didn't provide the same experience. Actually, the terrible experience, where you have to shut yourself in your room and keep praying for God knows how long.
But whatever, even after such a long time, going back to school didn't feel that much foreign, except freed from the daily stupid mindless chores. Where I'd been dying to trade my place with anyone in the world.
Almost gladly.
However, this also didn't free my mind to stop thinking. What would happen the next moment? Who was behind all of this? And the most important— Which would be the next town on target?
It was in the news that they wouldn't stop this. Then anything could happen at any minute.
At last, I shook my head to dismiss all the 'ifs' going in my mind. I heard the news this morning. Army found the people, who were behind this bomb blast. And after two weeks shutdown, everything returned to normal, except the state of mind, and for what, I was sure, it would take more than just a few weeks. As fear was not something to forget. So easily.
Once, I crossed the main lane, I walked faster in my shoes while crushing the autumn leaves beneath my feet. But the echoes of another pair of running shoes behind me made me all alert.
Who was the hell following me at this time of an hour?
I hastily turned around to check, but the face was covered with a headscarf and from the cloths, it looked like a girl. I stopped in the track and waited for her to catch me.
"Hey!" she shouted.
"Hi," I also said but hadn't recognized her still. She rolled her eyes at my confused expression and took off her headscarf.
"Zainab!" I muttered in shock. "It's you, then why the hell are you wearing a headscarf? You never wore it before."
Zainab aka Z, who was my best friend since I'd been here, stood right before me and shifted herself from one toe to another as if could able to decide on which leg she needed to balance herself. A traditional drama queen. And how I ended up liking her, I didn't have any idea. Well, she did help me a lot in catching up on the previous syllabus when I was transferred here a few months back. And practically after that, we became besties and started sharing meals and the daily walk to school.
"My mother made me," she said, while making a face like a pinched up cat, "she said it's not healthy to go to school with a bare face."
"What?" I frowned.
"It's what you've heard."
"But I don't get the logic behind this."
"I don't either."
She shrugged casually and put the headscarf back in the backpack. I, well, I remained standing on the ground, thinking what should I suppose to say next. Her mother was a very orthodox lady and had spent most of her time praying or in religious activities. In real life, I did myself sometimes stunt by her behavior, mainly for being so religious in today's world. Anyway, it was a way to fool yourself, nothing else. At least to me.
Finally, dragging myself away from her scrawling eyes, I asked instead, "So what happened? Why are you running like this?"
"Have you heard the morning news?"
"Partially?"
I'd heard the rumors of news, mostly the main headlines, and stopped it when it said the military caught the people behind the operation. Every one of them. Nothing more. Then something struck my mind like a lightning bolt, and I immediately turned toward Zainab. "Don't tell me we have another attack this morning."
"No. Actually, our military caught all the terrorists behind that operation so we're all safe now. No shutdown in the valley. And no more bunking off school," she said, smiling from head to toe.
"Yeah, Allah, at least we don't have to quit our school from now." I sighed, already feeling the enthusiasm of the upcoming day or the enthusiasm of seeing that one person again. Desperately.
***
Shit, I cursed. I tipped on something but they looked… like papers. I scrawled my brow at them, as I bent down and picked one of them from the floor. These were all the soft board papers, lying in the whole hallway.
Where was everyone and why had they left the papers on the floor?
"I think they forget to pick them up," Zainab whispered, leaning on my shoulder. "Maybe the duty members weren't be here to check on them, so they left the work just… like this." She pointed to the papers unfurled on the floor.
I looked around and agreed. They definitely neglected their work. But before she could add something more, a school bell rang, and we all left for the great hall, for the Morning Prayer. The principal was already standing at the podium, at the center of the stage.
"Good morning children. As all of you have already seen, the last few weeks were hard for all the people in the valley. Our military performed a tough operation, in capturing all the militants behind the attack, and successfully halted the evil operation, which was meant to take innocent civilians' life. However, now we are all safe to continue our studies. So, I'll request all of you to attend school daily because no shifting of exams will occur this time. And I'll request all the teachers to carry on as usual and complete the syllabus on time."
A loud groan erupted in the crowd her message. However, she still continued, "and one thing more, inform every member of your family and friend circle that valley is safe now, and I won't tolerate any excuse for not coming to school. Thank you."
There were not many students, but the principal's speech filled everyone with the lost zeal as if everything was finally normal like the old days. And we were free from the terrorist fear and shutting down of schools.
However, the reality was saying something else. But it wasn't something I wanted to think about.
Finally, after a long musical prayer to goddess Minerva, we all returned to our respective classes and took our seats. Zainab also dragged her backpack lazily down her shoulder, and sat next to me, near the window seat.
"What do you think? How many will arrive today?" mused Zainab, scanning the same old classroom with a foreign look in her eyes.
"Not many I think," I said, and turned to take a look myself, "but I hope everything will be back to normal soon."
In this Sunstar high school, it would be my first day when the class felt so lonely. But whatever, it was not that much worse. Assuming the other circumstances.
A minute later, our class teacher entered, wearing a dignified smile on her wrinkled face. Short and stout, but voice loud enough to rock your ears. And one thing more, she was the caretaker of everyone student. So, in no way, anyone could hate her. Definitely not, till now.
"Good morning students," she said anxiously. But watching the strength of the class, the smile dropped from her face and she added, "I already informed the guardians to send their children to school, as everyone is safe now. However, we can't conduct a regular class today, so we can revise the previous chapters and complete the work. Okay."
Everyone shook their heads in unison.
"Good, but…" She paused and looked briefly at the whole class as if searching for someone in particular. And then. "Zainab, can you please decorate the soft board outside? Those students left the work unfinished, and no one came today. So I want you to put all the charts back on it, in your free time."
"Okay, Mrs. Meera. I'll do that," she chimed in.
And I almost rolled my eyes at her eagerness. She would practically do any artwork— from painting to leadership, she was flawless in every work. Verbally, a little lady Hitler with positive steaks in her features. Rather than a territorial one. And of course a little bit of Picasso too.
However, it was just math, which didn't go in her head.
"But, can I take Miss Sarah as my assistant to complete the work?" I groaned under my breath. She wasn't going to leave me, either.
Mrs. Meera looked at me for a second before turning back to Zainab.
"Ok. You can take Samira with you. But complete the work, today only."
"Thank you, Mrs. Meera. I'll complete today only," Zainab replied and sat back on the seat.
The next class was almost free, as we had to do, only an assignment on medieval history. So not wasting a single more minute than necessary, she eventually dropped the class and dragged me with her to assist the work. And in the next moment, I was standing in front of the soft board gazing at its horrible state. There were only pins left on the board, no papers.
Zainab elbowed me in the arm. "These are all the posters we've, but they won't cover the whole board. We need a few more posters to cover the area," she whispered, tossing all of them in my hand.
"Change the pattern then, this is the only option we have, or maybe we should leave the space empty. We still have to decide the theme of a prom. So we can… stick posters later about that."
She turned and cocked an eyebrow at me as if I cursed her in a foreign language. Which I certainly did.
"What?"
"Prom, we don't call prom here. It's a farewell. As in school f-a-r-e-w-e-l-l."
I ignored the barb.
"Yeah, I know. But prom looks more promising, doesn't it?"
She dramatically sighed and turned her head back to work. While pinning the posters on the soft board with a ghost of a smile on the face. And I knew, what she would be whispering in her little head, 'I'm totally unpredictable.'
It was not that work, I was a fan of, but for Zainab's sake, I decided to stay with her. As said earlier, a helping assistant to hold the posters until she pinned them down with the soft board pin. And that went on until a warm gust of wind came from nowhere in a rush, and jerked the last poster from my hand. I practically sprinted to catch it, before it fell on a nice pair of shoes.
I bent down to pick it, but another hand had succeeded me in getting it first.
"Thank you," I said, as I rose to see who'd picked the poster for me.
But the moment our eyes met, the time altogether stopped, and my breathing became shallow, almost stopped to match the time. Those were the same pair of eyes I'd been avoiding and welcoming the whole day, mahogany set with bluish streaks in them. He was finally before me, standing straight above six feet tall, and as beautiful as those Greek statues, except a brunet instead of blonde. But I wouldn't mind that, as long as he would be continued coming to school.
He seemed more like a living figure of our Lord, with curls covering his witty brain and pale skin to match. Well, what I always thought a modern god would look like. Breathtaking, indeed.
"Good morning, Miss Sarah."
I stared at him wide-eyed in dumbfounded silence.
He raised his eyebrow at my odd expression, making me aware at the same time I hadn't greeted him yet. I licked my lips quickly and said in a throaty voice, "Good morning, Sir."
He preferred everyone should call him 'Sir' rather than his name, Afsin Ajar, because students mostly end up slaughtering it to horrible articulation.
Finally, his gaze dropped on the poster in his hand and he read it, maintaining the solemn expression in his eyes.
"So save the earth and stop terrorism… hmm. Who gave you this work? I thought your class already did the work in earlier weeks."
"We did the work Sir, but section D left their soft board empty and no one came today… so Mrs. Meera asked us to pin up the poster on their class board," I explained, trying to keep my voice as casual as possible.
"Then complete the work in this period only. As I'm taking the next class, and I won't excuse anyone, especially Miss Ruksar for missing my class," he said, pointing toward Zainab who was still busy, counting the leftover pins in her hands. I sadly prayed for her upcoming fate, just hoping, she'd have completed the assignment otherwise, only God knows, what would happen to her.
"Ok sir, I'll inform her that."
"Good," he said, ultimately curving his thin lips in a slow torturing smile, and gave the poster back to me. I mentally drooled, watching him like this because they were so genuinely rare. Those precious smiles.
However, our secret moment didn't last forever as our history teacher, Mrs. Nair, found him without the excuse of work for the first time.
"Mr. Ajar." he slightly cringed at her voice, as if she found him stealing from a cookie jar. "It's so nice to see you again."
She smiled, showing her newly polished white teeth out on display.
"Mrs. Nair. It's so nice to see you, too. Oh… how could I forget that—"
"Forget what?" Mrs. Nair wriggled her brow in confusion.
"Sorry, I can't chat with you now. I have to be in the principal's office at 10 a.m. sharp. I'll talk to you later," he said, and left her following him with her eyes as he walked away.
I also walked away from there, unable to stifle my sudden giggles that wanted to explode out of my mouth.
"What the hell are you laughing at?" Zainab murmured, taking the poster from my hand.
"Oh, that…" I decided to tell her, but his earlier words jumped forward, almost somersaulting in my head. "Oh, shit! I have to tell you something first."
"Then spill."
"Our Math's sir is going to take our next class. He ordered us to be in class because he won't excuse us for this stupid work," I uttered the whole information in a single breath, and left her to digest the news.
"Oh shit! I'm going to die today."
"Why?"
"Because I haven't completed the assignment."
***
I was annoyed by her maths phobia. She mostly behaved like it'd bit her and she'd go in a deep sleep, without having a single spinning wheel around to wake her up.
"Listen you don't need to fear. Ok," I whispered, in a calm and deep voice. "I'll help you understand that. You can come home after school and we'll do the work together. It's not that difficult, mostly easy."
"Easy my ass," cursed Zainab, not pleased with the idea at all. But thanked me for the offer, though. And I mentally restrained myself from offering another bunch of suggestions.
However, when we both reached the classroom door, he was already inside the class, writing the topic on the board. He gave us a brief nod— to enter, and then turned to the soft board again.
"This will be your last topic before the mid-term test. The assignment will be given based on these chapters only. So listen carefully, and try to understand. We don't have much time."
Everyone nodded their heads affirmatively.
We'd already wasted a lot of our time on holidays, and the vast course of math was not easy to understand, either. So, for the sake of less time consumption, the next half an hour he'd explained the concept and the rest of it spent in solving the questions. Until the bell rang, reminding everyone that the class was ultimately over. Zainab sagged in the chair, contemplating her unforeseen luck.
"It's good, he forgot about the assignment."
I nodded gingerly.
As it was very strange, out of character, eventually. He rarely had forgotten anything especially when it was related to the students' future. Anyway, who was I to point that out?
At last, he sidestepped and left us to copy the text in our notebook. Bell had already rung, but still, he was here. So that meant…
"I'm teaching this class also. So don't rub anything on the board. I'm leaving just for a minute, and one thing more… keep your assignment on the table. I'll collect them afterward."
Zainab gave me an evil eye.
"What? I didn't do that."
She grunted in frustration and closed her eyes, thereafter.
"Why the hell, can't he be a model or something else? He could be an actor even, working in Hollywood or most probably in Bollywood. I haven't seen someone like him. Those people will be too happy to keep him. Why does he need to be a teacher only?"
I hissed and knocked her feet, trying to warn, he was already in the class, but Zainab was Zainab. She kept on blubbering whatever imagination she had in her brain, without any serious effect, "It's not like he looks bad, maybe he can earn more from there—"
I closed my eyes, dreading the next possible scene. The whole class went silent too, staring right at him, who was solely waiting for Zainab to open her eyes.
An unbearable silence finally stumbled her senses, and she opened her, what, one eye first. She looked everywhere then gulped down the next breath in horror of the situation.
Ultimately realizing whose eyes she was looking into.
"Sir—" her terrible voice alarmed everyone. Even more, what they'd been already. But whatever happened next, nobody could have ever dreamed about it.
He chuckled and sat down on the chair. "It's good to hear you think too highly of me, Zainab, but I do want to tell you I love teaching, that's why I choose this profession not acting. I want you all to grow up with enough resemblance as a good student rather than a runaway person."
Zainab ducked her head down, partially praying to the mother earth to swallow her up, "Sorry sir, it just—"
"It's ok, but I won't tolerate it next time from anyone of you," he murmured, looking solemnly at the whole class.
"Otherwise you've to face the serious consequences for your actions."
The jovial moment was long gone, leaving the serious one in its place. Great.
"Now submit your assignment here. I'll return them in the last class."
Zainab pursed her lips and snatched my assignment from the desk. I raised my brow, but she shushed me down, putting a finger on her lips and making me swear at the same time, this girl couldn't get in any trouble. Because she was the hell trouble.
Finally, keeping it below the desk, she copied down the answers on her sheet.
What the hell? I growled under my breath.
I glanced in his direction then at her. This girl really had a death wish. He wouldn't leave her again. And that was certainly sure.
In the corner row, everyone submitted theirs sheets, except me. "Samira, where's your sheet?" he demanded.
"Sir… sheet… it's… umm… I-I…" I looked here and there, except Zainab, for a brilliant reason to halt this moment for a few minutes longer, until…
"You forgot?"
"No sir, I-I didn't… forget that. It's just—"
"Sir, she forgot it on my table. See," Zainab, at last, whispered and gave him my sheet. He scanned it from top to bottom and put it with the others. Then motioned for the other row to submit theirs.
I inhaled deeply, and thumped on my seat.
"You seriously…"
Zainab laughed at my wacky voice.
"Yeah. I am seriously…" she mentioned, dragging her fingers dramatically in the air. For what I mentally sighed, and returned back to the work. Again.
In the end, we got our assignment back. I got an A while she got a B.
"Not that bad. Yeah!" I exclaimed.
She smiled. "Not exactly, but he has asked me to visit him after school."
I nodded; just wishing it wouldn't be about the answers she'd copied down.
***
"So, what did he say?" I asked while walking down the same trampled path back home. Since she'd returned after visiting him; she didn't smile at all. So I thought it must be something deadly serious. Otherwise, Zainab without a smile, I couldn't imagine even in dreams.
"Just the same, what I already know." She sighed, before continuing further, "he knew I'd copied the answers from your paper and told me, I won't get good grades if I'll do that again."
I stroked her back in familiar empathy.
"You don't worry, ok. My offer is still valid. I can give you the tuition if you want. You just have to come to my home…" and when she said nothing, I continued, "So what do you think?"
She kicked the stone under her feet, making it hit the wooden chair near the shop. "Nothing much actually. But I need your help with the previous lessons. Not to forget they're quite annoying for me. So I need you to cooperate with me totally. I do curse a lot while solving them. Anyway, will your aunt let me come? She is quite a short tempered and stubborn lady, totally opposite of yours'," I opened my mouth to reply, but she kept on talking, not giving me a goddamn chance to answer, "forget that. I have a better plan." She practically jumped at the idea and I swore to God, this wouldn't be any good.
"Day after tomorrow will be a fair in Srinagar. It's a two-day festival, basically, and they sell a lot of fancy items at a low price. I am going there after school and I hope you'll join me."
While hearing her unholy confession, something clicked in my mind and my head whipped around. "You're going of your own?"
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be? You need to come. It will be fun."
I shook my head. She was seriously impossible. It didn't require an hour to change her mind, even a second was more than enough. I wished I'd be like her, where I'd the strength to handle everything going in my life. I was sure my aunt wouldn't mind, she only needed someone to do her work, and what others were doing, she considered that a worthless shit.
"Okay," I replied, measuring all the pros and cons in my head.
She momentarily jumped in the air. Not knowing to what— my answer or my expression, but anyway, she murmured later, "Ok. Let's do this fun heist then."
I narrowed my eyes at her contradictory expression.
"Am I seriously in trouble?"
She winked as the answer.
And I knew, I was.