"Soha! Don't run in the corridors!"
Before she could halt as instructed by the teacher, 17-year-old Soha dashed into a guy. She rubbed her head and opened her eyes in agony. Her head sprang to attention, and she felt a violent jolt as she realized she was under the man's body. As the guy from first glanced at her, her eyes glistened.
They say eyes don't lie… She became aware of her enthusiasm as she noticed his sorrowful gaze fixed on her. Her heart was thumping faster; what would happen if it fell? No doubts or concerns were running through her mind. In addition to being relieved, she was astounded.
"Ah… are you alright?"
"A-Ah! Yeah, yeah."
He scooped up the documents off the floor and gave them to Soha. She watched him glumly make his way to his lesson. She couldn't withstand the emotions being drawn in her heart. His ideas were simply looping through her mind. Everything about him, including his voice, eyes, scent, and attire, seemed foreign to her.
"Soha, did I not urge you to go more slowly? What would happen if one of you suffered a tragedy? Soha, you need to exercise greater caution!
I apologize, Ms. Mira. I will bear your remarks in mind.
She kept bowing and pleading for her pardon. The guy looked at Soha from a distance before turning around and leaving. Eventually, Soha failed to notice this.
"Huh?! I am worn out!"
Giving the papers to her companion, she flung herself onto the chair. But when she heard the voice of the previous person, she sprang up like an electric pole. She immediately looked around and stunned, seeing him sit just beside her. Her eyes could get out from him. When she was admiring his outer beauty, he turned around - caught Soha peeping at him.
He raised his one eye brow - "She's weird…" He whispered and turned his face away. Seeing this she blinked her eyes multiple times in confusion he created. "Is he ignoring me?"
"Sanal, do you know who this guy is?"
"Ah, I recently got to know him. He's Mohammad Imran, I heard he has a well-off background and brothers in guard to him. I got his Instagram ID, his phone number, his family number, his house location, his brother's and sister's number, even his whole past details. I even saw him getting off the Toyota Fortuner this morning. And the day before from the Kawasaki ZX-10r."
Soha instantly jaw dropped. She couldn't believe that her friend was a step ahead of her."Wow. Your observation is advanced."
"Huh! Be thankful that I'm your bestie." Sanal said loftily, flipping her hair. But Soha immediately pulled her neck down, rounding her neck with her hand. "Come again."
"Ah-ah! Nothing, Madam Soha. I was just kidding."
"Is it, my friend Sanal?"
"Yes, Madam Soha."
Sooner Sanal was released from Soha's grip. Sanal seated while Soha remained standing. They just started wrapping up the words -
"Hey! Watch out!"
Imran screamed at Soha and immediately grabbed her into his huge arms, defending her from the duster thrown by one of the guys. The whole class was in gasp, a few even started wrapping up the words, and a few were taking pictures of them.
Soha was way more stunned and dumbfounded. She felt his palm on her head, putting herself on his body. She gradually placed her hand on his chest and heard his heartbeat. It was making a different beat - is that a beat of love… or affection? She was so flushed thinking he might be in love with her. Her cheeks turned so ruddy and hands to ice. She might surely freeze at any time. No doubt.
"Man, you need to be more careful while dealing with such stuff?!"
Soha was startled by his drop-dead scream. She lifted her head up and found his anger was more hazardous than his normal one. She immediately pulled her face. She gulped thinking about his next move.
But - he just released her and immediately walked fast away. It was when she realised the whole class was in shock just not herself alone. The guy who threw the duster had zoned out. The girls who were babbling just stood like statues. Sanal just left this world, spotting this whole mess.
"Sanal? Sanal, wake up to reality."
"Huh? Ah… Soha? Oh Soha! I was so scared yet amazed too! This guy is insane!"
Sanal hugged Soha and began to cry in a funny way that left Soha with a laugh. She patted Sanal's shoulder and said, "It's okay, Sanal. It's okay. Pull yourself together."
She was confused thinking whether he took action to save her or just showed humanity. She couldn't figure out the reason. Soha recalled those moments and a love bloomed in her heart. Her eyes shined when she began mesmerising the city. The terrace was quiet this break period. She would often witness couples coming here to have a chat, spend time together, cracking jokes, kissing and hugging, and being clingy. Sometimes, she would envy seeing them but then just remove them from her thoughts - continues to admire the city view. Feel the breezes, as if they are willing to play with her. She just feels everything.
She was about to leave but then halted when she saw Imran coming upstairs. She immediately ran back and hid herself behind a water tank. Her heartbeat began to rise as she heard footsteps getting louder and louder. Abruptly, there was no noise but silence spoke.
She held her courage and made a thought to peek at him. As she turned to see him - "Aah! I-Imran?" She jolted when she saw Imran was just standing in front of her. She felt her heartbeat skip for a moment. She was to face a heart attack.
"Why were you hiding from me?"
"I…I wasn't. I was just taking a break. Why would I hide from you?"
She should know she's lying, of course she does. "Oh, I see. Do you like music?"
"Music? Yeah, I do."
They sat at the corner of the place and Imran pulled out his phone - she was a bit amazed as this school strictly denies the digital materials. But she kept quiet and looked at the sky so fascinating.
"Listen to this."
Saying that he put an Earplug into her one ear - she turned to him with a gloomy and prosaic expression. He was busy picking up the song and wasn't able to see her. She sighed and laid her head back onto the fence.
The song began to play, she just closed her eyes and felt the song throughout her body. It was way more peaceful and blissful. She could relate herself to the song as the lyrics were detailed. She turned her head to Imran's side and was stunned, witnessing him gazing at her already.
"Wh-What?"
"Why do you often get amazed when you see me?"
"Ah… what do you mean by that?! It's…it's -"
"Soha! Soha, let's have lunch!"
"Coming!" She stood up and turned to Imran with a smile. "Thank you, Imran. I'll be leaving now." She runs away without even listening to his reply.
She put his head against the fence and closed his eyes. He recalled those moments with Soha unknowingly which startled him - he felt blue, thinking he might have disappointed Soha. His thoughts were only about her and her honey-like voice. He had a glance at the place, feeling low. Something's troubling him.
"Soha, how was the moment with your boyfriend?"
"Boyfriend? No, he isn't, Sanal!"
"Haha! I was just kidding, Soha."
"That wasn't hilarious, Sanal."
Deliberately the break came to an end with a bell ring. Classes called a day off and students rushed towards their houses but it was only Soha who was waiting for Imran at the front gate. The time began to pass, it's been an hour now, almost all the students left - just the council members and club members left over to clean up their areas. She looked around and there was no spot of him.
She turned blue and crouched at the gateway, thinking he might be coming soon. It's been 20 mins now, he hasn't come yet.
"Soha? What are you doing here?"
She looked up and it was her home teacher. She immediately stood up and dust off her clothes. "Ah… I was waiting for my friend."
"But Sanal has already left, right?"
"One of my juniors, Sir. I'm waiting for her."
"I see. Be home early, you're going to have exams soon."
"Yes, Sir."
Just after the conversation she immediately called her father and left to home. Her way to house, she was wholly down as she couldn't meet Imran. She committed to be in love with Imran but it might be difficult for her to express her feelings to Imran.
"Sigh… it's disappointing…" Laying on her bed - she sighed loudly and turned her face to the other side where she gotta see her reflection through her mirror. "Eh… why do you love him, Soha?"
"Ah? Me?" She stammered when she was inquired by her reflection. She sat straight and couldn't believe her eyes to see her reflection still sleeping. But then unexpectedly something… something like the time she spent with Imran hit her hard that she turned dark and gloomy.
"I… I just began to like him."
"Ah. Then what made you like him?"
"Like him…?" She then pulled her head down and looked at her fingers. She was making her fingers fight with each other. She was speechless the first time and couldn't be able to answer.
She touched her face and said in a low voice that "I like the way he sees me, the way he touches me, and the way he talks to me. I like everything about him. It's feels-"
"Soha! Dinner is ready! Come down!"
"I'm coming!"
Before leaving she turned to the mirror and her reflection had got to normal. She just took a glance and rushed downstairs. She couldn't make herself dig into the food as her thoughts were only about Imran. Though it's been less than a day since she met Imran, she soon discovered her unexpected love for him.
"This is crazy…!"
"What is crazy, Soha?"
"E-Eh! N-Nothing. Nothing, Dad."
"Did anything happen at school? You've been acting down recently."
She looked quietly at her Dad - having food. Her eyes were quite speechless. A mask of thoughts wore on her face which reminded all the moments with Imran. Coming to consciousness, she looked at her food and than added,
"Nothing…, Dad."
"Are you sure, Soha? You know my daughter never lies to me."
She was stunned before answering. The temperature has become quite unusual now. She couldn't grab the courage to tell her Dad that she had developed feelings for a guy whom she just met today.
".... I'm done eating. Thank you, Mama."
She just left without answering her Dad. He stopped for a while and peeped at her but then continued eating.
"He freaked me out…!"