SO FAR AWAY

Chapter Three

It had been two months since Shehnaaz was giving tuition and she was satisfied with whatever she was earning from it. Sometimes Abdullah also helped her but more often he gave separate tuition and earned separately. She was giving her best in her job. She still remembered her day of going to someone stranger's house. It takes a while for her to acclimate to new surroundings especially with perturbation and trepidation triggered by the new environment. She was an introverted girl with small wishes and desires. Since her school, she only knew her world around few people. Sometimes she thought what would change if that scene, the terrific incident didn't take place.

She went to the first house to whom Mahrukh told them about her and to other different places which she got to know about different people. Everyone took an interview with her. Some rejected her and to some, she repudiated as it was overburdened for her. It was terrifying, to say the least. She felt unprepared and confused on how to handle children of different standards every 2 to 3 hours. She felt like a little kid again, timorous of what was to come. What would they think of her? Were they going to be horrendous? What if she did something embarrassing?. The day went by in a blur, and when it ended she thought, That was fun. Scary, but fun

She was as nervous as a deer. That's probably an apt comparison - wide-eyed and skittish and waiting to be slaughtered. But almost magically, as soon as she opened her mouth to greet her very first students on her very first day, the jitters dissolved. In her mind, she was very much still a student herself and certainly not a person who belonged in a position of authority. Most of the day passed in a blur of faces and names and it felt like she had no idea who anyone was, where anything was, or what she was meant to be doing. No one knew who she was either. At first, it was incredibly difficult for her to figure out what she should do every day, but with time, the process got a little bit easier, and she started getting more creative with the lessons. The first time she introduced herself to a class all she could think was that the impression she made on them in this, the first, lesson, would set the tone for the relationship she had with them for God knows for many months and that she had better not mess it up! She was highly conscious of the importance of the first few lessons in establishing herself as a credible teacher to her students and spent hours planning these first lessons to the minute such that she could deal with any eventuality, a practice that she had never revisited as she had grown in confidence and experience. Her first teaching experience taught her a lot about what it means to be a teacher and a lot about herself

Shehnaaz also helped her mother for buying goods for the home from her earnings but the first thing her mother asked to do when she got her 1st payment was to put up a committee, a good way to save. Another typical mother thing to put up a committee for their whole life. Before tasting the sweetness of the fruit of their hard work, they had to withdraw money for a committee. She always gets aggravated by this habit of her mother but who could say no to their mothers. She always gave an unreasoned explanation for this way of saving.

"Laddu main soch rahi hun k teri shadi k liye bhi kameti dal lun" Her mother said sipping a tea sitting on a patio (Laddu I'm thinking of setting up a committee for your wedding)

"Ami khuda ka wasta hai Abhi meri shadi ki bat kaha sy a gai hai". Shehnaaz was sitting with her mother as today's weather was pleasant and today was Friday so she came back early after giving tuitions. She was practicing few tools of Graphic Designing software which she took subscription from Zaroon (God willing, from where my marriage has been discussed)

"Ai nahi hai magar karni to hai shadi. Pata hai kitni mehngai hai abhi sy cheezy akhati karo gi to bad main masla nahi hoga." Ayesha was now shredding chicken for samosas as the weekend was coming and everyone will be home except Zaroon so she wanted to make homemade snacks. (There is not but you have to marry someday. You know how much inflation has risen If I collect things now, it will not be any problem later)