The 3G Life: Two Buildings

Friday 15 November 2019

I am heartbroken. I truly am. Never once in my whole friendship with Dalair do I imagine that he will leave me. And how do I deal with it? Today is Mahmud sir's annual party and I do my level best to look beautiful and enjoy even though my heart is shattered in pieces. That is what strong women do, do they not? They just go on with their lives.

"Hey beautiful, can't you see me?" my best friend Rihana greets me.

"Of course, I can, but I couldn't recognize you," I grab her in a hug.

"Yeah, cause I'm not wearing glasses."

"That, and also you look like a sexy air-hostess."

"And don't you look like a sunny Cinderella?"

I wear a golden gown and lots of gold jewelry and aim to look nothing less than a sunshine. And I am constantly complimented by my best friend Rihana who wears a beautiful navy-blue coat finished with a tight red top. We hook our hands with each other and start to take a walk around the party. Lots of eyes do turn to our direction.

I meet Mahmud sir and hold and cuddle his only son for a while. And his son will not let go of me when I try to hand him over. Even sir's wife comes and greets me and I cannot take my eyes off her. She wears this gorgeous black gown and all I can do is stare. And she is very easy going, almost feels like a fairy godmother.

"Hey, when did you arrive?" Saabir greets me with a wave.

"Hey, just now, I came back from the picnic, so," I reply.

"You look beautiful. Ma Sha Allah."

"Thank you so much, means a lot."

"Okay, enjoy the party, I'm around."

And then I take a turn and continue to do as he tells. But he will never know how much those simple words mean to me. It just lifts my spirit to the horizon. And I figure I must blush a little. I did my makeup within twenty minutes and Saabir looked nowhere else but my eyes. So of course, it is not for all the gold jewelry I wear.

Rihana takes a seat but I keep wandering around meeting people. Suddenly I see Aamira and go over to say hi. And then we take a couple of photos. I also meet the twins and they look stylishly amazing. I cannot help but envy their hijab styles. But underneath it all, they are very nice and supportive to me.

I meet one of my juniors, Taariq who is busy on the phone but promptly cuts of the conversation to greet me. And I also say hi to him and take photos. Exceptionally this junior has a crush on me and I do not think I will say no even if he makes a move. But he never does out of respect and I adore him no matter what.

And then the all-awaited Mahmud sir's ball begins. It is a tradition for the last four years now. And this is my first. A ball is an apt name for this dance. There is a huge ballroom adjoining the main party room and people begin to go in through the doors. And on every entrance a volunteer stands passing out masks to the people who participate. It is a masquerade ball.

The volunteer passes me a golden mask and I thank him while putting it on. He is very considerate to give me one matching my dress. But I am pretty sure that I am recognizable because of my exceptional attire. The ballroom is dimmed a little with sudden white spotlights flashing and there are disco lights everywhere. I stand at one side waiting for a partner.

"Mind if I sweep you away?" a familiar voice asks me.

"What else do I wait for?" I reply chirping.

"You do recognize me, don't you?"

"Who else will it be other than Saabir?"

"Owao, I'm honored you did."

A slow melodious song starts just then and Saabir puts a hand around my waist. I put one hand on his shoulder and use the other to lift my gown so we do not trip. But we manage to get on each other's toes. So finally, Saabir lifts me on his feet and he continues to sway with me in his arms. I feel nervous and excited as the music continues.

As the dance ends, I swiftly go down to the ground but Saabir still keeps his arms around me. I look up to his eyes and he just smiles. I feel flattered and look down. I try to search Rihana from the corner of my eyes and find her beaming at me. She managed to grab our very hot lab assistant for the dance who now stands beside her.

Then we continue down the dining space to have our delicious dinner. Saabir sits on my left side and Rihana sits on my right and next to her is her dance partner. I cannot be happier. The waiter comes in with the rice and roasted chicken. The rice is very hot so Saabir parts it with his hand and it cools down.

I look up at Rihana and she just smiles to herself. I wonder if she does not work and magic upon us. We continue to have our food and Saabir constantly makes sure that I am comfortable and enjoy my meal. He even asks the waiter to bring me another kebab because I like it so much. I look up at him and see him to be more than just a senior.

"I don't think you should go to the washroom with the gown," Saabir suggests.

"But I've to wash my hands," I reply.

"How about I wash your hands on one of those washing bowls?"

"Yeah, that'll work, thank you."

"Thank you, for everything, especially your company."

We live in the same area so Saabir suggests we take Uber together. And we do. The entire trip through the night city is both exciting and relaxing at the same time. We continue to speak about our preparation for upcoming exam. About our plans for university. But mostly about how we should have met way before.

I know I just live in the moment. Though Saabir is an excellent guy, whatever we have ends as this car will stop. And both of us know it pretty well. I wait for my love and he goes through a complicacy in his relationship. Both of us meet in a mutual breathing room where we both give each other a little CPR. And thank God it is Saabir who does it.