A Western Affair

Collision.

Moving countries for a new beginning was probably not the best of ideas. As lively as America is, my boring self couldn't manage to fit in. Unlike the influencers on Instagram, I couldn't manage to switch to Pasta Bolognese from my staple Aloo Paratha and Dal Chawal. Even on sundays you'd see me wandering around at Nawab Mart, the infamous Pakistan food store in the centre of Houston.

I was pulling my sweater on when the phone bell rang. It was none other than Zenath, my therapist.

We talked for about an hour until she ended the call abruptly because of some emergency she had at the clinic.

I watched as rain pelted against the window panes, Zenath's words ringing through my mind.

'You'll not be able to move on if you hold yourself back. It's been three months but you've only changed countries, your life is still about the same.'

'Do something different, make some new friends, try a new coffee place instead of your regular Chai corner, take a road trip, anything but do something different for once. Get out of your comfort zone, Alina. Zindegi ek hi toh hai, dobara nahi milti sabko, ab us ka fayda uthao.'

* * *

I hurried down the street juggling both an umbrella, a note and my cellphone until I reached outside a supermarket. Twenty minutes from home, this place was larger than Nawab Mart. I shook my umbrella and left it at the entrance door, next to a man that nodded as a sign he'll look after it. Entering the place, I noticed that the place had about everything that could be needed in the kitchen.

It was a supermarket that had all American things. I took out my phone and scrolled down to search for the recipe I'd saved. Taking a quick scan, I began putting in each of the item into the trolley.

Almost half an hour later, I walked down to the end of the 7th aisle to take the final item on my list, only to have someone else grab the same.

I looked up to see a tall guy, probably of similar age staring back at me. My heart skipped a beat as I noticed how handsome he was.

"Excuse me?" The guy said raising his eyebrow and motioning towards the cream cheese we both had a hand on. I wasn't sure how exactly to react so I muttered an apology and took back my hand.

It was only then in that split second , I had a realization. The guy looked familiar, and his voice did the same. My heart shuttered with a strange feeling.

The guy simply took the bottle and left off as i stood back confused.

...

Two months later, I sat across Mehr , my classmate and newly found friend. Mehr was born and brought up in Texas. She fit in well with the crowd and knew every gossip in town. We met at the only Library in the city, and bonded over our mutual love for books and coffee shops.

"So Spencer thought he could get away with cheating on Rory but she found out and it's hell." Mehr said in her usual hushed tone. I nodded along showing all my interest in her talk. It wasn't all too bad, the gossip was definitely entertaining for me as I had nothing else going on in my life. I recognized more people in the hallway now, thanks to all the backstories Mehr told me.

"So what she did was..."- Mehr's words were cut short with Reece's tap on her shoulder. "Hey, you two coming for the party this saturday?"

Reece Mayhew was a party planner , always having people over in his house whenever his parents were out of town. Mehr told me that part of the reason why he plans this is because he felt lonely.