Matters of the Heart

Chapter 7

"Hey, can you pass this note to Maheen?" Adam turned to Everly and asked her to do a bit of a favor. Everly conjured up the smile, and stopped her temptation from peeping inside, she passed the note to Maheen. 

In simple words, Everly was jealous. Passing notes to talk in the class, was their thing. And she did not approve of this at all. But she did not say anything to Adam as she did not want to seem controlling or did not want to reflect her feelings in her actions at all. 

She simply passed the note on and hoped to not get a reaction from Maheen, she was very curious as to what consists in that piece of paper. 

When Maheen opened the note she gave a pleasant smile and wrote something back. This made Everly even more jealous. But she let it go and simply became the mediator between the two. 

The thing written by Maheen written in the note made Adam smile and the curiosity of Everly increased about ten folds. The bell rang and the chance to get to know what was happening was finally there. 

"What was that all about, the passing of the notes and shit?" Everly tried to keep her tone as light and casual as she could. 

"Umm, oh that?! I asked for her number, since you know we need to get prepared for the debate and shit. Instead, this is what she gave me." Adam handed over the note to Everly and she read aloud, " 'I don't have a phone, here is my house number.' Really? And she expects us to believe that in 21st century she doesn't have a mobile phone. Are you really kidding me?" Everly gave the note back to Adam and spoke in all the sarcasm there could be. 

"I don't know. And I understand if she does not want to give me her number. That's her choice, I am just a stranger to her anyway." Adam replied to Everly. 

"Well you are a saint." They both chuckled!

Adam's thought went to Maheen and where she came from. It was difficult to comprehend her, but whatever information he could collect he started piecing things together but they were based on complete conjecture, he did not know anything for sure. 

**********

Maheen went home to an empty house as usual and fixed herself some snack after she freshened up and changed to be in her home clothes. She opened her computer which had been passed on for generations, she took great care of her and never cribbed for a fancier version as she knew they could not afford one. She was okay with that, she could do her work and that was sufficient. 

She was startled by the phone, which only rang if her dad wanted to communicate something urgent with her. She quickly jumped and lifted the phone and greeted, "As salam walekum" (greetings in islam). 

The voice on the other side was someone she did not recognise, "I am sorry, I do not know what to reply to that, is Hello correct?"

"Sorry who is this and why are you calling?" A suspicious Maheen replied.

"This is Adam, you know from you school." The voice replied. 

Maheen took a pause and thought about the reasons he must be calling the landline, we had just met school, what could be so urgent as to use the number she had just given. She hoped that it was not for chit chat or anything. She hated that. 

"Hello, are you there?" The pause had become a little long, so Adam reiterated his presence from the other side.

"Umm, why are you calling?" There was a bit of a hostile reply from Maheen. 

Adam was taken a back as to hear her cold words but he tried to lighten the mood by saying, "I was just checking if this was the right number. You know." 

"I really hope that you aren't playing a game of trust with me right now. I have a lot of things to get done. Is there a point as to why you are calling me."

Silence prevailed, as Adam was taking in the sarcastic taunt of Maheen. 

"I.. ah.. I actually read what you had given me and I wanted to say, it is good, but I would like to do my own research, if that's okay." Adam fumbled as he was flustered and very intimidated. 

"That's okay go ahead. Let me know what you come up with. Bye." And Maheen disconnected the phone without even hearing a reply from Adam. 

This left Adam infuriated. But he just focused on doing the research. 

After a few minutes the phone rang, "Hello, Maheen?" Adam said as soon as he picked up the phone.

"NO. It's Everly. Why would you think it is Maheen? Did that bitch do something again?!"  

"Hey!! Don't call her a bitch." An already infuriated Adam raised his voice on Everly. 

"Okay, Adam, calm down. It was just weird, that's all." Everly used a lower tone than her usual tone, wishing what she was about to ask next would be easier. "Anyways, would you like to go out. Daniel, Kyle, Sam and I are meeting up for a friends hang out, it has been long since it is just us."

There was a long pause, "On a school night?" Adam's voice still had a but of anger in it.

"It's not like the first time we are going on a school night, we used to do this all the time, until Kyle got busy with Tia." Everly attempted to convince Adam. 

"Ughh, no I don't think I am up for it, I have to research for the debate and also the sports season is coming up. I have to get up early for practice." Adam convincingly made a lame excuse. He was a person who never said no to a friends plan because he loved hanging out with them. It was a detox as well as bonding!

Everly was shocked and yet pretty annoyed she never expected something like this from Adam, "Okay, suit yourself. Will see you at school then." And she disconnected. 

It seemed like Adam was on a streak of annoyed women and disconnected phones. 

He kept aside everything, put his phone on silent and sat to do his research for the debate. 

**********

After the call was disconnected, Maheen went back to concentrating on her homework and house work. Deep in the sink, doing her dishes, the phone rang again. First she thought to let it go to the voicemail, but then made a decision against it. 

"Hello, what do you want now?" Maheen picked up the phone and straight away thought it was Adam, calling for more stupid conversation. 

"Maheen, are you okay?" Voice from the other side said. 

"Abba. So sorry it was someone else." 

"Clearly! Who is this person irritating my Maheen?" Continued Maheen's father. 

"No one Abba, just a guy in school." Maheen replied in a much calmer voice. 

"Is everything okay? Is he troubling you? You know you can speak to me about it." Her dad was much more concerned now.

"No Abba. It was for the debate I told you about, remember. He was just asking stupid questions relating to that." Maheen replied, and wondered why was her father calling her like that. He never did this. 

"Oh okay, how is that coming along?" 

"Good." After a brief pause, Maheen asked, "Was there anything else Abba?"

"No no, just, I will be home shortly okay?" 

As the phone disconnected, Maheen thought, what was with phones and men wanting to make small talks.

**************

Maheen's father kept the phone and went in to the doctor's cabin. The name plate read. 

'Dr. Masterson, Oncology Specialist.'