Besabriyan

1|ONE

"Maheen Layah Kamran!" A loud shrill echoed in the old library, making everyone hiss. Maheen looked up from her book to find her cousin standing near the gate and panting for life. Her narrowed eyes then went back to what she was doing but paused when the chords of thrill she had been weaving broke relentlessly. Mouthing apologies to the students and every other person in the place, Daniyal slid through the rows, finding his way to Maheen and slumping next to her– a groan leaving his throat. He watched as she flipped papers and papers and her eyes never left the pages of whatever book she was living at that very moment.

Maheen Layah Kamran– Layah Kamran was famous for her books. A young college going girl who had published two books in the course of a year and a month. Maheen was that writer who wrote everything about love where there was fear, ache, sacrifice and even betrayal. A writer who was criticized for viewing love as such a heinous act but in real love wasn't bed and roses. Love was never that. Love could never be that. Her days would start by planning out her entire day. Being a student pursuing a master degree and writing a book at a time fucked her up at times. However, Maheen had learnt to adjust to her routine, to fit her daily work in eighteen hours and relax.

"How long are you going to read it?" Daniyal chid, resting his forehead against the desk.

"I need to finish it before the sun goes down." Maheen sighed as she flipped another page. The book was about to get interesting. It excited her, for it was the kind of book she preferred– no sappy romance, no fairy tale. Nothing. She preferred something where reality cut in before the characters lost their sanity and sunk so deep in love with each other.

"Why don't you go back home and sleep the day away? Your lectures are canceled anyway."

"I'm not here for lectures today. I needed some materials for my project, turns out my team members are out as cold." She hissed as she slammed her book shut and rested her head on top of it, closing her eyes and hoping to fall into oblivion for at least half an hour before she found her way back home.

"That's rich," Daniyal laughed, throwing his head in air, "By the way, did you hear that a business program is being held for undergraduates?"

Her ears perked up and her eyes flew open the minute Daniyal completed his words, her throat itchy with doubts, "When and where?"

"Seminar hall. I heard it's around two, I'm not very sure though I mean none of us is an undergraduate." As he finished, his eyes found a glimpse of her squealing internally. He sighed because he knew she was too much of a geek for her own good.

"We are going."

"How-NO!" Daniyal's eyes widened. He was not going to help her in this and get caught like last time. Heck, he made sure that there would be no next time after that.

"In your wildest dreams." He retaliated and took her books. He needed her books to escape from the campus with her. With her books in his hands, Maheen would comply with whatever he would say.

"In my wildest reality, yes." As he was leaving, he heard her say and he knew it was the last nail to his coffin.

"Miss Kamran, you are done for the day." Mrs Khan– the librarian called out to her when the clock struck sharply at twelve in the noon. Her jaw ticked as the glare game went strong between her and Daniyal who was sure to not give in to her this time.

"Miss Kamran!" With that, the cousins took a pace and ran out of the library, with Maheen chasing Daniyal to get her book back from him.

Dejected and thrown out of the library, Maheen roamed around in the corridor aimlessly with her tote bag resting heavily on her left shoulder. Piling her hair up in a high messy bun, she secured them with a small pin and let a few strands of hair fall over her face. Her eyes raked every inch of the campus, looking at guys that played basketball and cricket and looked at girls that gathered in teams and gangs to get their work done. Yet there she was– a master degree student with no friends and life. And because of what she got to see since childhood, it would be hard to break her shell and bring her out of it to trust someone enough to make a friend out of them. And the only person that she tagged along with ran off after pissing her off. The only person that had ever befriended the untrusting Maheen, only they lived in the same house and each other all their lives. And the only person that stalled the starting of his own business because she wanted to do masters for two years.