Wild Falcon Desire

A Not-So-Good Morning

Sanna groaned as her alarm blared in her ears. It was Monday, the first day of the week, and she was already dreading it. She stretched her arm out to silence the alarm, but as always, ended up knocking it off her nightstand. The alarm clock tumbled to the floor with a clatter, and Sanna groaned again, burying her face into her pillow.

"Sanna! Utho, beta! You're going to be late for college again!" her mother called out from the kitchen.
("Sanna! Wake up, child! You're going to be late for college again!")

"I'm up, Mumma!" Sanna lied, knowing well she had no intention of moving anytime soon.

"Sanna, it's 8:30 already! College starts at 9!" her mother's voice was sharp now.

With a start, Sanna jolted up in bed. "8:30! Oh crap!" She scrambled out of bed, tripping over her own feet as she rushed to the bathroom. Her mother's stern voice followed her down the hall.

"Ek din time pe nahi ja sakti, hamesha late hoti hai!"
("Can't you be on time for once? You're always late!")

Fifteen minutes later, Sanna was dressed, though barely put together. She grabbed her bag and car keys, mumbling a quick, "Bye, Mumma!" before dashing out the door. Her mother just shook her head, a mix of exasperation and fondness on her face.

× × ×

Sanna sped through the city, cursing the traffic, the signals, and basically anything in her way. As she finally reached the college, she found a spot to park her car and hurriedly stepped out. The moment she entered the college gates, she felt a pair of eyes on her.

The watchman, who was an unspoken admirer of Sanna's, stood by the entrance, his gaze following her every movement. He marveled at how gracefully she carried herself despite the usual chaos she was in.

Noticing his stare, Sanna glanced in his direction and blinked at him in an exaggerated, playful manner. "Aaj bada mood hai, Uncle!" she teased with a grin.
("Feeling good today, Uncle!")

The watchman, caught off guard, chuckled awkwardly, scratching his head. "Arre, Sanna bitiya, aap to..."
("Oh, Sanna dear, you're...") but before he could finish, she waved him off and hurried inside, checking her watch.

"Shit! I'm 15 minutes late already! And first class is with Dracula Mam..." she muttered under her breath. Sonali Mam, known as "Dracula Mam" among the students, had a notorious reputation for hating anyone who dared to be late.

Sanna broke into a run, her bag slapping against her back as she sprinted towards her classroom. She stopped just outside the door, panting and trying to catch her breath. She knew she was in for it. Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself, plastered a sheepish smile on her face, and pushed the door open.

As soon as Sanna entered,

Sonali Mam's eyes narrowed. "Sanna Khurrana, late again!! Do you even care about your education?" she snapped, her voice like a whip.

Sanna bit her lip, feigning guilt. "Ma'am, I'm so sorry! Aaj subah mere saath ek ajeeb cheez ho gayi... (Something really strange happened to me this morning...) "Dracula Mam raised an eyebrow. "Ajeeb cheez?? (Strange thing?)"Sanna nodded earnestly. "Haan, Ma'am. My alarm clock stopped working because the batteries were scared of starting the week too. Then, I got caught in a herd of cows on the road, they must've been protesting for better grass or something. And then, my car... it started talking back! It refused to start unless I promised to take it for a wash."The class erupted in stifled giggles, but Sonali Mam was not amused. She glared at Sanna. "Enough of your nonsense!! Go sit down!!!"

Sanna smiled cheekily at her classmates and walked to her seat, where Riya was waiting, trying hard not to laugh.

As Sanna plopped down beside Riya, she whispered, "Yaar, Dracula Mam is going to be the death of me one day."