The Crime Chronicles

Chapter 3

All Rights Reserved by the author, Aisha S. (@Aishallwrite).

Thank you for the wonderful feedback you guys! This chapter is very short but the next one will be longer! If you see any errors, please let me know, thank you. Also, this way of writing is very difficult for me as I usually tend to lean towards first person pov. I wanted to challenge myself a bit with this one. I might have to switch from third person omniscient to first person though, because it's not easy to write TPO. Anyways... Here's Chapter 3.

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Sunlight poured in from the apartment window, and hit Zara's sleeping form. Her alarm rang.

"UGGHH. Five more minutes is all I ask of you, you stupid..."

"Good morning sleepy head."

Melody stood in the doorway with her arms crossed, bearing a broad smile on her face.

"Oh, God! I forgot you were here."

"Wow, rude! Get up, get dressed, Greg told me about a great coffee place nearby, I'm tired of Flow's. Let's try something new! Coffee's on me!"

"Did that bastard musician finally pay you?"

Melody made her way towards the bed. Grabbed Zara's blanket and tossed it to the side.

"If you come with me I'll tell you all about it!"

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After getting dressed, Zara and Melody made their way to the coffee shop, turns out it wasn't really a coffee shop, but a new vendor across the street from Zara's apartment.

Ah, seven o' clock, the time when people left home to head to work. New York was so diverse, that every second you would see a different looking face, hear another language being spoken. Spot people walking around wearing Yamakas, hijabs, the desi aunties wearing classic salwar kameez and walking their kid to the bus stop. Well... The last one was a very rare sight, actually, unless you lived in Jackson Heights. Forty-one minutes from Manhattan, and the hub of the desi community. Zara occasionally would visit Jackson Heights, and held it dear to her heart, because that's where she grew up.

"Here's your coffee buddy." Melody turned around and handed the coffee to her friend.

"Thanks."

"Is something wrong, Zara?"

Zara looked from Melody to the ground, narrowing her eyes she tried to think of what exactly was bothering her.

"I think... I miss home, I miss my family. It's been a year and I haven't visited them. I'm running out of excuses, I don't think I can hide it any longer Mel."

Mel stroked Zara's shoulder with her free hand to comfort her best friend. They had been through this many times. Sure, Zara's parents might've not been the most open minded people in the world, but they were still her parents. Melody knew Zara and her family since high school, and although Zara didn't always see how much her parents loved her, Melody always did, and wished her parents could care for her the same way.

"Well, then go see them, hun."

"I can't... I haven't told my mom that I broke up with him, they'll disown me. They won't love me anymore, Mel."

"How could you think your parents, YOUR PARENTS! Zara, the most humble, loving people I've ever met, could ever stop loving you! Look, they don't agree with your liberal lifestyle, but they'll always love you no matter what."

"No, they won't. Remember when I first introduced them to Umair? They were ecstatic about the fact that I found a Muslim man! I don't want to have to tell them that it's over, that I wasn't satisfied with our relationship. And that, since our break up I've been with several other men! Non Muslim men at that. They thought we were going to get married for God's sake! My whole family knows and...

"Your mom calls you everyday, Zara! She cares about you, she wants to know how you're doing and wishes to see you!  Listen, it takes time. You'll hear one nasty thing at most about your break up. And then, they'll move on. It's not that big of a deal, hun. And since when have you ever gave a flying fuck about what other people think?  Do you want me to come with you to make it easier?"

"No, I think it would be better if I went alone. Thank you Mel."

"No problem, I'll get a taxi for you, you should call your boss and let him know you'll be late today."

"Oh, right."

A yellow cab drove up to them and stopped. Quickly finishing her coffee Zara tossed it in the trash can and hurried towards the cab, sat inside and with a genuine smile on her face said, "Take me to Jackson Heights."

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