Amar Bail

3. peach blossom

 In Chinese Taoist mythology, the sacred tree of immortality is a peach tree. Peaches are thus considered divine fruit of the gods with the power to keep you perpetually young. Peach wood is believed to ward off evil. The blossoms are also considered good luck, and symbolize a state of intense love.  

....

"Are you coming today then?" She read the note the guy from the seat beside her had passed to her and was a little annoyed because the lab was important and she valued her grades.

"Maybe." She replied to him.

Well him because she didn't even know his name and that wasn't even important. She would have to extract the sample later for observation and if she didn't pay attention she would obviously regret it later. She was in no mood to be humiliated by a lab attendant anyway.

"So, is it a yes?" He passed the same note with practiced ease and gave her a one sided smile.

"It isn't a no." She wanted to get over with it. He was bordering annoying. But she didn't want to miss on it. She wanted to get wasted, and he would be her free supply of alcohol. She remembered him mentioning how he was the son of an MPA and had access to all stuff illegal. Thus, he would be her weekend crash.

Thankfully he shut up after that and she could now focus on why it would be better to keep the magnification on 40X.

....

Azlan and Taha entered the lecture hall and it was comparatively less crowded as compared to the last class, most probably because it was a Friday and most hostelites like to leave early for their hometowns and enjoy a long weekend.

Azlan noticed that 'Prom Queen' was already there, sitting in the second row, munching on some Cheetos and occasionally dusting the crumbs from her white blouse. Azlan noticed how she preferred white for her clothing.

Prom Queen or Spleen, no Aleen—his brain provided, had the sort of face you would pass by and never give a second glance to. She had shoulder length black hair with brown highlights which she mostly kept alternating from one side to the other. Her eyes were nothing special too, the black characteristic of most Asians. Her way too pale skin was something not seen easily in this part of the country considering the skin-melting sun that shone eight months a year. Her skin was too pale though, which made it lost its attractiveness, blue veins showing below the thin veil of the exposed parts of her skin. Did she get glutathione injections, he wondered. It was becoming more and more popular these days.

They had just crossed the threshold when she noticed them.

Taha made a face at her, clearly remembering how he got tricked by her. "Will you sit with her today?"

"What do you suggest? She is a senior and from Life Sciences. They are rumored to be savage."

"Let's just act as if we haven't seen her and sit somewhere far." They move to the other side of the room and sit at the back, stubbornly avoiding eye contact with her. She saw them blatantly avoiding her but didn't react.

"Hey Azlan, Taha. Never knew you guys were quite the backbenchers." Mariam looked at them from above her mobile phone. She was one of those people who were famous campus-wide, everybody knew her and she knew everybody. It wasn't a famous kind of famous but a notorious kind of famous. She had her hands in every occasion, no matter which department and it wouldn't be a surprise if she became the next campus ambassador.

"Hi Mariam, never knew you were into attending actual lectures." Taha retorted. Her face morphed into a smile.

"Fair enough. Well you see Dr. Ehsan is pretty adamant on grading attendance and I can't afford another course for the summer semester so I thought I could attend some classes."