Love and friendship

Love at First Sight

It's 7am Monday morning and the sun shines through the window warming up a strip of carpet in Tariq's room.
Tariq turns to his left side and is greated with a warm hazy sun that was coming through a small gap in his curtains straight on to his face.
He takes a quick look at his bedside alarm and it reads 7am, time to get up.
The text said to arrive at 10am for the introduction day at his new university.

He got ready brushed his teeth, had a shower and put on his best outfit.
Then went downstairs for a nice breakfast, however the nerves and anxiety started to hit him and breakfast no longer was on his mind.
He felt a chocking feeling and was finding it hard to breath, he remembered this article he read online about chewing gum will reduce anxiety. So as soon as he was ready he headed to the nearest Tesco to grab a pack of wrigley's extra.

A hour and 30 minute train ride stood between Tariq and his new university. He headed to London Liverpool Street and took the first train to Cambridge.
The train traveled past many fields of green with the sun lighting up the far as the eye could see. The sky a light blue with no cloud in sight.
The scenery and the constant background noise of the trains wheels moving along the track, made for a moment of reflection.
Tariq started to day dream and thought about his deepest desires. The day he would find his other half and live in a house in the middle of a field far away from anyone else, just him and his other half.
He began to think about Charlotte his ex he recently broke up with, did he just lose the only person that will ever love him? He remembered their first kiss and his eyes started to water, a single drop landed on his hand and ran down his forearm.
"Welcome to Cambridge, this train terminates here please take all your belongings with you", the sudden train announcement brought Tariq back to reality and he wiped the tear off his cheek and got off the train at platform 2.
He headed towards the exit, passed the ticket barriers into the fresh air of Cambridge that greeted him with a warm sun and cool breeze through his clothes.
He immediately took out his phone to find the direction to his university. He began to walk with his eyes fixed on the map on his phone.

Suddenly he was stopped in his tracks with quite some force, he felt soft hands on his chest of a young women trying to stop herself from falling over, her body fell into his chest. Her breasts squeezed against him and he felt warm by her touch. She pushed off his chest,
"Omg, I'm sooo sorry", as she crouched to grab her books she had dropped.
Tariq crouched down next to her and helped her pick up her stuff.
As he passed her last book their hands touched and they looked at each other for a second,
"Oh sorry", as Tariq accidentally touched her pale hand.
"Thank you", she replied as she gave Tariq a little smile, a smile that would make any man melt.
She grabbed her bag and walked off before Tariq could do anything else.
Tariq was motionless, as if he was hypnotised by her deep brown eyes. He could still smell the soft rosy smell of her perfume as if she was still next to him.
Her hair, straight long and dark that reached the start of the perfect arch in her back.
Her nude lips made Tariq melt and her deep dimples that was exposed when she smiled made Tariq's hair stand on end, she was absolutely beautiful in his eyes.
Their interaction only lasted a mere minute but Tariq felt he was in her presence for an eternity.

A strong feeling of regret suddenly took over Tariq, as he realised he never got to ask for her name or phone number, he ran towards the end of the road and looked past the walk bridge that was built over a small pathway, but he couldn't see her.
He stopped and sighed and accepted that she was way too beautiful to fall for a guy like him. He turned around and continued his way towards university.

The girl was in fact Bella, this would be their first interaction.
Bella grabbed her bag and rushed to get away, she was very embarrassed about what happened.
She made sure she was out of sight before she fixed her handbag.
Suddenly she saw the same boy she bumped into start running towards where she was standing, not wanting to interact she hid behind a small Car that was parked on the curb.
The boy stopped running, she could see him through the car window looking around as if he was looking for her.
The boy stopped searching and walked off in the opposite direction. Bella was relieved.
However for some reason a small part of her wished he found her.
The touch of his warm hand on hers when he passed her book back, made her hairs stand up.
His stiff yet warm soft chest her body piled into made her feel a sense of protection.
The smell he carried, she could still smell it and still felt his presence next to her.
She was taken by his solid black eyes, eyes that made her feel aroused. Deep colourless eyes that seemed to want something more.
His black hair and beard that matched in length made him look rough but attractive.
She wished she didn't run off in shyness, but wished she stayed in his space a little longer.

She sighed and accepted with his attractiveness he probably already has someone and he wouldn't go for someone as average as herself.

Both Tariq and Bella played it off but was this love at first sight? Or was lust playing a big part in this short interaction.

Bella arrives at the university 5 minutes before 10am. The induction presentation takes place in a huge hall, and all the seats are taken.
A lecturer greets Bella and tells her that there is one seat left at the back of the hall.
As she walks towards the back of the hall, she can feel all the eyes on her.
She keeps her head down and finally sees the empty seat and she sits down as quick as possible.
The boy next to her notices how uncomfortable Bella looks, so he introduces himself as Alex.
The conversation was awkward at first but Bella calmed a bit and they both talked for the whole 5 minutes before the presentation started.
Alex: "Hi there I'm Alex, what's your name?"
Bella: "Urm hi I'm Bella".
Alex: "I feel really nervous, I don't know anyone here"
Bella: "Yea same, I feel like everyone is judging you".
Alex: "Looks like we are both in the same boat, if you need anything let me know".
Bella: "Thank you, I appreciate that".

Alex and Bella continued talking to each other and they both became a bit more comfortable with their new surroundings.

Tariq was in the same hall, there was seating on the left and on the right. Bella was sat on the left side and Tariq was sat on the right side.
Tariq was unaware the girl he bumped into earlier had walked into the same hall as him.
He was distracted by a girl that was sat next to him by the name of Lucy.
Lucy was naturally confident and she tried talking to everyone around her including Tariq.

Lucy: "Oh hey, I didn't see you sitting there you was so silent haha, I'm Lucy by the way".
Tariq: "It's okay, my mum doesn't even know I'm at home sometimes I'm that silent, my name is Tariq".
Lucy: "Haha okayy, if you need anything Let me know".
Tariq: "Okay thank you".
Lucy: "Here, if you want you can come meet some other people I've met, they are really nice".

Lucy introduced Tariq to other people she had met and they all started talking as a group.
Tariq, just like Bella, became more comfortable with the new surroundings.

"Hello and welcome to Cambridge University! Hope you enjoy your studies and time here", the head of administration greeted everyone.
Different course leaders started taking their new students to different lecture halls.

Bella and Tariq are both taking Optometry.
"Students studying Optometry please stay seated", demanded the course leader.
As soon as the other course groups had left the Optometry students remained.
Bella looked around to see who would be in her course.
Tariq did the same, that's when they both made eye contact.

"Omg,omg,omggg......", Bella repeated under her breath.
"Omg what?", questioned Alex, confused by how Bella was acting.
"Urm nothing, don't worry", said Bella as she rushed to hide her face away from the guy she bumped into earlier.

"Why is she here wtaf....", Tariq mumbled.
"Sorry what did you say?", asked Lucy
"Ah don't worry, was talking to myself", replied Tariq in a nervous way.

They both realised they are taking the same course, this couldn't get any worse.
They were both nervous because they both lowkey fancied each other and they embarrassed each other earlier by bumping into one another.
Throughout the induction day, they both refused to make eye contact or interact with one another. Tariq stayed with Lucy, and Bella stayed with Alex.
Bella was too shy to approach Tariq because she isn't usually the type to start a conversation and Tariq was being held back by his nervousness and anxiety to approach Bella, so they both kept their distance.

This was fate, that both would meet again or was it just a mere coincidence, who knows.
The fact is they would be sharing the same course together for another 3 years so it's inevitable they would have to interact sooner or later.......