Chapter Four

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by Haaaaafsat_

by Haaaaafsat_

I spent the past month having nightmares upon nightmares. One night, I had even woken up to see part of my hair cut out. As usual, mum didn't believe me. She thought I cut it myself to follow a fashion trend. I was fed up with home and the nightmares. I packed the last of my bags and dumped it into the trunk of the taxi that would drop me off at the airport.

Mum had traveled to see her aunt while dad was on a business trip. I had to spend a week at Azeezah's before going to college. The taxi driver shut the trunk and got into the car. I got in after him and stared outside the window until we arrived at the airport.

"Thank you sir." I said, then stepped out of the taxi. He helped me bring out my luggage from the trunk, then dropped them at the check-in counter. After getting my luggage checked in, I sat down close to the sixth gate so that I could hear when they announced my flight. After an hour, a sweet voice blasted through the speakers.

"Attention please, flight Eg11pyt Egyptian Airways going to Cairo from Buraydah is now boarding. Attention please, flight Eg11pyt Egyptian Airways going to Cairo from Buraydah is now boarding."

I got up and checked my shoes and shoulder bag through security before going in through the sixth gate. I was lucky enough to get a window seat. I'd have the chance to take pictures of the cloud from above. When we were all strapped to our seats, the plane took off. It was a long and tiring flight but the food made it worth it. Immediately the plane landed, I made my way to the baggage claim to get my boxes. I stood impatiently as different boxes moved around the luggage carousel. When I got my bags, I put them on a trolley and rolled them outside to where a taxi was waiting.

"Salam. Welcome to Egypt." he greeted me. I smiled and returned his greetings, then helped him to put my things in the trunk. After driving for a while, we arrived at the American University in Cairo. It was really big and beautiful. The taxi pulled up in front of Al-Hidayah hostel for women and I got down to pack my bags. He helped me drop them at the reception, then I paid him.

"Welcome to Al-Hidayah hostel for women. Please, may I have your details?" A lady wrapped in pink hijab smiled politely at me. I smiled back at her, then handed her the print out of my room allocation slip. She went through it and grabbed a key from the cupboard.

"133B." I thanked her and collected the key, then pulled one of my boxes towards the elevator. I went back to get the second one before pressing the button on the lift. It dinged and I pushed my stuff inside, then I got in and pressed my floor number.

The elevator's doors opened and I pushed one box out before pulling the other with me. I left one behind and took the other to my room. I didn't have the time to look around the room. I got the last of my bags from the elevator area and brought it with me, then dumped it in the room.

I looked around. The room was painted a soft purple and pink with two beds at each corner. The beds were built like a double decker, but the bottom was a cupboard of some sort. I took the bed beside the window and emptied my clothes into the cupboard, then kept my boxes at the compartment made for them. I packed my makeup, body and lotion and perfumes from a bag and arranged them on the dresser by the foot of my bed. Shortly after I finished arranging my stuff, the door swung open.

"Hey sorry, I didn't know you were in here already." Preeta said in her heavy south Indian accent. I smiled at her and shook my head.

"It's totally fine." She returned my smile and held out her palm to me.

"I'm Preeta Pratap Singh." I took her hand in mine and introduced myself. "Aisha Muhammad."

"It's my pleasure meeting you. I almost called you before we resumed. I wanted to know the person I'd be spending my freshman year with." Preeta said, chuckling awkwardly.

I chuckled, then replied. "Funny how I also wanted to call you."

We both fell into a fit of laughter. After a while, I sobered up. "Hey Preeta, let me help you arrange your things."

She smiled gratefully at me. We both emptied her boxes and kept the clothes neatly in the clothes compartment, then kept the empty boxes in another compartment. She arranged her makeup on the mirror by the foot of her bed, just like I had done.

"What's the bathroom like?" she asked me. I shook my head. I hadn't seen it yet so we both went into the bathroom. It had white tiles covering the walls and the floor with a bathtub at the side. There was a mirror on the wall just above the sink and a water closet to the side.

"Not bad." Preeta nodded. I agreed with her and we walked back into our room.

"I'm starving. Have you had anything to eat?" I asked Preeta. She shook her head and yawned.

"Airplane food sucks." I laughed because the food I was given on the plane wasn't bad at all.

"Right, let's head out to the cafeteria." We grabbed our purses and stepped out. I locked the door and shoved the key in my purse, then entered the elevator with Preeta. It dinged when we got to the ground floor. We stepped out and asked the receptionist where the cafeteria was.

"Go down that hallway and turn right." she smiled. I knew I couldn't be a receptionist because there was no way a smile could stay plastered on my face for long.

"Thank you." I returned her smile, then we walked down the hallway until we found the cafeteria. It was big and smelled like spices. I really loved spices a lot.

"What are you having?" Preeta asked me. I shrugged, "Anything edible."