THREADS OF LOVE

RESULTS AND FEELINGS

"Oh come on Shahista! What are you scared of! you are gonna do well, you know that!", said Maryam rolling her eyes at me and giving me an exasperated look.
"Don't be so so sure?", said I to her.
"You talking about doing well Maryam! Shahista probably helped to set up the question paper itself!"  Said Abdul with a smirk, sitting next to Maryam on the sofa , with a laptop open in-front of him.
I sighed in defeat, it's useless explaining anything to them.
"Anything up Abdul till now?", said Rehman sitting opposite to Abdul On the sofa with another laptop open infront of him.
"No nothing till now!", said Abdul, "Hey where is Faruk?", said he again.
"Probably went to talk to Farhaan!", said Zesmina casually , sitting next to Rehman , looking at the laptop screen very carefully.
"Whats with the scene between Faruk and your brother?", asked Maryam sitting in between me and Abdul..
"They were friends since college days!"  Said I.
She nodded and opened her mouth to say something when Abdul said, "can i get more off these chips, this packet is empty!", he says waving an empty chips packet at my face.
I nodded at him and went to the kitchen to bring more packets of goodies. I was opening the cupboard , when i saw Zesmina enter the kitchen and close the door behind her.
"I am sorry! To invite them all to your place for today! I just thought it was a really good place to be all together, on the day of results!", said she sighing.
"I shook my head, "is okay! I don't mind! It's better that they are at my place, or else i had to go all the way to Sharjah!"
"Guys!", we heard a voice from outside, "Come fast!", said Abdul shouting from outside.
Both me and Zesmina dropped those packets of chips on floor and fled outside towards the hall.
"It's out!" said Maryam sighing staring at the laptop.
"Wait! Let me see mine!", said I frantically, my heart racing at miller per hour.
But before i could get hold of the laptop, i heard a voice from behind? "Your rank is 344 in the whole of Dubai, and you have practically topped in your district of Mleiah!, i immediately turned and saw Faruk standing on the staircase with my brother smiling at me.
"What!", said I softly not believing his words.
"Congratulation sis! I knew you could do it. I am so happy!", bhaiyaan said and then came forward to hug me. I hugged him back, my started filling with tears.
"Ma would be so proud of you today!", bhaiyaan whispered very quietly in my ears so that only i could hear, while hugging me.
Tears slipped from my eyes, after hearing mamma's name, and i hugged bhaiyaan very hard.
After a while i broke the hug, and pulled away. I turned towards my right side to Faruk, who was giving me a beaming smile, "congrats!", he whispered.
I looked at him and smiled back, "how did you perform?" I asked him.
"Freaking awesome!", said Abdul from behind, "this genius has a rank of 289 in Dubai and 4 th in Sharjah!"
My mouth dropped open, "wow Faruk! That is awesome!"
He shrugged his shoulders and said , "Thanks!"
Then i turned towards others to ask them about their scores.
After Faruk, Rehman had scored the second highest with a rank of 310,  then there was me with my rank of 344. After me Zesmina has scored, 540 rank she has bagged the 4th position in Mleiah! I congratulated her on that. Abdul and Maryam  had talked 680 and 701 respectively. I was very happy, all my friends had scored ranks below 800, we sure were going to get good subjects in our PG entrances.
We talked for some more time about the results, checking on some other people's results, if we were able to log in his/ her account. Ever single one of my friends personally congratulated me, and i beamed with happiness. All my sacrifices, of leaving India didn't go in vain! I had my whole career in front of me and i could still achieve great things. This thought made be so happy and complete.
"Well Choti! I have some work! I will be back in an hour!", said Bhaiyaan getting up and grabbing his car keys.
I nodded at him, "Okay bhaiyaan!"
"I think so we should also get going!"  Said Abdul to Maryam. Maryam nodded, " ya! My parents must be waiting at home for me, to ask about my results !"
I nodded at them and said my good byes .  Zesmina also got up, i looked at her in surprise and said, "hey! , said I, "You also won't be able to stay back?"
"Sorry Shahista! Uncle and aunt are probably losing their minds, waiting for me, to know about my results.", said her.
I nodded and got up and hugged her, "bye! See you tomorrow!"
Sir hugged me back, "bye dear! And congratulations again!", said she and then took her purse and left.' As soon as she left Rehman says, "come ! Let's get going!"
Faruk nodded and then fished his pocket for something, which he eventually takes out, his car keys. He throws them to Rehman, which catches them and says, "Take out the car, i will be there in just a second!"
Rehman nodded and then leave the house as usual without saying good bye to me.
"So paediatric huh?", said Faruk looking at me directly. It took me a second to process what he said, and another second to understand that the reason he sent Rehman away was because he wanted to have this conversation alone.
"Yup!", said I looking at him, " paediatric was my subject back in India and it's gonna he now."
He nodes at me and continues to speak, "it's a really nice branch! It is one of my choices for PG too. I guess ", he said, "so where do you wanna study?", he asked again.
"Sharjah!", said I without any doubt, i didn't wanted to apply in colleges in Mleiah,! No way!,
Faruk looks at me takes in a breath and then says , "I will also be working in Mleiah! I guess if we get lucky, we would be working together, and frankly i cannot wait to work with you!"  he smiled and then got up slowly and said, "Allah hafiz!"and then proceeded towards the gate.
I mumbled a soft, "Allah hafiz!", and then just sat there dumbfounded after he left., wow! This was unexpected! Faruk confessing something like this was really shocking. I shook my head and got up since i was alone in the house, i had to close the door.
After closing the door, i made myself a cup of hot coffee and proceed to the balcony upstairs .
I sighed to myself as i slumped down on the couch swing present on the balcony, my eyes staring at the sky which was just turning black, and had streaks of lights left from the setting sun. It was a clear sky and the view ahead was beautiful!
As i looked outside my mind drifted about thinking of how my life had changed since i came to Mleiah. I thought about my home in India, the call with my dad, Zesmina decision to accompany me etc, these things felt so far away. It felt as if only yesterday me and Zesmina were wandering about the cities of Sharjah finding a job. I thought about the first time i had met Faruk, a green eyes stranger on the bus, and then eventually i thought about the today, how he had confessed bluntly about his wanting to work with me.
I knew what was happening, i wasn't dumb. It doesn't matter how much, i deny myself, i knew i was falling for Faruk. It was inevitable! At first i  thought i was only grateful to him, because he got me a new job. But as time passed by, i sensed that i loved everything about him, his sense of humour, his dimpled smile, his nature to always help others and most importantly how he never argues, be it any situation even is someone says something wrong about him, he always lets go. Sometimes it becomes a little irritating, but it is really nice to be  a with someone who loves peace.
I had being thinking about these feelings, since a long time but i didn't say a weird about it to Zesmina. However i am pretty sure, she knew about it, just like i knew about her little crush on bhaiyaan. Anyways so, what made me thinking about  tonight and how faruk said those things.I maybe overthinking but the way he said that he cannot wait to work with me , has moved something within me. For anyone who knows Faruk , knows he never speaks, he remains silent all the time, the fact that he chose to speak up first to me, even if it was something so sinple, makes me thinking that Faruk may also like me!
This is what scared me! Even though i love being around Faruk , i have never been in love and the fact that there may be potentially something growing between us, makes me excited and nervous at the same time .
I heard keys being inserted in the door and the front door opening, "Shahista! Where are you!", said bhaiyaan voice.
"Coming!"  Said I thankful that bhaiyaan came home, because  i was falling in a very dark out of thoughts.
I rushed downstairs and saw bhaiyaan standing there with a white packet in his hands.
"It is your favourite Chinese takeout, I thought your would enjoy it!", said he.
My eyes gleamed with delight, exactly what i wanted right now to control a very heavy emotion driven hunger.
"Thanks bhaiyaan!", said I and took away the packer from his hands.
Bhaiyaan went to his room to freshen himself while i laid the table for two.
As i was placing the cutleries on the table, bhaiyaan emerged from his room dressed in a casual shirt and trousers with a they wiping his hands.
"So Dr saheeba!", what do you wanna do today?",, he asked me.
I smiled at him and said, "Bhaiyaan i am to tired today! I just wanna sleep."
"Fine! I understand, but tomorrow i am gonna take you out! No Excuse!"
I nodded at him and then went back to eating my dinner.
When we finished our dinner , bhaiyaan didn't let me work, he said he would clear up.
So i just grabbed my phone and went to my bedroom to sleep.
I checked and saw that they were a couple of messages, and a few missed calls.
Mainly the messages were from my friends in India, congratulating me, zesmina must have told them about my result. They were also my cousins, and Maryam , Abdul and all who were also congratulating me.
I scrolled down again asked again, finding one message just one message from dad. I knew he wouldn't message me, but a tiny part of heart had the hope, that he would.
I sighed and kept away the mobile, it's no use getting upset about something that was obvious to happen.
Instead i closed my eyes thinking about Faruk and fell asleep.