"Congrats for yesterday, Noor. You girls deserved the first place", Reyhan said, walking towards Noor."
"Thanks for your stage curtain services,", Noor teased Reyhan.
"What's your chest number? I got the second last number. I will have to wait here for three hours. You know, three hours,". Noor said in disappointment.
"Tadaa, look. So let us chat away three hours.", Reyhan told showing her chest number marked 42, the last chest number.
"I knew it", said Noor.
Noor and Reyhan talked about their lives, school, dreams, aspiration, politics, and everything under the sky. They didn't even feel the three hours passing. They talked as if they are close friends for a long time. And finally, after three and a half hours, Noor was called upon. She completed her speech and waited to listen to Reyhan. Reyhan came to the stage and started his speech. It was all of a sudden that Noor felt a strong pain of guilt in her mind.
"How well Reyhan behaves to me and talks about his whole life to me. He shares everything with me because he considers me a good friend. What am I doing in return? I am wrong. I should stop it here. I shouldn't lose a friend over my imagination. I should stop these thoughts".
Noor's thoughts were disrupted by claps from the room. Reyhan has finished his speech. Noor looked at Reyhan and clapped. He came to Noor and asked how well he did. Noor topped the event and Reyhan came second.
"Noor, come let us have a tea. We have been sitting here for almost four hours. Come on,". Noor went along with Reyhan to the canteen. The canteen was at one end of the campus.
"How is our school? Do you like it? Is it similar to the stories you have heard about this campus,"?
"Hahaha, definitely. Hearing all the stories about this campus, I had an image in my mind. It does match well with the campus. But our campus is splendid, Mr. Georgian. You can't beat it", said Noor.
"You girls are unbelievable. You suddenly changed to a rival. Let us stop it here,", replied Reyhan.
"Mr. Drama king, stop it. I am thirsty and hungry. Let us fill our stomachs first,". Noor pushed Reyhan towards the canteen.
The next day at school, Noor went to Riya. "Riya, I and Reyhan are just friends. I promise you".
"Noor, you have a bright future ahead. I don't want anyone and anything to spoil it,", said Riya hugging Noor.
Reyhan and Noor met again and again for various competitions. They became thick friends that made everyone wonder if they were in a relationship. But their friendship was never affected by any comments. They waited for competitions to come so they could meet. They shared everything that happened in their lives between the gaps of each meeting. Noor once wanted to ask Reyhan for his landline number but hesitated to ask for it. She had found a great friend in Reyhan.
A close friend, still a stranger, to disclose her hidden frustrations, to share her big dreams, to seek advice and a place to feel secure.
