She was a Mirage.

PART 1- The Green in Brown.

It was like birds used to chirp outside her window waking up. She looked like sun personally came to give her some sunshine. Her spirits touched heights that modern day buildings never could and she went around spreading the brightness for others.One such day was in grade4 when I entered the school. It had been one week since school had reopened and I had heard more about her than the teachers in the school. I was told by everyone that once she occupied the seat next to me, I would never feel loneliness in my life. I was highly doubtful but the mood in the class seemed to dampen everyday when the class teacher would take attendance and marked her name absent. I hadn't understood what was so special in this girl. The next Sunday I saw her.While I was standing outside the class through the glass of the door I could see a tall, slightly tan girl with her long hair braided behind her sitting on the cupboard of our class. Her legs were hanging slightly off and she was deep in conversation with another girl. Just then our classteacher came in the class and everyone proceeded to sit down. I came inside and sat in my seat, right in front of the door in the last bench of that door. She came over and sat down. I instantly noticed how she had already neatly placed everything on the table and in her desk so as to avoid wasting any time. The teacher went to the front greeting everyone and I turned to see a slightly mischievous smile on the corner of her lips. Eyes twinkling as if stars resided behind them. She genuinely gave the air of happiness.I was confused to why she was smiling the way she was. Soon enough the teacher, Mrs.Ruhi started taking attendance and reached her name with the expectation of marking it absent again when a voice rang out in the class

"Present ma'am"

Mrs.Ruhi looked up ,surprised and almost excited to have heard the voice and when she noticed who had uttered the words, the biggest grin broke out on her face which in turn made the girl smile wider.

Everyone else was also ecstatic to see her in the class, if their wide grins were any indication.

"Welcome back Ayesha! Where have you been?"

"Thank you Ma'am. I was attending a family wedding,missed me?" she asked teasingly and the teacher merely chuckled before replying heartedly

"Yes very much"

"Oh don't worry I am here now"

Everyone laughed at her statement.

Mrs.Ruhi then continued.

"Ayesha meet your partner for the year. This is Adaab. Be nice to her."

At this Ayesha turned towards me. Her green eyes were still sparkling. She smiled at me and we shook hands.

That was it. The girl who at first seemed like a figment of imagination for me then soon turned into my very best friend. It was true that everyone loved her. No one seemed to pass her without sending smiles her way and she was the same with them. I asked her once why she always smiled and didn't it get tiring. I thought she would reply with the Hadith that we should always keep smiling. But her reply came differently.
"Adaab everyone is facing challenges and fighting different battles and since we can't go around fighting their battles for them the best thing we can do for them or give them is a smile. The smallest form of giving them energy. To some people it may not mean anything but to some others who had been crying all night with bags of depression under their eyes, our smile can make their days a little better. Might as well do as little as we can to accomplish that. The least we can do for the world."
She left me hanging in the school playground too stunned to move after hearing her words. I was shook from my thoughts when I heard her laughing at the top of the stairs. She turned towards me and gestured for me to follow her and that's what I did.
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