Don't call me cheater

Chapter-7

The next day when I woke up my head was paining like it’s gonna burst anytime, Asma was still sound asleep. It was already 8, if I didn’t do anything right away I was going to miss my first lecture.

‘Asma, wake up fast I am going to be late’

‘nothing is gonna happen if u miss your first lecture just chill.’

I was very punctual missing a lecture was like a burden in my head. But that time there seriously was pain more than a burden. Anyway, I wasn’t going to make it on time. So I just laid down on the bed again.

‘Kusum, don’t you have college today’, my mom shouted from the kitchen.

I couldn’t tell her I bunked, I lied

‘The first lecture is leisure today momma’,

oh my god! I was good at lying I realized that time.

But I had to do something not to miss my second lecture, I went for a shower in the hope of eradicating the hangover. Asma was still sleeping when I came out, I went for clothes, I didn’t know why but I was seeking for good clothes that day. I went for a cupboard. It contained all my clothes gifted by people which I thought wasn’t suitable for me and stored it in the cupboard. I went there I was amazed I had stored so many clothes there, not worn even once. I went through every clothes, but again wasn’t sure what to wear. I went for Asma, she was good at that.

‘Asma please wake up, I don’t want to be late for the second lecture too’

‘What happened, just go if you are late I will go after you’

‘I need your help right now, just wake up’

‘Is this the way to farewell your friend’

Asma wakes up wearily, and with her eyes still closed.

‘what do you want?’ she asked

‘What do you think I should wear’, I said showing her the cupboard

her closed eyes went wide, ‘Holy hell, your wardrove is so rich. Why do you wear that cloth despite of having these’

‘They are just not my type’

‘then why interested in them now’

‘I lied, I bunked the class and became drunk I have been doing lots of new things lately then why not wearing something out of my comfort’

‘that’s my girl’

then Asma picked up every clothes and made me try those, my word to wear something out of comfort were just limited to words, after wearing those I realized m not gonna do that. I changed at least 7 clothes that day and for every cloth, I said no. But Asma wasn’t going to let me do that. She forced me to wear a frock it was sleeveless so I wear a jeans jacket above it, the area below my knee was exposed in that dress, I was too uncomfortable in that but fighting against Asma wasn’t a piece of cake. According to her, I was looking awesome in that but how was I gonna walk. Before mom and sis saw me we sneaked out of the house. As I was uncomfortable Asma went with me to the college gate. I pulled my mobile out from my pocket on the way. 5 miscalls from Yosuf, 2 from Asif, and 1 from Mahma.

‘seems like people are affected with you not appearing in the college,’ said Asma looking at the mob

I was happy especially because Asif called me. For a while, I forgot what I was wearing. I hurried for the cafeteria as it was lunchtime hugging Asma and bidding her goodbye.

‘You have to come to the airport’, she said, I was positive in that, I wanted to meet her again. When I reached cafeteria Mahma, Upisa nad other three girls were sitting and having their meals seeing me Mahma gave surprised reaction, I realized they are not used to seeing me in these clothes, I was ashamed I went to her and sat upon the chair.

‘You look amazing in this’, Angi said looking at me ‘ why in the world you didn’t wear this before’

‘I am not used to, please don’t say that I am already uncomfortable’

‘Why were you not present in the previous lecture’

‘I woke up late’

‘Asif was asking me continuously about you, he said you didn’t pick up his call either’

‘I didn’t know, I was at the bus at that time’

Meanwhile, someone closed my eyes from the back. It was a new hand, that hand touch passed current all over my body, I was ready to have those hands closed my eyes for days but I had to say his name, ‘Asif Rauf’

‘How did you knew it was me’

‘I just knew it’

‘Why didn’t you pick up my call’

‘I am sorry I was at bus’

‘You look different today’

‘why?’

‘I don’t know just it’s so unlike you’

I became more uncomfortable after that, unlike me, why does he think that. I was ashamed of wearing that. When he again said, ‘You look more beautiful today but it’s not Kusum.’

I scolded Asma for making me wear that in my heart.

Asif again came to us for his meal. Maybe it was to make me comfort after Asma was gone but him being there used to make my day.

While returning Yosuf who was prepared to scold me for not picking up the call terminated his decision after seeing me in a different avatar. He didn’t say much but his eyes were showing he liked what he saw. But one thing was sure, out of everyone only Asif was the one who didn’t like me at what I was uncomfortable, he wanted Kusum not Kusum in fancy clothes.

We were getting closer day by day, it was friendship but I was liking that. We used to talk for hours on random topics. And in college, he used to spend time with me, like in lunch beak, leisure time. Every night he used to bid me goodnight. I didn’t use to get nervous with him anymore, but my crush on him was increasing day by day. We used to go to the library to study leisure and he used to take me to see his basketball match at the ground sometimes.

It was already 3 months from the day I enrolled in the university and Uni life was going better than I ever expected. Various events like sports meet, Acoustic night were happening. The next day it was Acoustic night when students from different faculty used to do concerts. Asif told me to experience it as it was the very first time for us.

Acoustic was starting from 5 pm to 8 pm, the bus was available for students. So we decided to be there. The day came some of the classes were off for preparation. Asif and I spend time together the whole day. We were doing assignments but in reality, we were talking with each other. In the middle, I requested him to sing but he denied, I began to force him but again he denied saying he will only sing for me on my bday. But it was still four months far, I wasn’t going to wait for that much, I insisted and what I got in return was,

‘Twinkle twinkle little star.’

We hadn’t touched each other except for that day when he put his hand in my eyes. I don’t know with others holding hands, handshaking, and goodbye hugs were nothing but with him neither he nor me took a step to do that till now. While sitting together for an assignment we used to be so close to each other that I could feel his breath hitting my face generating series of current, we could hear each other swallowing saliva in nervousness those times but none of us bore courage to say anything. Sometimes it felt as if he also feels the same about me then I used to look at him and look at myself how can he feel the same, I used to feel stupid. Upisa used to be with us anytime. It was never just Asif and me. It was always Asif, me, and Upisa. Sometimes I used to get angry with her, but I couldn’t say anything. On Acoustic too, she sat between Asif and me. It was hot in the afternoon so I wore half t-shirt but after the sunset, the weather began to chill. The acoustic night began. Guys from different departments began to sing romantic, metallic, and rock songs. Some were known and some were unknown songs. Due to cold, my lips were blue by then. Maybe Asif would have noticed, he pulled a jacket from his bag and lend it to me. I looked at him he was also wearing a half t-shirt he was also cold.

‘I am okay, you should wear it’

he looked at me angrily. ‘Just wear it, you need it more than I do,’.

I couldn’t deny it, I wore it. It was a little oversized for me but was extremely comfortable on top that Asif scent was coming from it. It was already 7 and was the dark only place that was seen was stage and fountain. It was a very special evening, the first evening with Asif. The one thing common in both of us was we liked looking at stars at night. A message popped up on my screen. ‘Want to see stars together.’ It was from Asif. Hiding the message from Upisa, who was sitting between us, I replied to him ‘yes’.

‘Come behind the library,’ he said and was gone from there.

‘I have to go to washroom’, I whispered on Upisa’s ear but she replied she wanted to come with me too.

‘No, you have to save sit for us, otherwise others will take the chance,’ she agreed to it. I felt bad for lying but for Asif everything was fair. The ground behind the library, I always used to go there, but I didn’t know it will look so good at night. All the valley was visible from there and it was the sky was clear that day it was like stars on ground and stars on the sky. Asif was sleeping on the ground looking up, I went toward him and laid down next to a little far from him.

Stars were always beautiful but looking at them with him added their beauty. We both were quiet and enjoying what was happening. After sometimes he opened his mouth pointing at the sky

‘Look at that, it is the brightest star in the earth’s night sky, Sirius. It is 8.611 light-years far from here. And you know what is the most fascinating thing, we are looking at 8.61 yeas old Sirius. It takes 8.61 years for its light to reach us.’

‘Before you were speaking about Sirius, I was assigning that star to you, it is brightest in the sky, and you are brightest here’

‘I don’t think that, but if you assign me the star I also have to assign you one’

‘I don’t fit on any of those’

‘look at the blue one’, he pointed again in the sky

‘Are you talking about Rigel’

‘yeah’

‘It can be barely seen from here, it’s 635 light-years away’

‘you are right, you are like Rigel Kusum, hard to understand and out of reach but if you go on following it and getting closer, there will be no stars worth looking than it.’

His words made me blush,it was one of the best moments of life, I never felt so protected, so happy and so satisfied ever.

I didn’t want to return, I just wanted to spend whole nights like that, but my mob rang. Upisa was calling me, I completely forgot about her. I couldn’t pick the call and neither I wanted to return. Asif stood up let’s go there, It’s time to return home too. We returned to the concert Upisa was looking angry

‘Do you need half an hour to pee’

‘I am sorry, I was watching the view from behind the library while returning it was so fascinating that I couldn’t take my eyes away’

‘Apology not accepted’

‘Okay, tell me what I could do for you’

‘You have to treat me momo tomorrow’

‘okay done’, I chuckled

It was already 8 pm and the bus was ready for departure. For the first time, I and Asif were going on the same bus. We sat next to each other, I took my hands to the jacket to open it but Asif stopped, ‘Wear it, you can return it tomorrow’

‘But you will catch cold’

‘Just wear it, don’t worry about me’

He said rudely but was caring. I was so confused, I wanted to get onto his mind and extract everything he feels about me.

It was a wonderful ride with him, our first ride together.

When my stop came, he told me to take care as it was already dark outside.