second episode
674 Words
Back in Norway — Evening 7 PM
“Yaar Noor, please make some coffee,” Zarnab pleaded. “My hands are aching from cleaning. I swear it feels like my back is breaking.”
Noor smiled softly, “Okay, fine…”
But before she could move, Zarnab suddenly jumped and said, “Idea! Let’s go to a restaurant!”
Noor frowned, “Are you mad? Who goes out at this hour? It’s freezing outside and my back hurts too.”
“It’s only 7 PM!” Zarnab insisted. “We’ll be back by 8, and then we can study.”
After much persistence, Noor finally said, “Alright, fine. Let’s go. Change your clothes.”
Zarnab wore a cream-colored firaq shalwar—the same one she had brought from Pakistan last month. Her short golden hair was tied at the back with a clip, while some strands were left free at the front. She picked up her bag and called out:
“Nooorrr! Are you ready?”
When Noor came out, Zarnab gasped dramatically, “Wow! You’re wearing firaq shalwar too! Now we look the same!”
Both girls laughed and stepped out of the apartment. Usually they wore jeans and shirts, but occasionally they dressed traditionally.
The restaurant wasn’t far—just a 10-minute walk.
🍽️ Cafeteria August
As soon as they entered, Noor’s eyes fell on Musa—sitting far away with his friends, eating something. The whole place was crowded with students.
The waiter guided Noor and Zarnab to a corner table, right next to the one where Musa and his friends sat.
Sometimes, forgotten memories hit us unexpectedly—and for a moment, everything inside us stirs. Similarly, forgotten people also return to memory out of nowhere. At such moments, the heart wants to speak… but the mind whispers, “Don’t.”
And humans usually follow the mind.
That is exactly what Noor was feeling right now.
“Hello Miss Noor, what’s up?” Musa asked casually.
Noor turned slightly, gave a small polite smile, and replied, “All good.”
Before she could say anything else, the waiter came.
“What would you like to order?”
“What’s today’s special?” Zarnab asked.
“With full confidence,” the waiter replied, “A steaming plate of grilled Norwegian salmon.”
“Okay, bring two plates,” Zarnab said.
Musa and his friends stood up to leave. Musa smiled politely and said, “Nice to meet you.”
Noor returned the smile briefly.
As soon as he walked away, Zarnab whispered, “Who was that?”
“That’s Musa Asad. I met him in the library today. I was working when he suddenly came and introduced himself. But you know what, Zarnab? I completely forgot about him until now.”
Before they could talk more, their food arrived.
🌙 The Walk Back — A Quiet Night
There wasn’t much rush on the footpath now. The night felt calm and slightly cold.
Out of nowhere, Zarnab broke the silence:
“Yaar, have you ever fallen in love?”
Noor laughed softly. “Love? It’s just a waste of time. And honestly, I don’t think I can ever fall in love.”
“You know,” she continued, “my aunt’s daughter was in love with a guy, but she never told him. Never! She wanted to marry him, but she didn’t even have the courage to tell him she liked him. Tell me—what kind of love is that?”
“What’s the point of living with such suffocation?”
In a low voice, Zarnab replied, “That’s called one-sided love.”
Her eyes—silent and deep—seemed to be telling a story of their own. A story she had never spoken aloud. A story no one had ever tried to read.
“You wouldn’t understand,” she whispered, “because you’ve never loved anyone.”
Noor didn’t respond. She fell quiet—lost deep in her thoughts.
The rest of the walk home passed in silence.
- Writer
