Third episode
957 Words
The night in Oslo had settled into a soft, icy quietness. Streetlights cast long shadows across the pavement as Noor and Zarnab walked back to their apartment. Their footsteps echoed gently, but neither of them spoke. Noor’s mind was wandering, looping back again and again to Musa’s sudden appearance at the cafeteria.
She didn’t know why.
She barely even knew him.
Maybe it was just the unexpectedness of the moment—like a forgotten note suddenly returning to a melody.
They reached their building, climbed the stairs, and stepped inside. The warm air inside the apartment wrapped around them instantly.
Zarnab dropped her bag onto the sofa dramatically.
“Yaar… I’m finished. Done. Over. Dead,” she said, throwing herself backward.
Noor chuckled softly.
“Stop acting. We still have to study.”
Zarnab groaned. “Why did I even say we’ll study after coming back? Why, Allah?”
Noor shook her head and walked into the kitchen to pour two glasses of warm water. When she returned, she noticed Zarnab staring blankly at the ceiling—her expression soft, thoughtful, almost vulnerable.
“You okay?” Noor asked.
“Hmm.”
Zarnab sat up slowly and took the glass from her. “Yaar… you really don’t understand one-sided love.”
Noor didn’t reply immediately. She sat beside her friend, folding her feet beneath her.
“Maybe I don’t,” she said. “Because I’ve never experienced it. But why were you asking about love today?”
For the first time in a long while, Zarnab didn’t hide behind her jokes or loud energy. She looked straight at Noor.
“Because… sometimes it hurts not to speak. And sometimes it hurts more when you do speak.”
Her voice trembled—just a little.
Noor felt something inside her shift.
“Is there… someone?” she asked softly.
Zarnab looked away. “It doesn’t matter, Noor. He doesn’t know. And even if he did… nothing would change.”
There was a long pause.
“I’m scared,” Zarnab whispered.
“Of rejection?”
“Of everything.”
Noor didn’t push further. She simply placed a gentle hand on Zarnab’s shoulder. The silence between them wasn’t empty—it was comforting, warm, full of unspoken understanding.
Later That Night
By 8 PM, they had washed their faces, changed into comfortable clothes, and sat down to study. Noor opened her thick political science book, but the words blurred.
Her mind slipped back to the library—
Musa leaning over her table, greeting her with a casual smile…
Why was she thinking about that?
It wasn’t like her.
She shook her head and forced herself to focus on the text.
“You’re distracted,” Zarnab teased without lifting her head.
“No, I’m not,” Noor said too quickly.
“Oh please. Your face has ‘I’m thinking about something weird’ written all over it.”
Noor’s cheeks warmed. “I’m just tired.”
“Mhm. Right.”
Zarnab smirked and returned to her notes.
Noor sighed. Perhaps Zarnab wasn’t wrong.
Something about today felt different—unfamiliar. But Noor pushed the thoughts aside. She had come to Oslo to study, not to get distracted.
Still… she couldn’t shake the sensation that something had quietly, silently begun.
🇮🇳 Back in India — The Plan Begins
The next morning, Suzain stood in front of the mirror, her hair tied in a loose bun, eyes tired but determined. She had been up half the night thinking about Baba jaan’s words:
“We try to make ourselves happy but end up making Allah unhappy.”
And yet… her heart didn’t agree.
Noor wasn’t just her younger sister. She was her peace, her joy, the tiny spark that kept their home alive.
How could she not celebrate her birthday?
She walked out of her room, heading directly to Faiz’s office room.
“Book the tickets,” she said firmly.
Faiz looked up. “Are you sure? After what Baba said—”
“I’m not celebrating a birthday,” she snapped.
“I’m just going to meet my sister.”
Faiz narrowed his eyes. “And the cake?”
Suzain glared. “Shut up and book the tickets.”
Faiz burst into laughter. “Alright, alright. Tickets done. You leave in three days.”
Three days.
My God.
Suzain’s heart tightened with excitement. She could already imagine Noor’s shocked face.
But there was still one problem.
Baba jaan.
He wouldn’t approve.
And Noor shouldn’t know anything. No hints. No clues.
Suzain took a deep breath and whispered to herself,
“This time… I will do what my heart is telling me.”
🌨️ Oslo — A New Morning
The next day, Noor woke up earlier than usual. Gray morning light seeped through the curtains. The cold air made her wrap her blanket tighter around herself.
But something felt different.
A strange restlessness.
A pull.
She got dressed, grabbed her books, and headed toward the university library. Zarnab was still asleep, buried under a mountain of blankets.
When Noor entered the quiet library, she felt a familiar calm. Books. Silence. Her own space to breathe.
She walked toward her usual corner table—
—and froze.
Musa was already sitting there.
He looked up, surprised. Then he smiled politely.
“Oh… good morning, Miss Noor.”
For a second, Noor forgot how to reply.
Her heart skipped—just once.
“Good… morning,” she managed.
“Should I leave?” Musa asked kindly, shifting his books. “I didn’t know this is your spot.”
“No,” Noor said quickly.
“You can stay.”
She didn’t know why she said it.
Maybe it was politeness.
Or maybe…
Maybe something new was starting.
- Writer
