Lest we forget how fragile we are.

It is around  five in the evening, I just got out of vivax malaria and I wonder how to figure out things. New place, new office, new work and I have to manage everything. I take things in a funny way, unique things happen to unique people. God has been always planning for me, to get me to the best.

I get an email from my supervisor that my apartment mate, Salma Khan, is going to arrive at six in the morning. I usually get annoyed when I think of getting up early in the morning, but this time, I was definitely excited. She would be with me for the whole year. As usual, I start imagining. Sometimes, I do that only by the name, even if I haven't seen the picture, I imagine what the person could be like, how he/she would look like, what might interest him/her. Two things- either I am stereotypical or that I am a person with crazy imaginations. Whatever that may be, let's just move forward with the story. I imagined Salma. How she could be. May be a very shy girl, who has got more equipments than me to survive in Amherst. May be she knows how to put on make up. May be she has loads of luggage. (I had three big bags for that matter, so I assumed Salma would have probably four)

I wear shorts and a t-shirt, thinking that might create an impression that I exercise a lot, can carry all those bags easily, help her out and make things easier for her. I wonder would she be comfortable, would she talk? (she being so shy, in my imagination)

Anyways,

136,Sunset Ave, Amherst

I put an alarm of 5:50 am, but the usual habit of snooze never goes away. I get up at around 6:15, hurriedly running from the top floor. I reach downstairs, tip toeing so that no one wakes up. I see a beautiful tall girl in a t-shirt and pants. She looks so very beautiful, plaited long hair, thick eyebrows like mine, and a sweet smile. Okay, now I am nervous. All my imaginations have failed me. I just ask, "Salma?" (Other grammatical items like "are" "you" are missing) She says yes, hugs me and asks me "how are you?"(She didn't miss any) I smile and ask about her luggage. She tells me," no luggage."

Already nervous, I say, "No, I mean your luggage for Amherst."
She says again, "No luggage, this is all I have got." ( and she directs her eyes towards a small bag that she has in her hands)

That's so very small, that can be used to keep some toiletries, may be. I am already amazed by the carefree person she is.

I take her to her room. Show her the place and ask her about her trip and all.
She's too good. She traveled from Lahore to Amherst with a handbag, no laptop, no big bags,nothing. God, how?

Our deck, where we sipped coffee and talked nonsense

She has been the craziest girl I have ever come across. She asks me if I have something to eat. I direct towards the refrigerator with my index finger, as if I have no ability to speak. This happens to me when I am awestruck. I either speak a lot, become speechless or I laugh. I did the second one when I met her. There was some Daal I had made the night before. she had it with the bread. No rice, no paratha. God, wow! she's just amazing. Darwin would have loved her adaptability!

This was my sweetheart, Salma Khan.

One of the craziest persons I have ever come across. I used to hate the fact that I am not punctual,love sleeping but she gave me strength to carry on with my vices further. She would run on the street 136 and comb her hair along with it. Sometimes, she would sip tea from the flask and tie her shoelaces to go to the office.

Our way to Umass, where she tied her shoelaces :D

She used to hate if some guy would hit on me. She would protect me from those evil eyes. I remember one time, I was taking something from Umass dining and she saw some guy hitting on me, like trying to talk to me, or to join the same queue. She immediately took my hand and said, let's go somewhere else, like Antonio's. I was like, why? Later, she told me that some guy was hitting on me. I laughed and laughed for hours. I said, may be you misinterpreted. She said, nope. She was just too protective.

She loved the way I danced, the way I dressed up in a saree. She would ask me to do that for her and then she showered me with compliments. Of course, who doesn't like all this :)

I would cook for her all the time.

It's morning and the first thing I do is ask her, "what would you like for dinner?"
She would look at many things and tell me about one. Like, Dahi vada, Potato pastas, egg curry, Daal Makhani, Paninis, lasagnia, paratha bhurji and what not. She used to clean everything and I used to cook.

There are so many such stories. They make us. That's how we were.

She used to read Quran for me and say these lines often- Chapter 95, Verse number 4:
Laqad Khalaq-na al-insana fee ahsani taqweemin

(We have indeed created man in the best of moulds/stature.)

I miss her for everything.To talk about my crushes, what should I do and all that. I miss her.

God could have been a little considerate.

"On and on the rain will fall
like tears from the star
How fragile we are.." (~Sting, Fragile)


Happy Birthday Salma!


मुझसे मिलना फिराक का मिलना 

आप किनको नसीब होते हैं 

आप जिनके करीब होते हैं 

वो बड़े खुशनसीब होते हैं!