A flame in the Storm

Chapter 2

"Shit!" I shrieked looking at the time from my bed, pulling my blanket over. All that dancing and bantering had left us exhausted and we had overslept.

"Get up!" I shouted pushing  Farah and Uzma who were still deep in sleep, "We will be late".

"Its okay, we will not go" Farah said turning to the opposite side. 

"Oh come on, don't do this!" I said shaking her again.

"Let me sleep" she whined.

"Uzma!" I called her shaking her with my hands, "you better get up. Other-wise we will miss school." 

"What is the time ?"she yawned 

"It's 8.00"

"Oh my!" she jumped up from bed hearing it. "Salman said he will pick me from school. "

"Good." I replied and took some water in my palm and made a splash on Farah's face.

"You!" Farah controlled. "Get up. We will be late". I said again

"Fine." she said getting up in slowest motion ever.

Dressing up and pulling my long hair into ponytail, I went in the kitchen where mom was already preparing breakfast for us.

"As-Salam-Alaikum."(Peace be unto you) I greeted.

"Waleikum salaam. eat soon, dad will drop you. Where are Uzma and Farah?" Mom asked. 

"Getting ready." I replied.

"Okay. you have breakfast. I will pack their's, they can have in car." Mom suggested.

"Whats's today?" I asked

"Aloo ke paraathe" ( Potato chapati)

"Yummm," I said licking my lips. 

She gave out a short laugh. 

 Mom was a home maker, though she had ambitions but my grandfather had kept a condition that she should not work after marriage as it was not a custom in their family. So she chose love over career. I sometimes wondered whether she regretted it. Then dad came and she left everything she was doing to attend to him with a huge smile on her face and dad returned it with equal affection. And I was convinced she didn't. Mom and dad were classmates when they fell in love and decided to get married. Love marriage in their generation was considered an abomination. Though my grandparents agreed to the alliance, purely because of persistence of my dad, they were not so ever fond of mom.

Upon reaching school, saying bye to dad, we started walking fast towards our class, I kept my eyes to the ground out of habit. Farah and Uzma had to catch up to me by almost running. Turning the corridor, I bumped into something.

My fall was saved by a grip of strong arms on my waist, gazing up I lost myself in the ocean blue eyes and golden brown hair rustled by air. The handsomeness of his face kept me entranced in the half falling position I was in when Uzma called out my name. I regained my senses and he got me to my feet.

"Careful" he said politely and went on his way.

It took me a while before I breathed. "Who was he?" I asked still in trance.

"Our mathematics teacher". Farah replied.

The word teacher put me from a state of trance to the state of panic.

"What?" I yelled in disbelief.

"Yup," Farah laughed, "you look quite smitten."

"Now I will be bitten." I cried putting my hand to the forehead

"Hey nothing will happen, he seems to be nice" Uzma assured, "let's go the class otherwise we will be late".

All three of us ran to the class, this time looking at my way ahead, not to bump into another teacher. As I entered the classroom, everyone  wished me birthday.

"This is for you," Aftab said handing me a beautiful pearl necklace, "Happy Birthday."

"Thanks," I said taking it." After all your choice improved," I said looking at the beautiful neck piece in front of me. It was a huge improvement from last year's rubber snake he had given me, wrapped beautifully in a gift cover. 

"Hey my choice was always good, you just didn't have enough humor to appreciate it," he said laughing.

"Oh really?" I said raising my eyebrows and we both burst into laughs. Aftab and I studied in the same class since first grade and were pretty good friends.

Our chat was interrupted by everyone hurrying to get to their seats. We both turned back to see at the teacher who just had entered the classroom and I was hell struck.

It was him.

I wanted to hide myself somewhere. The embarrassment flooded me with full force. Farah nudged me with her elbow. "Seems like everyone is smitten with him" she said motioning towards the girls. There were deafening murmurs in the whole class, I looked down avoiding an eye contact with him when he spoke. 

"Hello everyone, I am your new class teacher as your previous teacher has resigned. My name is Rizwan Azeem and I will be teaching you mathematics. As it's our first class let's get to know each other, you need not be afraid of me" he said looking at me then changing his direction. "I am not a strict teacher but I like discipline, we can be friends as long as you children study and behave. So now please introduce yourself one by one. Let's start from the last."

"Do you know, there are very few people in India who has blue eyes, may be one or two percent." she said as introductions began. "Lucky him."

Everyone told their names and when it came to our seats, Farah was the first one to introduce herself, then Uzma. When it was my turn, it was like I had lost my voice.

"What's your name?" He asked.

I just looked at him then down at the floor, he was wearing light blue shirt which brought out the beauty of his eyes even more and cream colored trousers and formal shoes. He smiled at me and waited for me to answer.

"Maria," I mumbled, my voice barely audible to myself.

"Pardon?"

"Maria Rasheed" I said a bit louder.

"You may sit down."

I nodded and sat. My heart was beating so fast that it felt that it would now pop up from my chest.

"I am teaching from a few years now, I chose this field as I love being around kids and  will feel accomplished if I change even one life in my career." He said to the class.

"Sir, are you married?" Sushma, my classmate asked.

"Why would you like to know that?"

"Getting to know each other." she said with a shrug

He gave out a short laugh and said no.

Rest of the day went in blur as I couldn't get his picture out of my mind. All I could replay was his magnetic eyes and soft voice and the polite manners he spoke in.

 When Uzma's brother, Salman came wearing his trademark brown leather jacket to pick her on his bike, his eyes never left Farah's. A blush crept on Farah's face along with a smile giving it a pinkish glow. She lowered her eyes unable to hold his gaze anymore. A thing I had never seen her do. I looked at Uzma to see if she had noticed. She was busy stuffing her bag with the cover her brother gave her. Later she hopped onto the bike and rode away. Farah's eyes followed them till they took a turn, a smile never leaving her face.

"What was that?"I asked Farah when she turned towards me.

"What?" 

"Salman"

"Nothing. My driver is already here" she said looking at the white Audi parked opposite to the school. "See you tomorrow" and went off waving me goodbye.