...

What began as a relationship between two individuals became a matter of conflict between two families.

The Bashirs were offended. The Hussains were at a loss. Rani kept getting endless calls from friends and relatives all day. Everyone wanted to know what happened and everyone had their opinions on the matter. Some even took the liberty to make their own versions of the story.

Some of Farrah's aunts sat her down one day in order to convince her to change her mind. They tried to explain that somethings needed to be overlooked if she ever planned on keeping a man, even if it meant swallowing her self-respect. She knew her father was so angry that he was even refusing to pick up her mother's calls.

Everyone was disappointed at her. Somehow Salman had emerged from the broken engagement a victim, and Farrah the villain; and her mother was receiving the brunt of it. Farrah started avoiding people. She deactivated her socials, avoided further events and spent her free time in isolation listening to podcasts. She buried herself in work more than ever.

She also spent a lot of time in the divan beside the window in her bedroom. She watched the trees outside, how the leaves gently swayed when a wind blew in. She learned that the baby sparrow she had seen hatch out of its egg was now all grown up and had left the nest. Farrah forced herself to focus on the miracles of Allah to keep her mind from driving her insane with the memories of the boy she grew up with.

Occasionally, Farrah would chat with Dahlia and Layla. She received comfort, however little, knowing she had their support. There were days when she picked up her phone randomly to check if she had any notifications from the friend she was yearning to talk to. But there were no calls from Malika.

She did come to visit Farrah once a couple days after her breakup with Salman.

They sat on the divan besides her window and had a long chat. Farrah talked and she listened. Malika didn't say much, but she had cried a lot. She was the only person who left the house without giving their opinion on the matter.

Farrah knew it was unfair to make Malika choose between her and her brother; but she desperately wished her friend would choose her and take her side. They were each other's oldest friends. Farrah couldn't recall a time when Malika didn't have her back. It was unbelievable that she couldn't count on that support in such a difficult period of her life.

Farrah consoled herself by thinking that when all of this was over, they would be best friends again. Malika would casually stroll into her room and say with an eye roll, "never understood what you saw in that jerk to begin with."

A more rational part of Farrah knew that their friendship would never be the same again - and that loss was just as devastating as the loss of her first love.

The one person who stood by her side through it all was her mother. Farrah couldn't fathom it. Rani firmly shielded her against the vicious talks of their society and from the disapproval of their relatives. And never  - not even once - did she question Farrah's decision to end the engagement with Salman.

She knew a small part of it was because Rani didn't like him or his family. However, Farrah knew breaking off an engagement was worse than the reputations of the Bashirs' in her eyes. So for Rani to support her like this - it wasn't a matter to take for granted.

Farrah truly couldn't fathom it. The mother she had spent her entire life running from had become her only solace in a time she was run out by everyone else.

Farrah started spending more time with her mother. Sometimes they exchanged words, sometimes they didn't. Sometimes she just sat besides Rani and watched her work. But mostly, Farrah hoped she was by able to convey that she was  grateful.

Farrah glanced at the teacher in the front of the class.

Rashid Osmani was leaning against his table, his stretched legs crossed in front of him. His eyes were on his class, summarizing the night's lecture, emphasizing on the points to remember.

Farrah listened to him attentively and took notes. If he saw her quietly attending each and every one of his classes, which would be impossible not to, he never acknowledged it.

Farrah didn't care regardless. Staying back late and attending his classes had become as integral part of her life as coming to work. His soothing voice and wise words pulled her in each day. She could get lost in his lectures without even trying to, and throw away all her problems – even if momentarily.

"Amir." Rashid sighed, darting his gaze from the back of the class to a student on the right, breakin the spell he had cast over them. All eyes turned to the boy.

Amir smiled sheepishly, quietly lowering the piece of gum he was about to stick on of one his classmates. "Hi," he said. The entire class broke into laughter.

Rashid cracked a smile. But it was so discreet, it might have just been a mistake of the eye. "Throw that away," he ordered.

The boy was already vigorously trying to put the gum back in the wrapper. "Sorry, Professor," he uttered.

"Don't let me catch you acting like a non-human again." There was a fresh wave of sniggers.

Rashid cleared his throat. The class was still in shambles with excitement, but immediately quietened down as he started speaking again.

Farrah was biting her bottom lip to hide her smile. This is what truly fascinated her. He never raised his voice, never used threats – yet he maintained full authority over the rowdy teenagers. Of course, there were the troublemakers who made the class laugh like this occasionally, but even they never disrespected him.

Farrah picked up her things as class ended. She only had a couple items with her – a small notepad, a pen and her phone. She shoved them into her bag and shut the zipper. One of the boys tentatively approached her. He looked at her with a shy smile.

She twirled to face him properly, confusion on her face. "We were – I mean, I was wondering if I could get your notes?" he scrambled with his words to ask.

Farrah smiled at him kindly and shrugged. "I'm not even a student in this class."

"I know," he said. "But you're always writing things down. I thought it could come in handy for the finals."

"Did Amir send you?" Rashid's voice reached them as he approached them. The boy turned pale.

"No, professor. I'm here by my own will," he swore. Seeing the look of disbelief on the man's face, he added, "honestly." The nervous sweats popping on his forehead said otherwise.

"Tell him the only way he's getting notes is if he visits me during consultation," Rashid said firmly.

The boy glanced at Farrah. She was trying hard not to laugh, but still threw him a sympathetic look. "My hands are tied."

"Also let your friend know if I catch him sending others to do his bidding again I'll make him the class prefect."

The boy didn't need to be told twice. He turned on his feet and ran out of the room.

They both chuckled as they watched the student reach the door. Rashid watched the corridor fondly for a couple more seconds then his eyes drifted to Farrah. "Hope today's lecture was worth your time."

She stared at him with mild surprise. In all the weeks she had been coming here, this was the first time he was speaking to her. "Of course," she answered swiftly, looking at her feet. "They always are."

He lowered his gaze and nodded her once. Then he strode forward to leave the classroom.

Farrah started spending the majority of her free time with Rani. She was always busy with work or her personal chores, so its not like she had much to spare. But the little she did, Farrah tried to spend it with her mother.

Through their time together, she realized how lonely her mother actually was. Her father was never around; neither was Farrah. All Rani had was her friends. And she didn't have any work either, considering they had plenty of help around the house -  so the only thing she did to fill her time was talk to her friends.

Farrah was beginning to see she wasn't vicious or menacing like a lot of people in their society. She didn't mean harm or intend to hurt anyone – the woman was just mostly ignorant.

Dahlia's words of talking to her parents stirred in Farrah's mind. She decided to take little steps forward. She started telling her mother what she liked and what she didn't, what aspects of her life she didn't mind getting out and what she did.

Farrah didn't know what to expect. But she was mildly surprised to see Rani always listened to her enthusiastically. Truth be told, her message wasn't always conveyed successfully, but at least Rani was open to talking to her.

They sometimes sat by the mini dining room in their kitchen and sipped their evening tea together as they watched the sunset in the horizon.

"Don't know if you're interested, but I learned why Jolly's daughter was actually divorced."

Farrah turned her face from the faint gold and pink of the remnant of the daylight, and looked at her mother. The excited glint in Rani's eyes told her she didn't care if her daughter was really interested.

Another thing Farrah had learned, her mother's favourite thing to do while drinking tea was to spill tea.

"You know I'm not." Farrah rolled her eyes. "But I have a feeling you'll tell me regardless."

Rani leaned back, looking slightly offended. "You're never interested in any of my stories," she complained.

"Maybe if you stopped gossiping for once, I actually would be."

"I'm not gossiping," she tried to justify. "I only want to share what I heard."

"Mom," Farrah started with a sigh. "If you knew our neighbours were discussing my broken engagement in their homes, would you be okay with that? Then it isn't okay to discuss that woman's divorce either."

Rani pursed her lips in disapproval and but didn't say anything further.