Call

"Hey, Derek," Nara said as soon as she picked the call.

"Hello sis, how are you?" Derek asked her.

"Am great, how are you?" she asked back. Mike kept asking her who it is. "Who is it?"

Nara showed action at him to shut up and keep silence and pushed him away.

"Great," Derek did not know what else to say or ask Nara.

"How are you? How is school?" Nara asked him seeing how awkward the call is turning into. This was the first ever time she had received a call from Derek whom she was not close with but had heard from Taaliyah often. Wildest imaginations began to run inside her head. 'Could they have done something wrong. Could they be dating and got caught at school and home or something?" she wondered.

"Am okay Sis," he replied.

"Okay, What is it? Why did you call me suddenly?" she finally asked him unable to resist her thoughts.

"Ah that," he hesitated. "I wanted to know if Taaliyah is okay,"

"Why?" Nara asked. "You guys see each other at school and keep in touch, how would I know? Oh yeah, this is vacation, why don't you ring her then?" she suggested.

"We kind of had a fight sis," Derek opened up. And she is avoiding my texts,"

"Oh so that's the problem," Nara finally understood what was going on. "Are you in the wrong? If so tell her you will get a shawarma for her, she will be cool and forgive you," Nara gave him a great idea she always did.

Mike kept watching her animated conversation with a guy he had no idea about.

"That's it?" Derek was not sure about it.

"Yes, you want more?" Nara asked.

"Sure, why not?" Talk to her sincerely, she will understand," Nara said and smiled. Taaliyah has never been stubborn in her unlike her who fought everyday with people until she came to college. For a moment, Nara forgot all about her sickness and smiled which made Mike smile too. But he snapped out of it and walked towards her again showing her the watching indicating how they are running out of time.

"Okay I will try so," Derek said.

"Yes, Ok then I got to go, bye Derek," she said and hung up.

"Who was that?" Mike asked the first thing.

"Derek,"

"I know it's Derek but who is he?"Nara laughed seeing his expression.

"It's Taaliyah's best friend, oh God Mike, whom did you think it is? My new Boyfriend?" Nara asked him after clarifying his doubts.

Mike felt relieved but he had doubts. "Are you seeing someone?"

"No," she said straight. She had no hesitation to say truth nor any will to fall in love again in her life.

"Me too," he said feeling relieved once again.

"Why?" she asked him surprised.

"No interest and found nobody worth my time?" he said proudly.

"Who do you think you are? A king?" she mocked him.

"Yes," he said and looked at her. Her lips looked pale. "We are late, let's hurry before the laboratory shuts down. They work only till 7 I heard. He held her hands and ran out.

Nara sat down on the stool to give more blood samples. The nurse tired a band around her arms to check her veins and tried getting the blood. She looked away from syringe that filled with her blood and the nurse was not smoothly handling it at all. She felt the needle moving inside her vein and it ached a little along. Mike held her other hand to which she clutched on tight. He stood like it did not hurt him fingers at all.

"Relax, it's over," he told her. Nara then waited to get scanned in front of a room. And she was called inside while Mike waited outside, alone. He spent the time looking at the various posters stuck on the walls.

Nara laid down and the doctor spread something like a gel on her throat. She laid still and was feeling very tensed. She prayed hard and hoped there would be nothing. Few minutes later the doctor gave her the report. "Is there anything wrong?" she asked him.

"Nope, you are fine, it's a very minor thing, like there is almost nothing, just had a course or two according to tour doctor prescribe it. Find a doctor in the hospital here and not the one from infirmary to get proper guidance if you wish," the radiologist advised her. Nara felt relieved to hear it. Her prayers were heard.

"Thank you doctor," Nara said and got up from the bed.

Mike hurried towards the door. "What does it say?"

"There is nothing here, let's wait for the blood test reports, I will go see the doctor in the medical college here,"

"Yes that's better, I will come with you," he added.

"No, don't miss your classes," she said trying to stop him. But she had no idea what major he even belonged to. "Which department are you from?" she finally asked as they walked back to her hostel.

"Visual communication," he replied.

"Am.." but Mike stopped.

"I know, Chef Nara Malik," he smiled and said. He handed her a cover while they reached the hostel. She looked at it and back at his face.

"What is this?" she asked him.

"Dinner, you can't mess around having no food, this is lamp soup and some biriyani, your favourite, have it," he said and kept it in her hand. Nara smiled as tears started whelming her eyes.

"Thank you," she said. And she walked into the hostel. She wrote on a register, marking her attendance and climbed upstairs to her room. Her roommates hurried and circled around her asking about what happened to her. All three of them were from other departments hence they met only at nights in the room. It was 8 at night. She felt lonely and hence decided to call her mother and talk for a while.

"Umma," she said and tears started rolling down her face. Her roommates saw it but ignored it giving her privacy.