Chapter 8: Meeting New Companion

It was 7 o'clock already and Sara's parents were home already. She had changed her clothes before her parents got home. Now, Sara was helping her mother cook and she was so happy about Aaron, but her mother was surprised because her daughter was helping. She waits for the time to go fast and keeps herself occupied because she doesn't want to wait for Aaron. She looks at the clock now and then and her mother asks her why she was looking at the clock every five minutes.

Ayesha asked, “honey, are you waiting for somebody? Or you have something to do?”

Sara was scared now because she didn't want to lie to her mother, but she has to, “no, mom. I was thinking about going for a walk around nine because I think I should exercise more often.”

Ayesha laughed, “Are you dieting?”

Sara told her, “no, mom. I just want to go for a walk because I feel like. Why can’t I go for a walk now? Why do you always ask me these questions? Can't I just do something that makes me happy, mom?”

“Dear, I was just asking because you were looking at the clock now and then. You can do anything you want, which makes you happy, I won't stop you”.

Sara doesn't say anything else and starts washing dishes. It also stopped raining. Her mother was amazed because she never helped her mother before and today, she helped her cook and also was washing dishes. She was curious if her daughter was alright, but Sara didn't anything about what her mother would think. She was only thinking about Aaron. She waits for every minute to go faster, but time goes as much faster as it has to. While Sara washes the dishes, somebody knocks on the door. Sara was confused that who could come to their house at this time because they didn't have any relatives in America, so, who could it be. Sara's mother opens the door and Sara got desperate to know who's at door. She hears her mother call her dad. They're all excited and Sara got more confused. She goes into the living room.

Sara asked, “who is it?”

Some people were already sitting in the living, and she didn't know them. “This is my daughter, Sara, and this is my best friend Izat Azeem, his wife Isha Azeem, and their son Farhan. Remember, I always talked about him.” Emraan introduced them. “Oh yeah, of course.” Sara's father had only one best friend, who lived in California, but their relatives were all in Pakistan.

Sara greeted them, “Hello, how are you all?”

“We're all fine, and you?” Before Sara could answer Farhan, her father interrupted, “You see, they live in California and he always asked me to come to their house, but we never got time. Yesterday, when I called him and look, they were here in Washington. So, I invited them to come to our house and stay here for few days.”

Sara smiled, “nice to meet you and I'll be back.”

Sara goes back to the kitchen and now she got afraid because she can't go out to meet Aaron. Her father has invited some friends and she had to be there. It is very rude to leave the visitors alone and not being with them. You have to entertain them and be nice to them all the time, that’s what her parents had taught her. Sara heard her father being so happy talking to them because he never had anybody coming to the house especially somebody from Pakistan and his best friend.

Sara started talking to herself, “Great, now I can't go outside to meet Aaron, but you know what my mom and dad I will still go, and I don't care about anybody else. I will do whatever I want.” Then again, she didn't want to hurt her parents, “No, I can't do that. I have to stay here and welcome the visitors, but Aaron's gonna be mad at me for not being there and he will think that I don't love him, and I was lying to him to make him go away. Now, I'm so stuck that's why I always stopped myself, but I didn't know that I was gonna fall in love with somebody and ready to do anything for him.”

Her mother comes behind, “Are you talking to yourself, baby?”

Sara told her, “no, mom. I was just wondering if I could just go to my room and relax cuz I'm so tired right now. Plus, I have school tomorrow.”

“Izat Bhai (Brother) is here, and you have to go sit with them. Please, baby, they will think that you're being rude and arrogant.”

Sara said to her mom, “please mom, stop forcing things on me. I just can't be nice; this is what I am, and I can't change myself for somebody.” Sara finished washing the dishes and running upstairs to her room. The visitors were sitting in the living room and her father calls her, “Sara” while she tried to run to her room. “Oh man, shit.” She said that under her breath, “Come here and sit with us. Isha wants to talk to you.”

Sara didn't want to say that, but she had to, “sure, dad.” Sara sat next to Isha.

“Look at you,” Isha puts her hand on Sara's head and combs her hands down, “you're so beautiful and you have lovely hair.”

“Thank you.” Sara didn't know what to talk about, then Farhan starts talking to her.

Farhan asked, “so, Are you still in high school?”

Sara told him, “yeah, this is my last year. I'm a senior.”

“Oh, I see.” She wasn't really interested in talking to the visitors, but she didn't want to be rude to them. Her parents and Farhan's parents were talking at the same time too.

So, kept the conversation going, “what about you?”

Farhan told her, “I go to college and it's my second year. So, where you’re going for college?”

“Well, I applied to The University of Montana, but I really don't want to go there.”

They both got into school talk, “What's gonna be your major?”

Sara replied, “biology, I want to be a doctor.”

Farhan told her, “why don't you apply to Stanford University in California. It has a really good Medical program and I go there too. Besides, we can spend some time together.”

Sara surprised, “really, Stanford University has a good Medical program? I would love to go there. Dad looks at what Farhan is saying. He said that Stanford has a really good Medical program there and I should apply there.”

Emraan asked too, “Really, son? Well, I will definitely think about it.”

They were talking and Sara's mother prepared diner for them. They were having diner and still talking, Sara was also started talking to Farhan about stuff in California. He asked her how's a school here and then tells her how the school is different from here and how they're alike. After diner, Sara's mother cleans the kitchen and Isha also helps her with the kitchen, while Farhan was talking to Sara. Emraan and Izat went to the living room and Sara's mother and Isha were in the kitchen. Farhan and Sara still sitting in the dining chatting with each other about school. She was having fun, and she didn't know that Farhan's interesting. Sara's mother tries to listen to her daughter's conversation.

Farhan told her, “you're amazing, Sara. I can't believe it. You're top of your class. I mean when I first saw you, I thought that you're some kind of a loser...” Sara slapped him on his shoulder, “shut up, man. You're crazy. I'm smart and pretty.”

Farhan looking at her, “of course, you are smart and pretty, well very beautiful.” Sara was smiling now and a little bit shy. “Okay, listen to what I was saying that when people look at you, they will think that you're not a study type girl cuz the way you look from outside, but when they'll get to know you. They will try to get away from you and be scared of you cuz you're so smart.

Sara rolling her eyes, “Oh really. I didn't know that you're trying to get away from me cuz I'm smart and you're not.” Now she's teasing him, “well, I'm smart and I can answer anything you want to ask. In addition to that, I like to hang out with smart girls.” Sara started laughing and now she realized that he's flirting with him.

Sara asked him, “are you trying to flirt with me?” Without hesitation, Farhan said, “I'm not trying, I am flirting with you.”

Sara started laughing, “Ha ha ha, very funny.” Farhan puts his hand on his forehead and Sara sees his watch. She looked at his watch and it was 10:30. She didn't even realize in talking to the visitors the time went by so fast. She stood up so fast and everybody stares at her, “sorry about that. Mom, I need to go for a walk.”

Ayesha eyeing her, “honey, we have some visitors.”

Sara told her mom, “I told you before that I really need to go for a walk.” Farhan speaks unexpectedly, “If you don't mind, can I come with you for a walk cuz I overate?” She said it so fast that she didn't even know that she was being rude to a visitor.

“No, you can't.”

Ayesha gave her a back look, “Sara, you're being rude.”

Sara apologized, “I'm really sorry Farhan. I didn't mean to be rude, but I can't take you along with me. Please, try and understand.”

Farhan told her, “It's okay if you don't want me to come.”

Ayesha forced her, “no, Sara. You have to take him along or else you're not going out at this hour.”

Farhan interrupted again, “no, Aunty. I'm okay.”

Ayesha tells her daughter that she has to take him along with her eyes and Sara didn't have any other choice. “Okay, fine.” Very upset, “Farhan, would you like to come with me?”

Farhan told her again, “Sara, you don't have to take me along with you, I'm okay here. By the way, I prefer watching TV right now.”

Ayesha told Farhan, “dear, I think you should go with Sara and you'll get a chance to look around.”

Farhan trying to cut the conversation, “alright, I'll go with her.”

Sara was so upset that her mother made her take Farhan along. She thought that Aaron was waiting for her and she was already late to meet him, and he would be really mad at her. She walks down the street and looking around, but he was not anywhere near the street.

Farhan asked, “are you looking for somebody?”

“No, no. I was just looking around and thinking about something.” Still looking for Aaron and went to the end of the street and saw Aaron's car parked at the end of the street. Something happened like butterflies in her stomach because she was eager to meet him.

Farhan asked, “what are you thinking about?”

“Nothing special, hmmm, if you don't mind. I'll be back in a minute.” She asked him to stay there and runs to where Aaron's car was parked.

She goes to the driver's side and looks through the window that Aaron was laying on his seat waiting for her to come. He waited for an hour and a half and that made her happier because nobody ever waited for her like this. She was so happy that she couldn't express her feelings. She knocked on the window and he sat up. He kind of looked upset to her and tried to open the door, but Sara didn't let him open the door. So, he lowered the window.

Aaron asked her to look at the watch, “you know what time is it?”

Sara told him, “Listen, I can talk to you right now. I have to go; I'll talk to you tomorrow. Bye!” Runs back to Farhan. Aaron gets out of the car and calls her out, “Sara,” runs after her, “What happened?” said Farhan, who was totally confused, and both of them were standing in front of him.

Sara told Aaron, “just go. I will talk to you tomorrow in school and I will help you with your homework there.”

Aaron confused with her behavior, “what? What are you talking about?”

Sara holds Farhan from his arm and introduces him to Aaron, “this is my dad's friend's son, Farhan and this is Aaron, my” she hesitates for few seconds. Both of them shake hands and hello each other. “friend's friend. He needed help with homework, and I promised him that I would help him, but now I can't.”

Farhan offered, “oh I see. If you want to help him, then go ahead. I can wait for you here.”

Sara told him, “no, Farhan. It's not due till Wednesday and he can wait.”

“If he is okay with that then just come with me and help me.” He puts his hand on her waist and Sara shook his hand off without Farhan seeing it.

Farhan said, “yeah, I'm totally fine with that.”

Aaron grabs Sara from the arm and takes her to his car. He opens the passenger's door.

Aaron told her, “Get in.” Sara still standing outside the car and looking at Farhan, “stop ordering me.” She didn't want to leave Farhan all alone standing on the street because he was their visitor. She felt very bad.

Aaron asked again, “Just get in the car.”

“You know what…” He was standing outside on the other side and Sara was standing on the passenger's door. “I think it's very rude to make my visitor standing on the street and me sitting in your car.” She shuts the door and goes back to Farhan. “Just go home cuz I can't be with you and I won't be with you till I have visitors.”

Aaron being angry, “alright, I waited here for almost two hours and you come here and tell me to go home.” He comes to her and tries to put his hands on her face, before he could do it, Sara shook it off.

Sara told him, “my friend is here, can't you see. We have to hide this relationship from everyone until I’m ready to tell my parents.”

“Now, this friend is more important than me.” She walks away from him and goes to Farhan. She doesn't even look back at Aaron and walks back home with Farhan.

Farhan asked her, “boyfriend?”

She was about to tell him the truth, but then she was afraid that he will tell her parents, “no, no. He's not my boyfriend.”

Farhan flirts again, “then I guess I have a chance.” Sara takes him lightly and laughs. She also hits him on the shoulder. “You have a beautiful dimple.” She sees that Aaron was driving with them and he lowered the window to talk to Sara.

Sara told him, “thank you, I get that all the time.”

Aaron yelled inside the car, “Hey, listen. Please, listen to me just one time. Why are you doing this to me?”

Sara excused herself, “Farhan if you don't mind, can you excuse me for a second?”

Farhan agreed, “sure.”

Sara whispering, “Aaron, please. Stop creating a scene. He's gonna think that you're my boyfriend.”

Aaron told her, “well, I am. Just listen to me, I will wait here all night if I have to and I won't leave from here till I talk to you.”

Sara being rude to him, “okay, then wait here all night.” She walked back, and Aaron made a U-turn. “Hey, Farhan, I'm really sorry that he is a little crazy. Can we go inside? I'm tired now.”

“Sure.”

They walk inside quietly and when they walk inside, they see that their parents were laughing about some stupid things they've done in Pakistan. Sara goes to her room because she wanted to see if Aaron was still outside. After few minutes, her mother calls her downstairs again. Sara didn't want to go downstairs, and it was already late.

Ayesha called out, “honey, Farhan wants to talk to you? Come downstairs.”

“Mom, I got school tomorrow and I want to sleep.” Sara hears Farhan talk, “If you don't mind, can I go to her room and talk to her there?” Sara liked him because he was smart, and she got to learn lots of things from him. So, she wasn't upset talking to him, but she was also worried about Aaron because he was waiting for her. She didn't know what to tell her parents, so she could go and meet him outside. She already made an excuse to go for a walk, but still, she couldn't meet him.

Ayesha permitted him, “yeah, if you want to.”

Sara was standing on the last stair and Farhan was coming upstairs.

Farhan asked, “Hey, I hope you're not sleepy?”

Sara told him, “Of course not. I sleep very late.”

Farhan curious, “and why is that?”

“Just can't go sleep.” He was standing two stairs down where Sara was standing, “thinking about someone special?”

Sara told him, “you can take it as a yes.” Both of them laugh.

Farhan smiling, “You're amazing, Sara Khan. I was getting bore downstairs, you know they just talk about their stuff and I don't know what to say. I was just sitting quietly, so I thought I should talk to you.”

“But I can't talk to you,” She made a serious face first, then suddenly she laughed. “Got you, I was just joking. Come on, let's go to my room.” They were walking to Sara's room, “my room is a little messy.”

“Don't worry, I like messy things.” Sara laughs, “you look beautiful when you smile.” She looked at him and he was staring at her, then suddenly he looked at the other side. “Can I ask you something personal?”

“Yeah?” She was picking her books and clothes from the floor, while Farhan sat on the study table and asked her questions.

“Can you take your day off tomorrow?” Sara was confused because it wasn't a personal question, “from school, I meant?”

Sara told him, “oh, I wish I could, but I got a test tomorrow. Is that what you wanted to ask me?”

Farhaan said, “not really, but I'll ask you some other time. I'm very sleepy and it's kind of late too.” She saw the clock on the wall in her room and it was 1:00 clock. The time shook her because Aaron was waiting for her outside, but she couldn't go until her family goes to sleep. Her mother giving blankets to the visitors and that made her happy. He walks out of the room.

Sara asked him, “you're not used to sleeping late?”

Farhan standing at the door, “sometimes, not because I think of somebody, but I go out with friends and come home late.”

Sara replied, “It would be so much fun going out at night. I wish I could do that too with my friends, but you know my parents, they never let me stay out very late.”

Farhan told him, “I got an idea, how about you invite your friends, and we'll go out tomorrow night. We'll have fun and I'll get to see around here.”

Sara excitedly, “that's a great idea. I hope my parents will permit us and if they do, then I call my friends and we'll have fun. I am so happy that we're gonna go out tomorrow, it's gonna be a lot of fun.”

She was so happy, and Farhan goes downstairs. Her mother turned the lights off and all of the lights were off now. Sara could only think of going outside right now. She wanted to tell Aaron to go home, but how could she do that. She didn't know what to do; everybody was sleeping, but she was afraid that if somebody wakes up if she tries to go outside then she'll be in trouble. An hour later, she thought that everybody must be asleep by now. So, she tried to go downstairs, but she couldn't because Farhan's room's light was on and she was confused that he wasn't sleeping yet. She went to see if he was alright, she knocked on his door.

“Come in.” Sara opened the door, and he was using the laptop, “you're not sleeping yet?”

Farhan said, “I couldn't go to sleep because of the new place, and I was bored so I thought why not chat with my friends.”

Sara replied, “Oh, I see. Hmmm, I'm gonna go outside cuz I dropped something downstairs. I'm gonna go fetch it, alright. I won't take long and if somebody wakes up just don't tell them that I'm outside. Okay.”

Farhan said, “alright, you're just going to get your thing from outside, right? Nothing else.”

Sara smiled, “yeah, of course. I'll be back and we'll talk, then you won't be bored anymore.” Then she winked at him.

She thought why she was telling him all this, he was just a visitor. But the thing was that she was afraid that if somebody finds out that she went to meet Aaron, then she'll be in trouble. So, she wanted to make sure that she told somebody that she went outside to get something. She walks slowly downstairs, so her parents couldn't hear her because the master bedroom was downstairs. She opens the door lock and shuts it behind her. She walks down the street and sees Aaron's car still parked where it was parked before. Before she could go and check Aaron in the car, somebody holds her from the arm and pulls against himself. It was Aaron, who pulled her from the arm.

Sara was shocked, “Hey, what you're doing here?”

Aaron replied, “if you weren't coming, then I was gonna sneak into your room.” Sara's eyes pop open and mouth open.

Sara said, “what? Have you gone crazy? What if something would …” Before she could say something else, he puts his hand on her mouth.

Aaron getting closer, “yes, I've gone crazy about you.” He puts his hand down and both of them look into each other’s eyes. He gets closer to her and reaches to kiss her, but she turns away.

Sara looking down, “I just came to tell you that you should go home now because I can't be out at this hour. Plus, I've got school tomorrow.”

Aaron walks back toward his car, “you know what, just go away and do whatever you want to do. When you'll have time for me, then come to me. I've been waiting here almost all day just for you and you come to tell me to go home. Wow... Just go home and have fun.”

He gets in the car and drives away. Sara was standing there and watching him go. Sara wanted to cry because he left her and was very upset with her. She wanted to do something that will bring him back. She runs inside the house and locks the door. She goes to her room and lays on her bed. She started crying so much and started talking to herself.

Sara regretting, “why do I always do this to him? I know I should give him some time; I try so much to give him time, but I have other things to handle too. I did try to tell them that I wanted to go for a walk to meet, but Farhan came with me. Also, I couldn't tell him no because he's a visitor at our home and I have to be nice to him. I don't even have his number, so I could call him.”

She wipes her tears, “Maybe, Neha has his number, but I can't call her at this time, and she must be asleep by now.” She started crying again. “I'm really sorry Aaron; please, just forgive me. I have some problems that's why I couldn't meet. Please, Aaron, try to understand. How do I tell him that?” She was crying so much and then wiped her tears, “why should I cry for someone who doesn't even care about me?” She tries to go to sleep and moves both sides on the bed but still couldn't sleep. She gets up and goes outside the room to see if Farhan's room's light was on, so she could talk to him and forget about whatever Aaron did. The light was still on, so she knocked on the door.

Farhan said, “Come in.” She opens the door, “If you don't mind, can I sit with you because I can't go to sleep?”

Farhan looking at her, “Of course. It would be my pleasure to spend the night with you.” Sara was in shock when Farhan said that, and he puts his laptop aside.

Sara laughed. “Oh my God, Farhan. You're really a bad boy. I'm so happy that you came to visit us cuz I really never had a guy friend from Pakistan, and I think we'll make good friends. I hope so.”

Farhan asked her, “Of course, yeah. So, you got school tomorrow.”

Sara rolling her eyes, “Yeah, boring. I know all the materials that teachers teach, so it's very boring for me. I just go to school for good attendance. That's all.”

Farhan told her, “I see, then why don't you take your day off tomorrow and we'll go spend some time together. Maybe try to become more than good friends.” Sara started laughing again, “You never stop flirting. Do you?”

Farhan smiling, “Of course, not. That dimple really suits you.”

Sara again rolling her eyes, “You already told me that.”

There was something about Farhan that always made Sara smile, but she never took his flirting seriously because he told her that he's like that. That's what he does to all his girlfriends because then maybe some girl would say yes to him. They have been all night talking about things that were not even important. For instance, what's their favorite movie, song, singer, etc. She was so lost in talking to Farhan that she didn't even realize that it was four o'clock in the morning when Farhan brush his hand on his head. She took his hand to look at the time and it was four.

Sara was shocked, “Oh my god, it's four o'clock and I've got to go to school in about 3 hours. If I don't sleep now, then I won't get up and I'll miss school.” Farhan said it immediately, “I wish.”

Sara laughed. “What? Farhan. I need to go now. Bye, sweet dreams.” She was walking toward the door to go to her and Farhan calls her from behind.

Farhan asked, “Hey, what time is your test?” She was confused.

Sara told him, “Well, it's at 2.”

Farhan said, “Alright, then call me when you finish with your test, I'll come to pick you up and we'll go somewhere because I really wanna see the city.”

“Oh, I see, so you want to pick me up because you want to see the city not because you'll get to spend time with me.” Now, she was teasing him.

Farhan teased her, “You're becoming like me.”

Sara told him, “If I'm gonna be with you this long and talking to you all night, then, of course, I'll become like you.”

“Or maybe you'll fall in love with me?” Sara changes the topic because she was already in love with somebody, who she can't even spend one minute with.

Sara informed him, “I will be done with my test at 2 and we’ll come straight home. Also, I will bring my best friend Neha and we'll go together.”

Farhan thinks a little, “That's also a good idea. Okay, done.”

Sara smiled, “Great.”

She gets out of the room and goes to her room. When lays down on her bed, it made her think of Aaron again. She was desperately in love with him and was eager to meet him or even get a look at him, but he was so mad at her because she couldn't go to meet him. She kept turning from one side to another and thinking about Aaron. Finally, she went to sleep after an hour later.