MIXED BAG

Author's Note:- This one shot deals with various social agendas, focusing mainly on the misconception of Islam as a religion, the idea of extremists and also a bit of feminism. The story is purely fictional.

This is a second installment of Mixed Bag. Because Launchora doesn't let one edit or update their story, I'm bound to create new stories as parts of  the bigger one. Sorry for the trouble and if you haven't yet, please check out the first one shot to this series, "Indecisiveness". Regards.

Riots were on their zenith around the University. Most of the colleges were locked down and some were still open being rebels against those aggressive terror bringers who didn’t think twice before skimming down women with lashes on streets in front of everyone, an apt punishment for discarding the banishment. However men supporting these revolting ladies had never been seen being executed or punished or even warned. They would always receive a cordial home visit that would make them disappear before they could serve tea to their guests. Well then, no blood had been shed from the male part so far and women who now had more whip marks on their backs than veins in the area still had the courage to stand and bear the pain. Educated Muslim women, not all though. Hindus who tried to help faced even terrifying ends. Men were kidnapped and butchered down in some secret camp, video clips were on air to prove and women were gang raped and then lashed down until they accepted Islam or died. Government could kill those devils if only they were not millions in number. Trying to kill them was trying to kill the whole of their defense and themselves. The only thing that could be done was to dismiss the new queen, confine all the Muslim women to their houses under proper hijab and starting to appoint missionaries of Islam to convert whole of the country into Muslims.

"Saera? When did you get out of the hospital?" a girl leaped towards her friend who had just entered the classroom with a pale smile. Small healed bruises on her arms and a canola still taped on her left wrist.

"I'm so glad you're back. I'd been counting on you but you blacked out before me!" Another from the pack came forward to hug her.

"Ouch!" Saera backed out as the girl squeezed her lightly into a hug.

"You know you could come at least after you had been healed enough to be hugged." the last one of the group helped her sit.

"I know but half of the class is still at the hospital or at bed rest. I didn’t wanted to lesser the number even more. I'll be fine in a day or two. Where are the boys?" she said putting her side bag down and taking out a pamphlet.

"I called them, they're on the way. What is this?" the first one fished that paper out of Saera's hand.

"Besides, she had to meet Karan. You know Saman, kisses can heal thousand times better than meds." the second one teased as she took her place on the desk in front of Saera. Saman the fourth one sat beside Saera wigging her eyebrows as if to ask her,'Is that it?'

"Who knows better than Anam? She got into shape faster than any of us. Vishal's kisses must be really magical. How about sharing it with Saman and me?" said the first one with the paper unread in hand, shoveling the second one called Anam to make space for her on the desk, jeering.

"Sisters sharing the same guy? C'mon Razia, I've better standards than that and Anyway I've got a crush on the Prince." Saman tossed her stray lock of hairs back with that and held her nose high as Razia the first one laughed and others followed.

Pakiza had been sitting over the last desk, all alone in the corner of the classroom, staring towards the gate absentminded listening to what those four girls were talking without giving much attention. She had been trying to concentrate hard on what had happened after she graduated. During that one year she had decided to start her career. Who was that man she had the strange urge to see, where was the place that smelt of Pizzas and the tall girl with striped crimson highlights over broader blonde ones on the right side of her long sleek hairs. She had a dream the earlier night that explained a lot of things and at the same time, filled her head with a fresh set of new questions about what had happened next.

It was still 8 in the morning and only early students were coming to the college. One of them was Asfa who exchanged morning wishes with the group of four girls quickly as she entered the class and hurried off to Pakiza.

"You saw this?" she thumped the crumpled sheet of white paper in Pakiza's hand to grab her attention. Without saying anything, Pakiza straightened the paper to see.

"This will help." she said straight faced.

"I knew she would do something. Soon everything will be fine, like earlier." Asfa snatched the paper back, folded it and slid it inside her backpack safely.

"You know what I would like to do after that?" Pakiza glanced at Asfa.

"I know. Don't push yourself Pakiza, its just been a week. Give yourself some time." Asfa tried to console her but she knew her friend didn't need it. She was calm and peaceful, more than she ever had been since she knew her and it wasn’t some outer show, her mind actually had settled its burning inquisitions. She hadn't cut herself off the chaotic world she had been living in, she just had focused her mind on that one year that she couldn't remember. The one year she had hardly spent with Asfa or any of her other friends that she has a sketchy remembrance of being friends with.

"I know. I know where I spent most of my time last year. It was a Pizza Shop. It was before I get admitted here, after I did my graduation, during vacation time…" Asfa sat attentively as Pakiza started to tell. Nobody knew much about each other here unless they were friends before graduation and people like Pakiza didn’t even care to make new friends because who needed friends for just a year. Although Asfa was the closest among other people she talked to, she hardly shared much about herself during that time and now nobody could help her remember anything. Anyhow , this was the first chance for Asfa to know something that Pakiza never cared to tell.

"Pizza?..."

"Yes. I had been working part time from around half an year there. I think they liked me…" she smiled.

"Who? Which Pizza Shop?" Asfa didn’t wanted to rush but she certainly wanted to know.

"My manager and the staff. They taught me how to bake Pizza and bread but I don’t know where it was. And then they shifted their shop but they didn’t fire me or any of their staff but most of the people left because this new shop was far from their homes. Not mine though and so I didn’t leave."

"You know where this new shop is?"

"No. I just remember my first day there. You want to know what happened?"

Asfa nodded a yes. She was keen to know.

"It was early in the morning. I don’t know the season, maybe between summer and monsoon. The shop was on ground floor near the main road, leaving a parking area on the front. The manager's office's door and the restaurant's main door were side by side and I remember I had all the keys to the shop. I must have had an important place there for I wore a uniform. Red and white striped full sleeve shirt and a red office skirt with white stockings. I hope I wasn't the waitress. No I cant be. Waitresses never get keys.

So I opened the lock of the office from outside, under the metal shutter, it was a glass door cut from the glass wall adjacent to the exact replica for the restaurant. It had a toilet on the left just near the entrance and a office desk with a rotating chair towards the far end, same side. Opposite of the desk was the gate to the diner area and further next to the table was the gate to the kitchen. In the right, the space near the gate to the diner was covered by a large oval shaped dark chocolate colored leather recliner. The corners of the cabin were decorated by four feet tall metal flower stands…"

"the picture is so clear in your head." Asfa was amazed at her description.

"Yes. Either the memory is important or I had been at that place quite a lot.

Well, I unlocked all the doors there were and came back to sit in the office. Everything looked new and fresh and the supply in the kitchen had still been packed. The morning was cool and refreshing and through the office door, I could see the sun rising slowly over the single and duel floor stores across the road…"

"How did you feel there?" Asfa saw an expression of relief on her face.

"Peaceful. Do you know something like urban calm?" she asked suddenly drifting from her trance.

"No."

"If you had been there, you would have…"

"What happened after that?" the mention of peace in such heated atmosphere made Asfa wanting to know more, having forgot when was the last time she actually felt it.

"I was confused of my position there. I was the first arrival in the morning, I had the keys, I wore a uniform and I was sitting in the office so I assumed I was the new manager there and so I spinned in my rotating easy chair cheerful at the thought. While I was imagining my staff who'd be coming soon and the customers that they'd be attending, I saw two men clad in classy black suits walking in a haste towards the office gate, one following the other, discussing something. The one at the back was middle aged, had thick specs on his nose and a small black suitcase in his right hand. He seemed to be listening and nodding on what the man leading him to the office had to say. I could see the car parked in front of the office from which they had come out." she described a little confused.

"You know them? What was the other guy like?"

"No. I was confused to see them hurrying towards the office with such confidence and authority. The other one was around in his mid twenties, fine built, tall and however I don’t remember his face, I know he looked charming. In a moment's time, he pushed the glass door inside and fell short of words to see me rotating in the chair. He glanced back at the other man, clearly embarrassed and excused of what they had been discussing so far to walk and talk to me."

"Embarrassed? Of what?"

"He stooped over me holding the arms of the chair causing it to stop spinning. 'Thank you miss, for opening up and checking the supplies. I am here with my lawyer now and you may leave to your work station.' he said with an effortless, sweet smile. I didn’t move, instead frowned puzzled. 'I'm your manager.' he told me understanding my unspoken query. As realization dawned upon me, I stood up instantly. In my awkward hurry to go out as directed, I brushed past that man chest to chest and shoulder to shoulder. That brief moment of touch is something I could not understand."

"what do you mean? Did he try to touch you on purpose?"

"It was purely accidental. His touch was…" she was struggling hard to define it. "tempting." she said massaging her temples.

"Tempting. Do you remember anything like having a crush on him?" it had been quite a long time since she had a chance to have normal girls' gossip so Asfa was suddenly excited.

"I don’t but it might be possible. I walked out of the office to find that it was almost noon now and the diner was swarming with customers. The staff was busy taking orders, baking, serving and cleaning and I started monitoring them over, slowly figuring out, it was exactly what my job was. It was the opening day of the restaurant and every other customer had discount vouchers with them. Soon it become more busier and I came up with a problem to ask the manager. As I reached for the door to his office, something fell from my hand and I bent to pick it up. That is when I turned my head towards the keyhole and saw the manager sitting in his chair with a tall, slim and beautiful girl standing on his side cross armed, facing him with a pen that she was holding to her chin. She had blonde and dark red highlights in her hair and an aura of professionalism around her. It might be her office dressing and her straight stature."

"I'll assume you don’t know her either."

"No, I don’t. She looked like his assistant but I don't think a diner owner needs an assistant given that I was already there as a junior manager. I couldn’t hear what they were talking about but it seemed he was curtly denying something that she had suggested. In response, she put the pen down on the table, moved back and prepared to leave. As soon as she turned and took a step towards the gate I was peeping in from, he held her hand, got up and walked to her side to stop her. It didn’t look like a professional business now."

"You think she is his relative?"

"Might be. She turned to his side to face him. He had her too close to his body now and his hands on her waist. She rested her hands on his muscular arms as easy as if she's used to it. Then he touched her cheek with his right hand and they leaned in to kiss each other. It was a simple smooch. There was no sense of nervousness or wildness or urgency or trials to go deeper or anything else. They were hardly even moving. A picture perfect posture of a gorgeous couple kissing at a constant pace, so constant that they looked almost lifeless, statues. Both of them stood straight on their own feet, neither of them inclining over, making it look like none of them wanted more to happen. Their lips caressing each other's almost mechanically. During the end of it, I felt as if they were doing it as formally as they seem to do their jobs, like they were doing it for demonstration purpose, professionally. A feeling less, weird act of love yet I felt certain sharp pain in my heart to see them kiss."

"You were jealous?"

"Not really. I was pained to see him kiss, nothing against her. I watched closely. His tall figure overshadowing hers, his strong arms holding her, his handsome face and his lips gently moving with hers. I was pained to see him and not be with him. It is bad to dream such I know Asfa, ammi would call the Maulvi right away to have me purified if she knew but I do not want it…" she looked troubled now.

"You don’t have to." Asfa said patting her back.

"I was worried." she cooed looking at her face.

"What for?"

"For them. That office had a whole front wall made of see through glass. What if somebody had seen them? Kissing? These kind of activities are performed in closed rooms for a reason. These are forbidden Asfa, for Allah's sake, they could have killed them." cold sweat sprouted over her forehead.

"Relax! Relax Pakiza. Don’t overstress yourself."

"Yes. I relaxed when I noticed the door, the wall again. It was not transparent glass, not from both sides. This cleared why he had not noticed me spinning in his chair from outside, my manager. From outside, the glass was a mirror, reflecting one's own image. What happened inside, remained inside." she looked considerably unperturbed now. Asfa sympathized with her friend.

After the classes, when it was time for them to walk back home, the usual practice of beating the girls with lashes until they bled was being executed with a freshman student in the whipping ground, which once was a playground. Pakiza glanced back to see the sobbing girl but Asfa quickly pulled her forward. She knew Pakiza had not healed enough to take another beating session yet. After the last one that blew her memory, she remained engulfed in her own thought stream that sometimes disturbed and sometimes helped her find that 'urban peace' only she seemed to know about.

"You know? What would I do after this is over?" she asked her friend who always listened to her patiently.

"What?" Asfa asked.

"I'll open a Pizza shop and find my manager." She walked head high without looking at her friend.

"Your manager?"

"Yes. Perhaps he would like to kiss a human." she said, no feelings showcased at her face. Only hassle-free calmness.