WASHMA
Today, Washma's hospital training had ended late. She was extremely exhausted. She gazed around....it was almost 3 p.m. The sun was still glaring so intensely it seemed like it would shoot fire at them. Vacations were just around the corner, and while Rozina and Saima had already gone home, Washma was still there.
It was afternoon, and Road Number 2 buzzed with traffic and students heading towards their hostels or Gardenia, the famous canteen of Peshawar University. The glint of excitement was easily palpable on their faces, likely because of the month-long break from the backbreaking routine of classes.
Her steps were slow due to weariness. Going to the hostel would make it worse. Thinking of the tasteless hostel food and the absence of Rozina, she decided to pamper her innocent tummy and turned towards Gardenia.
She ordered a plate of samosa chaat, then walked into the STC (Students-Teachers Centre)...a place where both students and teachers came to sit, eat, hold private study sessions, plan campus events, or sometimes merely gossip. Partitioned tables offered privacy for girls observing parda or for one-on-one lectures.
Washma chose one of the secluded corners, setting her plate carefully on the table. She pulled out a chair and dropped her bag onto the one beside it.
Around her, the murmur of voices blended with the clatter of plates and the faint aroma of fried snacks drifting through the air. With a weary sigh, she loosened her hijab, leaned back, and closed her eyes... stealing a brief moment of relief from the noisy world around her.
The dizziness in her head made her drift close to sleep...until she heard a chair being dragged across the floor.
Her eyes snapped open. Tamanna sat across from her, a crooked smirk curling her lips.
Washma's heart skipped. The sight of her was no less than a nightmare come alive. Her throat went dry, but she forced herself calm. Fear would only feed Tamanna's victory. With a nation raised on facing death as routine, Washma would not falter here. She gathered all her loathing into her eyes and said coldly:
"Being a medical student, you should at least know not to intrude on someone's private space."
Tamanna leaned forward, her tone strange, unreadable.
"Washma Wazir… wow, you actually talked," she said, letting out a wary smile.
"I'm glad we've reached a point where we can finally talk. And as for manners… honestly, I thought you'd have the decency to thank the person who found the assignment you were desperately searching for."
Washma's lips tightened.
"Seriously? You still expect thanks after nearly beating that girl to death?"
Tamanna tilted her head, unfazed.
"She deserved it for stealing your assignment. I know she must have told you stories about me, but believe me, I never had that kind of relationship with her. She just wanted attention, and I gave her that...nothing more. She misunderstood… had other expectations. The moment I realized it, I cut ties and even changed my room."
Her words only fanned Washma's fury.
"Even if I accept that...you stood by when she stopped going home, abandoned her family, and left her fiancé. She was drowning, Tamanna! And instead of saving her, you let her destroy herself!"
Tamanna shrugged, indifferent.
"You're blaming me wrong, Washma. I didn't ask her to do any of that.....it was her choice. So why should I interfere?"
Washma's anger rose like fire.
"And why did you hurt her?"
"Because she stole your assignment."
Washma's brows drew together.
"When you claim you don't care about anyone, I didn't expect your help… so why did my assignment matter to you so much?"
Tamanna's eyes softened, her voice carrying a strange yearning.
"Because it concerns you."
Washma stiffened. There was something terribly wrong about her....something not written on her face but screaming in her eyes.
"Tamanna, I don't know what you expect from me, but let me make one thing clear… if you're trying to drag me into some twisted relationship that defies the natural order of life, then let me tell you....keep this in mind: I want no part of it. I am true to my religion, and above all, I believe in nature and its consequences."
Her appetite was gone. Adjusting her scarf, Washma rose to leave.
But a voice stopped her mid-step.
"I'm not a lesbian. I've never been interested in girls."