Don't you miss me?" she asked the person sitting opposite her, raising her head.
Her eyes were moist and her face was filled with sorrow.
"Yes, I miss you a lot. That's why I am sitting here with you," he replied.
"How long will all this continue, Umar?
How long will we keep meeting like this? I am scared now. We should tell everyone."
"Have you gone mad, Mawra? Do you think this will happen so easily?"
he immediately interjected.
Mawra, who was sitting next to him, was wearing a pink frock with white shalwar (trousers) and a silk dupatta (scarf). She wore a pendant around her neck . She wore the scarf, but her front hair was visible.
Umar was dressed in a white shalwar kameez (tunic and trousers), with messy hair and red eyes.
They were sitting side-by-side.
Those who intended to sacrifice everything for each other were sitting together today yet could not even look each other in the eye.
Mawra said, "Umar, I am exhausted from all this now.
If our families find out in some other way, it will be much more difficult."
Umar, who spoke after a slight pause, said, "We will tell them soon."
After a long silence, Mawra spoke, "You won't leave me halfway, will you? You won't forget your promises, will you?"
Umar looked into her eyes and, after a pause, said, "Do you really think that?"
Mawra remained silent.
Umar said, "Remember the time when we met each other for the first time."
Every year, a fair was held in the village, which all the villagers attended.
Mawra eagerly awaited that day every year, hoping it would arrive soon so she could enjoy it thoroughly.
This was the second opportunity she had, after Eid, to truly live her life throughout the year.
She would go with her friends, roam around, ride the swings, eat sweets, watch the circus, and have a great time.
This year, too, she had already made plans with her friends and had prepared her clothes to wear to the fair.
All the friends had gotten matching outfits stitched: a green kameez (tunic) with light green shalwar (trousers), and paranda (decorative hair accessory) in their hair.
No matter how hard her friends tried to look their best, Mawra looked the most beautiful even when she wore something simple.
Mawra used to go to college in the city from her village. She was doing a simple BA from the college. She had two friends, Amna and Zahra, who were her classmates and were also from her village, and they were her best friends.
Mawra's family had a somewhat conservative mindset, which is why they were not allowing Mawra to go to college. However, Mawra pleaded with her father, and he finally agreed, and she started going to the city college."
Anyway, all her preparations for going to the fair were complete.
That's enough now, sit down somewhere. Your friends will be arriving soon. Why are you in such a hurry?"
"Mom, you know I can't wait any longer!"
"Yes, yes, alright. Now, eat something. How will you go out hungry?".
"No, Mom, I'll eat something there."
"Oh, you'll eat there, will you? You'll eat all those dirty things and ruin your stomach, and then lie in bed for a week."
"Mom, please! Don't say anything bad. Don't worry about me."
"Yes, yes, fine. All this is your father's fault for giving you so much freedom. Otherwise, no girl in this entire village would live like this!"
"Mom, why do you bring up my freedom in every conversation? Is going to college to study wrong?
I feel bad for those innocent girls who are capable and intelligent but can't even go to school. Mom, times have changed. People should change now, and so should their thinking."
"The times may have changed, but people's customs and traditions do not change with the times," her mother retorted.
"Mom, what is the point of such customs and traditions that choke the freedom of people?"
"What is the point of such freedom that leads people into bad deeds?"
"No one can make you understand, Mom."
"And I don't need to understand either."
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
"It must be Amna and Zahra. I will ask them, where were they all this time? It's too much!"
Mawra went and opened the door. "Yes, where were you so long? Who takes this much time? I've been waiting for hours! Now, are we going when the fair is over? What's the point of coming now? It would have been better if you hadn't come at all!"
"Hey, hey! Let us catch our breath! Will you keep talking yourself, or will you let us say something too?" Amna asked.
"Speak!" Mawra said, pouting.
Actually, Zahra's mother wasn't feeling well, so when my mother went to her house to fetch Zahra, she sat down there to ask about the auntie's health.
Then Zahra's clothes weren't ironed; the poor girl was busy serving her mother. After that, Zahra ironed her clothes, and then we finally arrived. So, time was wasted in all these things.
Otherwise, we would have reached ages ago."
"Alright, I forgive you."
"Mom, please tell Mithu to call the rickshaw driver for us. We are getting late."
"Mithu! Go quickly and bring the rickshaw driver!"
"Yes, Baji (Sister/Miss), I'll be right back!"
In a little while, the rickshaw driver arrived, and then the three friends set off toward their destination.
All three were very happy and full of excitement. It was three o'clock in the afternoon.
They were all wearing matching clothes, yet Mawra still looked a little distinct from the others.
In just five minutes, they reached the corner of the village where the fair was set up.
It felt as if it were a different world altogether.
Swings were set up everywhere.
There was a monkey show in one place, and a bear show in another.
There were people everywhere, lost in their own merriment.
Garlands of artificial flowers were hung all around. Food stalls were set up in various places.
There was noise and vibrancy everywhere.
The three of them plunged into the crowd of the fair.
First, they decided to watch the circus, so they headed in that direction.
They went to the circus , and there they saw a small girl walking on a rope, that too in the air.
The rope was tied on both sides by a stick of wood on each end. And that girl was walking on the rope.
Just then, a voice came from Zahra:
"Hayaa, just look over there!"
All three of them looked in that direction. Four boys were standing one on top of the other, first one, then the second on his shoulders, then the third, and then the fourth.
All three of them were simply astonished seeing this.
Just then, Mawra said, "I want to eat something. I am very hungry."
"So let's go, there's a food stall. Let's eat something."
The three of them started walking towards the food stall. A little further on, they saw a snake charmer's show. In it, the snake charmer was playing the 'been' (flute), and the snake was dancing.
First, the three of them stopped, then Amna said, "Let's go, let's go. I'm scared."
Mawra quickly said, "Why would we leave? Now that we've come, we'll only leave after having complete fun."
"Okay, okay, be quiet. Let's watch for 5 minutes," Zahra said.
Amna just stood there, pouting her face.
"Here is the biggest snake of this area, which no one has ever seen till today. Once you see this snake, everyone's mouths will drop open. It has been brought with great difficulty, caught from the jungles, especially to show you people... Come, look!" the snake charmer was speaking loudly.
And the three of them started laughing, hearing his voice.
Just then, he opened a green-colored basket. Then he started playing the 'been', and a long, black-colored snake came out of it, right before their eyes.
For a moment, everyone was startled by looking at the snake...
Amna grabbed Zahra's hand.
"Oh dear, Amna, what happened? Nothing will happen. Even he is sitting in front of it," Zahra said.
Amna said, "I think someone here was getting hungry..."
"Okay, okay, let's go, just let me see one more snake."
Then, after repeating his speech, the snake charmer opened another black-colored box from which a brown-colored snake came out, swaying its head to the rhythm of the snake charmer's 'been'.
Then Mawra herself said, "Come on, let's just eat now."
First, they went to the Jalebi vendor. Zahra said, "Brother, give us jalebis worth 50 rupees."
Amna said, "Take less. I don't want to eat that much. I'll just eat a samosa."
After this, both of them looked at Mawra, thinking she would say something now, and with that, Mawra said,
"Yes, and I will eat both!"
Then all three of them started laughing.
While eating jalebis, they were also visiting the food stalls.
They took 4 samosas from the Samosa vendor, and as they walked, Mawra said,
"That's enough now, no more anything else, or the stomach will get upset, and we'll get scolded at home."
After that, they went to the accessories stall where there were earrings, pendants, bracelets, and much more.
As soon as Mawra saw it, she liked a bracelet. The bracelet was a silver-colored chain with small black-colored hearts attached to it.
"Brother, how much is this?" "Only 40 rupees."
"Last time I took it for 30."
"Sister, it has been a year. A lot changes in a year."
"Okay, okay, take this 40 rupees and give me one."
Amna bought 2 pairs of earrings, and Zahra bought one pendant and a pair of earrings.
Then Amna quietly said, "I say, there's so much rush, I'll just pick up one bracelet."
At this, Mawra looked at her with such an expression that Amna immediately said, "What happened? I'm just joking! When I've bought all this, I can buy one more bracelet."
Mawra said, "Good."
"Let's go and drink something now. We've already eaten," Zahra said in a low voice.
The three of them walked as usual. There was a crowd of men and women everywhere, along with children. People were eating, shopping, and watching games.
Amna was saying that after drinking something, we will...
"Ouch!"
She had just said this when Mawra's scream was heard...
A boy forcefully bumped into Mawra; their shoulders touched each other. Mawra was about to fall when the boy grabbed her hand. In the loud noise of the crowd that was echoing across the sky, a sudden silence fell everywhere.
Their eyes met each other.
The boy was lost in her eyes when, just then, Mawra angrily said, "I'm saved, I didn't fall. Leave my hand!
Can't you walk carefully? Can't you see a girl is coming from the front?"
Adjusting his collar, he said, "Excuse me, madam, I was on my path. You didn't look and you bumped into me."
That's a good excuse you guys have, bumping into someone on purpose."
"Look, you are misunderstanding," the boy said, stammering.
(He was wearing a brown shalwar kameez, had a white skin tone, slightly long curly hair, was tall, had light brown eyes, muscular shoulders, and a black strap-like bracelet on his wrist.)
"Can't you see that you were busy talking to your friends while walking, so how is that my fault?"
Amna and Zahra just watched the two of them with their mouths open.
Mawra said, "First, you bump into me so badly, and then you lecture me? Maybe you don't know my father..."
"Look, I don't need to know him. You were the one who bumped into me, but anyway, I'll say sorry. Now, please go."
"Huh, big shot!" (Mawra quickly said.)
"Come on, you two," she said, and the three of them walked away.
The boy was about to leave when he saw a bracelet lying on the ground with small black hearts hanging from it.
"Hey, listen!"
But by then, she was out of sight.
The boy went back a little, but the girls had already disappeared into the crowd.
"He was a sweet boy, though," Zahra said.
"Sweet, my foot!" (Mawra said, making a face.)
"Why are you so angry? Believe it or not, you were the one who bumped into him, and on top of that, you insulted him," Amna quietly said.
"So what else should I have done? Given him too much freedom? A guy like him would take that as a sign and try to take things further, right?" Mawra replied.
"The way your eyes met and your hands touched, but the one feeling shy was me," Zahra said.
"Okay, stop praising him now. Let's go get a to drink," Mawra said in a strange tone.
They walked over to a sharbat (sweet drink) stall. There was a large vessel of sharbat on a cart, and the vendor was shouting, "Ten rupee glass! Ten rupee glass!"
Mawra said, "Brother, three glasses of this."
"Just listen for a second…"
Mawra had only half-finished her sentence when a voice came from behind.
All three turned around and saw the same boy they had just encountered.
"See, I told you guys I was right! That's what boys do. You've been following us since then."
"Please listen to me," the boy politely said.
"You listen to me! You must have other work here, besides following girls, of course."
"This bracelet is yours."
"Oh, yes! That's yours, Mawra," Zahra said.
"Yes, it is mine. How did you get it?"
"It fell. I picked it up from where you left."
Zahra said, "Sorry, brother. Please give it to us. We apologize to you."
He handed over the bracelet, looked Mawra straight in the eyes with a strange smile, and walked away.
Mawra's face showed shyness.
"Actually, you two were right. Maybe I shouldn't have spoken to him like that. He just came to return the bracelet. Anyway, change the topic," Mawra said.
Just then, the vendor brother said, "How many glasses, Miss?" Amna replied, "Three glasses."
They drank three glasses of the cold sharbat.
Then the three of them went to ride the swings.
They chose the biggest swing. The ticket was 20 rupees, and they had a lot of fun.
The swing was so big that when it reached the very top, the entire fair could be seen from there.
All the colors, the smiling faces of the people, the stalls—everything. They were just swinging in the air
It was almost 6 PM. Amna said, "That's enough, let's go home now. We can't get any later, or Mom will scold us."
Mawra said, "Yes, okay, let's go. I'm scared of my father, too. I'm also late."
After this, the three of them first went straight to Mawra's house. After dropping her home, Zahra and Amna went to their respective houses.