Chapter 1
Today marked nineteen years since she had come into this world.
She sat quietly on her bed, lost in thought. Across the room, her roommate who was also her cousin sat on her own bed, completely absorbed in her phone. It was an ordinary evening, just like countless others they had shared together.
At seven o'clock, they headed to the mess for dinner. They spent nearly forty minutes there, eating, chatting, and sipping coffee before returning to their room. Once again, each retreated to her own little world behind a glowing screen.
But tonight felt different.
An unfamiliar restlessness tugged at Noor's heart. She tried to sleep, turning from side to side, but sleep refused to come. Finally, she sat up and walked to her cupboard. From inside, she took out her diary and a novel.
As she did every night, she wrote a note of gratitude in her diary, thanking Allah for the blessings He had bestowed upon her. When she finished, she opened her book The Strangers and began to read.
Seventeen pages later, her concentration faded. The words no longer held her attention. With a quiet sigh, she placed the diary and book beside her pillow, lay back down, and picked up her phone.
She scrolled aimlessly.
Then her roommate suddenly called out, "Noor, look at the reel I just sent you!"
It was a familiar routine between them. Despite sharing the same room and sitting only a few feet apart, they often sent each other reels instead of speaking directly.
Noor glanced toward Nisa and smiled faintly.
"Okay," she replied.
Nisa was merely a nickname; her full name was Mehrunisa.
Moments later, silence settled over the room once more as both girls returned to their phones, each drifting back into her own digital world.
The next morning, the sun was shining brightly.
Noor's eyes fluttered open as warm rays of sunlight streamed through the window and fell across her face. Groaning softly, she sat up and pulled the curtain shut before collapsing back onto her bed, hoping to steal a few more moments of sleep.
A short while later, her alarm rang.
Today was her viva, so there was no escaping the morning.
She switched off the alarm and sat up properly this time. Glancing across the room, she saw that Mehrunisa was already awake, reviewing her notes and memorizing important points for the viva.
Noor gathered her messy hair into a loose bun and climbed out of bed before heading to the washroom.
A few minutes later, she returned after washing her face and hands. Picking up her phone, she opened the slides and began revising for the viva. Once she felt prepared, she and Mehrunisa went to the mess for breakfast.
Aloo paratha was on the menu that morning.
After finishing their meal, both girls returned to their room and began getting ready for university. They both wore abayas and observed hijab and niqab, so their preparations were simple and familiar.
Once ready, they locked the room and made their way downstairs to the ground floor. Leaving the hostel building, they started walking toward the university gate.
After a short walk, the large green entrance gate came into view. Students moved in every direction some entering, others leaving, and many chatting with friends as they crossed the campus grounds.
Noor and Mehrunisa showed their student cards at the entrance and stepped inside, joining the steady flow of students heading toward another busy university day.
Just inside the university entrance stood a large, old tree whose branches stretched wide, casting cool shadows on the pathway below. On one side of the tree was the SOCA Department, while a little farther ahead, the parking area could be seen beneath the stadium.
Noor and Mehrunisa made their way toward their department, which was located right beside the stadium. The campus was already buzzing with life. Students walked hurriedly through the corridors, some carrying books, others laughing with their friends.
As soon as they arrived, they spotted their classmates.
The nervousness that had been building inside Noor since morning eased slightly as she joined the conversation. She exchanged greetings, chatted with her friends, and listened as everyone discussed possible viva questions one last time.
Before long, it was their turn.
Noor took a deep breath and entered the room. The viva went better than she had expected. A few questions caught her off guard, but she managed to answer them confidently. When she finally stepped outside, a wave of relief washed over her.
"It's over," she said with a smile.
Mehrunisa laughed. "Alhamdulillah."
With their viva completed, the tension of the day slowly faded away. The two cousins spent a little more time with their friends before deciding to head back.
The afternoon sun hung high in the sky as they left the department and walked across the campus. Passing the large tree near the entrance once again, they showed their cards at the gate and exited the university grounds.
The walk back to the hostel felt much lighter than the journey earlier that morning. There were no notes to revise, no questions to memorize, and no viva waiting for them.
For the first time that day, Noor felt completely at ease.
Reaching the hostel, they climbed the stairs, unlocked their room, and stepped inside. The familiar space welcomed them back with its quiet comfort.
Another university day had come to an end.
