Stairway to Heaven

25. Sportsweek

"Finally you decide to show up for the sportsweek and yet—! You are spending it all in hospital! Tell me Hajra—you actually hate having fun, yes?" Hajra heaved a soft sigh, while walking besides Aymen towards the sports ground.

"I did attend funfair in 1st year and that too was on your convincing only—" Hajra reminded Aymen, who shivered at the horrific memory.

"Ugh—How could I forget that. Anyways, won't you stay for the match?" She asked, while looking for a seat on the bleachers.

"No. I have to finish working on that research with Dr. Hashim." Hajra answered without a break, while trying to shield her eyes from the glaring sunlight.

Her gaze accidentally caught on him, who was doing warm up with other players for the football match.

"He likes you. Definitely—" Aymen's words made her heart stop beating for a moment. She gasped out a shaky breath and turned to Aymen startled.

"Huh?" She quacked out through flush creeping up her cheeks, while gaping at Aymen, whose gaze was fixated away from Hajra towards the bleachers, as she tried to find for herself the perfect seat to watch.

"I have seen how he looks at you and it's not at all so simple, as you like to think—" She turned to Hajra with a cheeky grin on her lips, who could only gawk at her blankly, at a loss for words.

"What?" Aymen cocked her brows at her questioningly, who wasn't able to get a word out of her mouth.

"Who—" Hajra managed to utter shakily and caught a visible frown forming between Aymen's eyebrows, before she averted her gaze.

"Who else? Dr. Hashim! That's who we were talking about, just now. Why do you look so confused, Hajra?"

At her remarks, Hajra felt herself getting physically deflated. She turned away with a sigh and sneaked a glance towards the playground.

"It's nothing—"

————————————

"Mateen?"

He turned around surprised at Dr. Hashim's voice.

"Assalamualaikum, Sir—" Mateen beamed at him, who returned with a warm smile of his own.

"Everything alright? What are you doing here? Didn't you have a match?"

"Just got finished with it. Salman had got injured in the middle of it and was brought here to the Emergency. Just came in to check on him—"

"Is he alright?"

"Yes. Thankfully, it was nothing serious—" Mateen returned with a small smile.

"That's a relief. And? Who won? The mighty Raazi, is what I want to hear—" Dr. Hashim inquired playfully about his team during his college years, which Mateen was part of now,  too. They talked walking towards the Residents room.

"Yes, Alhumdulillah." Mateen answered slowly and entered the room by his side.

"Anymore games you're participating in, this year?" Dr. Hashim inquired while turning towards the refrigerator and asking Mateen about his beverage of choice.

"No, just football this year. Had a lot on my plate—"

"True. So, only a few months left, huh? What's the plan?" He asked again, while going through the files scattered on his table.

"You know—Same as before." Mateen returned slowly while taking a sip out of his drink.

"Same? Nothing changed?" Dr. Hashim asked with surprise brimming in his eyes. Mateen only sufficed to nod. Dr. Hashim had always been his favourite senior. They knew eachother since School and Mateen had always found him a reliable source of support and guidance.