It was like thousands of fireflies had descended over Kaarchi as Farah looked down from her window in the plane as she and her family left the middle-class suburbs of Karachi to fly over to the glitz and glamour of Los Angeles. She had just celebrated her eighteenth birthday two weeks ago, and her parents had given her this surprise, but she was not really happy as this meant she was leaving all her friends behind, which made her angry and sad, but her father always spoke about the American Dream.
Mr.Yasir Malik was a heart surgeon and a deeply religious man, and along with his wife, Mrs.Rukhsana Malik, who was a child specialist, they raised their daughter along Muslim lines but let her explore her likes and gave her a lot of freedom that other girls in their family or neighborhood didn't have. Farah, being their only daughter, got this liberty as Mrs.Malik wasn't able to conceive after complications with the first delivery. She had also never failed them by being very good at her studies and getting good grades. Mr.Malik had been trying to get to the US since he was in medical school and finally got the chance when he found the spot as Chief Heart Surgeon at a hospital in Southgate. They had been planning to move for about two months but didn't want to upset Farah before her birthday, so they kept it a secret. He knew that his daughter would react badly, and he was not surprised by her reactions, but as he saw the plane rise higher and higher, he knew this move would make him and his family rise higher in society.
Mrs.Malik sat in the middle of the father-daughter duo, knowing both of them had their own thoughts and dreams, and was sure Farah would settle down as soon as she got started with her studies. Rukhsana loved and trusted her husband a lot. She was nineteen when they met in medical school, and after seven months, he finally sent the proposal to her father. Within three months, they got married, and she had Farah in their first month of marriage. She really admired her husband, as he let her continue studying after marriage and even after delivery, which wasn't the norm in Pakistan, especially twenty years ago. She knew how important going to the US was for her husband, and as they left Pakistan, she prayed that this move would benefit her family and that they would achieve success.
After twenty-five hours, two countries, and three stayovers, the Malik family finally landed in Los Angeles. Farah looked around, trying to take all of it in, as someone from the hospital came and escorted them to a car as they were driven away to their house, which was 4 hours away. Farah looked out of the window all through her drive as her parents fell asleep. She started talking to the driver and asking questions, which was quite new for her as this was the longest she had talked to a man who was not a family member. She quite liked it, and as they reached their house, her mood got even better. She had lived her entire life in a double-story house with her parents and her living on the ground floor while her uncle and his family lived on the upper floor, but this house was completely different.
The house had a small garden at the front and a garage, and as she went inside, she was mesmerized. It had an open kitchen and a dining area, along with a living room on the other side. There were three bedrooms, all located on the upper floor, and Farah was thrilled to have such a big room. As she completed the tour, she hugged her dad and apologized for her behavior, but her father didn't care, and they started to settle in. A month later, Farah started high school, and as she was really good at her studies, it didn't take time for her to catch up and for the teachers and other students to take notice. Her parents also thought that she was settling in, but for Farah, that was not the case. The thrill and joy of getting a big room and decorating had gone away as her high school was nothing like her school back home. She went to an all-girls school in Pakistan, but here it was mixed gender, and she felt uncomfortable around boys as she never really talked with guys her age, and even the girls were nothing like her. She used to wear clothes that covered her completely, irrespective of whether they were jeans, pants, tops, or blouses; she never showed any skin and covered her hair with a hijab.
She had not been able to make any friends, and it had been a month. As she was sitting in the cafeteria, pissed as she scrolled through Instagram, one of her friends from back home had posted images of her birthday, and she missed not being there, especially when one of her classmates here had her birthday the same day and invited half the school but not her. She was bemoaning all this when a loud whistle followed by her name brought her back to her senses as she looked at the cafeteria door. Coach Jones was calling for her. Farah was surprised, as were other students around her. She quickly grabbed her things, went toward the door, and followed Coach Jones to his office. Coach Samuel Jones was the head of the PE department and the football coach at the school. He beckoned for Farah to sit down as he started speaking.
"Farah, it has been a month, and you have skipped all your PE classes. Not only that, you have not signed up for the soccer tryouts. Now I know your other grades are good, but if you don't show up for PE, it will affect your chances at a good college, and last I remember, during your admission process, you and your father boasted about your great soccer skills, so please explain what's happening." He finished with a stern stare.
Farah gawked at him, tried to calm herself, and replied back.
"Coach I have been busy with other classes, which is why I skipped PE. As you know, I am new here and need to catch up. Regarding the soccer tryouts, I had no idea you guys actually wanted me to play." She finished quietly.
"Let me tell you this: I will ignore you not coming to the PE classes, but you need to try out for the soccer team, and if you get selected, you can skip the PE classes the whole year and it won't matter because of you being on the team, but if you are not selected, you need to be in my class every week and complete the classes that you missed." He finished
"But Coach, I can't do the tryouts because..." She paused
"Because what??" Coach Jones asked
"It's just that I can't wear the clothes that girls here wear back home. I used to be fully covered up while playing, so it wasn't a problem." She replied tentatively.
"Who told you that you can't cover up and play here? I don't care what you wear; just be at the tryouts tomorrow after school."
Farah called her mother as she exited the Coach's office and told her everything, and they planned to go shopping to buy tights, sleeves, and tops for her to wear at tomorrow's tryouts. Farah was really excited about it. She had always loved soccer, and this could be the way to make some new friends and not be the new weird girl anymore.
She woke up the next morning excited and chatted through breakfast with her parents; none of them were going to be there, but she was used to this because of their job. They never spent much time together back in Pakistan; she had her cousins, but here she used to be alone at home for hours after school. She spent the entire day waiting for tryouts, and when the bell finally rang, she moved towards the girls lockerroom with her gym bag. She stopped in her tracks as she entered the lockerroom and saw other girls changing in the open. She stood there for a few seconds before controlling herself and entering and standing in the corner, watching as girls without care took off their clothes, got naked, and changed into gym shorts and tops. She was contemplating what to do when this topless blonde girl came towards her, smiling.
"Are you going to try out as well?" She asked.
Farah nodded, trying to avoid the tits staring at her.
"Oh, how wonderful I am, Ashley. I am the vice captain of the team. You better get ready. The Coach is very punctual."
and she left to get ready while Farah stood there, not knowing what to do. First, she thought she would wait for other girls to finish and then get ready, but when one girl finished and went out, another two would enter, and so Farah couldn't do that. She was just thinking about what to do when Ashley came back and asked her.
"Why have you not started yet?"
Farah first hesitated but then told her that she couldn't get naked in front of anyone because of her religion. Ashely stayed quiet for a second, and then said,
Look, we are all girls here, and no one is paying any attention to anyone anyway. Just be quick about it, and no one will know. Listen, I need to leave now. I can't be late. Just do what I said, and I hope I see you out there." and she left.
