Aisha

It was a quiet night. Not much went on. Jackie and Aisha had had a quiet night in in the flat because the night before, Jackie had been on his date and he just wanted a night an after last night’s festivities.

Well, I say festivities.

They sat in front of the telly and watched Live At The Apollo. Michael McIntyre was on and he was fantastic as always. Jackie was in hysterics but Aisha wasn’t convinced. She was more of a Lee Evans fan and thought that McIntyre was just silly.

“I don’t get this guy!” Aisha complained. “He just…camps about everywhere!”

“That’s part of the fun!” Jackie responded gleefully. “It’s just funny!”

Aisha still wasn’t convinced.

“I’ve seen cat videos funnier than this bloke!”

Jackie ignores this as he sips a bit more of his beer and enjoys the comedy.
Aisha, however, was annoyed. Jackie had been on his date last night but hadn’t said a peep about it all day. He’d very much kept himself to himself and Aisha was gagging to know what happened. She would assume it went well or went badly but Jackie had been in his same mood as always. Annoyingly. So he wasn’t letting on at all. Secretly, Aisha wanted the date to go badly because she was still head over heels for him. But there was another part of her that knew that it went really well. As much as she wanted to know, she didn’t want to force the issue. Instead, she just kept quiet. As always.

Aisha and Jackie had known each other for a number of years. They were at secondary school together and were in pretty much the same classes except for one. Aisha would not be seen dead in an A Level History lesson. Over time they got closer and ended up at the same university together. Aisha was studying Philosophy while Jackie was studying Politics. They lived together in halls of residence for a year as well as living in student housing for two. All that time, Aisha was in love with Jackie but Jackie never looked at her twice. Instead, he found these really weird women who he had nothing in common with.

Before last night’s date, Jill, there had been two girlfriends Aisha had experienced. The first was Mary Arnold. She was, in Aisha’s words, “a total bitch”. She was a notorious cheater around the school and had more partners per week than banker in a club in Soho. Mary and Jackie were together for two months before Jackie finally put a stop to it. She’d cheated on him numerous times. Something she’d stupidly revealed before they were about to sleep together for the first time. Understandably, Jackie went mad and threw her out.

The second girlfriend was Rani Travaldar. An Indian exchange student to the university who was also studying politics. She came from a respectable Indian family in New Delhi but she was very much a rebel. She’d been brought up by strict parents who refused her to have any male contact before the age of 21. That’s not a cultural thing. Just them. So Rani came to the UK the first chance she got for two reasons. To spend a year in the UK to help with her politics course back home and to have some kind of male contact. Rani was a lovely young woman and very genuine, but she was slightly provocative around her fellow students. She wanted male contact and, for a time, didn’t really care who. Luckily for her she met Jackie who was very understanding and, in Rani’s words, ‘the perfect guy’. They ended up sleeping together a few times much to Aisha’s dismay and had a rather good relationship. However, as the end of the year came, Rani decided she wasn’t going to come back to England after finishing uni in India and decided it was better to end the relationship. Jackie was devastated but realised it had to happen. They ended on good terms and still talk. She’s now finishing uni in India and has met a guy called Raj. She’s happy.

And so to Jill. Jackie met Jill quite by accident. Jackie and Aisha decided one day to go hill walking for the weekend close to where they lived. On the second day of walking they came to the top of a particular hill, they encountered a woman who had broken her ankle while returning to fetch a backpack full of water bottles. Jackie attended to Jill and stayed with her until the air ambulance came. Jackie went to visit her to see if she was ok and then they hit it off. She was only a year younger and still in university so they were in proximity and got on really well. It was perfect. For everyone but Aisha. Aisha hadn’t been in a relationship since she met Jackie. She’d had a couple of one night stands…but they didn’t mean anything.

And so, back to the present, Aisha still couldn’t get the details of the date out of Jackie. So she decided to leave it until he was ready. Jackie seemed to be relatively happy now watching the comedy so it seemed likely that the date went well. Aisha came to this realisation and looked a little upset about it but carried on. That’s all she could do really. She had that over-whelming feeling that she’s lost him for good.

As she was thinking this, Jackie’s phone went off. A text had come through. Jackie read it and smiled. He gets up and walks towards the door.

“Where are you going?” Aisha asked.

Jackie opened the door and there was Jill. She stood there very sweetly. Jackie smiled.

“Hey!”

“Hey!”

The date had gone well. Aisha felt uncomfortable now. Jackie invited Jill in.

“So what are you doing here, Jill?”

“I just wanted to see you. If you’re not busy that is?”

“NO! Of course not! Aisha and I were just watching some telly. Care to join us?”

Jill nodded.

“Sure! Hi Aisha!”

“Hi Jill!” Aisha replied through gritted teeth.

Jill sat down with Jackie and started to watch the telly with them. After a few moments, Jill curls up into Jackie, who then supports her. They look like a cute couple. Except to Aisha. She couldn’t cope with this. She stood up.

“I’m a little tired. I’ll leave you two love birds alone!”

They all say goodnight as Aisha disappears towards her bedroom. She turns a corner out of view and stops. She listens in to their conversation. Jackie is the first to speak.

“I had a great time last night you know…”

“So did I. I love ice-skating!”

“Same. Maybe we could do it again sometime?”

“I’d like that…”

They stop talking for a moment. Aisha looks confused for a second at the silence…but then she can hear them kissing. A tear falls down her cheek.

She’s lost him again…