Chapter One : The Scholarship

The laptop was placed on the pillow and she was lying on the bed. Light from the screen brightening her face. One hand bellow her chin and another hand on the touchpad of the laptop. Her long dark hairs sliding on her back were just like her eyes. Big dark eyes with a spark in them. and face seemed to be made of milk-white, clear and shout. With the same blissfulness, she was staring at the screen and rolling her finger over the touchpad. After one click when no next page opened, her finger stopped. With worry in her eyes and pounding heart, she clicked buttons right-left.

Loading........in wait for the next page to load she flipped back her hair from the face.After a few seconds page was loaded. she brought her face near to the screen eagerly few stands from her hair dropped on her face. As she kept on reading her eyes filled with amazement. She smiled a little. She was drowned in uncertainty. It took a moment for her to realize what she was reading is real, it was all real. Her cellphone was placed on the side table of the bed. She gripped the cellphone and in hurry dialed a number. keypad tone disturbed the silence of the night. while she held the phone bell was ringing on the other side.

"Hello Grace"! the call was connected she was dancing in joy. "How are you? were you sleeping?" Her friend was saying something on the other side. She paused for a moment and then laughed"cut the crap and listen to me I have big news " she said twisting her hair around the finger.

"You won't believe me I know. Common on no its not about my bother's marriage"

She answered when Grace said something. 

"hey make a guess what I am going to tell you?"

She dragged the laptop away with one hand and with the other she took a pillow and leaned to it on the bed crown, stretching her legs and side by side Grace's guess's were making her laugh. 

"No! not at all" I am not getting married either. No babe, seriously? is this all that you can think about? ok listen to me carefully, do you remember the Fullbright scholarship we had applied for? can you believe it Grace? I have been selected for the Fullbright scholarship. On the other side, Grace screamed at the top of her voice with excitement.

"This is real Grace. I have received an email from the university 15 minutes ago". She tilted the laptop screen towards herself and looked for the time again " yes it was sent to me 15 minutes ago". You should also check your email, you have also applied right, see if you have received one too. She was still on the call when she shut down the laptop.

"I have seen Stanford University on the internet. It's very beautiful. but..." she suddenly stopped she had something on her mind. "Hello! Sarah are you there" Grace asked as she has felt something is off with Sarah. There is a problem Grace, we will not tell our parents about this scholarship. She whispered as she looked at the closed door of her bedroom. Actually, my parents want me to go to another university, they don't like Stanford University much. I don't want them to get worried. Something rattled on the window. She got leery. There were long thick curtains at the window, She shrugged her shoulder in disbelief and again concentrated on the call.

Actually, my younger sister was bullied over there so badly that she got sick, never to recover. She got some physiological disorder. From that very day, my parents don't like it. If I will tell them about U.S. only, a random university I am sure they will not object. And also my aunt Emma lives there.

She kept on listening to her friend and when she paused Sarah nodded her head "No". "not tomorrow! we have a party at our home. you are coming, right? I am wearing a gown my cousins are so excited. This party is going to be a blast. Ok, I have to sleep now, check your email before going to bed. It's getting late. Take care".

She hung up the call, threw the pillow in the air, and went outside. In the lounge, there was an awful silence. Sarah closed the door slowly and barely footed went to the kitchen. In a black T-shirt and trousers, she was looking like a night queen. There was so dark in the kitchen, she turned on the light and took a water bottle from the refrigerator poured it in a glass placed on the center shelf. This is when she noticed something, There was a flower bouquet along with a note.

Sarah took the bouquet, smelled it. They were so fresh that she felt freshness in her heart. Who brought it here? she open the envelope and saw it from the back. At the section of home address, there was written " Sarah John". No information regarding the sender was there. Only courier ticket was there with a date of yesterday. No one has ever sent her the flower. What is the case? she opened the envelope. It had a letter which said, " Welcome to Stanford University".