A week later I logged in a new chat room by following some links and ended up on MSN. I had made few friends online on Yahoo chat rooms and began enjoying the cyber world. Asfiya, left for Kuwait three days back and I preferred to be on the internet to kill the time as there was nothing else to do.

I looked out for someone interesting to chat on MSN as I was new here and one id 'freaky4u' grabbed my interest. Everyone tried to use flattering names in their ids whereas 'freaky' was the opposite of flattery so I grew curious. I don't know what made me type to him 'What's so freaky about you?"

But there was no reply for a long time as I checked on others but they were irritating and wanted to have improper chat conversations with me so I ended up blocking them for good.

A sudden blinking window popped up as it was written 'you need to find it out for yourself."

I rolled my eyes as I had already dealt with lots of flirts online and they hardly had my interest or time so I directly replied.

cutenkool: not interested!

freaky4u: really? Tell me ur a/s/l

cutenkool: noway! I don't chat with flirts please so if u r searching for someone, don't waste my time!

freaky4u: how do u know I am a flirt? We just started chatting with each other.

cutenkool: gut feeling...It's very strong!

freaky4u: looks like u have taken me all wrong...I'm here for honest frndship. Nothing else.

My inside yelled to log off and discontinue the chat as I was enough of this already but still something made me continue with him. I didn't believe him at all but still, I typed on the screen hoping he might be an exception and I may find a good friend but if he asks one improper question then I was logging off MSN.

cutenkool: ur intro first.

freaky4u: 25/m/indian

cutenkool: 16/f/indian

freaky4u: really? Where in India...?.

cutenkool: AP

freaky4u: is it Andhra Pradesh???

cutenkool: yes...it's Andhra Pradesh. How about you?

freaky4u: oh wow! Even I am from AP...So where in AP?

cutenkool: now I am not gonna disclose where I stay in AP of course!

freaky4u: y not? U cud be anywhere in AP and I couldn't track ur address just by knowing the city.

That definitely made sense as I wondered if it would be okay to share my city. This was the first time I was revealing where I stayed in India and I was totally skeptical about it.

cutenkool: hyd...

freaky4u/: really??? Even I stay in hyd...so where in hyd???

Ughh! Now I didn't want to answer that but something told me that he would again repeat the same answer. I planned on typing the wrong address as I lazily typed.

cutenkool: Nampally.

freaky4u: noway! R u serious...even I stay in Nampally....

cutenkool: really? I don't believe u.

freaky4u: y wud I lie? I really stay in Nampally....So don't give me details but are you presently staying there?

Of course, I was not in Hyderabad and nowhere in India. Presently, I was in Jeddah, and he was in Hyderabad expecting to meet someone from the same place. I snickered planning to burst his bubble.

cutenkool: presently I am in Gulf but I belong to India.

My smile disappeared when the screen blinked as this was totally bizarre. I mean how cheap someone can get to grab an attention.

freaky4u: this cudn't be happening. Even I stay in Gulf....So where do you stay?

I couldn't believe this guy. He was so desperate to have my attention that he was copying everything that I was saying.

cutenkool: Honestly, this is not funny. I hate it when men act desperate.

freaky4u: Excuse me? y will I act desperate?

cutenkool: whatever. I am leaving so better go and copy someone else' details!

freaky4u: wait a minute? u think i am lying to u?

What am I supposed to think? I did give this person a chance hoping to find a good friend but suddenly I started disliking him. I don't know why I was even here and chatting with him when all he was doing is agitating me by copying my answers. Not cool!

freaky4u: U r very judgemental.

How can he say that about me? My jaws dropped open when I read that as whatever idea of logging off the chat room vanished as I decided to stay back and argue on this matter. Who does he think he is and how can he say things about me? Who is being judgemental here?

cutenkool: Hello? Judgemental? What am I supposed to say when you are copying everything that I am saying?

I expressed my thoughts directly fuming at him for trying something like that on me. Did he think I was stupid?

freaky4u: it cud b the truth? y wud i copy u? look if i m looking for any hanky panky then there r lots of girls in this chat room but i choose to chat with u becoz i don't have any wrong intentions. We have been chatting from sometime and I find u really different than others.

That really made sense as I have faced the same thing in this chat room and maybe he suffered it too. I stiffened a little dismissing all the opinions that I had created about him and decided to give him one more chance.

cutenkool: KO. u go first...u tell me where do u stay in Gulf.

freaky4u: Dubai...UAE.

I sighed with relief as I was glad he was nowhere in KSA and now I typed eagerly without thinking that I resided in KSA. As soon as I typed that message, I regretted my action.

freaky4u: where in KSA?

I knew he would probe further and I didn't complain but replied knowing already what he will say.

cutenkool: Jeddah and now I am not going to tell u where I stay in Jeddah.

I could sense him with a big smile behind the screen as he eagerly typed back.

freaky4u: Not required. U r truly blessed to stay close to the house of Allah.

His words touched my heart as I loved the way he considered me blessed and all my apprehensions regarding him began to shed off.

cutenkool: alhumdulillah! i know and i love jeddah for it! have u visited makkah ever?

freaky4u: I have visited it twice n love that place. Wish I cud spend more time there but i m not that blessed.

cutenkool: We visit every month as its one hour drive.

freaky4u: that's great!...I am so glad we met and Well, I do look forward to our frndship. You are a girl who stays close to the house of Allah, u must b really special.

I didn't know what to say as he was really using his flattery against me and he did succeed in winning my appreciation.

cutenkool: same here...

Something about this stranger attracted me and we did exchange our email addresses though I didn't expect to keep in touch but he sent me two friendship e-cards that really left me charmed. He tried to remain in touch initially as his hidden identity was appealing and intrusive. We both planned to stick together and get to know each other as we started to admire each other and grew accustomed. We hardly had no clue where this relationship would take us further.

I eagerly checked my watch for the hundredth time as it was fifteen minutes past 3 as the meeting was coming to end. As soon as it finished, I dashed inside my cabin eagerly opening my laptop and logged inside the chat room and as usual, she was waiting for me. Seeing her online brought a big grin on my face and it sparked a euphoria within me as I eagerly typed in without wasting any more time.

freaky4u: hey! How r u doing?

cutenkool: u r late! I have been waiting for u from last twenty minutes.

freaky4u: sorry I was stuck up in a meeting and got in late. So how was ur day?

A knock on the door and I straightened myself wiping off the grin and checking myself in the mirror pretending to act seriously involved in office work and granted the person permission to come in. It was my PA with the cup of tea and biscuits which I signaled to be placed before me. She reminded me to call our client as he had called an hour before and I noted it down mentally giving her a small nod.

"Later, Maria...I'm in the middle of something." I lied and she didn't reply back walking out of the room leaving me in privacy as I let down my facade. I saw the online messages from 'cute' were waiting as my window blinked.

cutenkool: guess what? We are planning a trip to Makkah tomorrow.

freaky4u: u r really lucky. I really envy u. I wish I had settled there as I always want to settle down in Madina.

cutenkool: Beautiful city! It's really charming.

freaky4u: Ya, someday I will in Shaa Allah.

cutenkool: In Shaa Allah.

We had been chatting regularly from last ten days, and we have shared a few things about our lives. I revealed to her about my career and about my family whereas she talked about how she spent her childhood in Jeddah being an only daughter with two younger brothers. She was innocent, honest and cute with no exposure to the outside world. She was on my mind the whole day, and we planned to meet up on chat every day around 3 in the afternoon as that was the only time we could spare for each other.

The friendship between us was taking root as we joked and laughed. We enjoyed each other's company and all these days I realized that my virtual life had grown interesting compared to the real one as I looked forward to seeing her online every day as it immediately elated my mood. I wanted to know more about her as I grew curious and restless about this new found connection so one day I decided to ask her.

freaky4u: So can I ask u sth cute.

cutenkool: go ahead...what is it?

freaky4u: now that we r friends n know each other from sometime...we can reveal our real identities at least...

cutenkool: real identities? what does that mean?

freaky4u: real names, that's it! nothing more!

freaky4u: I am Zeeshaan Siddiqui and u r.....

She hesitated for a moment and I could sense it as if reconsidering her decision. Then she typed her name.

cutenkool: Zari....Zari Khan

freaky4u: Assalaamalaikum Zari...this is Zeeshaan here and I am so glad our names start with 'Z'.

cutenkool: that's a coincidence of course...

freaky4u: It means something. U n me with letter 'Z' and we r sitting beyond borders and yet so deeply connected. It seems strange but it means something .Doesn't it?

cutenkool: what does it mean?

freaky4u: we r meant to be....our frndship...it's unique and special in every way.

cutenkool: Yes, it is. I feel like I am dreaming sometimes.

freaky4u: Me too. It's hard to believe, isn't it?

cutenkool: yeah, so tell me ur hobbies. What do u enjoy most?

freaky4u:i m truly passionate abt my work. Someday I want to own a business and run it on my own.

cutenkool: wow! Supercool!

freaky4u: how abt u?

cutenkool: hmm. I love reading. I cud read anything and everything so basically that's my hobby and apart from that, I am on net chatting with u. so currently u r my hobby.

She sent few emoticons to cover it up as a joke but it hit me somewhere inside but I tried to ignore it.

freaky4u: wow! What is ur aim in life? U wanna be something or else just get married n raise kids?

cutenkool: of course, I wanna be in a medical field. Preferably, a doctor.

freaky4u: nice! So I m talking to the future doctor. Gonna marry a doctor in future then?

cutenkool: I don't know. Marriage is not in my plans.

freaky4u: Really? U mean u r too young to consider marriage or u don't want to get married at all?

cutenkool: I don't want to get married. It scares me.

freaky4u: Surprising! What's scary about marriage?

cutenkool: Everything. For girls everything is scary about marriage? You get married to a stranger and move into a new family. The thought doesn't settle down well with me.

Her message actually made me realize that we shared the same opinions regarding marriage as we both were scared of being tied down.

freaky4u: Ya, sharing your life with someone isn't easy but it can be fun. Don't u think?

cutenkool: No. What's fun in that?

freaky4u: Have u ever thought this way? You were created from his rib, how can you be a stranger to him?

cutenkool: U r changing my perspective by saying that but my fear is greater in this matter.

I smirked at myself when she typed that reply wondering if I could really do that when I was already holding a lot of skepticism about this institution.

freaky4u: what if u fall in love with someone? will u feel the same way about marriage then? Will your opinion change?

There was no reply from her and then I saw her log off which left me perplexed. I waited for her for long ten minutes but she didn't show up so I decided to send her an e-mail before I log off.