The sun was mercilessly burning down her back. Everywhere, it shone its harsh UV rays down, burning backs, aggravating sweat glands and damaging skins. It was midday, lunchtime. She was sitting at the bus stop, waiting for that damn bus which often eluded her the moment she reached that blasted bus stand. Her head felt hot, any hotter than that, she could fry an egg on her head. Already, the busses that stopped by were chogging enough fume to asphyxiate anything with lungs.

Still she stood there, waiting.

She was determined to get to where she wanted. It was her ultimate goal of the year to get her driving license. So, underneath the sweltering midday sun, she stood. Each day was a step closer to her dream.

The next bus came, stopped and out tumbled a string of people from it's stomach, in all shapes and colours. Then she noticed someone. He was that chap from TV. The Bara guy, all clad in his blue Civil Defence uniform. Uggh, NS boys, she thought. He was with a fat friend, also in that ugly blue uniform and they were merrily chatting away. They tumbled out of the bus and stood somewhere near her, probably waiting for another bus to transport them to God knows where. Honestly, she couldnt stand him. Bara kental, she thought in her all typical resentful style. She was slightly irrational when sizing up TV personalities. Often quick to judge when she didnt even know them personally.

She looked away from him for she didnt want to give him the satisfaction of being noticed. To her, he was just an ordinary guy. So what if he appeared on magazines or TV? Did he have to look all conceited? Besides, who was she to worship the ground he walked on when he took the same public transport like her?

Then he stopped talking to his friend and glanced at her. He had a weird expression on his face. Not smiling, but not frowning either. But what? She looked away. Damn, where was the bus!? She was getting uncomfortable under her own skin as the chap chatted with his buddy but kept making furtive glances at her. Finally, the bus chogged along and she heaved a sigh of relief and hurried the bus to stop and swallow her in. Already, she was melting under the hot sun. But much to her surprise, they were boarding the same bus too!

Darn. So she stood by the door while he took his place at the very end of the bus with that fat friend of his. She didnt have to risk a glance at him to see that he was glancing occasionally at her. She could feel his eyes on her. Strangely, she felt provoked and repelled by the attention. She hated TV personalities like him for some strange reasons. Heck, she doesnt even follow local dramas that much. So why wouldnt he quit even after she was giving the look-at-me-and-i'll-bash-you-up look? But her destination was nearer for after 3 stops, she alighted.

And never did she look back at that Bara guy whom later she remembered as Izwan Ali.

And little did she know they were to meet again a year later. This time, under different circumstances.