Episode 3
The scene shifts—
A beautiful sixteen-year-old girl was fast asleep on her soft lavender-colored bed. Her room looked like a little fairyland, filled with colorful teddy bears and toys, all neatly arranged in their places. The order and charm made the whole room glow with warmth.
Just then, a thirty-year-old woman walked in with a smile. She drew the curtains open and said playfully,
"Come on, my sleepy princess, wake up! Otherwise, you'll be late for school."
She kissed her daughter's forehead. Half-asleep, the girl rubbed her eyes and murmured in a drowsy voice,
"Mama, I don't want to go to school today… I'm so sleepy."
Her mother teased,
"If my daughter doesn't go to school and doesn't become something in life, then how will she ever marry a prince?"
The girl squinted her eyes open and asked,
"What does school have to do with a prince?"
Her mother replied seriously,
"Listen, all princes are rich boys. They live in grand palaces and study in the best, most expensive universities. Only those who are well-educated and refined belong in their world."
Cutting her mother off, the girl said,
"So what's my gain or loss in that?"
Her mother smiled softly.
"My sweet little princess, if you go to school regularly and study well, you'll get admission into a good college. And the better the college, the greater the chance of you becoming a princess one day. If not in college, then certainly in university—100 percent!"
The girl smirked.
"And what if I miss all those chances?"
Her mother chuckled.
"Then you'll just have to marry an ordinary man like your papa. But remember, you won't get to enjoy life the same way."
The girl's eyes sparkled mischievously.
"And what if I earn enough money on my own to become a billionaire?"
Her mother paused in surprise, staring at her. The girl nudged her, repeating,
"Tell me, Mama, what then?"
Breaking out of her astonishment, the mother said with a smile,
"Then, my dear, you can choose whichever prince you like."
The girl laughed happily.
"Now that's what I call a deal!"
Her mother reminded her gently,
"But for that, you must work hard. And to begin with—you need to go to school. Now hurry up, it's already 7:20. School starts at 8:00."
The girl jumped out of bed and dashed into the washroom.
Meanwhile, her father had set the breakfast table. Moments later, the girl returned, her hair neatly tied into a ponytail. She slipped on her shoes as a voice came from the kitchen:
"Hurry, Sanaa! Breakfast will get cold."
She sat down smiling. On the table lay bread, a fried egg, and a glass of juice. Her mother lovingly buttered a toast and placed it on her plate. The three of them began their breakfast with laughter and warmth.
Soon, a horn sounded outside. Her mother said,
"The bus is here."
Sanaa grabbed her bag. Her mother rushed to the kitchen, quickly returned, and slipped three sandwiches into the pocket of her blue coat. Sanaa kissed her father on the cheek, hugged her mother tightly, and received a loving kiss on the forehead. Smiling, she stepped out of the house as her mother waved from the balcony.
Sanaa climbed into the bus and sat on the second last seat by the window, her friend Ifra beside her.
On the very last seat, three boys sat together. One of them—a strikingly handsome boy with silky black hair brushing against his eyes—sat silently in the corner. His gaze lingered on Sanaa, hidden and cautious. No one noticed—not even Sanaa herself.
The scene shifts again—
The bus rolled into the grounds of a massive school. Dozens of buses and cars stood in neat rows inside the parking lot. Children poured out in noisy groups, laughing, playing, and pushing one another.
Sanaa, as always, was the last to step down. Just then, someone from the crowd pushed her. She lost her balance and stumbled backward—
—but before she could fall, a firm yet gentle hand caught her.