We didn't realize we were making memories
We just knew we were having fun.

..................................................

The next day in college.

Everyone were gathered in the canteen. They all were giving a puzzled look to Sadiya and Junaid. Ayman was throwing daggers at sadiya.

"What? " asked Sadiya feigning innocence.

"Will you tell us how you are related to Ayman's professor" Amina inquired.

"He is our elder brother. It was great fun to watch you shocked at that sight" Sadiya laughed out.

"Why didn't you tell me yesterday you gadhi (donkey)" Ayman was glaring her. If looks could kill, she would definitely be six feet under.

"As if you let me speak. You were just blabbering about how much you hate his presence" sadiya replied.

"Junaid why didn't you tell us" Bushra turned to Junaid and asked him.

"well I was not present when y'all were having that convo. And before that you were busy Fangirling him" Junaid answered while rolling his eyes.

"So were you jealous?" Amina asked while controlling her laugh. She thought 'why not have some fun pulling his leg'.

"Why will I be jealous? That too of my own brother? Nope. Not gonna happen"

"why did that khadoos had to be your brother" Ayman cried out loud. She pulled her legs up on the chair and put her head on top of her kneecaps.

"Stop calling him khadoos. He is anything but that. It's just that you had a wrong first impression about him Ayman. He is still the same loving and caring bhai I talk about everytime" Sadiya said sitting next to Ayman and lifting her head up with her hands.

"I just hope we don't cross paths much and everything goes right. I do not want to get screwed again" Ayman remarked.

"Okay now please continue having lunch. I'm hungry" Zeeshan exclaimed happily eyeing the lazeez Naan and butter chicken in front of him.

"Me too" Anam joined him.

"when are y'all not hungry guys" Nabiya stated shaking her head at the amazing duo.

Zeeshan and Anam were the foodie duo. Those two would always think about food anywhere and everywhere they go. Their motto was 'work could be done later on, food comes first. We can't miss out on delicious food for assignments'.

After having their lunch they continued chatting. Later all of them departed to their classes.

Ayman was happy because she didn't have to see her new professor today, as they didn't have his class.

She had to submit an assignment, so she went to the staff room. 'Damn! I hope he isn't in the staff room' she thought.

While she was placing her assignment she noticed her professor. Her happiness was short lived.

Now that I've seen him let me just ask him why didn't he mark me absent yesterday, She thought.

"Umhmm, excuse me sir" she called him.

He looked up to see that it was Ms. Hayat. "Yes tell me Ms. Hayat" He said without giving her attention.

"Thank you for for not marking me absent yesterday"

"Well that was your last chance Ms. Hayat. I will not tolerate you coming late again" he told her without looking up from his documents.

"Yes sir, I'm sorry it won't happen again" she said.

"You can go now" he told blankly.

She walked out thinking about his attitude and trying her level best to ignore it. He didn't even look up at her while talking. She was still looking at him and walking out when Nabiya called her name.

While she was coming out she spotted Nabiya and her friends. She walked up to them.

"Ghoorna band Karo, nahi toh Pyar hojayega" Nabiya said chuckling.
(stop staring or else you will fall in love)

"Pyar my foot Aur vo bhi ye khadoos ke saath. Tsk Tsk not gonna happen. Taubah Taubah." Ayman said horrified. She couldn't even imagine it.
(love? My foot. And that too with this grumpy man? Never)

"Anything can happen. Only time will tell" Nabiya said smirking.

"I do not want to get involved in this love matter and all. I don't believe in it. It only causes pain" Ayman said looking away.

"What do you mean by you don't believe in love? You are talking as though you've been hurt by your loved one's" Nabiya Inquired. She knew ayman was a happy go lucky girl. She wouldn't even imagine anyone hurting her friends.

"Love only destroys you and there is no place for love in my life"she was saying when she got a call from her father but she just ignores it. She dint want to talk to them right now and spoil her mood. She couldn't forget what he did to spoil her life 3 years ago. She thought of calling her brother later on.

"Anyways leave. Come let's go" She pulled them with her to the next class.

∴━━━✿━━━∴

Once Ayman and Ayesha headed back to their pg, they heard a knock on the door. Ayman was really tired and she dint feel like talking to the person on the other side of the door so she asked Ayesha to open it but Ayesha just ignored her and ran to the washroom.

With no other option left she went to open the door. She found a delivery guy standing with a box wrapped in white and red gift wrapper. She takes the box from him and locks the door.

"Who was it and what is that in your hand" asks Ayesha after coming out of the washroom seeing the box in her hand.

Ayman opens it and screams in pleasure. It had a white Persian cat in it. Ayman had a liking for cats but her mother wouldn't allow her to have one. Now that she lived separately she could keep the cat.

Ayman pulled the cat in her lap and started patting on its head. The cat liked the effect of massage and laid down in Ayman's lap. Ayman was really happy and all her tiredness vanished after seeing the cute white cat.

"Ayman who sent this to you? " Ayesha inquired.

Ayman peeped inside the box and she found a note.

A beautiful white snowball for my cute little sister. I hope this cat brings joy to you.
~Faazil

"It's from Faazil bhai, Ayesha" Heat crept up on Ayesha's cheeks when she heard his name. Ayesha quickly started playing with the cat to avoid being questioned by Ayman for the redness on her cheeks.

Ayesha had always adored Ayman and her bonding with her brothers. They took good care of Ayman and had always supported her in her decisions. Ayman would always talk about her brothers and she had a liking for Ayman's younger brother Faazil. He was just 2 years elder to Ayman but he treated her a lot maturely.

"Ayesha please look after the cat I'll go talk to bhai and come" Ayman passed the cat to Ayesha and walked to the balcony to talk to her brother.

∴━━━✿━━━∴

"Assalamu alaikum Bhai" greeted Ayman loudly once Faazil had picked up her call. He pulled the phone a little away from his ear after listening to her joyful voice.

"Yaar Manu I do not want to turn deaf and Walaikum assalam Manu. By your energy I get to know that you got my lil surprise"

"Thank you thank you thank you SOOOOOO much for the surprise. I really loved it Bhai."

" you're welcome and I know I'm the best brother and your most favourite one" he sang making her roll her eyes.

"Acha now don't fly too high and tell me where is Shaamil bhai. I need to talk to him" Ayman asked for her elder brother. She thought of asking about the call she received earlier.

"Give me a min I'll pass him the phone" saying this he handed over the phone to Shaamil.

"Assalamu alaikum bhaiyu" Ayman sang once again.

"Walaikum assalam Manu. Did you get Faazil's gift?" he inquired.

"yes bhaiyu I did. It's very pretty and I loved it. By the way, I wanted to ask you why did abbu called me earlier today?" Ayman sounded a little happy in the starting but her happiness faded when she asked about the call.

"Okay so they had called you to inform you that I'm getting engaged by this weekend and we need you to come here for my engagement" he said.

Ayman was happy to hear about her brother getting engaged. She really missed him and wanted to meet him but she didn't want to go back home. She was not ready for it.

"Bhaiyu you know that's not possible. All of them will be there and I do not want to face them. I'm not ready for this bhaiyu" she sounded sad and lost.

"Ayman I want you to come home and no, we haven't invited them. Please come back for your brother's happiness atleast" he tried coaxing her but he knew that it was of no use. He knew she wouldn't come.

"It's alright take your time. But I need my sister to attend my wedding atleast. I'm leaving you this time but I won't be leaving you for the wedding" he added.

"I'm sorry bhaiyu but it's really hard for me. In shaa Allah I will be there for the wedding" she spoke for another five mins and cut the call.

This was the moment ayman was dreading the most. She didn't want to go back to her family. She knew her parents loved her but their one decision spoilt her life. She couldn't face them. She knew they were guilty and they wanted their daughter back. But it was not easy for Ayman. Even if Ayman had forgiven them, she couldn't forget those days of her life. The most dreadful and horrible days of her life.

She came back to the room and saw Ayesha playing with the cat.

Ayesha saw Ayman was a little sad and gloomy. She thought of cheering her up.

"Ayman what do we name this cutiepie? Let's keep some unique name. I don't want you to call it snowball or fluffy" Ayesha inquired trying to change Ayman's mood.

"Let's name it Mu'izza. Prophet (saws) loved cats and his favourite cats name was Mu'izza" Ayman stated taking the cat from Ayesha. The cat gently sat down next to Ayman and craved for her attention. Ayman started making round patterns and brushing it's hair. Ayman mentally thanked her brother for the distraction. Ayesha succeeded in changing her gloomy mood.

∴━━━✿━━━∴

The college was going on as usual. They would meet have fun and get back to do their assignments as it was the end semester. They just had 3 weeks to finish all of their assignments. Everyone was busy and couldn't spend much time with each other.

Ayman's class had a free hour and they were wandering around in college. It was just Ayman, sadiya and Bushra who were wandering around. Zeeshan and Junaid had some work so they left them and went to complete their work.

They were randomly walking and recalling old tales when Bushra suggested to click some picture in the park present in the back side of college.

"Ayman sadiya come let's take pics near that tree" suggested Bushra pointing towards a tree.

"Okay Chalo (come) let's go" saying this sadiya pulled Ayman along with her leaving no change for her to oppose the idea.

Ayman knew it was of no use to say no to them. They would make her do anything. So she gave up and started clicking pictures with them.

Bushra was looking up at the tree and ayman knew by the looks of it, something was cooking up in her mind. So she told them " guys let's go back. I need to go back to the pg. I need to check up on Mu'izza".

"Ayman yaar Just some more time and then we will leave together" Sadiya pulled her back to click pictures.

"Guys Chalo na let's climb that tree and click picture" Bushra stated.

"There you go. I knew she would say something like this" thought Ayman.

"Bushra are you out of your mind? If someone sees us we will be screwed. I'm not doing some weird stuff like all this. Chalo let's go" Ayman said pulling Bushra's hand.

"Ayman please yaar it will be fun. Just for 5 mins. Pleaseeeee. Pretty please" Bushra pulled her hand from Ayman's grip and gave her best puppy eyes.

"Okay fine. But Jaldi (fast) I do not want to be caught" Ayman said giving up.

"Let's keep our bags down and climb up the tree. See that branch is short. We can sit on that branch" Bushra pointed to a branch.

They kept their bags and climbed up. But luck was also not on their side today as they saw a security guard approaching them.

"Oye girls, what are you doing? Get down this instant or else I will be taking you to the principal" he said looking at them with anger.

They tried getting down but it wasn't as easy as climbing up. He didn't wait for them and picked up a bag and starting walking to the Principal's office.

Ayman quickly got down and saw that to her great luck he had taken her bag. She left Bushra and sadiya behind and starting walking in search of the security guard.

She was going to reach him when Nihaal approached and asked what happened. The guard told him about what had happened in the park area.

Nihaal told the security guard that he will take care of it and he took her bag from him.

"So Ms Hayat, when will you stop being childish like this?" he asked amused. He knew her from before but he didn't know that she woukd climb up trees for clicking pictures . But he was glad she was happy unlike before.

"Sorry sir. It won't happen again" saying this she pulled her bag from his hand and ran from there. She didn't want to answer the grumpy man and make fun of herself. But she was happy that she didn't have to meet the principal or else she would be suspended for a week.

●❯────────❁────────❮●

Assalamu alaikum everyone.

Hey guys, how are y'all?

Dedicated to all the AHMAZING ppl who asked me to update. Sorry for being a little late.

*slowly sneaks into the kitchen to make Maggi after writing the update*

Let me know how was the update.

I sooooo badly want to write Nihaal's pov but you've got to wait for that.😉

Stay home.
Stay safe and keep smiling😊

~Zoe.