#NotEdited

Answer the question in the end!

Zeeniya

"Is it the part where you announce that I'm a wizard?"

Sean held back a laugh while Nayal sighed rather loudly.
He thinks that he can fool me with a faux badge and a possibly stolen gun, I'm a 4.0 GPA student.
"You think this is a joke?" His voice in anger and frustration that made me enjoy it more.

"Why? I thought after 'a secret sister' and 'undercover agent' confession this is next." I coolly shrugged not bothering to notice his growing anger.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go home." For a moment I thought of setting the whole room on fire and let those two burn but I can't harm my best friend's place. Planning on their murder I prodded towards the door but Anderson was already blocking it.

"Don't you dare take a step out of this room, Zeeniya." Nayal seethed in fury that was to be seen in his hazel eyes.

I tried not to take his earlier words in mind as they would open the doors that I had sealed years ago.

"Don't you dare dictate me around! You bloody murderer! I'm calling cops on you, just wait and watch!" I spat at him, losing control of my anger.

Both of the men watched me intently a I dialed 101 with my vintage Nokia.

"This is Metropolitan Police emergency. How may I help you?" The sweetness in her words made me cringe but leaving that aside I reported the emergency.

Scanning the room once again a part of my began believing to the crap Nayal uttered a few moments ago. My capability of trusting people has become shortened than Miley Cyrus's non-existent clothes and as I silently cursed myself for opening up to the only one person who turned out to be a bloody fraudster and on top of that showed no reaction as I impatiently trooped around the room. Anderson and Nayal were now breezily conversing, occasionally gazing at me as I refused to sit down anywhere in this room.

My senses aroused hearing the heavy footsteps approaching the door, my inner self was performing a happy dance while there was a tiny weenie part of me that felt...guilty. Even though he was a possible con man,...he brought me biryani. For the past months Nayal had been more of friend than I ever had, even if I have to puke my insides out to admit it but nothing could change the part of the story where he played the role of a manipulative, psychic who happens to be connected with my mum's death. 

But he brought you biryani.

He gave you his blood.

He brought you biryani.

He got your baby brother out of a huge pile of poop.

And...he brought you biryani.

I was on the verge of man-slaughtering my brain but the a booming voice interrupted me.

"MET! Hands in the air! Right now!" The door met with the wall making a loud sound in return.

Three guys in white and black uniform entered the room with guns pointing in all directions. For a moment their gaze wandered around but when they saw Sean and Nayal all the color drained from their faces and the guns that were pointing at them were now facing the ground.

"We didn't know that....I'm so sorry Sir!" One of them rambled strapping the gun back.

What in the name of Jahanum?!?

"We weren't informed that you were already here, Sir. They said that it was a murder attempt."

Exaggerating much?

"I'm sure that we have everything under control, you are not needed anymore." Authority dripped from his tone with a edge of coldness.

Taking a few steps towards the other guy, I whispered so that only he could hear.

"Why don't you arrest them?"

"Arrest my boss? Arrest the person who signs my paycheck? Get your head checked, Ma'am." I rotated my head towards him as he gave me a curt nod and all of them quietly slipped away from the apartment leaving my mouth wide open.

"You happy now Zeen?" It took everything cell in my body to stop me from punching that smirk away from his pretty face.

"You can call it a night Sean, I'll deal with this mess."

Mess?!? Wait till I get you behind the bars!

"I hope that satsified you? That was embarrassing for me, you know. I don't like being insulted especially in front if my juniors." He steered in a foreign tone which raised a few hair on arm.
Not that I noticed it.

My sarcastic, smartbutt self was vacationing in Hawaii at the moment as I stood tongue tied in the same room where I had 'a supposedly lover's banter'. This couldn't be planned Nayal isn't that smart, he suck at almost every subject in college. Which reminds me.....

"So, you aren't actually a college student, are you?" I tested the waters that was extremely necessary now.

In the blink of an eye, he was strolling towards me as I stood motionless unable to detach my legs from the ground. Maybe for the first time I felt my heartbeat vibrating throughout my body. I couldn't find a barrier to put a stop to my female hormones that were juggling inside me seeing the mop of untidy bronze hair and the annoying yet dashing smirk. He was close enough that the Haram Police siren went off in my head with a loud blaring warning but even then I couldn't help but notice his slightly over-grown stubble.

"Not mind but you need a shower, you stink. So can you not come any closer?" Rebelling my inner overly-excited self I stepped aside and continued the task I left a few seconds ago; breathing.

"You aren't my type. Don't worry." He let out a hearty laugh that came directly from the scratchy throat.

"You little piece of haram bacon!" I cursed him loudly before moving aside and fixing myself.
Before I could protest he was out of the door with the keys hanging from one hand and with the other attached the gun to his belt.

"Want me to lock you in?" Having no choice I met up with his pace and in no time we were on the street. The cold chilly air hit me straight in the face and I deeply regret not wearing a scarf that could have swallow me.

My mind was drifting like a pendulum from trusting and not trusting. Silently I located the pin from my hijab just in case of emergency.

"This isn't a safe place to talk, there is a diner near lets go there." Once again not able to protest I found myself in the front seat of the car.

"Save me a seat." He slightly muttered before leaving to park the car.

Lost in my own trance I found a spot near the window just across the play area that was nearly vacant seeing the dark sky outside. I don't have any idea why I agreed to come here or what would be the consequence but I guess curiosity got the best of me. Out of habit, I started playing with the locket hidden by the grey hijab. As superstitious and cheesy it sounds but it always gave me peace knowing the fact that Mum was still there with me, in my heart at least.

"I never knew that deep thoughts was your thing." Nayal emerged from behind me holding an energy drink but the thing in his other hand made me stop breathing. What definitely seemed like a triple scoop of French vanilla with extra topping of white chocolate and was rained with MnMs. I could clearly see the fudgy brownie sitting inside the waffle cone holding the luscious. Drinking his energy drink he handed me the cone and I was too spellbound to mutter a thanks.

          (The picture is kinda off tone but can I find Zoe wearing a hijab?)

How in the name of nutella marshmallows did he know my favourite ice-cream?

"I know that it must came out as a shock to you but whatever I said back at my place was true." Not your place it's my best friend's, I wanted to correct him but I was too busy shovelling down the goodness.

"I rented Adam's place because it was easier to keep an eye on you and I don't think that I need to clarify that you are under radar. I have been sent to protect you." I nearly spilled the melted cream hearing him.

"Do you have a black belt in Taekwondo?" Watching him answer in a no I smirked knowingly.

"This. Isn't. A. Joke." Anger was seeping through his gritted teeth as he slammed the bottle down.

"Your life and my job is at stake! This isn't your stupid Xbox game where you just close the game if you aren't winning it. Grow up, okay!"

"You want seriousness? Then tell me who the hell gave you the permission to spy my calls and texts, huh? Lie to me about being my project partner? 'Donating' me your blood when there is no proof that you weren't behind it!" It didn't matter to me if I attracted a crowd but it surely bothered Nayal who sighed loudly, giving me a cold stare.

"Behave!" He seethed more like a snake.

Baray aiy meray Abba!

"You want proof? Here!" I was handed the same badge as earlier along with a few cards.

Name: Nayal Muhammad Siddiqi

Date of birth: 25-October-1992

Occupation: Superintendent MET

Another one was a detailed biodata that I was least interested in but something made me twitch.

"You are...24?" I literally gaped at him.

"It's the hair... I always knew that it makes me look younger." The signature smug reappeared on his face.

"Your cockiness block my oxygen supply, you know?"

"Ha-ha-ha! That's wasn't funny ." Keeping it back in his pocket he turned to me once again his cold self back.

"I don't want you to parade around flaunting everyone with this information it was supposed to be an undercover mission."
Still angry at him, I quietly ate my treat. "You will still be under observation and protection of course and can you not remove the bug this time?" There wasn't an ounce of plea in his voice but I just shrugged it away.

"Why now? After four years when everything seems to settle down why did they send you? They were unsuccessful in finding the real culprit so just closed the case inspite of my family's pleads. Why did their soul rekindle now, huh?" Every particle of tiredness vanished from my body as the dark reality hit me.

"Who ever was behind that is back. He wants something, I still haven't figure that out but I will soon. The kidnapping, thefts, drug possession and human trafficking was gettig out of hand and every possible evidence matched at some point. We know that there is a whole freaking damn group behind it and if we don't a hold of them the media will go berserk." Slicking back his forelocks he cranked his neck giving the impression of worry and weariness.

"And what did you achieve in the past months except for fooling around?" My grip on the waffle cone became tighter as I continued eating.

"I haven't been fooling around! Don't judge about stuff you don't know about." He spat mirroring my anger but trying not to gain attention. Not wanting to reply him, I popped a few Mnms in my mouth.

"And I do have a lead so don't you dare question my professional authorities!" I still couldn't believe that I'm having this conversation with him, the person whom I thought killed my Mum was actually trying to solve the whole thing.

Surreal... 

"What lead? You said it right? That you have some lead." Now this is getting interesting.

"Well, yeah...erm...about that..."
There were only two evident reasons why he was scratching his neck:

a) He hasn't showered in three days.

b) He is nervous.

"Look I don't want you to take this personally but some of the evidence is hinting that he has some connections with all of this. Once again I'm nit sure about it and I'm still trying to figure it out."

Nayal stuttering? Bring out your recorders!

"Who?" I asked impatiently.

"A-A-Adam."

As soon as his name came out of his mouth my blood started simmering. How dare he accuse my brother as if spying and stalking me wasn't enough! My cheeks were definitely on fire and smoke was seeping from my ears through the hijab.

"Keep your fu*king mouth shut! Don't you ever, I repeat ever accuse my best friend of something as hideous as that!" I stood up, clutching the edge of the table harshly, stopping myself to do something rather stupid.

"I said I wasn't sure. I know he is a good guy, I have been living with him to know that. But from the information I was handed....there must be some mistake. I'll look into it the first thing, I swear."

Not able to control my pique, I turned towards him and got hold of the energy drink bottle. Among the cloud of anger there was a hidden drop of mischief ready to put into action. Within a millisecond, he was drenched in Red Bull. Pressing a fake smile at him I picked my ice-cream and made a dramatic entrance.

~*~

Finding the keys, I stood silently by the door listening if anyone was awake. Luckily everyone was in deep slumber and by everyone I mean Dad and Dani as Zayd had exams coming up and he found it better to stay at the hospital. After leaving Nayal smelling like Red Bull, I came home finding Dani buried in books worrying his insides out for AP Calculus. Being the super nice sister I am, I tutored him for an hour after signing a bribe paper in which he agreed to pay me with Battlefield 1 that was a Xbox game coming out in a few weeks.

Closing the door me I quietly strolled towards the playground just in front of my house. The one I had 101 memories associated with but skipping through them I directly got over to the monkey bars. One of my favourite things in the world coming after football, Xbox, Ninja and well...food. Tired of lying sleepless on bed wasn't helping much so I got into my football onesie and here I am hanging upside down from the monkey bar at 3:00 am.

That's what I usually do when I have to think; hang upside down from a monkey bar.

Isn't that what normal people do?

Even with all the blood rushing to my head my brain cells were still working out on every single thing that happened today. Bits of doubts were flying around but there was certainly some weight in his confessions, leaving the one about Adam.

Having a dysfunctional family like mine had paralyzed my ability to trust people when my own flesh and blood has successfully camouflaged the fact that my mum was murdered and I had suffered from temporary amnesia. Throughout my life my main goal had been to keep my head two inch high and don't care about anyone or at least pretend that I don't. I've always found a similarity between a shell and me, it is swayed away for miles unaware of it's surrounding. Keeping itself hidden from the world, not getting affected by its appearance or the climate. But then I realized that indeed I'm a shell; but a hollow one, the one that has darkness and grim inside it in place of a beautiful pearl.

I close my eyes, absorbing the sounds of crickets and owls around me as the night went on.

This chapter may not have something big but it was important to let you guys inside Zeeniya's head!

Question: What is your favorite thing about Ramadan?

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