REMINDER: Please pray your prayers before attempting to read any part of this book! :D

***Also I know Harun's name is spelled differently in some chapters, but I think I'll stick with Harun instead of Haroon.

RAAIDA

When we all sat down on the couches after Shura passed around a bag of regular salted potato chips (which I personally never liked, but eat nonetheless), Haroon began to explain this phenomenon known as Shura. Shura grunted a yes each time. Shura and Haroon were foster siblings. Haroon was separated from his parents when he was younger because of his behaviour problems and his family situation. So to have someone teach him respect, they sent him to live with his Aunt who had an iron fist. Unlike my parents, Haroon's parents knew only how to spoil him. So Haroon had it all. But spoiling him did not mean he got the love and attention he wanted and needed as a child. Shura was technically his cousin. But she wasn't related to him or his aunt by blood since she was an orphan herself.

"How come you don't have real food in your home?" Shura asked Haroon. Haroon grunted something and sat on the couch with his arms crossed staring at me in anger. What..... Did I do something wrong?

"Why weren't you at the wedding?" I asked, trying to break the ice.

"Why?" Shura asked. "That's a wonderful question! Why was I not invited Haroon?" Shura asked, faking a pained tone.

"My family thinks she's an outsider since she's not blood-related." Haroon said with his tone on edge. I stared at Shura, who was seemingly paying attention to the book I was reading. She was smiling as she opened the book, but behind that smile, I could tell she wasn't very happy.

"Oh..." I replied. I wouldn't dare point out that Shura was holding the book upside down. And if it caught Haroon's attention, it didn't look like he'd let her off the hook.

It didn't take Shura long to leave.

"I can't be bothering the newly married couple." She said as she left. No, no... I'd rather you stay and keep your brother occupied. But alas... I couldn't say that in front of Haroon, seeing what he was capable of doing. And yes... I was still somewhat scared of him.

"Go get changed." He said as soon as Shura left.

"But..."

"Go." He urged. I took out a black maxi dress and a navy blue cardigan. Something my mom would have made me leave home and not wear in front of my husband. It was either this black dress or a bizarre colourful one - which I would rather not even touch. After I got ready, I stood in front of the mirror debating whether I should use the little makeup my mom packed me. I never did makeup on myself in my entire life. I did see my mom do it every morning for work though. I picked up the mascara carefully, and slowly opened it. It looked gooey and disgustingly sticky.

Yup. There's no way I'm putting up with this.

I closed the mascara and dropped it back into my bag.

Besides, if we're starting off as friends, there's no need to impress him too much. I don't have time for friends to begin with. If I lead him on any more than necessary, my life will become a living hell. At least I don't have to be burdened with the fact that I'm a married woman. I smirked. All I have to do is keep this guy on a leash... How I'm going to do that is still a mystery...

The door opened in a flash, and Harun stood there, "Are you ready yet?" He asked. I jumped up startled.

That is... only if he doesn't put me on a leash first.

"Don't you think you get scared way too easily? I don't bite, you know?"

"I'm not scared." I replied. Now I was not only a scared old lady, I was also a liar. What was becoming of me?

"Have you decided where we're going?" I asked. "I just have to pray Zuhr, and then we'll leave." I said.

"You... pray?" He asked, scrunching his face up in confusion.

"Don't you?" I asked. "I mean, I know some Muslims don't. But you've at least prayed once in your life, right?"

"Yeah I guess. I don't really care about stuff like that anymore."

"Stuff like what?" I asked.

"Religion." He replied.

"Oh..." I said, suddenly uncomfortable.

After praying, Harun took me to a Muslim fast food place, and we both sat down after ordering our food. I was surprised we only went out to a fast food place. He only brought himself a drink and fries, while he ordered a mountain of food for me.

"I can't eat all this." I said, staring at the combo he brought for me.

"You don't have to eat all of it." He leaned forward on the table as he watched me starting to eat.

"Don't look. You're making me feel paranoid." I said in a dry voice. He smiled.

"It's a free country." He replied. It was true I felt extremely uncomfortable, but what scared me the most was the emptiness in his eyes. It almost felt as if I was being judged for something. Whether he was figuring out if I was usefull or not.

"You said you didn't want to marry me, right?" I asked him. He didn't answer, but continued staring at me, without a smile. If anything, it almost felt like he was trying to hold back his anger.

"I didn't have a choice. That man said I could only leave the house to live on my own if I married you. So I had no choice but to marry you." He replied. That man?

"You mean... your dad?" I asked him.

"He's not my dad. He killed my dad." My mouth immediately became dry. I couldn't ask any more after that. Or more like... I didn't want to know. I didn't want to know what type of family Harun came from or his background... He was like a piece of fragile glass, or rather... he was shattered glass. If I didn't watch where I was going, I'd only end up hurting myself.

Well, I am a selfish person after all. I'd rather not pry any further to protect myself.

"Isn't that Harun?" Harun froze, and didn't turn back. His gaze didn't leave me. His gaze became dark, and my stomach became weak.

"No way... That nutcase?" Another guy said, almost maliciously. "Oh, it really is him." Once the guys walked over to our table, Harun chose not to look up even then. Of course that wasn't because he was scared. He had an eerily calm look on his face. But his eyes were empty. There were two guys standing beside our table to our right. One had half a bald head with a muscular build and a hoodie with his school uniform, and the other had sparkling hazel eyes and a nasty smile on his lips, with the same uniform as the guy beside him.

At this point, I started wondering... Before this fight breaks out.... CAN I LEAVE? I said it before, and I'll say it again: I can't die so soon. I have goals and ambitions. Please, spare my life.

I felt the sweat forming on my forehead and the mental mess I was in - I felt it more than ever.

HARUN

"You said you didn't want to marry me, right?" She asked me. I stared at her for a while, almost forgetting why I was sitting here and for what purpose I was thrown into this marriage. All sorts of reasons came up. Reasons that made me lose the little self-control I had.

"I didn't have a choice. That man said I could only leave the house to live on my own if I married you. So I had no choice but to marry you." I spat out, almost too bitterly.

"You mean... your dad?" She asked me, carefully. Raaida's eyes were full of concern... something I wasn't used to. If she knew everything about me, she would run away for sure. Well... it wouldn't be surprising, since it's her we're talking about anyways.

"He's not my dad. He killed my dad." She froze, not knowing what to say any further. She was still cautious of me after all. Her mouth opened to say something, but in the end she couldn't say anything. And that's when these two annoying pests came along.

"Isn't that Harun?" I froze, but I didn't turn back. His gaze didn't leave me. His gaze became dark, and my stomach became weak.

"No way... That nutcase? Oh, it really is him." Once the guys walked over to our table, I thought of the many things I could do to them in a span of 60 seconds. But once I looked over at Raaida, her back was slouched, her head was down, and there was even sweat trickling down from her forehead. I knew she was afraid but... just how sheltered of a life did she live if she can't even face a fight head on.

"Well, hello there, you monster. I see you're doing well. So how was jail? You know, they say you're strong enough to take on ten people at onces." I couldn't exactly hear what they were saying, because my eyes were focused on the woman in front of me. She was starting to look even more frightened, and that made me angry - more so than I already was. "Hmm... you don't exactly seem to be paying attention. Ah... if you stare at ugly things too long, you'll turn ugly yourself." Raaida flinched. But she stayed still. I finally looked up at them.

"The only ugly things here are you two. If you don't want to end up in your graves the next morning, leave." I said, getting up. The one talking all along, Mr. Hazel Eyes, was being the real eyesore, and truthfully speaking I wasn't in the mood to deal with them peacefully - even if that's what every other person advises me to do.

It didn't end well that day.

After taking them outside, the fight was a real pain. My knuckles were bleeding, and Raaida became even more afraid of me. On our way home, she walked 10 steps behind me, and slowly too. I got fed up, and ended up taking her hand and dragging her home quicker. She didn't protest much, and neither did she say much. She was suppose to leave the next morning, but she seemed so shaken that she couldn't exactly pack her things properly.