{Dedicated to Princess D...for all the support and sweet comments you showered on me!! <3 }

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There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other. -J.K Rowling

Chapter Thirty Two

I Like Him?

(Maahirah)

"Are you seriously gonna do this?"

"Do what?"

"This."

"Fadi, be more specific."

"Okay. Fine. You are gonna surround yourself with goodness knows what kind of books. And mop around all day. Locking yourself in this freaking room. Cutting ties with every person you know. This is what you are doing , and it definitely isn't cool."

I take a deep breathe. "You are wrong. In the morning, I go see Ruqayya. Then I do my chores till late afternoon. And then I study about this place, you guys call Elton." Alhamdolillah Ruqayya is healing and getting better.

She sits next to me. Her black hair jailed in a high ponytail, whereas my hair are in a messy bun, a pencil looped in the center holding it in the place.

"Why are you doing this?" She whispers it. I pretend to not hear her as I busy myself in reading History of Elton.

Highlighting important detail, I'm about to turn over to the next page when the book is snatched away from my hand.

"FADIYA!" I yell.

"Why are you doing this? Ignoring people?"

"Because I want to. Now, gimme my book." I stretch my hand out.

"No." She pulls the book closer to her chest. "You know, Aayan has been bugging me constantly asking me reasons for your barbaric and uncalled behavior."

A wave of I don't know, what passes through my body at the mention of his name. My eyes instantly look away from her prying eyes.

The truth is that I miss him. I miss him so much that it gets hard for me to control myself for barging up to him and demand answers that I want to know. But what pulls me back is the fear of divulging into so much detail of the answers which will leave me confused and maybe torn too. I'm exaggerating I know this.

Shut up, brain.

"Hey, you there?" Fadiya snaps her fingers. "I just received a text saying our schedules are changed. "

"What?" I squeak. "That is impossible. One week isn't over yet."

She stares at me and then few seconds later, she is laughing on my face. "You really think one week hasn't passed? Hun, the schedules are according to time, however, you are slacking behind time."

I grab my pillow and hit my best friend with it.

***********

Minutes later when Fadiya leaves the room to get my new schedule, I'm still sitting on the bed in my shared room. (with my mum, of course!). Papers are scattered mostly all over the bed. I push them aside, few fall on the floor, and I spread the map of the Headquarters of Elton. The current building in which they (Eltonians) are hiding.

The exit out of this building is by two ways; one through the elevator, and the second, the secret passageways. Lucky for me, the passages are highlighted with yellow marker. I trace the path with my finger. It begins on floor/level 36, a panel is situated somewhere in that level. Pressing the lever will take me into a corridors lit by torch flaming lamps.

I pull out my cellphone, thanking Allah that I received it back though the sim card is temporarily removed so I can't contact my friends back home. I take a quick click of the highlighted passages.

Just when I'm about to flip the map over, the door opens, and I quickly put my pillow over it, concealing it. I grab the history book and pretend to be engrossed in reading it.

"Hey. Got your schedule." Fadiya comments, completely oblivious to my suspicious and flustered self.

"Ah. Wow." I close the book and take it from her.

Teaching School to Elementary kids

Horticulture/ Farming

Kitchen Chores

I scowl at my schedule. It basically meant that I had to leave the room in the morning, afternoon as well as in the evening.

"C'mon you gotta head to The Trench. It is farming time." She yelps.

I sigh. It better be worth it.

*************

So, basically, behind The Trench there is this area where the Eltonians grow their veggies. It is a huge area over thirty yards. The different kind of fruits and vegetables (rice and wheats, too!) align separately in a neat row.

Fadiya, as the leader of the Hortoculture-ing tasks hands me a pair of gardening gloves. Frowning at it, I snatch it from her hands.

Pulling the gloves over my fingers, I look around. Minimum 10-15 people are working here. Less people, less attention.

"You will be working with the Aslam twins,just weeding the new patch of land." Fadiya says.

Aslams? Really?

Smirking, she holds a wooden rake for me. I stare at it.

"You, simply bring it back and forth over the sand and removes the weeds and unwanted stuffs."

"I know what it does, Fadiya!!" I angrily snark at her sarcasm.

Taking the rake, I make my way towards the twins. One of them has a bandanna wrapped around his head and is supporting a goofy smile whilst waving at me, that is Haazim. Typical..The other without a bandanna, is bearing a grim, serious lost expression; not like lost-lost but that lost which means he is thinking deeply about something, this is Haaziq.

"Hey boys." I muster cheerfulness in my tone.

"Hey. How ya been?" Haaziq says. "Wow, you look stressed." Haazim says.

I ignore Haazim, replying to Haaziq. "I'm fine. Alhamdolillah. You?"

"Great too."

"Pretend like I don't exist. Huh? Good scheme." Haazim pokes his tongue out.

I smile. "Not ignoring you, dude. Just neglecting you."

"Your point being?" Haazim rolls his eyes.

"Her point means that you gotta get your butt into this task so we can leave early." Haaziq replies instead.

"Blah. Blah. Blah..." Nevertheless he shuts up and we get to work.

Silently, concentrating on our own task. I move the rake to and fro over the soil bed. Few weeds got tangled up in the teeth of the rake and whisk them carelessly at side. Very surprisingly, lot of weeds covered this area of the garden.

I watch as the brothers silently whisper to each other, along side scraping the soil. I pause and lean on my stick waiting for them to finish their talk so I can ask few questions. When they are done, I immediately jump to my question then something holds me back.

Aayan must have had tipped them to not say anything related to Justin around me! Even if I ask them about him, they would guess it that I'm hinting at Justin. So, ignoring everyone -- not everyone in general, just one person -- studying about Elton, all will go in the dungeon. I've to be cautious. I don't know why I have been ignoring only Aayan and not anyone else when everyone else is to be blamed equally in hiding the truth about Justin's kidnapping.

When Kathy mentioned that 'someone', I instantly knew whom she meant. She knew if she would share this little info about Justin's whereabouts, I'd instantly dive into saving him. That's what I'm doing. I studied about the secret passageways. I found out that Elton was actually a city, a free independent city until it was invaded by the Wiltonians, few months ago. The reason for this colonial rule is something I couldn't find anywhere in the books I studied. The people of Elton fled and hid themselves in this half-underground building when more than 5,000 people died battling for their land (Elton!).

The Wilton headquarters (the enemies!) is about 20 miles from here. All I need with me are few bullets, guns, a map (or, in my case, my mobile phone since I took a pic of the secret passageways!), torchlight and maybe, that's it. This is how I'm gonna try saving Justin on my own

"Earth to you, Maahi," Haazim claps his hands right near my ears.

With a jump, I lose my balance and fall on the almost wet soil. To make things more embarrassing, the wooden rake falls on my head making me howl in pain. I rub my sore head, glowering at him as he throws his head back, laughing. Haaziq, the one who rarely grins, is cracking a smile too. I guess I must look funny, sprawled on the ground like this and soon enough, I'm beaming, too -- temporarily forgetting my worries and troubles.

******************************

When I'm walking back to the room after the tremendous trial of Horticulture, (even though we were supposed to weed only, yet this was somewhat tiring, because we were mostly laughing, talking and teasing one another!), I'm pulled by a hand into the small, narrow corridor.

"What the heck?" I fold my arms across my chest and throw daggers at Aayan, who is equally angry as I'm.

"What the heck? You ask me what the heck? Me? When you simply are oblivious to my presence for a freakin' five days."

"I wasn't ignoring you. You, simply, were never around where ever I went." I justify my answer.

"Really?" He bellows. "Like the time, you see my mother is around Fajr and I'm very much awake but you choose to think that I'm sleeping..."

"Wait. Wait." I hold my hand, interrupting him. "You are pretending to be sleeping when I visit Ruqaiyya?"

"That doesn't matter." He scowls.

I bit my lip in vexation. My face turns red as I digest in his remark. "It matters Aayan. It matters to me. When you hide things from me expecting everything to be fine when it clearly isn't while you keep things from me." I don't yell nor do I speak with a softer tone, it is somewhat intimidating though.

"What did I keep from you?" He, however, shouts.

"Justin." I say.

The colour of his face drains. His eyes become wide in alarm, shock I really don't know. "What about him?"

"He is kidnapped because of me and you didn't think it was right to apprise me of what had happened to him."

"I knew what you would do if I informed you about it."

"What?" My heartbeat picks up the pace

"You." He leans closer and I inch backward. "You would run without thinking to save him."

"No," I swallow. "I wouldn't. I know what lies over there, Aayan. I'm not as dumb as you think I'm." I push him away with my hand. He grabs my wrists.

"Listen Maahirah, I know you inside-out. I know you have been studying about Elton, trying to find a perfect, concealing secret way out. But, lemme tell you this, no matter what you plan, I'm always and will always be InShaaAllah one step ahead you. It is my duty, no, it is my responsibility to protect you and I swear, I will do it even if I die guarding you. Because I lo...care about you, Maahirah in more ways than you. If something happens to you, the guilt will eat me alive. So, I simply ask you to be aware of the plans you make. That's it.This all I ask from you." He says each word slowly and clearly as if making sure everything passes thoroughly my brain, penetrating my skull. He lets my wrists fall, and walks away, leaving me staring at his fading figure as it turns around the corner.

Pressing my back against the wall, I slouch down on the floor. I bring my knees closer to my chest and wrap my arms around my legs. Banging once the back of my head on the wall, I try bringing my heartbeat to its normal pace. Aayan's mini speech echoes in my head. Small things make me realize how much I've dug into him. Everything falls back in pieces. The sparks flrying. The butterfly fluttering. His presence makes me all jittery and somewhat messed up. His smile sends me to Mars. How his simple compliment sets my cheeks on fire and my heart to china..how only blamed him for hiding the truth about whole Justin thing because I felt hurt that he would keep things from...and now....it all fits in..

I LIKE AAYAN ASLAM. I'M SO FALLING FOR HIM.

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RAMADAN MUBARAK PEEPS!! MAY ALLAH SHOWER HIS BLESSINGS ON US. MAKE THE BEST OF THIS MONTH.

Maybe i won't be updating in Ramadan since I really wanna concentrate on this month and there are other things like packing..I'm gonna move Pakistan permanently. Well, at least, for 5-6 years InShaaAllah to pursue higher studies. InShaaAllah i will let you guys know when I'm moving and all! :)

Lastly, few weeks ago, I was tagged by Amenah_is_typing (thanks for the tag!<3!!) about three countries/cities i wanna travel...i didnt reply because I WANTED TO TAG ALL MY READERS SO COMMENT BELOW THE THREE COUNTRIES/CITIES YOU GUYS WANNA VISIT.

My list includes:

1) Saudia Arabia

2) Switzerland

3) London

NOW YOU LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENT SECTION. VOTE. COMMENT AND PROMOTE!!!!!

Yours,

MidnightWhisperer