Sneak Peek to 'The Two of Us' - sequel to TBOU. :)

Try not to have a heart attack at the title ;)

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Chapter One - The Proposal.

A cool afternoon found Sabrina Khan lying on her bed, her phone - on speaker - settled beside her. She was engaged in a conversation with her dear best friend, Leila Patel, who was busy complaining about life and University. Sabrina, momentarily transfixed by the way her curtains fluttered softly by the cool breeze that was coming in from her open window, sighed as she tackled one of the many assignments that Leila was currently complaining about.

"It's been a month and I have four tests in three days and six major assignments due by next Friday!" She whined. 

"If you're this fed up right now then how are you gonna handle the next three years?" Sabrina asked, shaking her head, even though there was no one there to witness it.

"Well, excuse me for sounding naive but people say University has a slightly fun side too! So far, the only fun I've seen is waking up whenever you want to and being able to skip class without the teacher caring."

"C'mon, we all know the partying part is what they were talking about and we're not allowed to participate in those parties." Sabrina pointed out. "The ones with alcohol and drugs and gyrating teenagers.."

"Okay, so then University is no fun at all, then." Leila sighed, giving up. 

"Well," Sabrina began, chuckling. "This life isn't supposed to be all about fun. What's the point in striving for Jannah if this world was perfect."

"Eh, true." Leila mumbled and the chirped: "But look who's talking! Your experiences with University and well, life in general, must be pretty dang close."

"Oh no, Lee. Do not start with-" Sabrina began but was too late.

"Ever since Khalid apologized and fell in love with you!" Leila went on, her voice gleeful. "Speaking about Khalid, have you, you know, bumped into him again, recently." 

Sabrina rolled her eyes and could almost picture Leila waggling her eyebrows, with a devilish grin on her face. Leila had been referring to the first week of school, when Sabrina had all but plowed into Khalid - on accident - and had unintentionally ended up lying in an awkward position on the floor, on top of the blue-eyed boy. It had been the most humiliating experience she had ever been in. For Khalid, it was more amusing than anything, judging by the way his eyes twinkled in mischief and his mouth smirked down at her as she hastily retrieved her fallen belongings.

"I just don't understand how he was at the end of the room in one second and the being run over by me the next. I'm pretty sure I saw him twenty metres away before we...uh bumped into each other." Sabrina explained.

"Hey, maybe he was hoping you'd run into him and land in his lap." Leila offered, making Sabrina blush and choke at the same time.

"Shut up. You dirty little person. Just no." Sabrina spluttered, highly embarrassed and trying to wipe the mental image of what Leila had so shamelessly suggested from her mind. "And I seriously doubt that. At least he helped pick up my stuff! That's more than I can say for Emaan and you!" Sabrina added.

"But it was totally hilarious seeing you turn as red as a tomato!" Leila laughed in her defence. 

"I did not-" Sabrina started to object but realized that it was a possibility that she had in fact, turned as bright as a cherry. She tended to blush a lot when she fell on people.

"Emaan and I could have used a pair of binoculars and popcorn right about then." Leila added, with a chuckle, making Sabrina pout.

Sabrina shook her head and said her salaams to Leila, ready to get down and actually complete her work without her annoying best friend distracting her with thoughts of Khalid. She was in the middle of typing up an important essay when the doorbell rang. She paused for a few seconds but soon forgot about it when her phone beeped. It was Emaan, asking her what she was up to and so for the next ten minutes Sabrina and Emaan had a conversation via texting. She was just about to say that she had to leave and get up to head out to scavenge the house for food, when her mother walked in.

"Sabrina, baita, put on your hijab. We have visitors." Her mother whispered in Urdu. "And hurry."

"Uh. Okay." Sabrina whispered back, confused at her mother's strange behaviour. "Why are we whispering?"

"Because, someone's come to ask your hand in marriage!" Her mother exclaimed, her eyes shining.

Sabrina stopped in her tracks, her arms hovering in the air as she was just about to pin up her hijab.

"What?" She asked, shocked."Who?"

"Oh, he seems like a brilliant boy." Her mother went on, ignoring her questions. "He's very handsome too, and he said he knows you from grade school." Her mother explained, stopping and fixing her with a glare. "Are you familiar with this young man, Sabrina?"

"What? No!" Sabrina said. "Ma, you know I don't have any guy friends!" 

"I know, but this boy. He talks about you almost fondly." Her mother remarked, raising a brow.

"I don't know! Maybe he used to be a classmate." Sabrina suggested, still trying to wrap her mind around the fact that there was a boy in her living room who wanted to marry her.

Honestly, the poor soul must be blind, she thought, going over a list of all the Muslim boys she knew. Her mother led her out into the hallway, after making sure she looked presentable. Sabrina, still lost in her own thoughts, and afraid of seeing just how high the boy must be, stepped into the living room and recognized the woman sitting on her couch, with a start.

That looks like Khalid's mother, Sabrina thought, rather confused. She almost shrieked as the realization dawned on her, and the boy sitting next to his mother raised his head and broke out into a grin upon seeing her. He was as he always looked: confident, his hair swept back, head held high. He was wearing a white shirt under a blue hoodie, that did a magnificent job at bringing out his eyes which were locked onto hers. It was Khalid Fayad. Sabrina froze, staring back at those electric blue eyes that used to haunt her dreams. 

"Assalmu'alaikum." He greeted, standing up. His mother did the same.

"Is something wrong, baita?" Her mother whispered, breaking Sabrina out of her trance. She blinked and flushed, realizing she probably looked like a fool staring at Khalid with her mouth slightly ajar. Judging from his cocky half smile and raised eyebrow, he was clearly amused by her reaction.

Sabrina returned their salaams, and sat down. She stared at her hands while her mother made polite conversation, sneaking glances at her obviously worried daughter. If Khalid's mother noticed Sabrina's odd reaction, she did a wonderful job in hiding it. Finally, Sabrina looked up and met Khalid's burning gaze. She could see that he wanted this; that this wasn't some kind of sick joke nor was he forced to go and ask her hand in marriage. But why?

He answered her silent question a few minutes later when Sabrina's mom asked how he knew her daughter. He turned  to Sabrina's mother and smiled, sheepishly. Sabrina noticed him pull at his v-neck shirt, something he used to do when he was nervous.

"I knew her from Elementary." He answered softly, his voice a purr in the silent room. He turned to Sabrina.

"I was a jerk to you back then and that's part of why I want to...marry you. I want to set things straight. All my life I've been so cruel and heartless and you know how they say: marriage is half of your Deen, right? Well, I guess I just want to come back to the right path. I want to become closer to Allah and I think you can help me."

Sabrina was touched with his small speech. She felt a flicker of surprise at how brave Khalid was, to be able to admit all this in front of her mother. She was silent for a moment as she realized that he only wanted to marry her for the good it would do him. It wasn't like she was a lost-in-her-fantasy-world type of girl who only wanted someone who truly loved her and only had eyes for her. She realized that she was being selfish. Marrying for the sake of religion was a good reason. Then why was she feeling bitter?

Also, somewhere in the back of her mind, she had a few doubts. Her parents didn't know the extent of his past mistakes. But she did. He used to be in a gang, for crying out loud. She had the right to think twice before she married someone with a history like that, no matter how noble his reasons were. She wondered if he was genuinely serious about coming back to Allah. And she wondered why her? There were plenty of girls who were good Muslims; better than her too. She had room for improvement, and she certainly wasn't perfect. Perhaps he did like her, to begin with. But even then...

"I can't help you unless you're willing to change." Sabrina said, quietly.

"I am willing to change." Khalid replied, bluntly.

Sabrina paused, while their mothers looked on, gazing at her, expectantly. What if you don't? She wanted to ask. What if you just say that now, but later on you go back to drugs and gangs and your old life? Prove to me that you can change. That your willing to change. Khalid narrowed his eyes as he watched her, and she could see that he had registered her hesitation. He'd probably never encountered a girl who wasn't begging to marry him, before. Sabrina sighed.

"I'll think about it." She answered.

-to be continued...in The Two of Us (Chapter One: The Proposal)-

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Hmm? Do you think Sabrina will come around? I mean, Khalid does have a pretty dark past, so you cant blame her for doubting him. Vote if you liked it!

What do you think will happen? Share your thoughts below! 

BTW THE TWO OF US IS UP! CHECK ON MY PROFILE TO READ! or click the external link. :)

baita: child (in Urdu)

Deen: religion/faith

Assalamu'aliakum: Peace be with you. (Arabic)