#FewWords
Stop dwelling & brooding over things that haven’t worked out. Accept what happened, acknowledge how you feel about it, then put it behind you and move on.

Recap
Salma met a letter, new phone and one white rose on her table, she just sat down across the table and without guessing or anything felt it was Nasir, deep down. She picked the white rose and suddenly felt the urge to squeeze it and have it nectar dripping between her fingers if that's possible... but she didn't. Instead she picked the new phone and switched it on... it had the wallpaper of her favourite colour...blue with a scribbled text in white " A NEW BEGINNING". She felt her eyes sting and heart squeeze, but gently. She swiped up and checked each app, there was nothing on the phone...it was a good example of the words on the wallpaper. She just went straight to the Google Search and typed "meaning of a white rose..."  Results from different websites popped immediately but she didn't scroll or minimize the page... just stared at the first words in bold.

Chapter Fifty Two
Third Person's POV
"Innocence and new beginnings" were the words she read and she didn't need to say scroll further because she had her answer already. Nasir walked in and met her staring at her phone but didn't say anything till she dropped the phone.

"Wow, who's behind this?" He asked, flatly

"Aren't you the one?" She rolled her eyes which he saw without her turning or him walking to face her. The mirror did a good job for him.

"I'm not, honestly..."

She shrugged and picked the letter to know the content and the sender because she wasn't convinced it wasn't Nasir. She gently pulled the letter and met a very thick paper that had the name of a new medical school, she couldn't grab what was going on so she quickly pulled it out and met her name on the letter, successfully transferred to a new medical college in a totally different country. Tears started dripping on the paper, Nasir shook his head and and turned the chair on which she sat to face him and back the mirror, after that he bent down by the right handle of the chair and looked at her.

"You've become a cry baby Salma" he said but she didn't say anything, she shut her eyes in an attempt to get the tears to stop flowing but her actions had no impact. Nasir took the letter and kept it one of the drawers before he walked and assumed his previous position.

"Nasir, I've been a burden... I..." She stammered

"What do you mean by that? You are not a burden, trust me" he quickly said

"I don't know how I'll ever live with this, I don't know how I'll cope Nasir" she complained, letting her facade down for the first time in a long time.

"You'll cope, I promise! I'll always be by your side..."

"... I'm by your side now, look at me!" He tried to get the atmosphere lighter and his first attempt was a success because she chuckled and raised her head to look at him. She looked at his face and thought how it'll be to have him to all herself, have him walk with her in every step of her life...if she's that lucky. She wants him but insecurities are higher than how much she wants, apparently.

"Nasir... I'm scared..." She lowered her voice, clasped her hands and tapped the floor with her right foot.

"I haven't given you a reason to..." He used a tone gentler than hers, that moment her eyes shut, not to force tears from gushing out but to get a grab at how her heart danced and how she felt butterflies in her stomach. She unclasped her hands and had them hold tight onto her dress like her life depended on that. Nasir didn't see all of that because he stared at her feet and found them the cutest thing at the moment.

"Nasir..."she opened her eyes and looked at him

"...Do butterflies have humans in their stomachs when...whenn...hmm" she rubbed her cheek nervously.

"When they are in the company of a loved one?" He asked her by jumping into conclusions

"It's a yes?" He asked her after a few minutes of silence that got Salma's heart pounding like it'd pop out and know what it looks like outside, then the ticking of the clock in the room. He just looked at her without saying anything, his eyes scanned hers when she managed to raise her head and look at him.

"Nasir, we are too young for..."

"Guess what?" He completely changed the topic.

"I'm bad at..."

"Dad got me transferred to..." He looked at her to register how she'd react and he noticed a smile, one that looked like she already knew what he was about to say.

"It's obvious Nasir... including Hammad?" She asked him and he looked stunned at her question and the accuracy in which she asked the question. He just nodded

"Well, your families..."

"Our families... you are family Salma" he corrected her but she didn't say anything on that, just kept mute and stood up.

"I think we should go down for dinner" she led the way and he tagged along.

"Mr Muhammad..." Salma called out his name but he interrupted her and encouraged to peel the upper layer of formalities anytime she's with them. She just nodded her head and looked at him then his son before she started talking.

"Words can't describe how you've made me feel, you have done what some family can't do and I... don't just..."

"It's okay not to know what to say dear. You are family now and for the good of it, Ruqayyah has been arrested and Fatimah is on the lookout."

"Do I still have to..."

"No...none of us will be involved with the court case, it's the government against them" he answered her question even before she completed it.

"Formalities for your transfer have already been processed, the only thing remaining is meager so in about two or three weeks, you'll be out of the country. Y'all will have to write the second semester exams for the previous online and with supervision from one of their officials..."

"That means we have an exam to prepare for" Nasir said and his dad nodded

"One more thing, Salma, you shouldn't log into your social media accounts...get a new Gmail and open new accounts if it's necessary and if it's not or if you can do without them, that'd even be better" He instructed her on and she felt like it was a nightmare, being on what to do and what not to do. She just nodded her head.

"Hammad and Zafeerah will visit the next day so y'all get ready for them... one more thing, Salma you shouldn't ever leave the house alone, on any accord!" He finally said.

Salma and Nasir were left alone in the parlour, both of them silent except for the TV which had a newscaster for 9pm news. Salma laid quietly on one of the couches while Nasir smiled at his phone when the newscaster's voice interrupted the both of them.

"Salma Ahmad has won the case against Sadiq and his associates that were arrested for raping with instructions from Miss Fatimah, the ex wife of..."

"You don't need that, do you?" He switched off the TV and went back to where he stood up from.

Salma's POV
As I laid quietly on the sofa, I thought how my life will be if I didn't have my aunt and Mr Muhammad. I can't really can't imagine how it will be.

In an instant, I knew that God worked in different ways and each time anything happens to us, it's because it has been destined and perhaps that one dilemma we find ourselves in will link us to something bigger and better. What I went through, I'd never ever pray for any girl to go through.

I have two options to make now, either to give in to the bad of this world, have my heart guarded and allow my soul get into a coocoon that will forever cage my dreams or let myself be loved, let my heart feel and get hurt. Allow love to fill the void that has kept expanding since the day I found out the woman I believed was my mother wasn't really my mother to the day my father took in his last breath and worst of all, to the day I was stained, a stain that can't be washed or forgotten, it can barely be ignored not to talk of being forgotten.

"Nasir..." I sat up and looked at him, his hair disheveled and a smirk on his face,  looking at his phone's screen.

"Nas..." I had my voice a little louder than the first time and he raised his head, looked at me and said nothing.

"Hmm, so..." I started and stopped, I had nothing to say and goodness knows why I called him. He just looked at me and made a sign to get me talking but I kept mute.

"Will you talk? Ohhh, you can't cos I'm facing you, right?" He asked, Nasir and his ways then how he changes my moods and makes me feel like a kid that has to ask if it's sunrise or sunset. Then to how he lets me be how I want.
I remember he once pretended to read out lines he came up and I, foolishly hailed him for his creativity not realising that he was actually talking about me. He said

"I'll treat you as a sunset
I won't tell you to soften the orange at the left corner
Or darken the orange at the far right corner
I'll just watch in awe as you unfold."

The fact that I went to his IG page to memorize those words is interesting.

"We have an exam to prepare for..."

"You just want to spend time with me..."

"Come onnn, dude?" I rolled my eyes and an idea flashed through my mind.

"What's it?" He asked when he noticed how quiet I became.

"Not agaaiiinn" he stood up and walked to where I comfortably sat.

"It's okay not to be okay, alright?" He said

"Damn! you wicked soul!" He clapped his hands and stopped while I threw back my head and laughed.

I knew I had to work and be steady for me and for Nasir, that's the least I could do for him. He has been really helpful.

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End of Chapter 52, thank you so much for your reads and don't forget to vote, comment and share.

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