#FewWords
The stage of your life at which you're at is dependent on your expiry date. You may be halfway or three quarters through your life, yet you don't know. See the value of time.

Recap
They chatted for a while and Salma asked him how he came up with the stanza but he just laughed off the question.

"Vivian, goodnight" Salma said as she covered herself with the fluffy blanket.

Chapter Forty One
Third Person's POV
The next few weeks were stressful and tiring for the new medical students in the college but thanks to the teaching and non teaching staff that did all their possible best with making things as easy as possible for students especially students that came out of the country. Salma made a few friends that really admired her intelligence and hard working spirit.

"Salma, I'm really glad I get to meet someone like you" one of the girls told her on one of their group study during the weekends. Salma just smiled at her and found herself really happy through out the weekend. She couldn't stop talking about how friendly her mates were to her.

"We've heard Salma" Nasir looked at her when she was talking about the new girl that she bumped into at the school Mosque.

"No one can break the bond between a mortar and pestle... always work together...hand in hand" Hammad hummed and continued eating his food.

"Really? That's the best thing you can come up with?" Salma asked him

"Exactly what I'm saying" he lightly laughed and they joined him as well.

Salma and Nasir secretly knew they had feelings for each other but none of them openly said it but they spent most of their free times together and silently knew and also accepted they were a thing. Hammad and Jackson already made their final conclusion on their case the last time they face timed.

"Hmm... Nasir, that course..."

"I knew you will ask me...that course" Nasir mimicked Hammad

"Damn bro!" Nasir laughed out loud

"You should ask Amir" Nasir looked at him for a second and turned away.

"Listen bro, I didn't answer you because he was tryna..."

"He was tryna?" Nasir interrupted him

"Whaaaattt... jealousy on the door" Salma widened her eyes and they all laughed at their conversation.

"The test was interesting because we prepared for it, the exam should be better because we'll prepare harder and smarter" Salma lifted her hand as if she was lifting something heavy in the gym, she was trying to use that gesture to motivate her friends to do better in the exams when their conversation slowly drifted to exams. A few of their course mates joined them in the cafe because they had their last lecture for the day.

Amir was among them and he kept on making sure he dragged Salma into any of his conversations because it was pretty easy to detect he had a crush on her.

"Hmm, listen Salma, you should be the one to draft the headlines, right Nasir?" Amir turned to Nasir but Nasir pretended he didn't hear any of their discussion as they was an earpiece plugged into his ears, he plugged it in when he got fed up of Amir's attempts.

Salma just observed and didn't talk much unless she was summoned by any of them. Hammad was easily flowing with all of them, he also noticed the stares Nasir gave Amir but he didn't say anything to either of them.

"Ding ding" Nasir got a text and he carelessly clicked on it because it was very rare to get a text through messages, the internet was the best place to converse. He smiled when he saw the name but he quickly frowned when he raised his head and met Salma's eyes doing wonders on him. It was obvious she caught his smile but anyway

Salma: are you jealous?

Nasir: why should I be?

Salma: you know that better than I do

Nasir: really? And you are see still talking to him?

Salma: I knew it! I knew it was jealousy

Nasir: whatever! Should we leave or you want to spend some time with him?

Salma: do you know my bride price hasn't been paid, right? So I'm still so available

Nasir: you want it to be paid?

Salma: helloooo!

Nasir: let me accompany you to your hostel

Salma: okay

Salma made an excuse and packed her books into a bag that hung on her left shoulder while a huge textbook was held on her right hand.

"Hmm, so..." Salma tried to start a conversation with Nasir as they both walked to her hostel.

"Well...so... about poetry...do you have any new piece?" Nasir asked her because he managed to get her into poetry even though most of her poems weren't that good for the meantime.

"Yeahh, I did...I wrote it for someone"

"Wow! Let's hear it then"

"Mmhmm!" She cleared her throat and started

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

"I'm in love with your voice" Nasir said, she shyly smiled and looked at a different direction.

"So...how did you come up with that?" Nasir asked

"Hmm, the person loves sunsets and...." She continued explaining but Nasir already knew she wrote the poem for him the moment she pronounced the last word.

"Hmm, Hammad is going back tomorrow because his brother will introduce his girlfriend to the family on Saturday..."

"Wow! That's so good, I'm happy for them"

"Bye" He leaned on the brick and watched her go upstairs. After she was out of sight, he rubbed his hand on his shoulder, put his two hands in his pocket and quietly walked to his hostel.  He met Hammad packing his things in his backpack because he won't spend more than three days.

"My regards to Arian and Arianna please, I bought them a nice gift"

"You'll make my own siblings hate me" Hammad chuckled, his hands picking and calmly dropping everything he needed inside his backpack.

Nasir just chuckled and shook his head,  he got himself snacks from their small kitchen, crossed his legs on the large maroon bean bag and plugged in his earpiece.

"To Salma?" Hammad mouthed when he realised Nasir was talking quietly on the phone, Nasir just smiled and shook his head.

"Hmm, I hope nothing bad will come up though... just make sure you are safe" Nasir spoke

"Okay son..." The other person who was clearly his dad said

"That feeling is a strange one but nothing supercedes Allah's power dad"Nasir calmed his dad.

Their conversation wasn't for a long time but Nasir was happy he was a means of comfort for his dad.

"Well... just make sure you don't come across Jax and his Boss" Nasir laughed out loud.

"My lift to the airport is in an hour, let's play game before that time" Hammad flopped on the next bean bag beside Nasir and held the console with a thought he wanted to spill but was looking for ways to beat around the bush. Nasir glanced at him when he noticed he zoned for almost 10 seconds.

"Hmm, Nasir listen...I... hmm... y'know
... Sa'ada"

"I knew it!" Nasir dropped his console

"You know what?" Hammad raised his eyebrows when Nasir interrupted him.

"I knew you had something to say"

"Ohh... Sa'ada is studying Mass Communication and you know she'll be in town when I go back..."

"You are planning meet?" Nasir asked

"Yeahh, hope that's not a problem because her brother..."

"Nahhh, it's not... you can go ahead and meet each other but no one should know" Nasir raised his hands and Hammad chuckled

"You like her?" Nasir stood up and went to his chair that had a desk on which a couple of note books were arranged, his laptop was switched off and by the far end on the desk, a study lamp and a cup that had writing materials

"I do... I've never felt the way I am feeling about her, I've had crushes but they've never been like this and I'm scared of this feeling"

"You are scared if this will also come and go, right?" Nasir turned to his friend.

"Yeahh, that's why I've not said anything to her yet but I really like her and I don't want to rush into it and I later on find it's just a crush"

"Yeahh, but are you trying to accept the feeling orrr...."

"Well... hmm" Hammad rubbed his head at that question because he sincerely was trying to avoid his feelings but he just can't and he literally doesn't want to end up hurting her and hurting himself which will mean the end of their friendship.

"I get your point, you have more time y'know, just like you said, might be some kinda strong feelings... just take your time bro" Nasir opened his laptop and pressed the power button.

Hammad's phone started ringing, he picked it up and talked for less 10 seconds, then he stood up from the bean bag and picked up his bag.

"Safe journey bro!" Nasir tapped him on the shoulder

"The hell? Why don't we just hug monster" Hammad forcefully pulled him into a hug and they burst out laughing.

Nasir smiled at how far he has come when he dropped his past, how good his relationship with people have been.
He went straight to a document that contained random writing. Tapped on the keyboard and started typing.

"The past will always find a way to hold you back in it shackles and the worse you can do is give into it. The best way you can outgrow your past is by growing out of your past, don't forget it... just grow out of it like you'd grow past sandals. The sandals you've outgrown can never be worn, that should be your past" He rubbed his hands, read what he wrote and got himself prepared for the Asr prayer.

He placed his hands on the scanner at the door and the door made a click sound that it has been locked.

"Hey bro... what's up" one of his course mates walked up to him

"I'm good dude" Nasir smiled at him

"Finding it cool?" The boy asked him.

"Yeahh, thanks bro" Nasir answered and they shook hands while the boy walked ahead of Nasir because it seemed he had something to quickly do.

Nasir quietly walked to the masjid, his feet lightly pecking the ground, his feet making no sounds. He got the masjid, kept his shoes in one of the boxes for shoes.

"As-salamu Alaikum" he said under his breath because it's Sunnah to say salam when one enters the masjid.

Salma, at the other end was on a call with Zainab who was telling her what she had on her new contract.

"Guess what Salma" Zainab asked her

"Hmm, you'll visit me... in school?" Salma laughed because she knew that wasn't gonna happen

"Come on... I'm pregnant" Zainab blurted

"What?" Salma asked

"I'm 7 months pregnant... I'm expecting a boy!"

Salma screamed in happiness because Zainab has been married for years without a child and that's the best gift ever.

"I'm so happy"

"I know you'd be" their conversed for some time and ended the call after Salma talked to Zayn.

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End of Chapter 41, thank you so much for your reads and don't forget to vote, comment and share.

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