Through the haze obscuring his past Aariz can still see Nooran shoving him to a side as he ran past him on some Friday night in a park. The nights when they would meet - Selena and Aariz have almost been etched in his muddy head living rent-free playing like a film reel over and over again.

Nooran raced after her with his hands flying in the air to gain momentum with each step, slowly catching up with her. Her hair strands bounced in the air with sweat damping them making her forehead itchy. But she continued into the darkness of the park near private property till Aariz couldn't see them anymore. He slowly stands up to his feet dusting off the soil and cautiously walks towards the darkness. The echoes of their bickering came before they could appear and when they did Nooran was clinging to her hand for his dear life.

"Okay, we are out of the darkness. You can let go.", she looks at him, her body wheezing for oxygen while Nooran stood unmoved by all the running.

"I was holding you just in case you collapse.", he rolls his eyes trying to cover up his fear of darkness.

"Please! A likely story.", she motions for him to bring his ear to her mouth. She glances at Aariz before proceeding with the whisper behind her cover mouth, "Says the person who is scared of playing five nights with Freddie."

"At least I play.", Nooran turns red with embarrassment, "I just allow you and Amelia to be with me."

Aariz stares at them clueless. Not knowing what they were talking about.  Amelia runs up to them, "All are out?", she looks at Nooran. They both had teamed up to catch everyone with Saad being the easiest.

They both high-fived. Mr. Hafeez walks up to the kids and pulls his phone out. Nooran lets go of Selena's hand and wrap an arm around Amelia. While Selena rolls her long straight hair to tie it up in a high bun. She places her elbow on Nooran's shoulder. The three of them smile screaming cheese while Aariz pouts standing beside Selena with his hands shoved in his shorts pockets.

This was the last time Selena and Nooran felt close while Aariz felt out of place.

(Selena's and Aariz's POV) This pang of jealousy will someday make me bleed dry.

Aariz walks them into the club. Not knowing where to go or what to do so they go and sit on a red leather sofa in a dark corner. But Aariz changes his mind momentarily and stands up. Selena's hand yanked by force makes her stand up. She follows him into a well-lit area to sit down. She is red in fury but she doesn't speak up.

Selena and Aariz sit beside each other leaving as much room for air as the handcuff can allow between them. She gets her mobile out of her pocket and opens the Notes app. She mentally reads her words again.

I was just walking down my memory lane
Glancing at the shifting hazy frames
I was laughing, I was cringing until
Until I saw me with you standing still.
Not walking anymore because it kills.
Cutting me open, the spells you cast.

She glances at him swiftly. Aariz pretends to be busy on his phone scrolling down Instagram at the speed of one mile per minute even though he has no wifi access.

Wishing I could just change the past.
So I am stuck in this painful loop again

Aariz glances at her phone screen trying to figure out what she is writing but he couldn't. Selena knowing his intentions reduces the font size and he looks away. After adding two more lines to her poetry she shifts back to Teach Me Anatomy to complete the remainder of the article on superior mediastinum, the point where the big blood vessels enter and leave the heart - the area not covered by the pericardium. 

Selena shudders feeling a hand on the sofa behind her shoulder. Rubbing her sweaty palms on the red leather and alert of the person behind her she flinches from the heavy breathes on her hijab. She silently stares at the text in front of her. At the level of T4 arises the ascending aorta that moves upward and arches to form arch of aorta and turn down after giving off branches to head and neck to become descending thoracic aorta at the level of T4. It continues downward and pierces the diaphragm at the level of T12.

The eyes are registering the words written on the screen reading them in the head but the brain is too numb to translate the words into an imagination of circumspect route taken by the RBCs to carry oxygen to tissues all over the body. 

As the breathing behind her deepens and intensifies her hijab clothe tingles her neck. The sweat drops sog her hair follicles on her head mixing with already damp hair from the morning shower. She moves forward and she turns around.

"Young lady, allow me to...", the man sips from a beer can and shoves it under her nose. She pushes the cold moist can away.

"Sorry, sir. I don't drink.", her excuse makes him laugh. Aariz grunts under his breath. The fingertips lose their warmth and she continues to rub the palms furiously on the leather.

"It is not too late to try.", he laughs and moves to the front and motions for her to make room for him. Her cold fingers flex and extend repeatedly as she tries to warm herself up. Aariz who has been on his mobile catches the glimpse of frantic hands. The warmth blankets her pinky. She wants to move away but she is too frozen by the move. Aariz gives her hand a light squeeze. When she looks up in his eyes scared and hesitant he nods. She moves closer to Aariz he doesn't slide away and places their linked hands on his thigh.

"I can make you drink, you know." His words make Aariz place his mobile on his lap and look up at the man sitting beside her. The man who had been scanning Selena notices the clenched hand under Aariz's and snorts.

"I appreciate your offer, sir, but can you not get the hint that I am not interested.", Selena states firmly, "I am sorry but I must ask you to leave."

The man sneers at them, "You two are not even together. Drop the act." He points at Selena's sweaty hand squirming under Aariz's grip. Pulling her hand away she tugs it under her thighs. 

"And what if we are?", she crosses her legs placing her hands on her kneecap, "What if we ARE together? Will you stop then? Will you only stop knowing that the woman is OWNED by someone?"

"You aren't. I am sure of it," he inches closer.

"Oh, I am VERY much sure of it too. That she is my girlfriend.", Aariz grunts. His brown eyes in the dim lights of the bar turn stormy black shining with the thunderous anger. Selena presses her lips together gulping and turns around to face the man. The tilt of her head and the arch of her eye bows give him the hint to scuttle away with fifty fils worth of respect left within. 

The man grinds his jaw, staring at her and straightenings up. He gives her one last look. She stares back at him not giving in to the staring contest. When he finally breaks off and leaves she jumps away from Aariz. A lump in their throats prevents them from talking about what just happened. A grimace makes his way on his face recalling the word girlfriend he used to describe the most notorious enemy. The thought of it makes him squirm. The Queen of slayers can be scared of trash like him. That's new. She must be thankful. A smirk spreads across Selena's face thinking back to confident voice he held uttering white lies. She must tease him. 

"So you are very much sure of it? Aren't you?" She hollers wiping her tears of laughter.

"Dream on!" he looks away after making a sarcastic remark. Aariz's eyes catch the chaotic group of girls staring in his direction.

"Besides wasn't it hard for him to believe?" He runs his hand through his curls that bounce back into place. "You and I are practically impossible."

"I know right!" She can see his body sulking as he overhears the girls checking him out. 

"The one beside hijab? He is..." The girl scrunches her nose scanning Aariz from a meter distance. "Cute? I mean I am not into lean guys."

Selena's snort reverts his attention to her.

"Come on! He is a desi version of Timothee Chalamet."

Aariz looks briefly at her anxiety-ridden legs and she looks away covering her already masked face with her hand. Her eyes shine with mischief. "Me with you? Tsk. You are too shy for my confidence."

The upbeat drumming gets her attention. Her fingers spontaneously beat to the rhythm. She shakes her shoulders knowing the song, "Taylor! Alison! Swift!"

She almost stands up when it reaches the crescendo peak. Seeing girls dancing to it screaming the lyric at the top of their lungs she cannot resist,

"I like shiny things, but I'd marry you with paper rings
Uh-huh, that's right
Darling, you're the one I want, and
I hate accidents except when we went from friends to this
Uh-huh, that's right"

Aariz turns his face in surprise. She snaps her fingers singing the lyrics word by word. She cheers as the song ends while Aariz is still trying to comprehend what he just saw. How did the trembling queen of slayers go from being a vicious monarch to a laughing stock screaming lyrics at the top of her lungs?

"Whisky on ice, Sunset, and Vine
You've ruined my life, by not being mine
You're so gorgeous
I can't say anything to your face
'Cause look at your face"

Another episode of impulsive lyrics screaming. But this time it makes him choke on his spit. She glances at him out of breath, still smiling. Her shaking legs are rather calm. He holds her gaze for a moment. She is there somewhere hidden behind the brown eumelanin of her pensive eyes. The Selena from his childhood.

"Not you!", she points a finger at him and moves to scream the words in his ear because the blaring music has made conversations impossible. The proximity sends a wave of butterflies flapping their wings in his stomach up the esophagus. Her voice tickles his ear making him himself away thus he falls off the couch.

(Aariz's POV) What. The. What are these feelings?

---

Don't forget to vote and comment.

Yelin at home be like.