manal | achraf hakimi [COMPLETE]

.6

to the girl named manal that i named this character off on, thank you <3 i was originally going to name the main character souhaila (because i also knew a moroccan girl named souhaila too) but idk manal fit better for this one.

i was truly surprised when one of the readers of this book posted a book with an oc named souhaila! it's like our brains touched 😭

please do check out her book dijapol ! it's for another moroccan player 😉

22/12/2022

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tw: themes of islamophobia explored in this chapter

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unedited
[993 words]

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'what even happened?' iman asked manal. a few weeks had passed, and achraf had returned to madrid. manal took extra measures to avoid the boy ever since his... revelation. and that meant no iman for a few weeks.

'don't act like he didn't already tell you.' manal was disappointed in her friend for trying to encourage him and push him in the wrong direction, even if it was clear that her intentions were sincere.

iman huffed, pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration. the two were in manal's room, books splayed out on the bed as the two studied, inefficiently, with one another.

'so? i need to hear it from you too.' manal's eyebrow quirked up at her admission.

'fine. he wanted us to get together and i said no.' iman wasn't shocked at this. he had said the same thing, only with more sulk and unresolved feelings.

'is that all? that's it?' seeing the girls face remain the same, she added, 'boo you're boring.' iman tried to lift up the girls spirits knowing that she had pestered and bothered her. she wasn't as studious as manal, who was destined for great things, but she knew how to have fun.

manal looked up from the page of notes in scribbled arabic at her friend.

'i also said,' she cleared her throat, 'if he's that serious then he can come back in a few years and ask.'

'uhuh, and do you want him to come back?' iman said, leaning her hand against her head.

manal placed her glasses on top of her head, eyeing the cheeky grin on yet friends face.

'Allah knows best.'

—

6 years later

'come on you seriously can't be considering her? still?' his friend nudged his shoulder against the now 21 year old.

he will not lie and say he hadn't thought about her since he returned to madrid that summer. crushed by her rejection, he was angry and upset. he told himself that he won't put himself through that again. he remembered iman's face once she returned and he recounted the story for her.

she looked truly disappointed, although she said it was inevitable.

his friend continued once the tall moroccan boy stayed silent. 'she's too conservative for you man, from what you're telling me.'

'what you need is a social partner, someone who will rack you views and give you the attention off the pitch. an influencer type. this,' his friend continued, taking his glasses off to rub his eye. 'this girl, she won't go to galas with you, or talk to your friends. she'll make you an outcast.'

outcast. he had never thought of it this way, at least directly. manal didn't want to talk to him because he was a boy, hosting house parties for his teammates and their girlfriends was a long shot.

once he had returned from morocco that summer, his friends had asked him about progress with the girl he was obsessed with. he wouldn't look anywhere else, his heart and eyes set on her alone. he said he didn't care anymore.

although he did. he cared a lot.

he had packed his bags again, and was heading to his mothers house to take the familiar journey again, only this time 6 years late.

his friend shook his hand, taking his leave.

'don't forget what i told you.' he tilted his head knowingly. achraf internally wondered what his friend would gain from all this, and decided he would put his advice on the back burner for the present time.

he wasn't going back with any ulterior motives, he had missed iman and his aunt, and simply wanted to see the places that professional football barred him from seeing more.

—

'oh good you guys are just in time.' a 20 year old iman greeted her aunt and cousin with an excited grin on her face. she squeezed achraf's shoulders, looking up at him.

'what's the occasion?' he asked, referring to how dressed up she was. her hands covered in henna, leaving a complimenting shade of dark brown against her skin.

'it's an engagement.' she was thrilled to go, it had been ages since there was an engagement in the village.

'really dear, where is it?' her aunt she'd, lightly tapping her nieces cheek in acknowledgment.

'you know the neighbour? my friend manal? it's at her house.'

the revelation had achraf standing still. it's not possible that manal was the one getting engaged, was it? his thoughts wondered too far, and iman had to shake him to get his attention.

'are you coming or not?'

he ignored her question, and pulled her to the side of the courtyard. his mother shook her head, walking inside with her sister.

'is it her engagement?' he asked, once he saw that his mother was out sight. for a second he wondered why he even cared, but then his mind zeroed in on the thought of her marrying someone else and it shook him.

'why? are you worried?' she smirked, seeing that he was still as smitten as before. she was still as mischievous, the glint in her eye familiar to him. she enjoyed seeing him worry, even after denying any sort of feelings over their phone calls.

'just answer the question!' he whisper yelled, squeezing her shoulders lightly in urgency.

'no. but the party from the women's side is at her-' he didn't bother listening to the rest.

he was just glad it wasn't her.

—

didn't want to leave it on a cliffhanger but yeah

this book hit 1k reads in like less than a week!!

to see you guys so worried that i might end this book was so refreshing because i genuinely thought 'oh hmm this might be a good place it was meant to be a short story anyway :)'
now i feel like i have to change the entire storyline of the book.

the support for this book has been incredible and has made me really confident in my writing abilities. you guys are all such nice people for even clicking on this book, voting and commenting is a long shot!

i love you all!!!

thank you,
author