manal | achraf hakimi [COMPLETE]

.22

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unedited

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16/1/2023

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[1578 words]

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'iman?'

manal was walking to her class, for another day of teaching, when she saw her best friend emerge from another classroom. she looked shaken, and there was a tell tale sign of sweat droplets on her forehead. iman noticed that manal was looking at her questioningly when she took out a piece of tissue and dabbed it on her face.

'iman? are you alright?' manal said, moving closer, her face veil moving with her mouth. there was a breeze in the morning air, which made her friend's situation all the more confusing.

iman nodded, but her actions betrayed her. manal moved forward to rest a hand on her friends arm but she unexpectedly jerked back, as if recoiling from her touch.

'mama's expecting me. i'm going to go.' iman said, almost robotically, like her mind was on too occupied to have any expression in her words.

manal raised a concerned eyebrow, and with a sigh that screamed 'i do not believe you are okay!' she let her friend go. she looked shaken and scared, something in turn thaf had manal shaken and scared.

her eyes followed her friend half walk half run across the school courtyard, stupefied by her behaviour. once she left the main gates, her attention turned to the classroom she had exited.

she went in and found no one there, which only furthered her confusion.

suddenly, a voice that was far too close for her liking whispered in her ear. she moved fast, turning around and taking a few steps to get away from the source of the voice that was unfortunately a regular in her life.

'it's me. i'm the one you're looking for, dearest manal.'

'don't say my name.' her eyes hardened. she resolved that she liked the way achraf said her name a thousand times better than how this creep did.

achraf. he was here the last time this man dared to get this close to her. she wished he was here again, not to save her (because she could do that herself), but rather for her sanity.

'it's alright. i'll just say your friend's name instead.' he said with a sickening smile on her face. manal wondered how a man like him could ever be related to the sweet little boy ahmad in her class. she felt sorry for the boy to have to call a donkey like the one standing in front of her their brother.

her brain connected the dots way too fast, and suddenly iman's strange behaviour caught up to her.

'stop bothering her, or else-'

'or else what? you'll call your guy? he's going to protect you?' he spoke with an arrogance that made her want to stomp on him with the highest pairs of heels known to man.

'Allah will protect us!' manal said with a fierce tone, her eyes almost blazing. she felt her face get warm, as it always did when she was angry. 'and i'll call the police. i should have called them the first time you decided that we were less than humans and more like toys for you to play around with, abuse and hurt whenever you want.'

'yes yes you can save your speech for later but just know that if i can't have you then i'm sure as hell not leaving iman alone.'

'how dare you say her name! i was there the last time you were told this, and i'm going to say it again for your benefit. if you don't leave my friend alone i'll hand you over the police and then you can suffer for the rest of your life wishing you weren't so despicable.' she raised her finger at the man, the underlying despise for the man showing through her words.