Gossip to secret

10.

Ashraf's POV

The night Anisa declined to answer my question as we walked Musbahu home left me restless. I couldn't stop thinking about her and the hurt I felt when she refused to respond. My mind kept racing, and I recalled hearing about her going to a nightclub, which piqued my curiosity. Was she really going to the nightclub, and what kind of lifestyle was she leading here, I wondered.

My concern for Anisa grew, and I found myself questioning why I cared so much and why I felt this underlying anger. It struck me that I hadn't been preoccupied with her like this before, but ever since our conversation about Rahim, I couldn't help but think about her constantly. I hoped it was just genuine concern and nothing more, wishing it was solely about caring for her. With these thoughts, I eventually drifted off to sleep.

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Anisa's pov

Today, Hanifa had the day off from work due to a public holiday, so we decided to give Ashraf a tour of our town. Ever since that day, Ashraf and I hadn't been talking much. Occasionally, we'd exchange heated words, or when our eyes met, we'd simply roll them and exchange disapproving glances.

Our behavior was so absurd that it often made Mama laugh; truthfully, we were acting like children. I had even started avoiding him to prevent any accidental encounters.

The idea to take Ashraf on a tour was Hanifa's, and we met up with Khadija. I introduced her to Ashraf, and she couldn't help but compliment him on his looks.

After wandering around, we found a serene green grassy area where we decided to rest. Musbahu and Hanifa were sitting together, while me, and Khadija, and Ashraf sat a little distance away from them.

"This green grass is incredibly comfortable, and the trees provide such fresh air. Willowbrook is truly amazing; it feels so different to be here," Ashraf remarked.

"I'm glad you like our town," Khadija replied with a warm smile.

"Are those two dating? They seem inseparable," Khadija inquired. We all turned our gaze toward Musbahu and Hanifa, who were having a blast, laughing and sharing smiles. I was genuinely happy that Hanifa was enjoying herself, and I'd known Musbahu for a long time; he's a great guy, and I'm confident he'll take good care of Hanifa.

"They seem to be deeply in love," Ashraf commented, a warm smile gracing his lips as he observed Musbahu and Hanifa.

Our attention was diverted when a girl called Khadija's name. It was her elder sister, Amina, who had been searching for her. "Oh, darn it, I completely forgot Mother sent me. She's going to have my head," Khadija exclaimed as she hastily rose, grabbing her slippers and hurrying over to her sister. "Where have you been? Mother's going to be furious," Amina scolded.

I couldn't help but laugh at Khadija's frantic behavior. "She always gets carried away when we meet. She enjoys spending time with me. I didn't know she had been sent; I would've reminded her. She tends to forget everything when she's with me," I explained, smiling to myself, unsure why I was sharing this.

"Yeah, it's clear she cares about you a lot. You're lucky to have a friend like her," Ashraf remarked, bringing me back to the fact that he was still with me, and I had momentarily forgotten.

"Oh!" I said, looking at him. I let out a sigh and asked, "Why did you come to Willowbrook?"

Ashraf shifted his gaze away from me, a soft smile gracing his face as he hugged his knees to his chest, then returned his gaze to me. "I just wanted to see you," he confessed.

"Why the sudden desire to see me?" I inquired.

"Maybe I just felt like it. Can't I miss my sister?" he replied with a hint of playfulness.