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Moving forward

*3 years later*

"Noor,my jaan,"Jehangir whispered in her ear,"Wake up princess,it's time for school,you didn't even pray your namaz,what will dadi jaan say,that Noori's seven and didn't pray her morning prayers."

"Baba ji,go..."Noor whined from under the blanket she had pulled over her head.

"Noor,darling,you'll be late for school if you sleep any longer."His voice insisted.

"Baba jiiii."

"Now Noor..."He began in a stern voice when he felt a hand on his shoulder,he looked up to see the smiling face of his father,with prayer beads in his hand and a white cotton cap on his head.Jehangir moved aside and his father sat on Noor's straw bed.

"Dada jaan won't tell dadi that Noori didn't pray today...if Noori does something for dada jaan in return."He said placing a hand on her back.

Noor shot up,maybe it was his voice,or his touch,but she sat up,perfectly alert,"Yes dada ji."

A laugh escaped both Jehangir and his father's throats and his father smiled,"Well my Noor Jehan,it is a secret,one that your baba ji mustn't know either,so I will wait for you on the patio,you get dressed quickly."

Noor nodded her head and her grandfather left the room.She then eyed her dad who stood by the door,"Morning Baba ji."She smiled cheekily.

"Good morning kiddo,now out of bed with you."He shook his head and walked out.

Noor pulled the blankets off and walked to the washroom,she sighed,she didn't want to go to school,everyone made fun of her for being the only girl there,it was a co-ed school,but no girl from her neighbourhood attended it and that left her the only girl in the school.There was no all-girls school for miles,and why would there be,nobody sent their daughters to school anyway.

The only boy who would not say anything to her was Moazzam,he was the tallest boy in class and very strong too,he was a punjabi,hailing from western Punjab,he said he had the power of desi ghee,in his bones,he used to tell everyone that no one should fight him,or a terrible fate would be not far off.Nobody believed him,until the one day he proved it.

Haroon was picking on her again,he used to take her lunch from her but she didn't do much about that,but that one day,he tried to steal dada ji's money,the money she had to buy dada ji chocolates from,he tried pulling them out of her pencil case,but she pulled back,it was dada ji's money,it was amanat,she had to protect it.

Haroon pulled again and she pulled back,then he pulled again and shoved her hard,she stumbled and fell,her elbow hitting the rough floor and blood starting to dribble out,she had whimpered.Two years of bearing Haroon and it was the first time she had made a noise,She was crying not because of the bruised elbow,but because she had lost dada ji's money.

"Aw,baby's crying?"Haroon laughed in her face and turned around,next thing Noor knew,he was on the ground beside her,his face knotted in pain,she saw movement above and looked up to see Moazzam standing over the two of them,worry for her quite evident on his face,"Noor..."He started.

"I'm okay Moazzam,"She got on to her feet and looked down at Haroon,then reddened and instantly turned away,it was pretty obvious where Moazzam had kicked him.Moazzam saw Noor redden and smiled sheepishly,"Here,"he said thrusting a band-aid into her palm.

"Thank you."She smiled,kneeled to grab the money from Haroon's hand and walked back to her seat.Moazzam didnot speak to her much,even after that,but she felt he was always looking out for her,stepping in when he saw she was getting picked on,and everyone scurried when they saw him.