Those Honey Brown Eyes (A Muslim Love Story).

Chapter : 5 Golden Days

(Flashback continued. )

Aliya's POV

After about 15 minutes, we returned to class."I'm heading to coaching after class. Will you join me?" Tahmeed asked, sounding hopeful.

I hesitated, remembering my brother had already mentioned a coaching center. "Sorry, I can’t. My brother already enrolled me in a different one," I explained.

"Oh, I see. Well, see you tomorrow, then," he replied, a bit deflated.

Later, my brother took me to the coaching center. When I walked in, I was surprised to see Tahmeed by the window, staring outside.

So this is the same coaching center he mentioned.I took the seat beside him and called his name. He turned, surprised to see me. "You fooled me, didn’t you? Why didn’t you tell me, dummy?" he teased.

I laughed. "No, really, I didn’t know where I was going until today.

"We started chatting about our class and schoolwork when, suddenly, a boy from our class chimed in, "Look, the baby boy talking to another baby girl! Aren’t they cute? They’re the same height; like puppies from the same litter. This baby boy should be in elementary school!" The others laughed along with him.

Tahmeed was shorter than most of the boys in our class, and these kids were from another school, they were much taller.

Tahmeed looked uncomfortable, ready to retort, but I stopped him.

"Don’t bother with them. They’re just jealous because I’m talking to you and not them. I mean, aren’t I the cutest?" I teased, pouting to lighten the mood. I didn’t want him to get into a fight, especially since they were outnumbering us five to one.

Tahmeed’s smile returned. "That’s true, but to them, only. To me, you’re like a little rabbit," he teased back.I shot him a look. "Hey, rabbits are cute, you know!"He smirked.

I turned to the boys. "For the record, we look normal for our age. You guys, though you’re like my older brother in class nine. Are you sure you’re in the right class? Don’t judge others just because you think it’s cool. Spoiler alert: it’s not. When you mock someone, you’re mocking the Almighty, who created everyone. Height, weight, color–it doesn’t matter to Him, so why should it matter to you?"I surprised myself by saying so much to strangers, but it felt good.

The boys were speechless, and even Tahmeed seemed taken aback by my sudden outburst, considering how quiet I usually was.

Unbeknownst to us, the teacher had entered the classroom. "Well said, Aliya. We should all treat people equally, regardless of their physical appearance. And boys, I don’t want to hear any more demeaning remarks in my academy. Am I clear?"

"Yes, sir," they chorused in unison."Good. Now, let’s get back to our studies."

"Thanks, All," Tahmeed whispered.I shook my head. "No need to thank me. You’re my friend, and no one bullies my friend," I replied, serious now. Tahmeed stared at me for a moment, then smiled and returned to his notes.

Days passed, and our friendship deepened. High school became more enjoyable with Tahmeed and my other friends by my side. A few days after I joined, my girls also signed up for coaching, making our after-school life just as lively as during class. Sometimes, we would grab street food after our lessons. Tahmeed rarely joined us because the girls would bombard him with too many questions. But whenever I was alone after coaching, he’d take me to the nearby park since he knew how much I loved the greenery. I’d close my eyes to listen to the birds, and he’d sit silently beside me.

A year flew by, and we moved up to class seven. We were all growing taller, but Tahmeed seemed to be growing the fastest. He was already 5’5"!

Life became busier. Tahmeed, especially, juggled multiple responsibilities. He became vice-captain of the Boy Scouts and joined the football team. His hard work and talents made him popular in class, but despite all the attention, he never forgot about me.

During the annual cultural competition, our class monitor, Rima, who was also one of my best friends practically forced me to participate in the general knowledge contest. She knew how much I loved reading about national and international affairs, but the thought of competing terrified me because of my stage fright. I even considered removing my name from the list.

"She refuses to listen to us," Rima complained to Tahmeed on our way to coaching. "We all know how good she is at this."

Don’t worry," Tahmeed reassured her. "I’ll talk to her."

After class, as we walked home–our houses were in the same direction.
He brought it up. "I heard you’re not participating in the GK competition. Can I ask why?"

I fidgeted nervously. "I’m just scared. What if I mess up in front of everyone? I’ve never done anything like this before."

He gently patted my head, brushing my scarf. "Look at me," he said softly. "I wasn’t great at football when I first joined, but now I’m part of the team because I kept practicing and improving. You love general knowledge, right? Why not test yourself? What’s the worst that could happen–you lose? Then you’ll learn more for the next time."

His words hit home. He was right.
There was no punishment for losing, but I was still afraid of the crowd.

Sensing my hesitation, he added, "If it helps, I’ll participate too. That way, you won’t be alone."

I was touched. "Really? But you don’t have time to prepare. The competition is the day after tomorrow!"

He smiled. "Like I said, what’s the worst that could happen? I’ll lose."

I thought to myself, Oh, Tahu, what did I do to deserve a friend like you?

"Hey, earth to Aliya! Don’t think I’ll do this for free. You owe me a home-cooked meal from your mom," he teased.

Tahmeed loved my mom’s cooking, especially after tasting her mutton biryani once. "Okay, okay. I’ll even throw in an ice cream treat," I offered.

"Now that’s more like it," he grinned.

Two days later, the competition day arrived. My palms were sweating, but Tahmeed smiled reassuringly, handing me a tissue. When my name was called, he held my hand lightly and whispered, "All the best." His touch and words somehow made my nervousness melt away.

I answered all ten questions correctly in the first round, and Tahmeed got seven right. We both made it to the second round. The second round focused on international affairs, and I answered nine out of ten questions, winning first place. Tahmeed did great too, securing third place.

After the awards ceremony, we celebrated with ice cream. Rima joined us, and by the time we finished, it was already 7 p.m. My brother hadn’t arrived to pick me up yet, so Tahmeed and I decided to head home together.

As we neared my house, I saw my uncle approaching—with my mother.

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