echoes of defiance (Rewriting)

chapter 1

**One Year Ago**

It was a Friday afternoon, and I sat by the window in the chemistry lab, attempting to focus on Mr. Suleiman's lecture. I absentmindedly twirled my pen, trying to keep my mind from wandering. "Tsk," I heard from outside the lab. I turned to see him standing there, as he often did, dressed in his usual black blazer. I quickly looked away, not wanting to engage.

"Call Sadiq," he commanded, his voice as cold as ever. I glanced at him briefly before turning my attention back to the front. "Hey," he called out again, this time more hostile. "Go to hell," I muttered under my breath, careful not to draw Mr. Suleiman's attention. I kept my eyes forward, pretending to focus while still playing with my pen.

Sadiq, my best friend since childhood, was the only person Zain bothered to speak to. The entire world, it seemed, had no place in Zain's life except for Sadiq's family. Even then, it was mainly Sadiq's elder brother, Usman, who Zain considered a friend. Zain had been homeschooled by his father through primary and secondary school, and now, he was in some university no one really knew much about.

"Tsk," he clicked his tongue again. His impatience was palpable.

"Farhana Abubakar, how about you take your business outside?" Mr. Suleiman's voice cut through the tension as he pointed towards the door.

"Sorry, sir," I tried to apologize, but he wasn't having any of it.

"Out," he insisted. I shot Zain a deadly glare as I gathered my things, anger simmering beneath the surface. He had just made me miss today's lecture with Mr. Suleiman, one of the few classes I actually enjoyed. What on earth was his problem?

As I stepped outside the lab, I glared at Zain again. He met my gaze, his expression as indifferent as ever. "Wallahi, if something happens to Amma before I can take Sadiq to her, it'll be your fault," he said, his voice laced with an edge of seriousness.

My heart skipped a beat. "W-what's wrong with Amma?" I stammered, my earlier anger now giving way to concern.

"She’s in the hospital," he replied curtly, offering no further explanation. Panic surged through me. I rushed back into the lab, barely giving Mr. Suleiman time to start scolding me before I explained the situation in a hurried whisper. He finally allowed Sadiq to leave with me.

I turned to Sadiq, my voice trembling, "Amma is sick. We need to go to the hospital."

We made our way towards the school gate, where Zain was already waiting in his car. I opened the back door, letting Sadiq take the front seat.

"Why are you coming?" Zain asked, his tone accusatory as he glanced at me through the rearview mirror.

I ignored his question, pulling out my phone to call Usman instead. There was no way I was going to justify myself to this raven. Amma was like a second mother to me; she and my mom had been best friends for over twenty years, long before Usman was even born. The audacity of Zain to question why I was coming!

When we arrived at the hospital, I was relieved to find that Amma was already feeling better. My mom was there with her, along with Usman and Sadiq’s father. Amma had been diagnosed with stomach cancer last year and had undergone surgery, but she still suffered from terrible stomach pains. Zain greeted everyone briefly before slipping out of the room, as aloof as ever. That was the last time I saw him before he disappeared again, presumably back to his mysterious university.

**One Year Later**

I hugged Amma, then Mom, and finally my dad. Sadiq, who was also leaving for Germany the next day, extended his hand towards me. "Take care, Papi," he said, his voice tinged with emotion.

"You too, Papi," I replied, my voice wavering as I tried to hold back my tears.

"Ki kula da kanki, a kula da sallah, banda abokan banza... zamu zo nan da 2 months kinji," Mom said, wiping away her tears.

"In sha Allah," I whispered, "Stop crying, you’ll make me cry too." I turned to Amma, "See your friend," I said with a smile, trying to lighten the mood as I grabbed my stroller and headed inside the terminal.

Within half an hour, I was at my gate, waiting to board my flight to Seoul. I wondered how life would be so far from home, away from my parents and my best friend. Everything was sorted—I had rented a small studio apartment close to my school since Mom didn’t want me living on campus. I had a week before registration started, giving me time to settle in and furnish my new place.

In just four days, I managed to make my little studio feel like home, but the loneliness was already setting in. I missed everything—home, Mom, Amma, and most of all, Sadiq. I video-called him, and we chatted for almost an hour before I decided to grab some food from a Turkish café down the street. They served halal food, and it had become my go-to since I arrived.

As I entered the café, I placed my order and waited at a table, absentmindedly looking at the receipt in my hand. Just then, I bumped into someone. "Watch it," a voice snapped, full of irritation.

I quickly looked up, ready to apologize, but the words caught in my throat. "You?" My eyes narrowed as I recognized the familiar face. I changed my mind about apologizing to this snob, picked up my receipt, and walked to my table. After a few minutes, my order was ready, and I collected it, my mood now thoroughly soured.

Why did I have to run into him here? As I walked back towards my apartment, a car suddenly sped past, splashing water all over me. I was drenched. The car drove a bit farther and then parked. My anger boiled over as I marched towards the car, ready to give the driver a piece of my mind. Just as I reached the window, it rolled down, revealing none other than Zain.

"Sorry," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. My mind screamed, *How dare he?!* Without thinking, I grabbed my cup of cold juice and splashed it all over his pristine white jacket.

"Sorryyy," I mocked, my voice oozing with sarcasm as I turned on my heel and walked back to my block, a satisfied smile spreading across my face.

Once back in my apartment, I showered and had dinner before calling Sadiq. I relayed the entire story to him, but even he couldn’t understand why Zain and I couldn’t stand each other. He seemed to forget that his family was the only one Zain spoke to, the only people he tolerated.