Lost

Chapter 47: Family Backup

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"Asim, pass Anne her mug," Alley asked.

Anne accepted the steaming mug with a grateful smile. The three of them, normal ones, were sitting by the bay window, watching the three, abnormal ones, chase each other in the rain. Asim's mother took a seat next to him, holding the mug in her hands.

"So this is what I have to put up with?" Alley complained, watching Salma, James and Dean with a disapproving frown on her face.

"Well." Anne pursed her lips. "Yes."

"Great," Alley muttered making Anne smile.

Asim watched his sister laughing at James who had slipped in the muddy backyard. If keeping up with this madness meant she would be happy, Asim thought, it was totally worth it.

The other day, when they entered her room after talking to Sarah, Salma looked like she would faint. She was eyeing them cautiously, holding her breath as if expecting one of them to pounce on her any second. Asim could tell that she knew about their exchange with Sarah. In fact, unless he was wrong, Salma herself had put Sarah up to it.

"How are you feeling, Sally?" Anne had asked, just to cut through the tense silence.

Salma swallowed, fiddling with her fingers nervously. Her lower lip trembled. She seemed really scared of what her family was thinking.

"'M fine," she managed a hoarse whisper, blinking back tears.

Knowing his sister, Asim was convinced she had little to do with Zayn, but judging from her trembling fingers, Asim knew she was worried sick if they would believe her. Anne seemed to have realized her fears too. She took her hand in hers and smiled reassuringly.

"I didn't do anything," Salma cried, a tear rolling down her cheek, "You have to believe me. I had nothing to do with him - Nothing indecent! I tried my best to stay indifferent. I did. I . . ."

Her voice broke. Asim's heart ached for her sister. It pained him to know that she felt the need to defend her honor. After going through a fatal accident, surviving alone in a forest with an ill tempered boy, facing starvation, getting assaulted, she should not be the one feeling the need to explain herself. Salma never asked for any of it. It was not her fault.

Asim chewed on his lip, frowning at her. Why would she ever assume her family would think otherwise?

However, following her gaze to his mother, Asim realized why. The frown on Alley's forehead spoke more than the tears in her eyes. She was just as concerned and worried about Salma as Asim was, but she could not let go of the fact that Salma's unfortunate stay with Zayn will always make her a target for much harsh judgments and doubts. No matter what happens, it is always tougher for the girls to clear their names. No matter how chaste and modest, it is always somehow the girl's fault.

Realizing his mother was more worried about that than the stress and trauma Salma was going through, Asim felt extremely annoyed. This was not the time to give a damn about anything else. Salma needed her family. She needed them to believe in her, to hear that out from them and see them showing confidence in her. It was the time where they should be making sure she stands firm and confident, and does not lose her strength to face the world. After all the mental, physical and emotional trauma that she had to endure, this was not the time to make her feel like she was up against her family too.

"We know." Anne squeezed her hand, before Asim could speak. "We believe you, kid. Don't you dare think we don't!"

"Anne's right," Asim added, giving his mum a disappointed side glance. "I trust you totally and I'll believe you even if others don't. Firstly, you shouldn't even be explaining yourself. Secondly, now that you're done, if you say you say you didn't do anything, then you didn't do anything. End of story."