Hand in Hand

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

I hadn't realized when I abandoned my work and went off to bed. I was still sleeping with all the mess around my bed when my phone started ringing abnormally loudly. Irritated, I woke up with my hair looking like I stepped out of the washing machine.

Slowly my eyes looked around to take the scene in front of me. My floor was covered with glitter and sequences, crafts and color pencils, scissors and bits of papers that I was using to work on my recent project. Yes, I was doing my architectural project and I had to do some quirky decorations on it. My closet was half open and my clothes, a mess themselves, were dangerously close to the edge of the shelf ready to fall and join the little heap that already existed, and my books were scrambled all over my dresser.

I do not like answering calls, who even calls when we can easily text? I waited till the call went to missed call, I slowly rubbed my eyes and unlocked my phone to check the calling ID.

Adnan.

SHIT.

I looked over the clock on my side table.

11:09 AM

SHIT.

I overslept. I immediately got to my feet as if I got electrocuted back to life and hurriedly pushed all the mess on the floor under my bed. I forced the clothes back inside and took a good 30 seconds trying to close my closet mentally noting down to clear it once Adnan would leave. I scurried over to my dresser and pulled the drawers open, gathered the books and papers and pushed them inside. I pulled the cotton tarha (hijab) out of another of drawers and rushed inside the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face.
In no time I was back in front of my dresser and put some lip gloss and mascara, after fixing my tarha.

11:17 AM

8 minutes, huh? Not bad. I smirked giving myself one last look, just as I thought there was a knock on my door.

He knocked ever so lightly that I had to wait and listen for him to knock again to make sure it was actually a knock. My heart slammed against my chest because I wasn't used to hiding things from my parents.

Talaa this is the last time you're doing this!

"Hi." he said as I opened the door to my room and immediately closed it behind after he entered.

I would normally roll my eyes and greet with salaam when people would say Hi/Hello over salaam. But I didn't want to risk the consequences because it would lead to unnecessary talking which I'm avoiding so that this little meet up could end faster.

"Why are you here again?" I asked frowning, coming straight to the question so that he doesn't try to make any other conversation like he always does. Also, I trained myself to not look at him for more than necessary. But I knew it wouldn't help because he would stare at me without even hiding the fact that he is staring!

He had texted me last evening saying that he wanted to see me urgently and he'd tell me the reason after I see him.

Such torture.

As much as I hated doing things secretly, I couldn't help wondering what was so urgent. I agreed to see him when curiosity got the better of me. My family could form doubts if I left the house so we had to agree to meeting like this.