Lost

Chapter 101: "Finalizing the Fix"

Second last chapter. Can I have a little more love than I got the previous chapter, pwease?*Pouts* I mean, the story is coming to an end, you know U_U

Salma shortened her prayer and quickly shrugged into her abaya and scarf, eager to be ready before her father would return from praying Ishaa' in the mosque. Asim had told her earlier why her father had thought Zayn was a good match, and she was floored.

Asim, like everyone else in the family, had picked early on that it was impossible for her father to not know who Arethas was. As a decorated Green Coat, the first thing he'd do before trusting his daughter to someone else, was to run a background check. Especially now since he knew his children's lives were at stake. Such a vaguely built celebrity profile would not have been hard for him to see through. Upon Asim's inquiring, his father had admitted that he knew, but unlike with Salma, he had shared the reason why?

"He thought you liked him," Asim had said. "He figured you two had known each other long enough for Zayn to have told you about his life in LA. He just figured you were shy about it."

"Why?!" Salma had asked flabbergasted. "Why would dad think that?!"

"He misread you." Asim sighed. "You are obviously watched over all the time by the Green Coats. Dad probably gets a weekly report of sorts about everything around you - and maybe me too."

"Oh my God!" Salma buried her head in her hands, mortified.

"I know," Asim grumbled, feeling just as exposed. "He was obviously informed of your issues with Zayn, but since you never once went to him to complain, dad stayed out of it. He never brought it up to any of us, but in his head he figured you might have a soft spot for Zayn for whichever way he earned your respect back in the forest."

Salma had trouble digesting the everything her brother was saying.

"Dad also said Zayn saved your life in the mall," Asim said, eyeing her questioningly. "That he had almost been shot and got into a nasty accident during the shootout."

Salma, who had gone quite red with embarrassment, nodded.

"Wow!" Asim whispered. "And you let us believe a lie Alex told?" Salma avoided eye contact, fidgeting with her comforter. Asim exhaled loudly. "Anyways, from then on dad figured Zayn either actually cared for you, or he had his own motives behind such a drastic step. So, he assigned someone to watch over him as well."

"If he had people watching the both of us, how could he think I liked that jerk?!" Salma asked, feeling agitated. "As far back as I can think, we were almost always arguing!"

"He thought you were just guarding your deen against his advances, and refused to let him mess with you." Asim replied. "He said he would have intervened but, one, apart from the fact that it's his job, he's mindful to never otherwise invade our privacy, and two, he didn't want to embarrass you. He'd let you deal with your problems your way, unless and until you asked for his help."

Salma didn't say anything but she was eternally grateful to have a father who trusted and understood her - and yet, when it came to Zayn, he misunderstood her so much?

"It's not like he's always listening in on everything we say," Asim answered her unspoken doubts. "How would he know what you two argued about, unless you two were yelling all the time."

We kinda were, Salma thought to herself sighing miserably.

"Doesn't dad know of what Zayn did a few months ago?" Salma asked.

"He does. Believe it or not, Alex wasn't lying. The attack was real," Asim said, much to Salma's surprise. "Yep, there actually were people out there who almost kidnapped you. However, dad didn't know of what went down between you and Zayn on the rooftop. So when he ran into Zayn in LA, dad saw him as a someone who had saved his daughter's life, twice. And with Zayn's reversion, he somehow suspected it to have something with you. I don't know. He couldn't explain it himself. Perhaps dad knew that Zayn was obsessed with you - I mean," Asim quickly corrected himself as Salma shot him a dirty look. "You know what I mean! . . . Anyways, when this problem with Agha Gul came up, dad thought it would be the perfect fix if he respectfully offered you a choice that you wanted but were too shy to ask for."