Journey To The Half Of My Deen

Chapter Eleven

RECAP

"Oh! It's you!...... just keep it in the kitchen" i heard auntie say i felt someone walk in which made me nervous i just kept turning the potatoes. "Laiba, look this is my youngest son Asher" as soon as she said the name, i froze. It can't be! Could it?. I turned to see him.....

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LAIBA P.O.V

I can not believe that the guy I fear most, my bully, is actually my best friend's brother and Rania knows about him as I have told her several times but what are the chances of Asher my bully actually being her younger brother.

He stared at me clearly recognizing me and I looked away hoping I could disappear. I felt my heart beat faster as I continued frying the potatoes.

I felt a presence right next to me, I did not move out of fear. He stood right behind me and took one of the hot potatoes right past me and started to eat. I wanted to move but I could not bring myself to. My hand was slightly shaking and I did not want to show him that I was afraid.

He moved away and leaned on the counter next to me "so.. You found a way to come to my home Laiba" he paused looking down at me "are you stalking me like a creep?" he smirked and i did not respond, i silently kept frying the potatoes.

"What? You just have to admit it Laiba that you love me and you're following me home" he laughed when i started to shake a little. I heard someone walk into the kitchen and he looked at whoever entered.

"I was just coming man!, but I saw this weirdo classmate of mine in my house and wondered why she was here" he laughed, moving away from the counter. "Laiba?" I heard him and I gasped and turned to look at him

"Zeeshan?" I surprisingly looked at him. I saw his reaction with me calling his name for the first time in years and to be honest saying his name felt so familiar yet so foreign. I stared at him before looking away and removing the last potatoes and turning the stove off. "You know her?" Asher mocked and he was clearly surprised

"I am living at her place, she is my childhood best friend" Zeeshan defended, clearly annoyed at his friend. Before we knew it i heard Rania "what are you doing here Asher?" Rania sounded upset

"Come on big sis at least one male member of the house has been around since our so called father and other brothers can not make it, i am here" Asher put an arm around his sister and she frowned at him and i just stood there awkwardly. I felt his stare on me but I did not dare look up.

"How do you know this weirdo classmate of mine?" Asher asked his sister clearly very curious but as he said that i saw Zeeshan clench his fists he looked like he was to say something but before he did "First of all she is not a weirdo, You are! Second she is my best friend and Third she is the owner and boss of the place where i work" Rania glared at him and pushed his arm off her.

"Laiba ignore my brother he is a douchebag" Rania told me taking hold of my arm "watch it" Asher warned his sister but Zeeshan stood up to his friend "let us go, leave them be" Zeeshan took his friend out the house while Asher argued clearly angry.

I let go of a breath i did no know i was holding while Rania shook her head "I am sorry about my brother Laiba, he is honestly so immature" she seemed sad

 "ever since our father left us for his second wife he has lashed out at everyone and changed completely, the only person he listens to is our mother but other than that he just does not care on how he hurts them" i just nodded not saying anything.

***

We Arranged everything for the guests and Rania's mother seemed to be stressed. I just helped as much as I could before the guests arrived. Auntie ushered me and Rania to go up to relax a bit and refused us to come down until she said so.

Rania seemed really anxious and I held her cold hands, trying to calm her down. "Do not worry everything will be fine" i smiled at her and she just gave a small smile back breathing out and in trying to calm herself.

Honestly seeing Rania like this really made me feel nervous for her. 'Ya Allah please make everything go smoothly and do what is khayr for Rania and her family' i made dua in my heart. Not long after the doorbell rang make me and Rania look at each other "they are here!" we both said at the same time, Rania panicked more and i shook my head at her.

"Rania, calm down!, if you panic more you will have a panic attack and we do not need that right now. Look at me, I am right here with you" i held her hands "yes, okay. You are right" she calmed down a bit before Rania's mother opened the room door and peeped in.

"Laiba please bring her down" Auntie said to me before leaving in a hurry as she had left the guests to be by themselves. I felt a flutter in my stomach and I have no idea why I am nervous when these people are coming to see Rania.

We both went down and straight into the kitchen "what should i do?" Rania asked, confused yet panicked. Thanks to Halima I have a bit of experience "just let us say salaams first then we serve them the tea and snacks" i told her as we both went to the sitting room and both said our salaams loudly.

I looked at the two ladies sitting and smiled at them as they smiled back at me but lowered my gaze from the men and did not look in their direction but from what I could tell there were three men.

Rania's mother urged her to sit next to one of the aunties who I am assuming is the boy's mother and I went back to the kitchen as I always tend to feel shy around new people and feel really awkward as well, soon Rania's mother and Rania followed me to the kitchen.

As auntie guided Rania on serving the guests, I helped her by taking the snacks and putting them on the stools that Rania had arranged earlier. Once I was done one of the ladies had made me sit next to her and she kept talking and asking me questions and I was confused as to why she was asking me these questions.

After a few minutes I got a call from Arif. I walked to the kitchen to talk to him "Assalamu Alaikum, hello?"

"Wa Alaikum Salam, Laiba mom is saying to come home as Sadaf has refused to open the door and everyone is worried" i looked at Rania, 'Ya Allah, i completely forgot about Sadaf' i told Ranaia about this and she urged me to go home and that she will be fine, she got for me an uber.

I rushed out the door into the cold as I got into the uber, I prayed hoping everything is okay at home and that Sadaf does not do anything crazy.

***

A/N: Assalamu Alaikum, Wow! all that about frying potatoes has made me hungry :) , who else loves potatoes?. Thank you so much for taking your time to read this book, it honestly means a lot to me. I would honestly love if you commented your thoughts on what you think about the book so far, like what do you think about the Characters and  what you're curious about down below in the comments section. Also please don't forget to vote and share this book Jazakumullahu Khayran. Enjoy ;)